BJU Press Blog

Megan

P Is for Party!

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Preschool and K4 students work their way through the alphabet letter by letter. They need to learn to recognize letters by their shapes, and they need to know what sounds the letter makes. These are important pre-reading skills that will help them when they get to K5 and beyond.

Learning the alphabet doesn’t have to be boring. Since young children learn best by experiencing the world around them, parents and teachers can make learning fun by involving all of the senses.

October is both National Pizza Month (according to pizza.com) and National Popcorn Poppin’ Month (according to popcorn.org). Put these two ideas together for a fantastic p-themed party that will help teach little ones about the letter p.

Dress

Encourage the kids to dress up as something that begins with the letter p. Examples include a pirate, parrot, princess, painter, pumpkin, policeman, popsicle, or postal worker. Or you could let them wear their pajamas to school!

Food

Every party has to have food. For this p-themed party, pizza and popcorn are on the menu. Below are some great easy recipes for treats you can prepare ahead of time.

 

caramel popcorn in a treat bag and bowl

Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients

4 quarts popped popcorn (unsalted, butter-free)

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup light Karo® syrup

1 stick margarine

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions
        1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a shallow roasting pan with foil and coat it with cooking spray. Add popped popcorn.
        2. Combine the margarine, salt, brown sugar, and Karo® syrup in a medium saucepan. Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture comes to a rolling boil.
        3. Boil for five minutes without stirring. Remove from heat, and quickly add the baking soda and vanilla; stir until the mixture turns an even caramel color.
        4. Pour mixture over popped popcorn and toss to coat evenly.
        5. Bake for one hour, tossing every fifteen minutes. Allow to cool; store in an airtight container.

Veggie Pizza

Ingredients

2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls

1 cup sour cream

1 8-oz. package cream cheese

1 package dry ranch dressing mix

1 small onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1½ cups broccoli, chopped

1 carrot, grated

Directions
            1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
            2. Pat crescent roll dough onto a greased jellyroll pan. Pierce with a fork.
            3. Bake for ten minutes. Cool completely.
            4. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, cream cheese, and ranch dressing mix. Spread onto crust.
            5. Add chopped vegetables. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for an hour or more in the fridge. Cut into small triangles and serve.

Games/Activities

Don’t forget about your kinesthetic learners. Below are some p-themed activities to get the kids moving.

Parade

The day before the party, ask the children to bring an object to school that starts with the letter p. Sample objects might include a stuffed puppy, a small pumpkin, a pencil, or a puppet. On party day, let each child carry his object as you all line up and walk around the school building. Be sure to smile and wave at the people you pass!

Musical Pillows

The day before the party, ask the children to bring a pillow to school. Play the classic game of musical chairs, but use pillows instead!

Peanut Toss

Materials

Bag of circus peanuts
Two buckets or other open containers
Masking tape

Directions
                1. Divide the children into two teams.
                2. Use the masking tape to mark two starting lines on the floor. Place the buckets two to three feet away from the tape marks.
                3. Challenge the children to try to toss the circus peanuts into the bucket. The team that gets more circus peanuts in the bucket wins.

As you can imagine, the possibilities for a p-themed party are endless! If you have a  p-themed party idea, please tell us about it in the comments.

Bug Masks

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Little kids have big imaginations. Empty boxes can become caves, minivans, even rocket ships. Dressing up adds to the adventure. A plain bathrobe can transform them into superheroes. Add a pair of fur-lined boots, and suddenly they’re trekking through a frozen wilderness in search of polar bears.

This month, kids can create their own bug masks with some help from our free templates. Download the template to make a bee mask, a cricket mask, or a ladybug mask. Or make all three! Just follow the instructions below to get kids started on their own bug adventure.

Supplies to gather

Steps to follow

  1. Print out the mask template.
  2. Cut out the gray areas of the printout.
  3. Use a hole punch where indicated.
  4. Color and decorate the mask.
  5. Allow it to dry completely, if needed.
  6. Tie a piece of yarn to each hole to make a headband.
  7. Tie the mask around the child’s forehead, and let the fun begin!

What other fun crafts do you and your children enjoy doing? Let me know how your bug mask turned out by commenting below.

Playful Learning

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I have three daughters at home. One is a newborn, but my other two (3 and 5) are into everything. Nothing is safe. My three-year-old in particular seems to have a knack for making messes. Every open container of water must be explored (she loves pouring water into other containers); every food item within reach must be touched (this is why we had salty pancakes this past weekend)—you get the picture.

At a homeschool conference I attended earlier this year, I went to a workshop about homeschooling preschoolers. One big take-away from that session was the fact that young children learn best through experiencing the world around them. When babies put things into their mouths, they are learning. When toddlers mold dough into shapes, mix paint colors, and touch things like peanut butter, they are learning.

 

I’m really glad that BJU Press understands this. In fact, the introduction of the Pathways for Preschool Teacher’s Edition talks about this very thing: “Children learn best when they are involved in activity—their play is their work. A setting that allows them to observe, explore, interact, play, and discover is vital to their development” (p. xii). BJU Press recommends using centers to create this setting and gives many ideas for centers throughout the curriculum.

