Reading Aloud with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory #1

EV and AA are now 9 and 7 years old respectively. They read independently, and it is very obvious that they love it. I love to see them sitting quietly by themselves as they immerse in the wonderful world of whatever book they are reading. And it’s nice to sit or lie next to them doing the same thing. 

Often, EV and AA will still ask me to read aloud to them. I seldom say no, unless it’s really way past their bedtime. I love having them next to me, hearing me try to dramatise the story to them. However, I do wonder: do I still need to read to them since they now can read independently?

Recently, I read an article that told me that my decision to continue reading to EV and AA was right - 'Want your kids’ vocab to improve? Read aloud to them'.

This was the part that caught my attention: “Children may continue to enjoy and benefit from being read to beyond the early years. You should keep reading with your children as long as they let you.”

Which echoed my thoughts exactly. If EV and AA still want me to read to them, why would I want to stop this fantastic chance for us to bond and just enjoy stories together?

So I’m sticking to my decision of continuing to read aloud to them, to have this shared reading experience with them every night, for as long as they let me. At the same time, I can also use this shared reading time to have story-based discussions with them. I can also ask questions to nudge their understanding of the story content and also how the author uses language to bring across a point.

So I started with the classic story by Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The version I have is a very old one, which I bought pre-loved. As I read aloud to the kids, I would use different types of voices and intonation to try and bring the characters to life. I would try to use some action too where possible. It’s like putting on a one-person theatre show with only two audiences. Well, that’s not bad. At least, my ‘performance’ will always be flawless. :)

In between my ‘performance’, I might stop and ask questions to see if EV and AA understand the content, or what the writer is trying to convey. I think this is helpful in EV’s and AA’s language development, and I think, in the long run, better prepare them to answer comprehension questions in school.

What I will try to do is to share areas of discussion that I had with EV and AA, here on my blog. Feel free to use them in your shared reading experiences with your kids.

To start, I will begin with Chapters 1 to 5 of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. (Note: As I’m using a different version, the page numbers might be different.)

Chapter 1: Here Comes Charlie

Page 17 - Why was it ‘pure torture’ for Charlie to ‘see other children taking bars of creamy chocolate out of their pockets and munching them greedily’?

In the earlier paragraphs, Roald Dahl elaborated how poor Charlie’s family was, and described how much, or how little, the family had to eat each day because they could not afford to buy food. It was also highlighted that Charlie ‘went about from morning till night with a horrible empty feeling’ in his tummy. Hence, when Charlie saw other children who had easy access to chocolate, one of his favourite foods, and eating it in front of him, it was very distressing to him. Not only could he not eat chocolate as and when he liked, he also had to tolerate a hungry stomach all the time. The discussion could also veer to focus on the real world, and the plight of many different people around the world.

Page 17 - When Charlie receives a small chocolate bar on his birthday, why does he ‘treasure it as though it were a bar of solid gold’?

As Charlie only receives one bar of chocolate a year on his birthday, the chocolate was extremely precious to him, and he wanted it to last as long as possible. There can also be some discussion about the literary technique used here - simile. The way Charlie treated his bar of chocolate was being compared to how people would treat a bar of gold.

Chapter 2: Mr Willy Wonka’s Factory

Page 19 - Charlie’s grandparents are described to be ‘as shrivelled as prunes’ and ‘as bony as skeletons’. What does this tell you about his grandparents’ physical appearance?

His grandparents’ skin are extremely wrinkled and they are also very thin. The literary technique of simile was used to compare his grandparents’ physical appearance with that of shrivelled prunes and skeletons.

Chapter 4: The Secret Workers

Page 29 - What was ‘one of the great mysteries of the chocolate-making world’?

The mystery is who Willy Wonka engaged as employees to run his factory and produce chocolates and sweets. In the earlier part of this dialogue between Charlie and Grandpa Joe, Grandpa Joe mentioned that nobody knows who Mr Wonka is using. So the great mystery that Grandpa Joe is referring to can be referenced to this.

So there.. Some ideas for your discussions as you read aloud Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with your kids. Hope this helps!

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Primary Prep - nurturing English language literacy & recommended resources

Semester 1 has come to an end, and I guess EV’s first foray into formal education has, well, been so far so good. She seems to have gotten into the primary school routine with little problems, and we’re glad we’ve always encouraged her to be independent since young. Taking the school bus since she was in pre-nursery was a good decision, as it has become a habit she is used to and enjoys. 

She even seems to have gotten used to the longer hours rather quickly. Granted, she takes her lunch later than what I’d prefer, and I have to wake up at 5am every morning to make sure she gets a proper nutritious lunch box. Overall though, she has adapted way better than I expected. 

