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Todd Parr is a name I have been familiar with for years.  He is a go to author when it comes to elementary level school counseling (which I used to do).  He offers a wide variety of books and other options that are designed to get kids, families, and students talking and thinking about various different life concepts and issues.



Feelings Flash Cards
Being able to express correct emotions is such an important thing for all kids to learn.  It should start when they are very young on a simple level.  As they grow older, try introducing "bigger" feelings words like frustrated or excited instead of mad and happy.  The more children are able to accurately express themselves, the less frustration will be felt for parents and kids.

The Feelings Flash Cards by Todd Parr are an excellent way to encourage your child or students to learn more than just happy, mad, and sad.  There are 20 different flash cards with opposite emotions on each side (40 different feelings).  The illustrations do a great job of matching up to the feelings.  You can purchase the boxed set for $14.99 from Chronicle Books.


Create Your Own Planet
This is a coloring book like no other!  Create Your Own Planet has stickers and fun doodle prompts that will get your child thinking!  There are tons of creative ideas inside this 240 page book.  Create your own planet retails for $14.99 from Chronicle Books and is soft cover.

This product was provided free of charge by Chronicle Books. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.

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Ever since we did away with DirectTV, Graham has been watching PBS Kids more than ever (when the TV is on).  One of his favorite shows to watch in the morning while he eats his breakfast before preschool is Sid the Science Kid.  We often head off to school in the morning with him asking certain science questions or telling me about what he learned.



Patch Products offers several different science toys as well as puzzles for kids, kids coloring books, and many other educational items.  We were sent the Sid the Science Kid Learning Kit Why Are Wheels Round to review.  At first I was worried that it would be too much for Graham at the age of three, but he quickly proved me wrong!




This is such a fun way for kids to explore how things work which is right up Graham's alley.  He is always curious about how things move and operate and this has been a great lesson for him.  Included in the kit is a car with 3 different sets of wheels.  There are also rubber bands for traction and to pull and release the car you create.  Graham has fun changing out the wheels and talking about why it will or will not go.  Once he has the round wheels on he races the car off of the dinning room table into the floor (typical boy right?).  You can also decorate the car however you see fit.

For only $9.99 this would make an excellent gift idea that is out of the norm as well as a wonderful project if you are homeschooling.  There is a 24 page journal included for older kids so that they can track their experiments!

This product was provided free of charge by Patch Products. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.


1. Head over to Patch Products and leave a comment here telling me an item you like besides the Sid the Science Kid Learning Kits. Make sure to leave your email address in the comment (used only to contact the winner. If your email shows up on your blogger account then do not worry about leaving it).

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This giveaway ends 9/15 at 11:59pm (EST). The winner will be chosen using random.org and announced on this post. US entries only please.

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Back to school almost feels like New Year's in a way.  It is a time to start things over fresh and new and make new goals.  This would be a great time to reintroduce the idea of being healthy and making good choices.  The OrganWise Guys has a Back to School Kit that can help you and your family, school, home school, or after school club.



We already reviewed the Summer Fun Kit offered by The OrganWise Guys and were impressed.  We also love the Back to School Kit that they are offering.  It is amazing to me to see how much Graham really takes in from the videos as well as the book we have from the Summer Fun Kit.  He is only three and is starting to recognize healthy and unhealthy foods as well as the importance of exercise.



The Back to School Kit Includes:

• Monthly Healthy Behavior Tracking Calendar: With the start of a new school year, take on a new healthy behavior each month! The calendar is designed for use beginning any month of any year.
• Sir Rebrum Plush Toy: The brainy but cute professor is also the leading caricature in the Breakfast Skippin' Blues Video
• School Days Here We Come! Book: It's the first day of school and time to meet all The OrganWise Guys classmates and see where they live!
• Breakfast Skippin' Blues Video: Sir Rebrum is having a hard time remembering his lines in a school play. Can you guess what he forgot to do that morning? 

The OrganWise Guys Back to School kit retails for only $34.80 making this an extremely affordable option!


