Black History Month: Books For Tweens

Welcome to Black History Month!! Now is the perfect opportunity to open your home to the incredible accomplishments, discoveries, and undeniable influence the African American culture has had on America. USE this time to showcase talent, creativity, and genius! Investigate, learn, and admire their history and their impact!

Teach your children inclusivity and empathy by ALWAYS adding new ideas into their environment; have what they hear, the artwork they see, the books they read, and the toys they play with reflect diversity and love!

Consider reading these stories together to encourage moments of discussion and bonding; add Black authors to your bookshelves. PLEASE use this list as a starting point to enjoy stories that celebrate Black talent:

The Magic in Changing Your Stars by Leah Henderson
For Ages: 8- 12 years old
For Purchase: The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Serena Says by Tanita S. Davis
For Ages: 8- 12 years old
For Purchase: The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor
For Ages: 10- 12 years old
For Purchase: The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Something to Say by Lisa Moore Ramee
For Ages: 8- 12 years old
For Purchase: The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Better Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renee Watson
For Ages: 10- 14 years old
For Purchase: The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

From the desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
For Ages: 8-12 years old
For Purchase: The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

COLDER WEATHER KEEPING YOUR TWEENS INSIDE MORE! HELP THEM TO STAY PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, AND MENTALLY STRONG THROUGHOUT THE COLDER SEASON BY ALLOWING THEM TO MOVE WITH ME IN ANY OF MY FREE VIRTUAL YOGA CLASSES.

Black History Month: Books For Children

Welcome to Black History Month!! Now is the perfect opportunity to open your home to the incredible accomplishments, discoveries, and undeniable influence the African American culture has had on America. USE this time to showcase talent, creativity, and genius! Investigate, learn, and admire their history and their impact!

Teach your children inclusivity and empathy by ALWAYS adding new ideas into their environment; have what they hear, the artwork they see, the books they read, and the toys they play with reflect diversity and love!

Reading stories aloud together builds vocabulary, improves comprehension, and promotes speech development. It also provides moments of discussion and bonding. I encourage you to add Black authors to your bookshelves. PLEASE use this list as a starting point to enjoy stories that celebrate Black talent:

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly and Laura Freeman
For Ages: 4-8 years old
For Purchase: The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

A Night Out with Mama by Quvenzhané Wallis
For Ages: 4-8 years old
For Purchase: The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

All Because You Matter by Tami Charles
For Ages: 4-8 years old
For Purchase: The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

I Promise by LeBron James
For Ages: 4-8 years old
For Purchase: The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Welcome to the Party by Gabrielle Union
For Ages: 18mo.- 4 years old
For Purchase: The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes
For Ages: 3-7 years old
For Purchase: The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Rise!: From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou by Bethany Hegedus
For Ages: 7-10 years old
For Purchase: The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell
For Ages: 7-10 years old
For Purchase: The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard
For Ages: 4-8 years old
For Purchase: The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

WANT EVERYTHING A STORY TIME CAN OFFER? ADD IN BENDY BOOKWORM YOGA; MOVEMENT YOUR CHILDREN CAN PRACTICE ON THEIR OWN. THEY WILL GAIN ALL THE BENEFITS OF A READ A LOUD STORY TIME PLUS PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT THROUGH MOVEMENT!

Why I stopped using "Mommy" and "Daddy" in Story Time

This Vlog is for Librarians, teachers, any adults that are educating diverse groups of children:

In this video I talk about exclusive language we use without thinking. When educating or caring for diverse groups of children, it is important that we are hyper aware of the language we choose in order to make ALL children feel welcomed, safe, and accepted.

FOR MORE TIPS AND TRICKS LIKE THIS ONE, SIGN-UP FOR MY EMAIL LIST
BY CLICKING THE BUTTON BELOW

Indoor Activities with Kids: For the Birds

Reading stories aloud together builds vocabulary, improves comprehension, and promotes speech development. By adding a craft to the experience, you continue to build on story time learning; practicing motor skills and creativity, while reminding the child of themes and words from the story. It becomes active engagement (in the same way that adding the movement of Bendy Bookworm’s yoga poses do) in order to benefit the child’s optimal ability to learn through play.