Academically, she looks like she’s enjoying it and handling all the school work in her stead too. There was some help from me at the beginning - getting her in the routine of studying for her weekly English and Chinese spelling, and making sure that she does her school homework as soon as she gets it on that day. Now, I think she is already aware of her daily and weekly responsibilities when it comes to her studies. Next step, to get her used to the more heavily weighted assessments. Sure, at this level, there is less emphasis on tests, and, as her principal so loudly declared, all primary one students will definitely be promoted to primary two. However, being parents, we do want to see that she is handling even such timed assessments well, so it’s inevitable that we do get a little nervous. More than that, we would like to get her used to these weighted assessments, so that she doesn’t get a shock to her system later on.

Thinking back, I think one reason why adapting to the first year of primary school life has been rather smooth sailing for EV is because of the foundation she’s had since her pre-school years. While some may argue against starting so young, I think that it was precisely because we started preparing her early, that she was able to ease into formal education more easily.

In that area, DaddySay and I made sure that she had adequate support in terms of home learning.

Home Learning

I call it ‘home learning’ not ‘home schooling’ because my kids are not being home schooled. To me, that means having an education completely away from the official school environment, and in the comfort of one’s home. My kids attend school. In line with our belief that parents and teachers are partners, I focus on supporting and enhancing what they learn in school. 

Since pre-school, support and guidance is given to ensure that EV finishes her assigned homework from school. I also created supplementary materials to extend her learning, or use creative ways to help her learn better. For example, I used manipulatives like wooden pegs and bottle caps to create activities to help her learn her words or numbers. (Read more about how I use Daiso items to create home learning materials here.) I’ve also created worksheets focusing on certain vowels or word families with a variety of exercises like poem reading and writing and letter scramble. Sometimes, as she is learning new words, or when she uses the word incorrectly during our conversations, I would correct her and explain the grammar rules to her, such as present and past tense. I also created a DIY Narrative package to teach the skills and language for writing a simple story. 

Activities were pegged at EV’s level, but designed to stretch her that little bit more each time. We also had discussions during our nightly reading sessions, when I asked questions to gauge her understanding and comprehension, and discussed the elements of the story such as characters and settings. It was great bonding and many times, I had new, unexpected insights from EV about the stories we read. Till today, she constantly reminds me that though she is but 7 years old, she is a girl with her own mind, with many interesting perspectives.

Reading rather fluently at K1 may seem late for some parents, or others may think that it is way too advanced, but I like to focus on EV’s individual capability and progress. She surprised me once when she picked up a chapter book about fairies and started reading on her own, and since then, she couldn’t put a book down. Though she can read on her own now, sometimes she still loves to have me read to her. I’m fine with both. I’m just really happy to see her reading independently and enjoying the wonder that reading brings. I give her space to read books that she likes. I also try to introduce different books to her, including abridged versions of classics like Little Women and Wizard of Oz, and I’m glad to note that she enjoys these titles. I think it’s important to continue to nurture her interest to read various types of books, such as non-fiction, and discovering the world at large. 

Still, our home learning journey would not have been successful without some useful materials. Here, I’d like to share what we used at home to guide EV on her journey to primary school. 

Jolly Phonics and Jolly Grammar

A key resource we use is the Jolly Phonics and Jolly Grammar range of books. This was how EV learnt her phonics, which then lead her to be an independent reader. After that, we used the Grammar Handbooks to introduce to her rules of the English language, while reinforcing what she had learnt in phonics. One main reason why we have this is because her kindergarten used this, so we thought understanding this phonics and grammar system would help us tremendously in supporting EV’s learning at home.

Kumon Series 

I personally like how these books are scaffolded for different levels, from age 3 onwards. EV started off with the books ‘My First Book of Uppercase Letters’ and ‘My First Book of Lowercase Letters’, and gradually moved on from there to ‘My Book of Simple Sentences’ and ‘My Book of Sentences’. The difficult level increases with each book. What makes it fun are the colourful graphics and engaging layout. Exercises instil a familiarity so that kids can learn and remember.

After those basic workbooks, EV moved on to the Reading and Writing Workbooks. These support what we were doing with the Jolly system, and developed her reading and writing skills even further, while introducing more grammar and vocabulary to help her in her sentence structure and expression.

EV also likes practising her penmanship using these Kumon books. 

DIY Materials

We do quite a lot of DIY materials to help with the kids’ learning. The idea is to make it fun and interesting, so that they know what they learn can be applied to other areas. For example, in one of the worksheets I made below, I used the poem from ‘Fox in Socks’ to help EV revise some of the blends she learnt. At the same time, she is made aware of various recurring sounds such as ’th’ and ‘ee’.

Using the tongue twisters ‘Peter Piper’ and ‘She sells seashells’, I introduced alliteration to her - the use of the same sounds repeatedly at the beginning of a word, and she was also to see that language can be expressed in a fun way. She is also introduced to comprehension - comprehension of a poem rather than a passage. 