1. Head over to the OrganWise Guys and leave a comment here telling me something you learned or liked not mentioned in this post. Make sure to leave your email address in the comment (used only to contact the winner. If your email shows up on your blogger account then do not worry about leaving it).

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This giveaway ends 9/10 at 11:59pm (EST). The winner will be chosen using random.org and announced on this post. US entries only please.
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Reading is definitely a passion of mine, and I am so glad that Graham seems to share the same passion.  It is exciting to watch him learn and grow as he becomes older.  You may remember reading in previous posts that Graham is working on sight words.  I believe that this is a great place to start with kids once they know their alphabet, numbers, colors, and shapes.  When I heard about the program being offered at Innovative Kids I was extremely interested in trying them out.



The Now I'm Reading program was actually developed by Nora Gaydos who is a mother and an elementary school teacher.  She developed this program after spending time watching how children learn to read.  Her system is by far, the best one we have used so far!  First of all, I love how each series is organized in its own folder style book.  Everything you need is conveniently in one package for that series.  Each new book has its own section inside the case.  Other systems have loose books and flash cards that we are continually loosing or bending.



The Now I'm Reading program has been very well thought out!  You can tell that an organized teacher came up with this.  They are also EXTREMELY affordable.  Each set is only $16.99 which is a steal in my opinion.  We were sent the Pre-Reader: Look Around! (10 booklet binder), the Pre-Reader: Word Play, and the Level 1: Animal Antics to review.  Graham has been having a blast in all three series.  He is definitely the most adept at the Pre-Reader: Look Around.  It involves predictable text that involves repetition (great for learning to read).  The illustrations are simple, yet vivid and give wonderful clues.









The Word Play title is great because there are 32 flash cards included that represent the essential words that kids need to know by sight.  There are also 8 books as well as activities to help reinforce the learning.  Animal Antics is also a great choice that makes Graham laugh every time.  He has been able to catch on to a few of the stories in this title, but it is definitely more advanced.  This title helps reinforce vowel sounds.

Although I have only personally reviewed the three titles mentioned, I have no hesitation recommending any of the titles in the series if you see one you think would be a great fit for your child.

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Graham is only 3, but his little heart desires to learn to read... desperately!  He truly loves books and he wants to be able to read them on his own.  He will often come up to us and say, "I don't know the words.  Can you help me understand."  I do not want him to become frustrated with reading, so I decided to help him on his reading journey this summer by starting with the sight words.  He learned his alphabet (upper and lower case) by age 18 months.



Bob Books from Scholastic contacted me for a review right in the midst of this and I was delighted to try them out with Graham.  Now, we were sent two of the boxed sets that I think may be a bit over his head at the moment, but he still enjoys them.  So far he has learned a few words from these books and we really try to make it fun.  If he ever starts to become uninterested we stop.



What I think is excellent about Bob Books Sight Words is that the illustrations are simple and match the words on the page.  Because the pictures are clear and uncluttered, it helps the child associate the word with the picture.  Each set includes 10 books, 30 flashcards, and a parent guide.  You can choose from either Kindergarten or First Grade.  They also have sets for pre-readers that I saw in Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago.  Sight words are generally difficult for kids because they are not phonetic ("was", "are", "out").  These words have to be memorized like the alphabet.

Bob Books Sight Words are great for ages 4-6 (or interested 3 year olds) and retail for about $16.99 per set.  Check out the Scholastic Bob Books website for some printable activities to go along with the series.

This product was provided free of charge by Scholastic. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.

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I love it when something fun comes along that completely catches me off guard!  I never would've expected The OrganWise Guys to capture Graham's heart and mind as much as they have.  With summer here and so much time spent in the pool, these videos, books, and activities have been perfect for Graham!



