Things to do with Toddlers and Twos

Written before the computer era for small children,  Ms. Miller has created a resource of over 400 pages of movements, hand motions, finger plays and other fun for kids as young as parents want to start.  The title suggests toddler which indicates roughly a 10 to 12 month old but many of the hand and finger motions can be done by smaller children with help.  And the chants, songs, poems and rhymes can be said to non-verbal children promoting speech.

This resource is great for the motor skills of the 12 to 36 month age (roughly) range.  Check the libraries, eBay, used book stores or Amazon as it maybe harder to find at a local book store.

Miller, K. (2000). Things to do with toddlers and twos. Boston, Mass.: Telshare.

Caring for your Baby and Young Child, 5th Ed. Birth to age 5...

This tome weighs in at 3.5 lbs and 928 pages to cover the basics of a child's life from birth to age 5.  And the American Academy of Pediatrics, who authored (ie: sponsored) this book do not suggest this is anything other than a basic guideline of the standards at each period of growth.  They do cover topics such as social and emotional growth as well as the physical and cognitive growth.  These additional aspects are important as the infant grows from birth to toddler and on to a preschooler and beyond.

Additional pages are dedicated to childhood illnesses, injuries, vaccines, birth disorders, and problems such as potty training, sleep problems, and so on. 

A good all purpose resource for the first five years.

Shelov, S. (2009). Caring for your baby and young child, 5th edition: birth to age 5 (5th ed.). New York: Bantam.

Starfall website for the young learner

Starfall . com is a fun website that uses animated characters, bright colors and cheerful music to teach children as they play games, build animals and sing songs.  The site provides games for children from roughly 2 to kindergarten or older but the magic of the website is that parents can use it to refresh their memories as well.

A few of the fun features of Starfall include nursery rhymes, colors, a talking library that highlights the word as it reads, plus math and reading skills from very basic to kindergarten level.

When looking at the front page of the site, parents will note the member site information at the top.  Starfall does have a paysite and the price is reasonable for the benefits received but no one should fell it necessary to invest. The website is one of many that provide opportunities for toddlers and pre-schoolers to learn reading skills and computer skills at the same time.

Overall this website is helpful for parents, teachers and caregivers as an idea source, game source and if they want, to give learning experiences in basic computing to little ones while learning and having fun.

Starfall's Learn to Read with phonics. (n.d.). Starfall's Learn to Read with phonics. Retrieved November 7, 2011, from http://starfall.com

Mommy, teach me by Barbara Curtis

Want to learn how everyday activities are actually teaching your toddler and preschooler necessary life skills as well as motor skills and coordination? Read this book by Barbara Curtis and see how she has created a preschool "curriculum" of sorts from ordinary everyday life.  With her background as a Montessori teacher, she recognizes that each thing a child does can be a learning opportunity. 

One example could be setting spoons on the table for breakfast and counting to three with mommy as it is done.  A normal chore becomes a chance to reinforce some counting in a fun and helpful way.

Curtis, B. (2007). Mommy, teach me!: preparing your preschool child for a lifetime of learning. Nashville, Tenn.: B&H Publishing Group.

Zero to Three Website

Zero to Three is a website used by the Coast Guard to train in home care givers and any parents with special needs, concerns or who just wanted resources other than the standard "books".  During my continuing education for my daycare certification,  I started using the website and have not actually stopped even though the daycare closed in 2008.

So, now that the recommendation is done, here is why this is a great website.  It is not static like a book that requires time to be updated and published.  The website is routinely updated with new data, ideas and suggestions.  No waiting for months or years for the latest information on breastfeeding, stomach sleeping, teething, etc.  The staff updates this when new findings come out and if parents sign up, will send email newsletters with updates. 

Topics include: child care, child trauma, mental health assessment, school readiness, early intervention, dealing with seperation, and so on.  This website provides plenty of information on the lives of little ones from birth to 3.  It is definitly worth perusing once in a while.

ZERO TO THREE: Homepage. (n.d.). ZERO TO THREE: Homepage. Retrieved October 12, 2011, from http://www.zerotothree.org

What to Expect the First Year

This book is one in a series of books that many parents turn to during pregnancy and early childhood for information, reassurance and peace that their child is "normal".  The authors do a good job of describing the typical month by month growth of an average child while answering questions about topics of interest to todays parents.   Each chapter  outlines the typical growth, then dicusses what a doctor's appointment might look like, and finally discusses concerns parents might have which generally consists of the question and answer section.   The beginning chapters discuss topics such as breast feeding, selecting a doctor and what a new baby needs.

Obviously no book can provide all information on infant care but What to Expect... is an excellent starting point. 

While not a book for teachers or care givers, this is an excellent resource for parents and as an added bonus is generally easy to find in a library, used book store or from a friend. 

Murkoff, H. E. (2008/2003). What to expect the first year (2nd ed.). New York: Workman Pub..

Enchanted Learning

Used, by us, primarily for crafts, printables and the foreign languages, Enchanted Learning does have a free and pay side although the $20 for a full year is absolutely worth the cost.  The entire site covers lessons on an abundant number of themes, music, several foreign languages and art all at grades from pre kindergarten to about 6th grade. 

Patrons can get lost in the website for hours just exploring the different themes, activities, crafts, science plans, and so on.  The printable pages include coloring pages, alphabet and number copy work, blank pages, as well as educational based pages if wanted. 

As previously stated, whether using the free site or the full access site, this website is definitely worth checking out for ideas.

Col, J. (1998). ENCHANTED LEARNING HOME PAGE. ENCHANTED LEARNING HOME PAGE. Retrieved September 12, 2011, from http://www.enchantedlearning.com