Simple narrative writing was also introduced. I began by highlighting to her that all stories have a beginning, middle and end, and that everything around us, our experiences, can be turned into a narrative. Then using the ‘think, draw, write, read’ strategy, I asked her to reflect on something that she’d like to write a story about, draw it out, and then write it out. She decided on two things - something that she liked, and a happy experience with her best friends. Here is what she drew before she went on to write about these two topics. I think being able to visualise what she would like to write about is an important skill so that she can more accurately and vividly describe her experiences.

As parents, we believe that we and EV’s are partners in her learning and development. Hence, the reason why we invest so much into supporting her at home. With AA now in K1, we are similarly holding the same belief and taking the same approach. I am using similar materials, with some adaptations to suit his learning style. I certainly hope that when his turn comes, he will enjoy primary school as well.

If you have a child heading to Primary One next year, I hope this list of resources will helpful. 

If you have any other tips on what to prepare for Primary One, do share!

Do check out our earlier Primary Prep Series, and do stay tuned for more.

Primary Prep - inculcating values
Primary Prep - inculcating life skills
Primary Prep - essential items to prepare for the big day

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13 (and more) ways to transform Daiso items into home learning activities

Yes, Daiso. The one shop I would go over and over and over again. Wouldn't you if everything is just at $2? Of course, Daiso is also a terrible place. Go in with the intention of buying just two to three items, and very often, you come out with more than ten. Arghh!!! But no matter how much we buy, we can always find ways to use them, right? :) There are just so many surprising finds that are potentially useful. All you have to do is to think a little bit more, squeeze those creative juices and viola! What I like about Daiso is the ability to use many of its items to create home learning activities for EV and AA.

So today, on this Daiso blog train by a group of Singapore Mom Bloggers, I'd like to share some home learning activities that I've created using oh-so-affordable items from Daiso (underlined items). Truly friendly to the pocket.

Language Literacy & Mathematics

For several of these activities, the materials were adapted for language literacy, number recognition, counting and even mathematical equations.

Wooden blocks (cubes & cuboids), plain-coloured tapes & fine marker pen

These blocks run out of stock really fast, because they are just so versatile! Kids can build with them, draw on them, the list is almost endless. Because they can be hard to find, I usually stock up on them the moment I see them at the shops. I stick plain-coloured tapes on the cubes, so that they can be reusable, and use them to build EV and AA’s language literacy and mathematical ability.

For language literacy, we use the blocks to do activities such as:

- CVC word formation - consonants and vowels are written on individual blocks, and words like CAT can be formed.

- forming words of two syllables or more - syllables of several words are written on separate blocks, for example, TA-BLE, and the mission is to join the blocks together to form complete words.

- sentence making - simple complete words are written on the blocks, and the task is to form simple sentences.

- roll & rhyme game - create a dice with the wooden cubes. Create worksheets where each dice value corresponds to a short vowel, long vowel or word families. For example, if the focus is short vowel, then 'number 1' can correspond to the '-at' word family, 'number 2' can correspond to the '-ap' word family and so on. The task is to roll the dice, identify the specific word family, and then write similar words that rhyme. The difficulty level of this activity can be adjusted to suit someone who has learnt short and long vowels, and word families, or someone who is just starting out forming simple CVC words

- story telling cubes - draw various images (can be of different categories such as animals, transport, food/drink, colours, musical instruments, toys, objects and so on) on the blocks. When the ideas are ready, take turns throwing the cubes and tell a story. Each person can take turns to tell the next part of the story.

- Chinese character recognition - write simple characters to enhance recognition. Or, write the different components of characters, and join the correct parts together like a puzzle.

- Chinese sentence making - write characters on the blocks, and form simple sentences by putting the blocks together.

We also use the blocks for counting, number recognition and simple mathematical equations. Just write the numbers and equation signs on the blocks, and throw the cubes to make it a game of ‘fastest wins’. We sometimes use pebbles, pom poms, and wooden pegs to enhance the learning.

Zips, fine marker pens, paper & paper clips

This activity can be used for forming words of two syllables, and for sentence making. Cut the felt into moderately sized pieces. The syllables of the same word is written on two separate felt pieces, then attached to each side of the zip using paper clips. Then have the child 'join' the syllables together by zipping the zip. Using paper clips means that several two-syllable words can be 'joined' and learnt in this way. Alternatively, this can be used for making short sentences. Write the first and second parts of various sentences on longer pieces of felt, for example, 'Peter is reading' and 'a book'. The child needs to find suitable parts, attach the parts to the zip and then 'join' the parts together.

Notebook

This activity is for enhancing the learning of word families. Simply cut the pages of the notebook into two parts, one slightly thinner than the other. Write the consonants or consonant blends such as 's' or 'tr'on the thinner strips, and the word families such as 'at' and 'ain' on the thicker strips. Then the child can flip the pages back and forth to create and learn words. In the process, silly words that don't exist may be created, but it's ok. It's all part of language learning.