Try this craft (Ideal for ages 6-9 years old). Pair it with “Luna’s Map” by Danielle Fisher for a Story Time and Craft Activity.

Cognitive Skills: vocabulary, pattern recognition, and visual processing
Motor Skills: drawing shapes, cutting, and glueing (practiced during the craft)
Emotional Skills: friendship, courage, independence

Materials: 

• Color Markers, Crayons, or Washable Paint

• Construction Paper or White Paper and Crayons

• Paper plate

• Pencil

• Scissors and Glue

• Optional: Googley Eyes, Feathers, Glitter, Etc.

Step One: 
*Paint or color the paper plate.

Step Two: 
*Draw a diamond on a piece of orange construction paper (or white paper and then color orange) for the bird’s beak.
*Cut out the diamond and fold across. Cut out about 6 other strips of colored construction paper (or white paper and then color the strips in) for the bird’s tail feathers.

Step Three: 
*Once dry, fold your paper plate in half.
*Glue on googley eyes (or draw your own), the tail feathers, the beak, and any other additional decorations you want to add to jazz up your bird (I added feathers)!!

WANT YOUR OWN COPY OF LUNA’S MAP FOR MORE ADVENTURES?
CLICK THE BUTTON:

The Bendy Bookworm Yoga Method

Children are their own initiators. They WANT to explore; they are insatiably curious observers and are eager to learn. It’s our job as care-givers, teachers, and parents to provide them with the tools necessary in order for them to master their own actions and emotions. At Bendy Bookworm Yoga, we believe children are anti-fragile and deserve to be seen, taught, and supported with these tools: balance, breath, and bravery. The Bendy Bookworm Yoga Method harnesses their innate need to explore and applies it towards learning and practicing these tools to nurture their growth, development, and learning.

*The Bendy Bookworm Yoga Method teaches Hatha yoga; directing intentional movement on different cognitive skills such as balance, focus, and body awareness/control.

*We use story adventures to practice higher level thinking/processing and language/emotional development.

*We teach challenging poses that train perseverance and patience.

The combination of yoga and literacy/education is a seamless pairing; both provide ample opportunities for cognitive skill drills, ignite children’s imagination, and supports emotional understanding. The physical poses of yoga are an integral part of the learning process.

The Bendy Bookworm Yoga Method creates an opportunity to move the body and simultaneously work the mind. The children that participate in Bendy Bookworm classes are learning through play because above all, making the classes fun and interactive is what we’re here for!

WANT TO TRY THE BENDY BOOKWORM YOGA METHOD?
CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW AND TAKE A CLASS TODAY!

The Rainbow Song

The Rainbow Song: A song video intended to teach the color order of the rainbow.
For Ages: 18 months- 8 years old

Want ways to make "Luna's Map" interactive? Use this song when you reach the page with the rainbow spread across the sky!!

In this video, children will learn through song as they practice the following developmental skills-
Cognitive Skills: color order, memory storying and retention

Lyrics:
First comes red and orange too
Bright, bright yellow
Green and blue
Purple ends the pretty rays
Mostly seen on rainy days
First comes red and orange too
Bright, bright yellow
Green and blue
...And don't forget PURPLE!
Adapted slightly from Jbrary's version.

The Bubble POP Song

Bubble POP Song: A move-to-learn song intended to target developmental skills.
For Ages: 18 months- 8 years old

Want ways to make "Luna's Map" interactive? Use this song when you reach the page with fish splashing in the water!!

In this video, children will move-to-learn through song as they practice the following developmental skills- Cognitive Skills: counting, auditory processing (listening and following directions), visual processing (mimicking movement)
Motor/Physical Skills: coordination, moving hands back and forth across the midline, AND creativity when you do The Fish Craft together!