As a homeschooler, you can arrange your home to encourage this type of learning. Designate spaces in your home where your child can role-play, create art projects, build with blocks, read books, and so on. Invest in toys that inspire creative play. Set aside time to do crafts, cook, and play with your child. Below are some resources for inspiration.

What are some fun learning activities that you have done with your small children?

Never a Bad Gift

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My four-year-old came in the kitchen the other day, clutching a fistful of dandelions she had picked from our yard. “Mommy! Look at the pretty flowers I brought you!” she exclaimed. I did my very best to muster up enthusiasm. I thanked her, gave her a hug for being so sweet and thoughtful, and even found a small vase to display the treasures in. The arrangement was set proudly in the middle of our dining room table and became our centerpiece for the next few days.

Although I did my best to show enthusiasm and gratitude for the gift, I was inwardly groaning. Weeds decorating my table? Couldn’t she have at least picked some of the pretty daffodils or wild daisies that also grow in our yard? But my daughter didn’t know they were weeds. To her, they were beautiful, cheery yellow flowers that she wanted to share with her mom.

 

How many times have I looked at something the Lord has given me and failed to appreciate the beauty of the gift? How many times have I complained? Even when I’m careful not to complain outwardly, I often do so inwardly.

I’m one of those people who needs a clean kitchen floor in order to feel like my house is clean. When my husband and I were expecting our first child, we lived in a rented duplex. I hated the floors. The linoleum in the kitchen was scratched and damaged so that it never looked clean no matter how hard I scrubbed. Instead of thanking the Lord for His good provision for my family, I often inwardly grumbled about that kitchen floor.

The Isrealites did a similar thing. God had miraculously provided them with manna in the wilderness, but they complained about His gift. They were tired of it. It wasn’t as flavorful as the food they ate in Egypt. Their lack of gratitude resulted in God’s judgment.

The Bible assures us in James 1:17 that every gift that the Lord gives us is good and perfect. There’s nothing wrong with the gifts themselves—He only gives us the best things, the things that we need the most—but sometimes there’s a problem within our own hearts. We’re not satisfied with His provision. We covet other things—more stylish clothing, newer furniture, better coffee.

I’m going to take some time this week to think about the good things the Lord has blessed me with. Will you join me? Let’s thank Him for every gift He has given us.

What will you thank Him for today?

Ready, Set, Read! (Part 3)

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Over the past few weeks, we’ve been sharing portions of an interview with Nancy Lohr, author and acquisitions editor for JourneyForth. In the first part of the interview, Nancy explained how the BJU Press Summer Reading Program works and gave a few tips on how to encourage reluctant readers. During the second part, she discussed how children with special needs can participate in the program. Nancy also shared some suggestions for choosing reading materials for children. Below is the final part of our interview.

image of the 2014 sumnmer reading logo

Do you have any suggestions for dealing with objectionable content in children’s literature?

It is no secret that there are plenty of books published for children and teens that do not have a biblical worldview in either the philosophical foundation of the story or in the language and actions of the characters. So what are parents to do? One approach is to pre-read all of the books children read with the goal of presenting material that has no “warts,” but that can consume so much time that children will be waiting for you.

Another approach is to choose books carefully but be prepared to discuss the content when your children encounter something in print that doesn’t square with Scripture and the direction of your home. Children in my library loved to recognize statements in books about dinosaurs that didn’t square with the creation account in Genesis 1. Depending on the age and skill of your reader, you might want to purposely read a book from a different perspective to open discussions. Armed with a trustworthy anthology, search for books from authors and publishers that are a good fit for your family. Read the annotations and discuss with your child what kinds of concerns he or she might find in a given book, and then ask your child to share a sentence or paragraph with you that matches your concern. Make these talking points, and . . . well, talk.

Help your child build discernment as he or she reads. This is a perfect time to develop the concept of our being in the world, but not of the world. Show how to go to Scripture to determine a biblical response. And give your child permission to stop reading if the content is not suitable, and then move on to another, better book.

How can parents provide incentives along the way during the BJU Press Summer Reading Program?

Additional encouragement through the eight-week program may be helpful if it is suited to the individual children. Perhaps your avid readers would like to shoot for a specific number during their reading time, like a large number of minutes or pages or books. These readers might like to read from a variety of categories that include their comfort zones, but stretch them into types of books they haven’t read yet.

Maybe the whole family can go to a favorite place outdoors and enjoy a “book-nic.” Take a blanket, pack a picnic basket meal, and carry along a book for everyone.

If your children like stickers or trinkets or snacks, consider awarding these at milestones during the program.

Incentives can help keep your children motivated during the program, but the best outcome any of us could hope for is that the children begin to be motivated by reading itself with no additional motivation needed. You are there when you hear, “Please, Mom, just one more chapter?”

How can parents model good reading habits for their children?

Join your children during their reading time to read material that interests you, and if what you are reading makes you laugh out loud, I can almost guarantee that you will hear, “What? What’s so funny?” Be in the habit of sharing with them from your own reading. “Hey, listen to this” ought to be a common phrase in your home. Model for them what you are asking of them.

Do you have a reading-related question that we haven’t covered? Let us know in a comment, and we’ll do our best to answer.