We were sent the OrganWise Guys Summer Fun Kit (RV $57.75).  The kit includes:

• Soft plush toys: The Kidney Brothers and Hardy Heart
• Educational DVDs: (1) H2Ohhhhh! ? learn and love everything about water from The Kidney Brothers and; (2) Extreme Couch Potato with Hardy Heart who learns to get off the couch, eat healthy snacks and go outside to play
• Books and activity books: Smart from the Inside Out - kids meet The OrganWise Guys and learn the rules of the club
• Tattoos: set of 10 OrganWise Guys characters

The DVD's have been priceless to us so far!  From the moment Graham started watching he immediately started talking about how it was important to be safe around the water and drink plenty of it.  He has even been reminding EVERYONE that sunscreen is a must if you are going to be outside.  The Smart from the Inside Out Book has been great for reinforcing why we eat healthy foods and what healthy foods are.  At dinner he will often let us know that what we are eating is a healthy food.

As a mother, it is thrilling to see your child become so excited over being safe and healthy.  I truly believe that this series is a wonderful one if you are homeschooling or trying to get a jump start on school!  It is also great for the summer boredom blues for those of you who have kids in elementary school.  Make sure you check out the website for all sorts of informational ideas for teachers and parents.

This product was provided free of charge by the OrganWise Guys. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.

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What if you could find a book that was more than a book?  What if there was a book that combined numbers, rhymes, colors, animals, sequencing, matching, addition, beginning/middle/end and offered your child a jump start on school?  If you are like  me, you would be extremely impressed!  Well, that is exactly what Flip Along Fun is!  It is an impressive, interactive, and extremely well thought out book for children ages 2-6.







Michael J. Dowling and Sarah Buell Dowling are the husband and wife team behind this smart book for kids!  Michael wrote the book and Sarah illustrated it.  You and your children are going to love the bright and cheery illustrations! I actually had the opportunity to speak with Michael on the phone and it was exciting to hear the passion in his voice about this book.  You could definitely tell that it was a labor of love.  I don't know about you, but as a mom it makes me feel that much better about giving my child the product.






Flip Along Fun works by using 3 panels.  Your child chooses a panel from the left to start with.  Next they choose a middle panel.  The third step is to choose the panel on the right that matches the first two.  You can see how easy it is for your child to learn matching and even addition without even realizing it! Flip Along Fun has a nice rhyming feel and you are sure to have several matching opportunities to provide hours of fun with your child.  I am a big fan of anything that gets parents and children interacting.  Flip Along Fun is great at connecting and providing an activity that the whole family can be involved in.  The large size of the book makes this wonderful for story times or circle groups as well.





If you are looking for a great gift idea, Flip Along Fun should be at the top of your list!  I am sure that it will not be a repeat gift and parents are going to thank you!  You can purchase the book at FlipAlongFun.com for $17.95 with $5 shipping.  If you ask me, that is a really great deal on a quality, substantial book that is going to provide a ton of learning and entertainment.

This product was provided free of charge by Michael Dowling. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.


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If you are like me and are a fan of The Biggest Loser you are going to love The Biggest Loser: 30 Day Jump Start DVD!  It features Tara, Ali, and Sione leading you in simple, yet challenging workout routines.  Each routine is only 10 minutes which is perfect for a busy lifestyle or for someone who is not used to working out.  This will definitely get you going!  My husband and I tried day 1 and were both sweating like crazy at the end of the 10 minutes.  It also features tips and tricks from Bob!  The program is set up to where you could do a workout a day, 6 days a week which is very manageable!  The Biggest Loser: 30-Day Jump Start DVD retails for about $10.49 and would make an excellent stocking stuffer!

If you have preschoolers you are still shopping for you can pick up the LeapFrog: Let's Go to School DVD Gift Pack.  It is only about $20-27 and features 3 DVDs that will help your 2-6 year old prepare for school.  Graham is only 2 and he loves to watch Tad, Lily, and Leap in these cartoons.  I love the fact that they use repetition and phonics for teaching word building and letters.  5 Sing-along songs are also featured.  There is even a set of flashcards included to help reinforce learning!

This product was provided free of charge by Lionsgate. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.