Lyrics:

1 Little Red Fish swimming in the water
Swimming in the water, swimming in the water
1 Little Red Fish swimming in the water
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, POP!

2 Little Yellow Fish swimming in the water
Swimming in the water, swimming in the water
2 Little Yellow Fish swimming in the water
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, POP!

3 Little Purple Fish swimming in the water
Swimming in the water, swimming in the water
3 Little Purple Fish swimming in the water
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, POP!

The 5 Green and Speckled Frogs Song

5 Green and Speckled Frogs Song: A move-to-learn rhyme intended to target developmental skills.
For Ages: 18 months- 8 years old

Want ways to make "Luna's Map" interactive? Use this song when you reach the page with frog eyes peeping above the water!!

In this video, children will move-to-learn through song as they practice the following developmental skills- Cognitive Skills: counting, auditory processing (listening and following directions), and visual processing (mimicking movement)
Motor/Physical Skills: coordination
Emotional Skills: resilience (make a mistake and keep going)

Lyrics:
5 green and speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log
Eating the most delicious bugs
Yum Yum
1 jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Now there are 4 green speckled frogs
Glub Glub (continue counting down to 0 frogs)

Holiday Season: Books for Kids

We have made it to the last month of our calendar, December! The month of lights, baking, and holiday music. One of my absolute favorite months in the entire year: I love the decorations, smells, and maybe even some flurries. December also means more holidays. It means making soup (or hot chocolate) and reading books while wearing thick socks.

There is nothing better than cuddling up in blankets with warm drinks and LOTS AND LOTS of books. This makes it the perfect time to add some more diversity and inclusivity into your home! In the coming weeks, there will be multiple chances to talk about ALL the holidays and the cultures that celebrate them!

Sprinkle some holiday/seasonal books into your story times!! Read and Enjoy while teaching your children inclusivity and curiosity. Add new ideas to their environment; have what they hear, the artwork they see, the books they read, and the toys they play with reflect diversity and love!

Reading stories aloud together builds vocabulary, improves comprehension, and promotes speech development. It also provides moments of discussion and bonding. I encourage you to add diverse holiday stories to your bookshelves. PLEASE use this list as a starting point to enjoy stories about the Holiday Season and explore celebrations in all communities!

Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht
For Ages: Preschool- 2nd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper
For Ages: Kindergarten - 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Nativity by Cynthia Rylant
For Ages: Preschool- 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

There's an Elf in Your Book by Tom Fletcher
For Ages: Preschool- 2nd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

How to Hide a Lion at Christmas by Helen Stephens
For Ages: Preschool- 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

I Got the Christmas Spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison
For Ages: Preschool- 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Simon and the Bear: A Hanukkah Tale by Eric A. Kimmel
For Ages: Preschool- 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

The Ninth Night of Hanukkah by Erica S. Perl
For Ages: 3 years old and up
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

WANT EVERYTHING A STORY TIME CAN OFFER? ADD IN BENDY BOOKWORM YOGA; MOVEMENT YOUR CHILDREN CAN PRACTICE ON THEIR OWN. THEY WILL GAIN ALL THE BENEFITS OF A READ A LOUD STORY TIME PLUS PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT THROUGH MOVEMENT!

Holiday Season: Books for Tweens

We have made it to the last month of our calendar, December! The month of lights, baking, and holiday music. One of my absolute favorite months in the entire year: I love the decorations, smells, and maybe even some flurries. December also means more holidays. It means making soup (or hot chocolate) and reading books while wearing thick socks.

There is nothing better than cuddling up in blankets with warm drinks and LOTS AND LOTS of books. This makes it the perfect time to add some more diversity and inclusivity into your home! In the coming weeks, there will be multiple chances to talk about ALL the holidays and the cultures that celebrate them!

Sprinkle some holiday books into your book clubs or encourage them during reading for fun moments. This will introduce new ideas to their environment ensuring that the books they read reflect the world community!

PLEASE use this list as a starting point to enjoy stories about Holiday Season, exploring celebrations in all communities!

