Is my child the old enough to see this movie?

Wondering if your child is old enough for a certain book, video game or movie. You can get age rated reviews at Common Sense Media. Type in the title of what you're curious about and you'll receive an age appropriate review. Better yet the review tells you why they've given the age recommendation. Then you, as the parent, can decide if you agree or not. Content is rated on language, sexuality, violence, message, commercialism.

Here's what the beginning of a review looks like. 

I found this site helpful until my son was about 14 years old.

Comparing Australian Animals in 2nd Grade

Today the 2nd graders had the chance to compare different Australian Animals using WorldBook Kids Online which is provided by the school district for all students to use.  Feel free to try it at home. Here are the directions they were given.

      If you would like the password information to MackinVia, you can contact me.

Search Engines

Google just released a kid friendly search engine called Kiddle. 

This site limits searches to safe site and reduces the number of "hits" significantly.

Even better for student use is WebPath Express which is linked to our school's library catalog.

 After searching the catalog on a topic, click on the Web Sites tab and then set the search buttons to the grade level, language, format of your choice.

I'm back

It's been a great year in the library so far filled with author studies, author visits, research, and learning. But it's been so long since I've posted that I can't get myself posting again because nothing seems flashy enough to be the post after so long a hiatus. So here's the first post. Nothing fascinating but a way to break the fear of starting again. Look for more posts with real library news in the near future.
 

Thank you Dav Pilkey

Wow! Dav Pilkey donated $1000 to our library! He presented at the University Bookstore on Friday, September 11th and left behind gift cards for two libraries. Our school was chosen on a very random basis- The mom of a woman who works at the store once tutored at our school! Yeah Dearborn Park International School, and thank you Dav Pilkey! The money will be used for books to support classroom curriculum.

 

The Power of Reading Choice

At the start of summer I was contacted by a friend who was concerned that her to-be first grader didn't want to do his summer reading homework. His homework was to read small "books" at his tested reading level. Early books intended for instructional purposes are boring. I suggested she not have him do his homework and instead take him to the library to select books he wanted to have read to him.

I suggested he curl up with her reading all his chosen books to make reading something to love. I did ask his reading level expecting it to be a very early stage level, but she answered "F". So I suggested she have him read Elephant and Piggy books by Mo Willems which are at that level and engaging and downright funny.

She sent this picture titled "Victory" from the library the next day.

 He started reading all the books they chose and quickly moved on to reading Frog and Toad books which are an even higher reading level.

Remember the if children find joy in reading they will choose to read. So come to the library with your child, check out a pile of books and read together.

I am happy to recommend some of my favorites. 

Free books for your child thanks to Dolly Parton

I just came across this article about an organization Dolly Parton founded that will send your child a book a month for 5 years. That's 60 free books for your child. 

She does this because there were 0 books in her house when she was growing up. In fact her father couldn't read and 

"Research shows that kids who just have books in their house (regardless of nationality, level of education, or socioeconomic status of the parents) reach a higher level of education than kids who grew up in homes without books."

Read the article here.  

I do not have a young child to sign up, but this is where you'd do it. Let me know if it works and if there are age requirements.

Happy Reading!