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I really did love school when I was little.  I usually did pretty well in most areas, but I often struggled with math!  I can remember when I hit about 5th grade starting to dread math in school.  I would come home from school and cry as my dad would try to explain math to me.  Telling time, division, fractions, it was all a mystery to me!





I am so glad that I am a mother in the day and age we are in (well, sometimes I am).  There are so many resources available to boost our kids that just weren't around when we were growing up.  If you are looking for a boost when it comes to math you should check out Munchkin Math.  These fun and educational DVDs were created by a mother and can serve ages 2-9.  Each DVD focuses on a different concept such as: Telling Time, Shapes, and Counting Money.




We were sent the Telling Time DVD by Munchkin Math to review with Graham.  At first I thought that this was really going to be over his head, but I was pleasantly surprised.  This DVD features 2 birds (Cuckoo and Stan), a clock wizard, kids, and Wendy (video leader).  Cuckoo must learn to tell time before he can live in a Cuckoo Clock.  Wendy leads the birds and children in different fun songs and rhymes that help reinforce memory skills.  I know that most children learn better when they can associate things in song or rhyme.  This is definitely true for Graham.  I even learned a thing or two about teaching kids how to tell time! 




It was fun watching Graham stand up and repeat after Wendy and even sing some of the songs.  Even though I know he doesn't completely get it at age 2, at least some of the basic skills are being heard which will hopefully make it easier for him to learn as he grows older.  Also, I think incorporating music and math is a fantastic idea!  I know of several people who struggle with math that have more of a creative mind which usually responds well to music.  And music is very mathematical in nature which makes this a great combination.

You can purchase all 3 titles from MunchkinMath.com for about $19.99 a piece.

From now until December 16th anyone who posts on twitter using the hashtag #MunchkinMath will be entered to win one of three Munchkin Math DVD sets, which includes all three Munchkin Math titles. For example, you could tweet:

Give you child a head start in math with Munchkin Math DVDs. RT to enter to win 1 of 3 prize packs! #MunchkinMath

Or

Giveaway: Kids get a head start in math with Munchkin Math's Shapes, Telling Time, and Counting Money DVDs. RT to enter! #MunchkinMath

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Munchkin Math and received a sample DVD to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.



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Learning to read is so essential to everything in life and is one of the single most important educational lessons we can teach our kids. I know that if you are like me, you want your child to have every opportunity to succeed at an early age. To me, the most important key to learning is having fun! I am so excited to introduce you to a brand new tool every parent and educator should add to their tool box called The Alphabotz!

The Alphabotz are much more than just ordinary flash cards, they are Superphonic Decoder Cards! The are designed for children ages 3 and up and were created by a parent and educator. These cards truly are an innovation which is why they recently were named one of the Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products for the year of 2009 as well as won the Tillywig Toy & Media Award Brain Child Award! They use a combination of teaching strategies including: phonemic awareness, phonics, sight words, and language experience. They do all of this while using a fun cast of characters that creates a story. They are a great idea because they incorporate several styles of learning to read.



Alphabotz work by having different letters on each robot character's chest. Each character has it's own identity as well as a character on top of it's head. The identifying character on top of it's head helps your child relate the sound of the letter(s) to the look of the letter(s). Not only does the robot have the letter and the character, but everything about the robot (objects, skills, home, friends) reinforces the letter and letter sounds. There are 46 robot characters broken down like this: 18 consonants, 3 consonant digraphs, 5 short vowels, 5 long vowels, 1 silent e, 5 impersonators, 5 vowel teams, and 4 r-controlled vowels.

A program that grows with your child is always a plus! Graham already uses these to help reinforce his letter recognition. You can even use dry erase markers on the cards and have your child trace letters. The cards are a generous size and extremely sturdy. As your child progresses, you can simply move through to more complicated decoding!

The Alphabotz retail for $19.95 and can be purchased at Alphabotz.com or Amazon. Check out their "fun" page for coloring sheets, helpful charts, songs, and more!

This product was provided free of charge by Alphabotz and Kid Stuff PR. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.