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
For Grades: 4-7
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

The Doldrums and the Helmsley Curse by Nicholas Gannon
For Grades: 3-7
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell
For Grades: 3-7
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
For Ages: 5-9
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Wildwood by Colin Meloy
For Grades: 3-6
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
For Grades: 3-7
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

COLDER WEATHER KEEPING YOUR TWEENS INSIDE MORE! ADD SOME MOVEMENT INTO THEIR DAY! HELP THEM TO STAY PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, AND MENTALLY STRONG THROUGHOUT THE COLDER SEASON BY ALLOWING THEM TO MOVE WITH ME IN ANY OF MY FREE VIRTUAL YOGA CLASSES. CLICK THE LINK BELOW.

Indoor Activities with Kids: 3 Ways to Rainbow

Reading stories aloud together builds vocabulary, improves comprehension, and promotes speech development. By adding a craft to the experience, you continue to build on story time learning; practicing motor skills and creativity, while reminding the child of themes and words from the story. It becomes active engagement (in the same way that adding the movement of Bendy Bookworm’s yoga poses do) in order to benefit the child’s optimal ability to learn through play.

Try this craft (Ideal for ages 6-9 years old). Pair it with “Luna’s Map” by Danielle Fisher for an At Home: Story Time and Craft Activity.

Cognitive Skills: vocabulary, pattern recognition, and visual processing
Motor Skills: drawing shapes, cutting, and glueing (practiced during the craft)
Emotional Skills: friendship, courage, independence

Materials: 

• Color Markers or Crayons

• Paper plate

• Pencil

• Scissors and Glue

• Colored Tissue Paper

• Optional: Glitter, cotton balls, construction paper

Step One: 
*Cut paper plate in half (to make a half circle). Draw 5 semi-circle lines for each rainbow color.

Step Two: 
*Color in each stripe. I used colored tissue paper, but feel free to use crayons, markers, colored pencils, paint, etc.

Step Three: 
*Attach color stripes behind paper plate.

Option Two: 
*Glue cotton balls to paper plate half to make a cloud.

Option Three: 
*Use crayons and construction paper to turn paper plate half into a sun.

Have you heard the Rainbow Song? It’s a cognitive song that teaches order and the colors of the rainbow! Listen to it HERE!

WANT YOUR OWN COPY OF LUNA’S MAP FOR MORE ADVENTURES?
CLICK THE BUTTON:

Learning Through Play

Infants and children are their own initiators. They WANT to explore; they are insatiably curious observers and are eager to learn. It’s our job as care-givers, teachers, and parents to provide them with only enough help that is necessary for them to master their own actions. This process is most obvious in the progression of play. It’s become a bit of a buzzword in education: “Learning Through Play”… but just because it’s getting its due NOW, doesn’t mean it’s a new concept.

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, PLAY IS SERIOUS LEARNING. Play is really the work of childhood.”- Fred Rogers

Learning through play is at the base of every nursery rhyme a child memorizes to help them complete a new skill (like tying their shoes or putting on their jacket), each movement and imagination game, each youtube video about making bath bombs or crazy animals. We retain information more readily when we experience it. Take a moment to think of your own years of play; all the years of playing sports, riding bikes, climbing trees, creating elaborate Barbie Doll sagas, bug hunting, book reading, rhymes and songs, cookie baking….

My bet is your memory just recalled a whole list of lessons and skills that you can directly link to learning through play. Play supports emotional development and social and cognitive skills practice. Bendy Bookworm Yoga embraces the learn through play model by story telling, rhyming, and moving.

…AND NOW by introducing Bendy Bookworm Yoga’s Learning Story Kits!!

Your child will be able to engage with Bendy Bookworm books and videos using this tangible, tactile play element!

Each kit includes a set of felts and an interaction card. The interaction card includes an Adventure script that you can read together (highlighting moments to pause for felt and poses), pictures of the poses specific to each script, and specially curated rhymes and songs to go along with each kit! Children will also be able to use their kits with my videos; finding and placing felts on the board WITH ME in their own homes (How cool is that?!?!)!!!