Wooden clothes pegs, paper & fine marker pen

I created this activity for EV, as I thought this might be a more engaging activity than just writing or memorising her spelling words. Just write the alphabets on the wooden clothes pegs, and write the spelling words on strips of coloured blank paper. Then it is up to EV to find relevant alphabets and match it to the words on the paper. Each correct word gets a sticker. This can even be turned into a speed game, as she becomes more familiar with the words.

This can also be adapted for mathematical equations. Just write equations on strips of blank paper, write the answers on the clothes pegs, and then match the correct clothes peg to the equation. Or, for sometime simpler, draw groups of dots on a piece of paper, and the corresponding numbers on the clothes pegs. AA had to count each group of dots and match the correct clothes peg.

Stickers & coloured origami paper

This activity is mainly for AA, to help him in learning about letter and number formation, as he’s slowing beginning to write simple strokes. I cut out letters and numbers using Daiso’s coloured origami paper (You can actually use any coloured paper, but I use Daiso’s because the paper is smaller, so there’s less wastage. Plus it’s extremely affordable at $2 a pack). Sometimes, I get EV to help me cut the letters and numbers out as reinforcement.

Plus, as the big sister, it gives her much satisfaction to know that she’s helping di di learn. Once the cut-outs are ready, I get AA to stick stickers on them, following the stroke rules of the respective letters and numbers.

Pipe cleaners, coloured paper (cut into strips) or Post-its & fine marker pen

I created this activity as a more hands-on way for EV to learn her words. I wrote alphabets on strips of paper, one alphabet to a strip. Write the letter nearer the bottom of the strip. If using 3M Post-its, they may need to be cut into thinner strips. Using Post-its might be easier and quicker, as they are already in a smaller size; may just need to cut them thinner. Then roll the top of the strip around the pipe cleaner. For added security, I stuck a small piece of scotch tape behind. Slowly create the word, adding strips of alphabets one after another. Then when ready, just remove the paper from the pipe cleaner, mix it all up. I wrote the complete words on a bigger sheet of paper, and got EV to form the words from the pile of paper strips.

This activity can also be extended to learn mathematical equations. Just replace the alphabets with numbers and mathematical signs.

Hemp string & paper

This is extremely versatile. Alphabets and numbers can be written on the paper and give to any kid of any age to trace using different lengths of yarn. The difficulty can also be modified, such that words are written instead of alphabets.

Pipe cleaners, pebbles, poms poms, measuring tape

EV and AA use these materials to measure and learn about perimeter, length and height. They measure anything they can find in the home, from tables to sofas, to dolls and cars. In the process, they discover that a table can be as tall as 10 pipe cleaners, while a toy car can be as long as 10 pom poms. Each of them also has a retractable measuring tape, which they use to measure like little builders. I also teach them about units of measurements, like centimetres.

Sensory Fun

Fake grass, pebbles & Safari Ltd Toobs Dinosaurs

We are dong a home learning theme on Dinosaurs, and this sensory tub really got AA excited. It’s simple to set up - just some fake grass and pebbles from Daiso and a couple of toy dinosaurs. Later, the kids also asked for recycled milk cartons and bottles to 'feed' the dinosaurs. It was good seeing them engage in pretend play too, and made up story about he the dinosaurs were lost and needed to be saved.

Water beads, marbles & Safari Ltd Toobs Sharks

Whenever EV and AA run out of ideas to entertain themselves, they’ll always turn to their parents and say ‘What should I do now?’. Water beads is a sure winner with them. So I try to think of as many sensory tub combinations with water beads as I can. Usually, it’s just looking for whatever is available and putting these randomly together. Because really, as long as there are water beads and water, the kids will be kept busy for quite a while. I generally like to add marbles, pebbles, plastic alphabets and numbers, or even toy creatures. Add ice for a little variety. Varying the ice shapes (big blocks, cubes, spheres) can also make a difference.

Strainers, flour, baby oil, moulds

This can get a little messy, and I don't just mean the kids. I first put the flour in a shallow container, give the kids strainers and off they go sifting the flour. Over-enthusiastic AA likes to fling the flour all over the place, so it's a good idea to have this activity in the bathroom, or anywhere where it's easy to wash off after. Later, I add baby oil to the flour, and get the kids to mix them up into a nice soft dough. Once this is achieved, the moulds go in for some shaping exercise. This activity is deliberately broken up in to separate parts, so that the kids can be engaged for a longer time.

Wooden blocks, pom poms, recycled milk cartons, recycled Yakult bottles, Safari Ltd Toobs Knights & Dragons

This was really one of those random activities I put together one hazy afternoon, when I was tired and extremely uninspired, but surprise surprise! It got the kids busy for quite a while. I think it stretched their imagination, and also trained their motor skills. They could stack the blocks into the milk cartons,, which I had cut into half, or they could squeeze the pom poms into the Yakult bottles. Or they could build their own castles, bridges and what nots for the knights and dragons to battle it out.