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This would've been right up my alley when I was little. I remember one Christmas all I wanted was a microscope. If you have an imaginative child who is really into science, how things work, and experiments, you really should check out The Young Scientists Club!

We were sent the The Magic School Bus Diving into Slime, Gel and Goop for review. If you are familiar with The Magic School bus show, you know that Ms. Frizzle and her students go on all sorts of magical adventures in their school bus. It has traveled inside the human body and journeys to many places you can only read about in text books! They have fun learning about how things work and even get into some sticky situations now and then. This exciting kit is great for ages 5 to 12. There are also 3 other fun Magic School Bus kits to try: Going Green, Soaring Into Flight, and the Secrets of Space.

The is a polymer kit that allows your child to conduct experiments such as making glue from milk, forming a bouncy ball, creating slime (our favorite), growing jiggly marbles and much more! Not only will your child have countless hours of fun, but they will be learning in the process. It is definitely true that we learn better when we are interested and having fun. I can see this also being a great way to spend a family night. These experiments will require adult supervision so you will be involved and participating in what your child is learning. What a great way to form some valuable bonding time!

I feel like this kit is very well put together and offers you a great value for what you are getting. This series is the winner of the Dr. Toy 10 Best Educational Products, the iParenting Media Award as well as several other prestigious awards! The kits cost about $19.99! So, for less than $20 you can have a Christmas gift that will help spark the imaginations of your child, create family time, and hopefully create a love for learning that will last them a lifetime!



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It is true that the sooner you can create a love for reading in your child, the easier it will be for them to carry this with them throughout life. It is also true that children pick up on a lot of different things earlier in life. Just think about all they accomplish in the first year. There are tons of neurons firing and synapses connecting that slow down with age. Essentially, we as parents have got to use those little neurons and connections to our advantage! I was sent a product by LeapFrog that is amazing for getting your little one's brain exercising!

The LeapFrog Tag Junior looks, to Graham, like a dinosaur. But, he doesn't roar, he READS and ENGAGES! The easily held Tag Junior turns on with the press of a button with an easy access volume adjustment that your child can operate. As soon as we got the Tag Junior out of the box Graham almost instinctively knew how to operate it. Simply press it down anywhere on the book for either questions, sounds, songs, or stories. What I love about the Tag Junior is the fact that it is not just reading the book to Graham, it is engaging him with questions that lead to action. For instance, if he puts Tag Junior over the little girl reading a book, she may ask him to find another animal on the page or something blue on the page. If he answers the question correctly he is rewarded with a word of encouragement. In essence, he is not just developing a love for reading, he is using other learning skills at the same time. Of course, the Tag Junior also will read the words on each page if your child places the device over the words.

I am amazed at how well the Tag Junior works and at how long it keeps Graham's attention. We are currently working on site words and this is a perfect enhancement to what we are learning. The fact that it reinforces things that he has already learned is a definite plus as well.





The Tag Junior is also smart! As a parent you can keep track of how your child is learning by using the LeapFrog Connect program online. Simply connect your Tag Junior to your computer and download the connect program to get started. The online program keeps track of play details (how long they spent with a particular book, what questions were answered correctly, etc), LeapFrog Learning Path (learn what skills your child is mastering and when they reach certain levels), Emails (receive automatic notifications of how your child is doing). There are not many learning toys that have a brain like this one! You can actually see what types of skills your child may need to spend more time on.

I highly recommend the Tag Junior for your 2-4 year old for any occasion. This would make an excellent Christmas or birthday gift. You are definitely going to get your money's worth! What a great way to spend a road trip. For about $34.99 you receive the Tag Junior and a book to go along with it.



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I am so excited about Graham's brand new friend! He takes him every where he goes: the car, on his bike, outside to play, the bathroom, to his grandma's, and the list goes on! It is his SweetPea 3! I had been looking everywhere for a suitable mp3 player that would be kid friendly and I found something even better...a TODDLER friendly one!