The kits are created for flexible play; use them with the script or without, build their vocabulary through word and felt association or just simply allow them to enjoy the tactile feel of the felts in their hands!

Visit the Shop and Purchase Bendy Bookworm Yoga’s Learning Story Kit by clicking HERE!

You can even use this kit with Bendy Bookworm Yoga’s “Luna’s Map” HERE’S HOW. It’s the perfect way to have your little yogi moving, reading, and learning through play with Bendy Bookworm TODAY!

Luna's Map: The ONLY Yoga Kids Book You'll Need

Oh my heavens, I WROTE A BOOK!!!! Okay so if you have been able to guess by my bio, my blog, or just having ANY type of conversation with me: I’m pretty obsessed with books. Not only do I teach yoga to kids but I’m a children’s librarian so yeah… books are important to me AND a huge central part to my methodology. It’s like peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and Oreos or peanut butter and ice cream.. they just stick together to make something super yummy. In the beginning, when I was first starting out I turned to my books because “When in doubt, go to the library.”

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But the problem was that all of the Yoga books for kids were… ALL yoga. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some of the books taught beautiful sequences; they had lovely illustrations, simple instructions, and creative poses. But they weren’t stories. 

So get ready here’s the peanut butter…..

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I wanted a kids picture book that was STORY first, then yoga. Not yoga at the expense of the story. And so, voila, “Luna’s Map” was written with these key instructions in mind:

Before the story begins, there are two pages with pose illustrations and then …it’s an ACTUAL story (gasp!). 

Luna is a little yogi who is super excited to meet-up with her friends for a picnic on the other side of the river. So she grabs her map and a pair of binoculars and then she's off on an adventure!  Little yogi’s will join Luna as she follows the directions from her map to meet her friends!

Not only is this kids yoga book an actual picture book, it also allows your little yogi opportunities to practice the cognitive and developmental skills (the signature sauce of what we do at Bendy Bookworm Yoga.. the peanut butter if you will) that are super important and also super easy to incorporate! Why? Because Interactive learning is ALWAYS a helpful tool. And because books can offer so much passive learning possibility. So here it is:

In this book, Luna’s Map by Danielle Fisher, children will move-to-learn through yoga AND a story. They will practice the following developmental skills-

Cognitive Skills: vocabulary, visual processing (mirroring movement), following a sequence, and memory 
Motor/Physical Skills: coordination, muscle isolation, strength building, and balance 
Emotional Skills: self reliance, friendship, and accomplishment 

Visit the Shop by clicking HERE to Purchase "Luna’s Map" for your little yogis or any little yogis in your life! And start moving, reading, and learning the Bendy Bookworm way TODAY!

For paperback and International purchasing click HERE!

Indoor Activities with Kids: Diwali

Reading stories aloud together builds vocabulary, improves comprehension, and promotes speech development. By adding a craft to the experience, you continue to build on story time learning; practicing motor skills and creativity, while reminding the child of themes and words from the story. It becomes active engagement (in the same way that adding the movement of Bendy Bookworm’s yoga poses do) in order to benefit the child’s optimal ability to learn through play.

Try this craft (Ideal for ages 6 years old and younger). Pair it with “Shubh Diwali!” by Chitra Soundar for an At Home: Story Time and Craft Activity.

Cognitive Skills: vocabulary, focus (learned from independent reading), and visual processing
Motor Skills: drawing shapes, cutting, and glueing (practiced during the craft)
Emotional Skills: empathy, friendship, cultural awareness

Materials: 
FOR MAKING A PAPER PLATE RANGOLI

• Tissue Paper, Color Markers or Crayons

• Paper Plate

• Pencil

• Glue

• Optional: Glitter, Stickers, etc.

Step One: 
* Draw a pattern on the paper plate In pencil.

Step Two: 
* Fill In the pattern by glueing torn pieces of tissue paper or markers/crayons to color In.