Pom poms, paper, glue

A really simple activity that also practices motor and spatial skills. I drew a simple tree, and got AA to glue green pom poms on to it. This makes him practice the dexterity of his fingers as he holds the pom poms, puts glue on them, and paste them on the paper. I deliberately got him to leave spaces in between, and then asked him to guess how many red pom poms he needed to glue to make apples. For more creativity, felt or foam can be used for the tree trunk, and even a bright cherry sun can be added.

Hope you enjoyed the ideas shared here. Do share what home learning ideas you have using items from Daiso.

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Next up on the Daiso 101 blog train is Adeline of Growing with the Tans. Adeline loves good deals, and what better place to find them than at Daiso? When she isn't out shopping at Daiso, she looks after her 3-year-old son, Noah, and blogs about their family life, activities that keep Noah busy, and books that they enjoy.






This post is part of the "DAISO 101" blog train hosted by Mum in the Making. Click on the button below to get the full list of Daiso posts, and happy shopping!

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Thank you for reading. If you like this post, please do connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so I can share our fun adventures, thoughts and exploits with you. 

Interview: Sarah Toh, Principal of Kidz Literacy Cove

In March this year, we did a review of a phonics lesson at Kidz Literacy Cove.

Today, I'm very happy to introduce Sarah Toh, principal of Kidz Literacy Cove. She will share with us the story behind Kidz Literacy Cove, and give tips on how parents can reinforce literacy learning with their kids at home. 

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Please tell us more about Kidz Literacy Cove. What is its focus?

Kidz Literacy Cove (KLC) is an educational centre specialised in carrying an Australian-based English literacy program that teaches phonics, writing, word recognition and early spelling skills in a fun and interactive way. Our programmes are specially written by Victoria Carlton, director of the International Centre for Excellence (Australia) and crafted to meet the needs of children in Singapore. At KLC, every child is respected as a unique individual and parents are valued as our teaching partners. We provide a cosy and conducive environment for children as we believe they learn best when they feel comfortable.

Why did you set up Kidz Literacy Cove? What inspired you?

I used to be working in the preschool sector and see the need for children to have an allocated time for learning literacy with a structured curriculum. I see the importance of having passionate and committed teachers too.

What is your view of preschool education and the correct literacy standard? Should more be done?

I strongly believe that all teachers must be well trained in phonics and have an understanding of how children learn language and literacy. Preschool sector should also have a more structured literacy curriculum as a guideline for all teachers to make use of.

There are so many enrichment centres that focus on developing a child's literacy, what is Kidz Literacy Cove's strength? How do you differentiate yourself from others?

Kidz Literacy Cove engages local and well trained professionals who have experiences working in the Early Childhood sector. We only engage teachers who are passionate and have a strong interest in working with children. Our group sizes are kept very small to a maximum of four children for the younger age groups and a maximum of six children per group for children five years old and above. We cater one-to-one sessions for children who require special attention and lesson plans are customized for them. We are running Victoria Carlton's Literacy Programme and it is a researched and well proven programme that helps children perform at least one year ahead of their academic level.

Literacy is more than just learning to read. Do you agree? Why or why not.

Literacy is more than just learning to read. Young children start learning literacy through listening to what adults are saying. They look at our facial expressions to make meanings of what we are trying to say. Then they start making sounds to communicate with us and subsequently learning to speak with words and sentences. Environment plays an important role in teaching young children literacy (e.g children look at letter 'M' and they go Macdonalds. Children observe symbols and prints on the roads and they learn what these are used for.)

Do parents really need to send their children for literacy classes? Can't they reinforce what their children learn at home?

Definitely home teaching is important and learning languages takes place anywhere, anytime and with anyone. While shopping at the supermarket, parents can communicate effectively by having discussions with what they see around. Parents can teach at home, but it is more of a reinforcement of what children have learnt in school. Parents send their children to us as they would want to make use of our proven and structured curriculum and at the same time having well trained professionals to guide their children in learning. Children learn differently in a home environment and in a school environment with peers. I see the need for parents to engage their children with literacy classes while parents can do follow up activities to extend their children's learning. Fun activities can be initiated by parents or children during this family bonding time.

How should parents reinforce and extend their children’s learning at home? Can you give 5 tips?

1. Reading a book together before bedtime

2. Doing an art and craft activity together to reinforce what child has learn (e.g. learning how to write letter 'a', parents can do finger painting together with child, writing letter 'a' with different colours of paint)

3. Watching a youtube video on a topic that was taught in school

4. Having an outdoor trip (e.g. going to the zoo to learn more about a particular animal according to the theme of the curriculum in school)

5. Playing hands on games (not electronic ones)

As a mother, what would you say is your parenting style? What is your belief when it comes to helping a child learn?