When SweetPea 3 sent me the mp3 player to review I was immediately impressed. The design is perfect for little hands with the large loop at the top. It is coated in rubber which, if you have a toddler you know that EVERYTHING should be coated in rubber! He has dropped this thing countless times inside and outside and it is still ticking! The SweetPea 3 is also very user-friendly. There are only 3 buttons for your child to operate: one in the middle to play or pause and two on either side to go forward or backward through the playlist. Graham had the buttons mastered within minutes. He surprises us now by saying the name of a song and then clicking right over to it (he is 27 months).

I love the fact that I can find songs he likes and download them straight from the computer making this a very versatile device. There are even some FREE kids music websites out there where you can download as many songs or stories you would like (thank you Piera for the tip). It does come with some preloaded songs and stories as well. You can create up to three playlists and its 1GB memory holds a ton of songs and stories. The SweetPea 3 works with both PCs and Macs so you are good to go!




The sanity saving piece about this smart device is that there are parental controls (Hallelujah)! You can control and set what you would like the volume to be, set an automatic off time, control the playlist, or decide if you would like it to pause. To get to these parental controls you simply press the two arrow buttons on the front and hold them down for 6 seconds. Graham is pretty savvy at cracking "parental controls" and he hasn't cracked this one yet! The battery lasts for quite a while. We have had it for about 2 months and have changed the batteries once. This is great considering Graham listens just about all day every day. This mp3 player works by using a large speaker so that it doesn't harm little ears (there is a connection for head phones).

I HIGHLY recommend this product as a wonderful tool for bed time (create a bed time playlist), trips, and birthday presents! I also suggest that you go ahead and download the Firmware Update before you start using it. Ours did freeze up once and downloading the Firmware fixed the issue. The SweetPea retails for $59.95 which really is a great deal when you take into consideration the price of mp3 players and the fact that this thing is made to last! You will also save money by having the option of purchasing only the songs you like from the computer instead of buying an entire CD. The SweetPea 3 is definitely on my top picks list of favorite items for a toddler!

If you are like me, you are constantly on the lookout for supplemental items to help educate your preschooler! Even though Graham is only 2, I want him to have every advantage before he starts school. I was recently introduced to Story Time Felts and I am now in love!

These wonderful felts come in several different themes and story ideas. We had the opportunity to sample the Can Do Book Toddler Activity Book. This fun felt book comes with 8 learning pages that include pockets. Each pocket contains the felts for each page. There are activities that promote learning colors, shapes, numbers, the weather, and much more!

Graham loves to put the balloon shapes on the clown page. He also loves to talk on the phone and match up the numbers. This book would be perfect for someone who is trying to create their own at home preschool. The book can also be broken down into two smaller books with the extra hardware included. The Can Do Book keeps Graham entertained for quite a while.

Learning with Felt works because:

• Children see bright colors on the printed felt
• Children can touch the soft felt
• Children can move and rearrange felt story pieces
• Children can retell the stories in their own words
• Children are engaging with stories through literacy props

Children learn best when there is repetition and when different styles are offered. Story Time Felts appeals to all learning styles: Visual (see it), Auditory (hear it), Kinesthetic (do it) so that your child is sure to find what suits his or her style.

Check out all of the other great finds at Story Time Felts. There are felt stories to go along with some of your child's favorite books (The Little Engine that Could, Goodnight Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and much more)! Any of the items would be perfect for a home school curriculum, or just to supplement your child's learning away from school. There are so many affordable options making Story Time Felts a great idea for birthday presents as well!

While I was blog surfing a couple of weeks ago I came across the most adorable blog that lead me to a fantastic website! The Itty-Bitty Bookworm is a literature based preschool curriculum for ages 18 months-5 years. What I love about this website is that Tara has it completely outlined for you on CD. You can have a quality curriculum at home that is already organized and ready to go! What a great preparation for Kindergarten! Check out the FREE resources!

I had to find out more about The Itty-Bitty Bookworm and the wonderful mom behind it! Check out the Interview with this amazing teacher!

