Story of the month: Stone Soup

We started our storytelling on Thursday, which was just the right day to do so as it was soup day. The children take turns picking veggies out of my sac to add to the soup, and they almost know the story by heart :)
We are having so much fun with this story. We did a bit of French vocab as well, and made our own soupe aux legumes craft. In the kitchen we made vegetable soup with wild rice, and we added a boiled egg AND potato latkes - yum!

Stone Soup Synopsis (there are many variations of this story)

A young man (Jack) is very hungry. He comes upon a village, where he assumes 2 things...where there's a village there are people AND where there are people there is food. He's sure he will not be hungry for long.
He knocks on each door in the village only to be turned away, and told to go ask someone else for food.
Empty-handed and still hungry, he leaves the village. He finds a stone on the side of the road, which gives him an idea. He runs back to the village and speaks to one of the villagers - telling  him that he is going to make stone soup. The villager is curious and brings Jack a big pot, which they place in the village square. 

One by one the villagers bring vegetables, herbs and meat to add to the big bubbling pot.  
Soon, the pot is filled with potatoes, garlic, onions, carrots, cabbage, meat and so on. Indeed a great delicious pot of soup was shared by all the villagers, and Jack leaves the villagers the stone, for the next time they want to make a pot of stone soup.

A bit of storytelling ... bit of art, a bit of food.

There are other versions of the book.  Well look This is the first copy that I found/read.

Small Wonders Visit Owl's Nest Bookstore

Two weeks ago the children and I bundled up and stopped in at Owl's Nest Books (Calgary's oldest independent bookstore). I had the intention to visit with the little ones in the Summer, but we just never got around to it, and I'm glad we were able to do it before year's end. The thing is, we were all under the weather in some way, shape or form, but we did good (imo).

I love Owl's Nest; it's a warm cozy little place that is so inviting. 
I also like the location. I mean, it's certainly not in our neighborhood, but located in the Britannia Shopping Plaza on Elbow Drive & 49th Avenue, taking the number 3 bus down is not only fun, (because the kids like it), it's also very accessible.

The kids had a great time. They browsed, ran around a little (not too much), and some sat down with a book or two.
Owl's Nest has a good selection of preschool French books (which is what we were after), we also picked up some other stuff gifts on our trip. Owl's Nest has a range of books and toys for any age and/ or taste, so it's definitely a one stop shop. The staff is lovely and welcoming to all. If you haven't visited, you should sooner than later.

Thank you so much to the wonderful staff who were very kind to the little ones.

4 Reasons you should Raise a Reader

A few years ago I worked at a literacy-based organization. I worked with adult-leaners who struggled with reading, or had various disabilities that made it difficult. I often felt very anxious about literacy in my home, and the importance of starting my children young. The truth is, as I had been homeschooling since forever, it was actually quite simple to continue to push books into the hands of my children, or sit down for story-time.The problem was, and still is, that with the advance in technology sometimes it seems that the good ole' days of library visits and the love of books is becoming extinct. 
Seems a bit dramatic...maybe so, but I think there is a thin line. At Small Wonders early childhood literacy is very important to me, and thankfully, I have a group of kids who cannot get enough of books and story-telling.

Here are 4 reasons why I support early childhood literacy AND I am raising readers.

It Builds Vocabulary
I am often AMAZED at the words that come out of the childrens' mouths. I know that many of those words are from books. Reading a lot of books- diverse ones too- will help children expand their vocabulary.

It provides Bonding
Anytime you read a book to a child (not just your child), it allows for a bonding experience. Helping to develop the emotional and mental well-being of  any child is no small feat. Consider that stories can come to life for children in many ways (learning about new people & foods; waiting for a new sibling to be born; or sharing pictures and stories of animals in different parts of the world).

Imagination & Wonder
Who needs TV when you have books? Really, who? Reading books is entertaining, educational, and promotes active, rather than passive learning. And reading will surely help improve a child's attention span. 

Cultural Awareness
According to research conducted by author Jim Trelease, regular reading of books “creates empathy toward others, because literature values humanity and celebrates human spirit and potential, offering insight into different lifestyles while recognizing universality”.
 Uhm, yes, yes, and yes - I could not agree more! One of the reasons the children at Small Wonders enjoy our Book of the Month project is because the books show diversity, and celebrate humans in all shapes, forms, and abilities (sometimes animals too :)

Are you raising a reader? How do you help your family focus on reading?

Reading this week

We are going to visit the fire-hall on Thursday. The children are really excited, and they have been counting down the days. We were going to do this fire-fighter craft, but all the kids wanted to do was colour-  NOT paint (they said), just colour.

Words we learned:
le pompier - fire-fighter
le feu - fire
le camion de pompiers - fire-fighter's vehicle
le camion d'incendie - fire truck
une pompe à incendie - fire-hose
rouge- red

Post with hats coming later...when we make them :)

Les Legumes

teachable moments are everywhere...every day...

...and yes, we know that tomatoes are not veggies :)

If you were a Penguin & baking fun

We are still awaiting our December book of the month The Snowy Day (E. J. Keats) from the library, so we needed a fun and interesting book to read. Our latest baking session was inspired by the book If YOU Were a Penguin by husband and wife team Wendell & Florence Minor. 

This book is one of the most informative books (about penguins) that we have shared. It's perfect for any little nature lover. There's also a section at the back that is filled with information that I was able to share with the children.

Good Knight & Goodbye November!

Our November book of the month (check the book of the month link) was a spur of the moment sort of thing. We needed something (a book) that was funny...not too serious, and definitely not a long read. I thought Good Knight was a good choice.

The book does not tell the story of a Knight (as one might assume). It is the simple story of a little boy who finds a "few" good reasons why it is not time to go to bed-not yet anyway. Why? Because he's too busy- he's got his hands full, putting out fires, guarding his castle, or being a brave Admiral in the middle of a heated battle.

We took the title and worked with it to make a fun-themed month and day for the little ones.
There were some hiccups; like illnesses, and computer issues, and the kids being a bit tired - I guess that's what comes with the end of the year (?)

But nonetheless, we had a bit of fun...

Do you like the dragon piñata? Secret - there's a string that you can pull to get all the candy out (instead of waiting for the little ones to bust it open...I like(d) that option better :)