As a mother to my infant daughter, I believe I will adopt the authoritative parenting style as I believe in 2 way communication. I would set clear and reasonable limits and at the same time allow my child to develop autonomy, Spending quality time and communicating effectively with children, even if is to just sit down and play with them, would consider quality time spent. I belief in giving adequate time for a child to learn. Avoid rushing to teach or to get things done - a little difficult to achieve but I will try.

What three things do you think is most important for kids to learn in today's world?

Respect, morals and filial piety.

What is the one thing that parents should know, but don't?

Parents these days spend a lot of money buying toys/materials/electronics for children but what they need is to have parents spending time "playing" and discovering with them.

Please tell us more about yourself. What were you doing before Kidz Literacy Cove?

I began my career in the field of early childhood education at an early age and pursued my Diploma in Early Childhood Education with Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Knowing where my strength and passion lies, I quickly attained my specialisation in the field where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (with honours) in Early Childhood Education. Upon graduation, I was engaged by a preschool that admired me for my outstanding performance during my service at the school as an assistant teacher. With strong determination and a natural flair for teaching, I quickly rose to the position of a senior teacher within 2 years and undertook leadership roles where I was tasked to mentor new teachers as well as student-teachers. I then moved on to an international preschool where I maintained my position and continued to teach for several years. I was again promoted to be a vice principal of the preschool.

I set high standards for myself when it comes to the planning and implementing of curriculum as I believe that education is about providing meaningful learning experiences for children to learn and develop at their own pace, and should never be forced on an unwilling child. “All children have the ability to learn, we should figure that out and teach the way they learn.”. Most importantly I also believe that a happy child is one who learns the most and will continue to yearn for more knowledge. This love and passion for teaching subsequently led me to establish Kidz Literacy Cove (KLC) where I aim to further reach out and touch the hearts of the younger generation.

Promoting fun, joy and excellence, I ensure that KLC will be a haven where parents are more than welcome to be part of their children’s education and where children’s torch for learning burns bright and strong.

I am currently the principal of KLC. Together with my team of teachers, I also conduct classes at KLC and constantly monitor the progress of the children.

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Thank you, Sarah.

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Book Box Thursday: Purple Paw Prints & Paw Prints on the Magic Sofa by Sarah Mounsey

After a short hiatus, Book Box Thursday is back. This time, we look at two books by Australian Sarah Mounsey who now resides in Singapore. These two books are part of the Paw Prints series, which has won a bronze medal in the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards for best picture book series.

The books we reviewed - Purple Paw Prints and Paw Prints on the Magic Sofa - are the first two books of this series. It tells the funny adventures of a little boy Eddie and his dog Oscar, and the chaos they leave behind wherever they go.

Both books are illustrated by Jade Fang, who lives in Singapore and is an Illustration graduate from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Jade started doodling at a young age, and since 2010, has illustrated several children's books. Her illustrations in Purple Paw Prints and Paws Prints on the Magic Sofa are both colourful and whimsical, and brings out the essence of the stories, from mere words to visuals. Even little ones who can't read can easily see the visuals, that is full of life, and understand immediately what is happening in the story. That is the beauty, and strength, of picture books.

Purple Paw Prints

This story is really hilarious and got EV laughing away as we read it. But to me as a parent, I hope so much that this will not happen, especially when the main character Eddie, reminds me of my mischievous AA. Well, I don't think AA will be painting a dog purple. (No no, I hope he doesn't paint anything in the house purple or any colour for that matter.) That's right, Eddie painted his dog Oscar purple, then regretted it, because he realises that his parents will get oh so mad. Too late, he couldn't get the paint off Oscar in any way. So starts an adventure by Eddie and Oscar, together with older sister Mia, to find a solution. From bringing Oscar to the car wash, to enlisting the fire men's powerful water hose, to the hairdresser, nothing seemed to work. But Eddie didn't want to give up and kept thinking of solutions. The story kept EV engaged and wondering whether Eddie will get Oscar back to his original colour white.

A funny twist comes at the end, an ending that even readers didn't expect. Just when all seemed lost and Eddie resigned himself to his fate of facing his parents' wrath, Oscar himself comes up with a solution - to paint himself white. So, the dog saves the day.

This is just such a cute and funny ending. A dog who's the victim of Eddie's mischievous antics saves Eddie, his 'tormentor', from his parents. I like to think that perhaps, Oscar had thought about painting himself white from the beginning, but decided not to reveal his solution until he absolutely had to. Imagine what he could have been thinking: 'Silly human!'. In fact, this story can be used to explain empathy, as I asked EV to imagine how she would feel if she was in Oscar's shoes; would she like to have someone 'torment' her like that, even if it was just for fun? Would it be nice to treat an animal, a pet like that? Very simply, a hilarious tale of a boy’s search for an answer to his mischief turns into a story that can be used to teach about the importance of thinking about others.