1. Tell Go Graham Go readers a little bit about yourself and your family I am a married mother of three. My children are 8, 6, and 3. I was born and raised in Charleston, SC, but have been living in Philadelphia for the past year. My background is in early childhood education. I have been a teacher, preschool director, and community college instructor. I currently own and operate The Itty-Bitty Bookworm and “mommy school” my three year old son.

2. How did The Itty-Bitty Bookworm come about? While operating an in-home preschool, I was looking for a curriculum to use. Being a busy mom of three, I wanted something that would not require a lot of planning time. I tried several different curricula, but was not satisfied with what I was finding. When I taught preschool in the public schools I had used a literature-based approach and found it to be very effective. Unfortunately, I could not find this type of curriculum (that was affordable) to purchase. I was talking about this to a close friend and jokingly said “Ha, I should just write my own and sell it!” She took me seriously and insisted that I should consider it. Needless to say, I took her advice and here we are two years later!

3. What are three of the most important tips you could give parents who are trying to raise "little bookworms"? 1. When choosing books for your children ~ follow their interests. 2. Be a good role model; let your children see that you enjoy reading. 3. Make time for a read aloud each and every day. Not only does this build pre-reading skills, but is also a wonderful way to bond with your child.

4. When should a parent start The Itty-Bitty Bookworm program? We have two curriculum programs: The Bailey Curriculum is designed for 18-36 month olds. The Bo Curriculum is designed for 3-5 years olds. It is important for parents to remember that our curriculum is used by preschools, as well. For this reason, we have many activities planned for each day. However, for parents, we suggest that you read through the lesson plans and select the activities that best fit the needs of your particular child. Felicia at My Family Life does a wonderful job adapting activities for her son. Check out her blog.

5. Anything else you would like to share with Go Graham Go readers? I love getting to know and helping my customers. Therefore, feel free to contact me with your questions and comments. It is fun to see children using our curricula, so if you have any pics please send those, as well.

As parents, we are always on the look out for great options on giving our kids a great foundation and head start on Kindergarten. I know that I try to immerse myself as well as Graham into books that he enjoys while creating a fun dialogue about them. It is nice to know that there are options available to help give this an extra kick!

The Itty-Bitty Bookworm is a literature based curriculum for 18 months-3 years. This do it yourself curriculum is available on CD or for download for about $20 per month. I have not actually had the opportunity to try out the curriculum, but you can check it out in use here at My Family Life. You can also check out the interview with Tara (the mom behind The Itty-Bitty Bookworm). The Itty-Bitty Bookworm is also a great place for some FREE printables and project ideas!

I would say that $20 per month is definitely the best bang for your buck when you compare this to preschool prices! Even cheap preschools will cost you much more than $20 per month. What a great way to spend quality time with your child!

I knew when I picked Graham up from the baby sitter's house one day and she told me he was trying to grab the bees that Graham had found a new interest...BUGS! He carried around the plastic beetle the baby sitter let him borrow for weeks! He even slept with it. I guess he comes by it honest! When I was about 6 years old all I asked for at Christmas was a microscope. I too enjoyed looking at any little critter I could find up close!

Carson Optical has a line of adorable and fun magnifiers for children that allows them to take "bug watching" to the next level! We had the opportunity to test out the HU-55 BugLoupe and the HU-10 BugView. Because the weather has been so nice we were able to take them outside and do some exploring!

The BugLoupe is an easy to use magnifier that is good for kids who may not be very coordinated. All you have to do is place the BugLoupe over the insect you are trying to view and you are done! The BugLoupe is made out of professional grade acrylic and optics so that the quality is fantastic!

The BugView is a one-hand bug catching and magnifier tool all in one! This one requires a little more skill and coordination (although my mother was able to catch a fly with it)! You simply place the BugView over the insect and slide the bottom on the handle in order to catch your bug! The slider scoots underneath the bug to catch it. You release the bug by sliding the button back up. The BugView also has the same great quality magnifying capabilities!

Carson Optical also offers different binoculars, microscopes, and a telescope for kids! Mom and Dad can also find something of interest. Find a retailer near you!