My #1 Christmas Book Pick for 2011!

Well, with Christmas less than a week away, I need to hurry and tell you about a great last minute Christmas book to go and get. I just found it the other day at "Seagull Book." It's called "MY TREASURY OF CHRISTMAS CAROLS & STORIES." It's a beautifully illustrated, hard back, 192-page book. Every page is illustrated and the colors are brilliant. It has the classic Christmas stories, plus the words to many Christmas carols. I was shocked to see that it was on sale for only $9.99. But, if not on sale, it's only $12.99. So, well worth it!

Your children will love it! You can sing along to the words of the songs. Maybe read the words first as they are written there. Help them to understand the meaning of these wonderful Christmas Carols. For beginning readers, it is great practice for them to use rhythm and rhyme. And, that is, of course, what songs are made of.

Then for the Christmas stories, let them read them with you. For young children, which is what my program mostly addresses, let them read all the short, three-letter words they've learned from ABC's See How to Chop and Blend, and fill in with the 'a's and the 'the's. Or, if you also have older kids, they can read a paragraph and then you; and back and forth this way. Or they can read one side of the page and you the other. Shared reading is a good way to let your kids see and hear that reading is fun. They will hear the expression you put into it and hopefully try to minic that. Also, it helps it to go by faster. They get to help read the story, but then they get to listen to it also.

And, on a personal note, we got our dental student son home from Indiana on Dec. 10th. It's so wonderful now to have all 5 of our kids and their families near us! Our dental son ruptured his Achelis tendon over two months ago, and is not healing up well at all, so we are grateful to have him here with us so we can take care of him. So thankful for modern tecnology and medications. We truly lived in a blessed era.

I hope to write again before Christmas, but if not, have a very, very Merry one!

Hugs, Doreese

The NORTH POLE is Looking for GOOD READERS!!!

Christmas is a great time to really up the "reading is important to be on the nice list" card! -- ("I'm tired of asking you nicely....." - when trying to get her little boy to put his shoes on since they are leaving) -- Funny that she said, "nicely" just as I was typing "nice li-" +st! I know we all do it! I've been there plenty of years to know that this is the season for children to try to be the best little angels they can so as to get as many gifts from Santa as possible! But, reading is really an important area that I don't feel too bad about using as a motivator for kids to get "moved up" on the list at the North Pole! Especially for those kids that it is like pulling teeth to have them get their reading homework done. And, who knows, after reading willingly for a few weeks, they may just discover that they actually like it!!!

Here's just one fun motivator idea you could use; you DO need to have something FUN to go along with the bribe (I mean motivator)!

My grandson came home from pre-school with a little green construction paper Christmas tree he had made and some little red, foam stockings. He ran in saying, "I get to put one of these on every time I do something nice!" He was all excited to go home and help his mom clean the family room! So, maybe try that with your children and their "reading" rewards. Help them make a tree and then whenever they do their reading, they can add an ornament of some kind to it. They can make the ornaments, or you can find some foam things at the hobby store, or they can just put on a sticker - Christmas ones would be fun!

I can't believe that we are to this point in the year; getting ready for Chirstmas all ready! We still don't have our tree up yet. Hmm, what motivator can I use to get my husband to get the Christmas boxes out tomorrow and set up the tree??? Cookies, a homecooker dinner? (I'm not the greatest cook! Oops! I said homecooker. But, that gives me an idea. I'm going to make lasagna in the slowcooker. He loves that!)

Doreese