Paw Prints on the Magic Sofa

The second book in the Paw Prints series, this tale brought EV and AA on a magical adventure all around the world, on a magic sofa. It’s quite fun, actually, as we could turn our usual bedtime reading spot - our bed, into a magic bed, and go travelling with Eddie, Oscar, their friend William and several animals, including a lion, a turtle, a camel and a monkey. It exercises our imagination, as like Eddie, Oscar and William, we visited the plains to meet the lion, the desert to find the camel, and over the jungles to search for the monkey. There was even a dip in the river to pick up the turtle.

I personally like the way the illustrations depicted the various scenes in the story. From how the magic sofa bobbed on the water, to how it sand boarded down the sand dunes in the desert, to how it flew over the clouds and jungle, the story is very vividly depicted. Even the expressions on the animals are rather cheeky, friendly and endearing.

After the whole adventure, Eddie, Oscar and William return back to reality. As it turns out, the lion, turtle, camel and monkey are soft toys.

Our verdict

Both books seemed to have different fans in our home. EV preferred Purple Paw Prints, while AA preferred Paw Prints on the Magic Sofa. Different stories, different appeal. Being older, EV could understand the deeper meaning behind Purple Paw Prints, and put herself in the position of Oscar. The imaginary journey that Paw Prints on the Magic Sofa brought us on appealed more to AA, but was well received by EV as well, since we could also go on an adventure of imagination ourselves.

Both books are simple, endearing tales that one can read over and over again.

Giveaway!!!

We have two copies each of Purple Paw Prints and Paw Prints on the Magic Sofa to give away, kindly sponsored by the folks at Closetful of Books. Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below to enter. Most are optional, but do give you more chances. Good luck!

Terms and conditions:

- Entries that do not fulfill the requirements stated will be disqualified without notice.

- Winners will be notified by email, through the email address provided in the blog comments.

- Winners must confirm by reply email, within three days. Otherwise, a new winner will be picked.

- This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only.

- Giveaway starts on 26 June and ends on 11 July (inclusive) at midnight.

- Winners will be announced on this post and my Facebook page by 14 July.

a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: We received a copy of Purple Paw Prints and Paw Prints on the Magic Sofa from Closetful of Books for review purposes. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and images are my own.

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Book Box Thursday: Emma's Elephant & If I Were A Blue Kangaroo by David Seow

While we like to read books by authors such as Eric Carle and Julia Donaldson (classic names in children’s literary works), local authors occupy a significant spot in our home library too.

One local author we chanced upon recently is David Seow. Little did we know that Seow is an accomplished author of children’s books, with 30 titles under his belt. Some of them include There’s Soup on my Fly, The Littlest Emperor and Monkey: The Classic Chinese Adventure Tale.

For us, we had a fun time discovering two titles: Emma’s Elephant and If I Were A Blue Kangaroo.

Both books are illustrated by Enrico Sallustio, and have a playful quality about them that appeals. Sallustio has successfully brought out the essence of the stories vividly, and together with Seow’s carefully worded text, brings the reader to Africa and a bouncy journey around the world. There is humour infused too in the illustrations. Think along the likes of monkeys wearing pants.

Emma’s Elephant

A story of an invisible elephant who escaped from a group of chasing hunters in her home in the African plains, Emma’s Elephant chronicles the heartwarming relationship between a little girl and the elephant.

Invisible due to her fear of the hungers, Ella the elephant learns to turn this flaw to her advantage. On a journey back to Africa in an attempt to save her friends, Ella and Emma (who remains hidden behind Ella’s big invisible floppy ears) meet the hunters again. She becomes frightened, but with encouragement from Emma, plucks up her courage and makes use of her special invisible ability to chase the hunters away.

This is a valuable lesson that shows how every being is unique and no flaw is a flaw. It also teaches the value of determination, for without it, Ella would not be driven to save her friends. At the same time, Seow’s words reveal Emma’s ability to feel empathy for Ella’s feelings, and at the end of the story, empathy for other endangered animals like the panda and whale. He makes it easy to turn it into a conversation topic about empathy for the people around us.

If I Were A Blue Elephant

This is a simple story rhyme that can prompt much pretend play. Though the text is simple, with one rhyming line for each illustration, the story successfully brings the reader on an imaginative journey around the world, with visits to the stars and the seas.

It starts off simply enough too, from the perspective of a little toddler who wishes he was a blue kangaroo. The blue kangaroo too looks a little like the toddler.

What’s endearing is the way this story ends. The toddler seems to be speaking to the reader, telling him or her that ‘I might not have a friend like you’, and that’s why the toddler does not want to be a blue kangaroo. I couldn’t help but go ‘aww…’.

