v 3 issue 22: Media Mania

Media can be educational as well as entertaining! This issue is full of products that meet the learning needs of children through books, music and TV. Plus: An article by author Lezlie Evans on reading success.


Cover by Kate Callahan









1 Recess Monkey is "Seattle's Greatest Children's Music Band" for a reason. Children will love to sing-a-long to the new cosmic tunes: Liftoff, Moon Boots, and Jet Pack. The new album, The Final Funktier, is due out June 15th! You won't mind hearing this one over and over again.

2 Sometimes I Feel Like a Storm Cloud is a unique book which dives into the many emotions of childhood. With a bundle of adjectives filling the pages, the book is perfect for helping children find the words to describe their own feelings. Great for opening up a conversation!

3 So Close is the story written by Natalia Colombo which describes how two characters-Mr. Rabbit & Mr. Duck-cross paths multiple times, but lack the time and courage to speak to each other. Through their story, these two lonely animals teach children the value of friendship and how opportunities for companionship are everywhere...one only needs to pay attention.

4 Grown-up beats without the grown-up lyrics. Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights have a new release and it is outstanding. With songs like More Cowbell, I'm a Rock Star, and many more, the parents will be asking to listen to this one.

5 Shaun and his flock have lots of fun on the farm and bring lots of giggles with them. Check out their newest DVD One Giant Leap for Lambkind. The barnyard buddies encounter paranormal sightings, the never ending hiccups and more.

6 Princess Katie & Racer Steve's Tiny Cool sings to the tiny person in all of us. Full of rockin' beats with spicy pop undertones of all sorts. You can't help but dance. Heard in the top 10 of XM Radio's Kids Place Live!

7 Life with Nana was full of non-stop attention until Bob enters the picture. Now Nana’s time is spent primping for dates with Bob. You will get a laugh out of how frustrated this little boy gets over having to share his Nana’s attention in Nana’s Getting Married by Heather Hartt-Sussman.

8 Everyone loves the start of soccer season, including The Wild Soccer Bunch. Author Joachim Masannek tells the tale of how Kevin, the Star Striker and his team mates go through all the twist and turns of friendship, perseverance, and sportsmanship as they challenge the Unbeatables to the biggest game of their lives.


This weeks mom tip:
Create a summertime reading program for your child

* Ask our child’s current teacher or librarian for a recommended grade level reading list.

* Browse the kids section of the library with your child and help them pick something interesting.

* Remember reading doesn’t always require a “book”. Pick up a variety of magazines, picture books, chapter books, activity pads, anything that gets your child excited about reading!

* Make sure the reading material is age appropriate and a reasonable goal for your child’s reading level.

* Make a reading rewards chart, much like a chore chart where they can mark off their reading goals, perhaps a star at the end of each chapter so you know how far they’ve gotten on their book...celebrate when they finish.

* Ask your child questions about what they’re reading. Do they like the book? What do they like best about the story? If you have a pre-reader you can ask these questions about a book you are reading to them.

* If the book is part of a series of some kind encourage them to read the following book when they finish the first one.

* Be an example. When our children see us reading we are setting an example. Pick up a new book for yourself this summer and be an example to your child.

* Make bookmarks with your child, out of paper, plastic, cardboard string, beads, whatever you have lying around the house. Having your own special bookmark just makes reading more fun.

* Buy or make a summer book bag and fill it with age appropriate reading materials that you can take on the go to keep kids busy whenever you leave the house.

Have you heard of summer learning loss? Children experience educational set backs during summer months. You can help by searching out activities to do with your child to keep them learning. There are many great websites out there on tips for summer reading for all age groups including the emerging readers. One of our favorites is Reading Rockets.


Raising a Reader - Key to Your Child’s Success
Did you know the number one determiner of success when a child enters formal schooling is the number of hours he has been read aloud to by someone close to him? The simple act of reading to your child will make all the difference in the world!

And the benefits of reading go far beyond success in school. Reading fosters language development, builds strong, diverse vocabularies, increases self esteem, and helps a child understand things in context and think outside the box. Reading stimulates creativity and encourages curiosity. And one of the most important things reading does is create strong bonds and lasting memories between parents and children.

Some of my earliest childhood memories are of my mother taking me on her lap to read Go Dog Go, or Make Way for Ducklings. Reading with my own six children was what gave me the desire to become a children’s book author.

The challenge today lies in the lure of glitzy computer games, endless television programming, DVD players, and portable hand-held electronics. It takes a conscientious effort to set aside time for reading.

Here are 4 easy steps that will help you build early literacy skills and assist your child in becoming a life-long reader:

1. Read with your child as often as possible. Every day is the ideal! Start early— if your child has a short attention span read often, but keep the sessions short. If your child is an emergent reader, take turns reading. You read a page, and then let him read a page. Be sure to be expressive, vary your intonation, and have fun with it! If your child is an independent reader, listening to him read is as important as reading to him.

2. Create a reading environment in the home. Have a basket or box filled with books in every well-used room in your house. Limit TV time and have a set time of the day when you turn off electronics and stop, drop, and read as a family. Take weekly trips to the library and check out as many books as your card will allow. Let your child get their own library card when old enough. If you have a reluctant reader, don’t hesitate to ask your children’s librarian for the perfect book that will capture your child’s interest.

3. Model the behavior. Let your child “catch” you reading, whether it is a magazine, a book, or an article on the Internet. Research shows parents who are readers tend to raise children who become life-long readers themselves.

4. Applaud your child’s efforts. Recognize their efforts with words of praise. Give books as gifts. You’ll be sending the message that reading is pleasurable and a privilege. Before your next plane or road trip have a program where your child can earn “book bucks” to be spent at a bookstore. Set summer reading goals as a family. For example, our family went to an amusement park last year when we reached our goal of reading 100 books. We had a great time on this outing, but we found the summer reading more satisfying than our day at the park.

People often ask me, how do you decide what to write about? I know the power of books— a well-written one can make you cry, laugh, or help you to see something in a new and different way—so I like to share things I am passionate about. My newest book, Who Loves the Little Lamb, illustrated by award winning artist, David McPhail, is the story of a mother’s unconditional love for her misbehaving little one. I’d like to think that after reading this book mothers will feel empowered to be more patient and tender and little ones will feel more security and love as they discover, “From dawn till after day is done, Mama loves her little one.”

There are a lot of great benefits to reading with a child; reading will lay the foundation for success in school and in life, but the best thing to me are the memories created when you share a story together. Pick up a book and read with a child today and discover the magic for yourself!

Lezlie Evans is a mother of six, an advocate for early literacy, and a published children’s book author. Read more about her and her books online at www.Lezlieevans.com.