WANT EVERYTHING A STORY TIME CAN OFFER? ADD IN BENDY BOOKWORM YOGA; MOVEMENT YOUR CHILDREN CAN PRACTICE ON THEIR OWN. THEY WILL GAIN ALL THE BENEFITS OF A READ A LOUD STORY TIME PLUS PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT THROUGH MOVEMENT!

November Season: Books for Kids

So we are really in the swing of Fall now and with that comes my favorite holiday season! I love the colors, smells, and colder weather (Fall clothes just give you more options!) November also means more holidays. It means getting the crock pot out and reading books while wearing thick socks. These are the weeks when I indulge in all things cozy.

There is nothing better than cuddling up in blankets with warm drinks and LOTS AND LOTS of books. This makes it the perfect time to add some more diversity and inclusivity into your home! In the coming weeks, there will be multiple chances to talk about ALL the holidays and the cultures that celebrate them!

Sprinkle some holiday/seasonal books into your story times!! Read and Enjoy while teaching your children inclusivity and curiosity. Add new ideas to their environment; have what they hear, the artwork they see, the books they read, and the toys they play with reflect diversity and love!

Reading stories aloud together builds vocabulary, improves comprehension, and promotes speech development. It also provides moments of discussion and bonding. I encourage you to add diverse holiday stories to your bookshelves. PLEASE use this list as a starting point to enjoy stories about the Fall Season and Diwali, exploring celebrations in all communities!

Peppa Pig: Peppa's Diwali by Peppa Pig
For Ages: 2-6 years old
Peppa Pig: Peppa's Diwali

Binny's Diwali by Thrity Umrigar
For Ages: Preschool- 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson
For Ages: Preschool- 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry
For Ages: Preschool- 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Fangsgiving by Ethan Long
For Ages: Preschool- 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

In the Middle of Fall by Kevin Henkes
For Ages: Preschool- 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes
For Ages: Preschool- 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Diwali by Hannah Eliot
For Ages: 18mo - 6 years old
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Pete the Cat Falling for Autumn by James Dean
For Ages: Preschool- 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

WANT EVERYTHING A STORY TIME CAN OFFER? ADD IN BENDY BOOKWORM YOGA; MOVEMENT YOUR CHILDREN CAN PRACTICE ON THEIR OWN. THEY WILL GAIN ALL THE BENEFITS OF A READ A LOUD STORY TIME PLUS PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT THROUGH MOVEMENT!

November Season: Books for Tweens

So we are really in the swing of Fall now and with that comes my favorite holiday season! I love the colors, smells, and colder weather (Who doesn’t love layering!) November also means more holidays, getting the crock pot out, and reading books while wearing thick socks. These are the weeks when I do all the cozy things.

There is nothing better than cuddling up in blankets with warm drinks and LOTS AND LOTS of books. This makes it the perfect time to add some more diversity and inclusivity into your home! In the coming weeks, there will be multiple chances to talk about ALL the holidays and the cultures that celebrate them!

Sprinkle some holiday books into your book clubs or encourage them during reading for fun moments. This will introduce new ideas to their environment ensuring that the books they read reflect the world community!

PLEASE use this list as a starting point to enjoy stories about Diwali and the Autumn Season, exploring celebrations in all communities!

American as Paneer Pie by Supriya Kelkar
For Grades: 3-7
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

The Vanderbeekers Lost and Found by Karina Yan Glaser
For Grades: 3-7
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
For Grades: 4-6
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Outwalkers by Fiona Shaw
For Ages: 4-9
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson
For Grades: 5-9
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Strange Star by Emma Carroll
For Grades: 5-8
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

COLDER WEATHER KEEPING YOUR TEENS INSIDE MORE! ADD SOME MOVEMENT INTO THEIR DAY! HELP THEM TO STAY PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, AND MENTALLY STRONG THROUGHOUT THE COLDER SEASON BY ALLOWING THEM TO MOVE WITH ME IN ANY OF MY FREE VIRTUAL YOGA CLASSES. CLICK THE LINK BELOW.