So how did it prompt pretend play? We pretended to be kangaroos, or any other animal, travelling on a boat, on an extra large surf board, a bi-plane with multiple seats or even a magic carpet. Sometimes, we even rode on a horse or a submarine. We visited different places, saw different animals, plants and sea creatures. Sometimes we even packed a picnic for our journeys.

Our verdict

EV clearly liked Emma’s Elephant. Perhaps, being older, she could understand the feelings of fear, joy and empathise better. AA liked the simplicity of If I Were A Blue Kangaroo. Often, he would hop and jump as I read, on pillows, off cushions, maybe imitating how the little toddler in the story hopped on a cloud.

Sometimes, I feel like my heart is hopping out of my chest just watching him.

Giveaway!!

We have two copies each of Emma’s Elephant and If I Were A Blue Kangaroo to give away, kindly sponsored by the folks at Closetful of Books, and autographed by David Seow. Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below to enter. They are all optional, but do give you more chances. Good luck!

Terms and conditions:

- Entries that do not fulfill the requirements stated will be disqualified without notice.

- Winners will be notified by email, through the email address provided in the Rafflecopter widgets.

- Winners must confirm by reply email, within three days. Otherwise, a new winner will be picked.

- This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only.

- Giveaway starts on 8 May and ends on 22 May (inclusive) at midnight.

- Winners will be announced on this post and my Facebook page by 30 May.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Autographed books
Thinking of buying either Emma’s Elephant and If I Were A Blue Kangaroo? Get them from Closetful of Books and have your very own copy autographed by David Seow! Just indicate in the comments box upon checkout, that the books were recommended by ToddlyMummy.

Disclaimer: We received a copy of Emma's Elephant and If I Were A Blue Kangaroo from Closetful of Books for review purposes. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and images are my own.

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Thank you for reading. If you like this post, please do connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so I can share our fun adventures, thoughts and exploits with you. 

Book Box Thursday: Wild Alphabet Pop-Up Book

Recently, I found this really good book that I am extremely eager to share, because it is just so fun!

It's Wild Alphabet Pop-Up book which I bought from The Groovy Giraffe, an online bookstore where overprint and overstock books are priced at up to 85% off. It's not expensive, just $18.90 after discount (usual price $25.14). When I saw it on the site and viewed the preview pictures, I thought: interesting, a pop-up book of animals from A to Z, with an accompanying description for each too. Must check it out.

So I ordered it, and had it delivered. I didn't expect it to arrive so early, since the order was made on a Friday. But viola, I got the book on Saturday after a tired day at the grandparents'. Big pleasant surprise. Bigger surprise when I opened it. I had thought the book might be bigger, since it had all the pop-up stuff. I had no idea how I got that idea. However, the book is about the size of a CD case, though much thicker. Nice size to fit into the kids' day bag when we are on our adventures.

As you can see, our animal figurines couldn't resist checking it out either.

And it's no wonder. The animals inside this book gives a good overview of wild animals, both small and large. Think of wild animals the likes of a chinchilla, a jaguar, a koala and even a dinosaur. Wild animals both gentle and fierce are included, so little minds have an A to Z idea of what wild animals live in our world.

The good thing about this book is the description that accompanies each animal. It gives information such as the appearance, behaviours and other characteristics. And for some, it even give little tidbits about the animals's living habitats. These little nuggets of information are wonderful in triggering the curiosity of little kids, and opens the doors for further discussion and exploration of the animals. The fonts are also creatively used to add variety to the description.

What really rocks is the pop-ups. Like this one of a mosquito. See how it pops out of the page.

Check out this pop-up of a tiger too. It doesn't pop out of the page like the mosquito, but I like how the cut-outs and the colours of black and orange work together to reveal a fearsome picture of a tiger's head. 

How about this pop-up of a xantus bird? Cool, isn't it?

There are more examples of such innovative pop-ups. Therein comes another worry. The pop-ups can be a little fragile, so little hands will have to handle the book with care. Good opportunity for adults to educate them about caring for a book, though. Wild Alphabet engaged and amused EV and AA, myself included. We talked about the animals, we talked about the words. They even asked how the pop-ups work. It definitely made for a great conversation starter. Highly recommended for its entertaining and educational factor.

Special Discount Code!!

Here's a special discount for all ToddlyMummy readers. Just click on The Groovy Giraffe button on the right sidebar, and you will be taken directly to The Groovy Giraffe website. Shop for your books, and when checking out, just key in the unique code 'TODDLYMUM' for a 5% discount on all books (except bargains).

In the meantime, do share with us other pop-up books you've read. Why do you like them?

Disclaimer: We received a $20 voucher for the purchase of Wild Alphabet Pop-Up Book for review purposes. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and images are my own.

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Thank you for reading. If you like this post, please do connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so I can share our fun adventures, thoughts and exploits with you.