Magical Story Time: Do You Believe in Unicorns

This story time is a Magical Melodies/ Bendy Bookworm mash-up; a mix of music, story time, and yoga! We've combined forces for a story time extravaganza of all the developmental skill practices I teach through yoga and storytelling AND all the fun crazy song and dance joy that Mr. Chris brings.

A move-to-learn yoga video intended to target developmental skills. In this video, children will practice-

Cognitive Skills: vocabulary, auditory processing (listening and following directions), and visual processing (mimicking movement)
Motor/Physical Skills: coordination, muscle isolation, and balance
Emotional Skills: challenge and achievement…. oh and some plain silliness

Want to purchase “Do You Believe in Unicorns” by Bethanie Deeney Murguia? Click HERE!

ADD BENDY BOOKWORM YOGA INTO YOUR CHILD’S ROUTINE. THEY WILL GAIN ALL THE BENEFITS OF A READ A LOUD STORY TIME AND PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT THROUGH MOVEMENT!

Storytelling Improves Language Development

A few years ago I was deeply impressed by “The Word Gap” study; the idea that language development PRIOR to entering school was super important to the educational success of a child. I even wrote posts about it and shared it as proof that language development started AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE and it was key for the home environment (especially in those early years) to promote language learning.

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Yeah, I got it a little wrong…. because the thing is, that study used the disparities of socio-economics to determine a child’s potential (not cool) by setting one language bar for ALL children (oh boy). Wrong, wrong, wrong! So yes, I disagree with the study and it’s overall findings.

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BUT here’s the thing: LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT (of ANY language) is a wonderful asset to educational success. Because … the knowledge anyone has about a topic is based on the vocabulary of that information (Marzano & Pickering, 2005). Know the language, know the subject.

So how does this relate to my toddler?

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Now I’m not saying that simply knowing the words in a textbook means I know the subject the textbook is written on. But think of it this way- if a toddler KNOWS the words, “street” “car” “safe”; they can better understand the direction, “Danger! DO NOT GO NEAR THE STREET!” and later “Look both ways before you cross the street”. Know the words, know the subject.

Language development can grow based on a child’s experience with language through “language opportunities”. These opportunities are everywhere in their life (the playground, Daycare, play dates, and any moment spent with you)! The key to language opportunities is not scheduling them but recognizing that they naturally occur constantly, like anytime you:

READ with your child: reading books aloud (and not shying away from books that include words that are more than one or two syllables… sure they may not know them UNTIL you teach them). Every picture book flipped through or read provides opportunities for hearing new, UNIQUE words.

SPEAK to your child: Use words that are more than one or two syllables in conversations with our babies/toddlers, engage in FULL conversation with babies. They are sponges! Recently my friend said, “We only get dumber as we get older”… unfortunately it’s true, children are able to learn and retain at an extremely high level. Never assume that because your infant doesn’t have the mouth muscle, they don’t have the brain power!

INTERACT with words with your child: Specifically with language; point out objects and name them, define words, play with words: sing songs and recite rhymes, etc. Interacting with words and language takes it from the abstract of seeing the letters in a book and cements it into their memory; creating and building their own vocabulary bank.

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Storytelling with your child engages all three principles: Read, Speak, Interact! Storytelling provides children with language opportunities where they are able to hear AND play with words. This is what makes story telling such an integral part of Bendy Bookworm Yoga (and language learning in general)! It’s NEVER one single thing that promotes language learning… but ALL the things. Bendy Bookworm Yoga creates an actively engaged environment where your toddler INTERACTS with storytelling; we read aloud (so children can hear the words spoken), we learn new words, and we move to engage our whole bodies in order to tell the story. Bendy Bookworm Yoga teaches literacy with the WHOLE body using storytelling to facilitate the Read, Speak, Interact principles that promote language development.

WANT TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT? ADD BENDY BOOKWORM YOGA TO THEIR ROUTINE. THEY WILL GAIN ALL THE BENEFITS OF A READ A LOUD STORY TIME PLUS PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT THROUGH MOVEMENT!

Indoor Activities with Kids: Dia De Los Muertos

Reading stories aloud together builds vocabulary, improves comprehension, and promotes speech development. By adding a craft to the experience, you continue to build on story time learning; practicing motor skills and creativity, while reminding the child of themes and words from the story. It becomes active engagement (in the same way that adding the movement of Bendy Bookworm’s yoga poses do) in order to benefit the child’s optimal ability to learn through play.

Try this craft (Ideal for ages 6-9 years old). Pair it with “Dia De Los Muertos” by Roseanne Greenfield Thong for an At Home: Story Time and Craft Activity.

Cognitive Skills: vocabulary, focus (learned from independent reading), and visual processing
Motor Skills: drawing shapes, cutting, and glueing (practiced during the craft)
Emotional Skills: empathy, friendship, cultural awareness

Materials: 

• Color Markers or Crayons

• Paper plate

• Pencil

• Scissors and Glue

• Popsicle Stick

• Optional: Glitter, Stickers, etc.

Step One: 
*Cut the shape (pictured below) out of the paper plate.

Step Two: 
*Draw designs on the face of your skull (you can use the design below for inspiration).

Step Three: 
*Color and decorate your skull.
*Glue the popsicle stick behind the paper plate (where the teeth are).

WANT EVERYTHING A STORY TIME CAN OFFER? ADD IN BENDY BOOKWORM YOGA; MOVEMENT YOUR CHILDREN CAN PRACTICE ON THEIR OWN. THEY WILL GAIN ALL THE BENEFITS OF A READ A LOUD STORY TIME PLUS PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT THROUGH MOVEMENT!

October's Holidays: Books for Kids

Wanna know what’s great about October? It kicks off the holiday season!! …. oh and pumpkin spice everything (yes, I am 100% on the pumpkin spice everything train: choo! choo!) Some people get all Fall in September but for me, October is where it’s at. October is ACTUAL sweater weather (not the NJ September where you end up sweatin’ through your sweater). October is bat decorations, falling leaves, and HOLIDAYS!

If you’re looking for opportunities to add some more diversity and inclusivity into your home; this is the season! In the coming months, there will be multiple chances to talk about ALL the holidays and the cultures that celebrate them!

Sprinkle some holiday books into your story times!! Read and Enjoy while teaching your children inclusivity and curiosity. Add new ideas to their environment; have what they hear, the artwork they see, the books they read, and the toys they play with reflect diversity and love!

Reading stories aloud together builds vocabulary, improves comprehension, and promotes speech development. It also provides moments of discussion and bonding. I encourage you to add diverse holiday stories to your bookshelves. PLEASE use this list as a starting point to enjoy stories about Halloween and Dia De Los Muertos, exploring celebrations in all communities!

Bone Soup: A Spooky, Tasty Tale by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
For Ages: Preschool- 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Dia de Los Muertos by Roseanne Greenfield Thong
For Ages: Preschool- 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Click HERE for a fun craft to pair with this picture book!

Skeletons ARE NOT Spooky! by Duds and Kaine
For Ages: Preschool- 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago
For Ages: Preschool- 2nd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Guess What's Behind the Door? by Agnese Baruzzi
For Ages: Preschool- 2nd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Pick a Pumpkin by Patricia Toht
For Ages: Preschool- 2nd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

The Scariest Book Ever by Bob Shea
For Ages: 1st and 2nd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

The Day of the Dead: A Bilingual Celebration by Bob Barner
For Ages: Preschool- 3rd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

Día de los Muertos by Hannah Eliot
For Ages: Preschool- 2nd grade
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill

WANT EVERYTHING A STORY TIME CAN OFFER? ADD IN BENDY BOOKWORM YOGA; MOVEMENT YOUR CHILDREN CAN PRACTICE ON THEIR OWN. THEY WILL GAIN ALL THE BENEFITS OF A READ A LOUD STORY TIME PLUS PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT THROUGH MOVEMENT!