Pretend play allows young children to try experiences that don’t exist in their every day lives. Somewhere between ages 2 and a half and 4, most toddler to preschool aged children will begin acting as favorite characters, reliving, recreating and creating scenarios and trying to live out lives different than their own.

Children pretend as they are figuring out who they are, and who they aren’t. They give themselves new voices, carry conversations with “friends” and dress up as people they dream to be. Here are 5 toys that encourage pretend play, allowing your children to act outside their lives and use their imagination endlessly.

Doll houses encourage pretend play and enacting for girls and boys

A castle or dollhouse offers opportunities for children to play with characters in a real-life (or fairytale) setting. Children often enact characters through regular home-style routines. Boys play with houses and castles as well, which helps them to explore their feelings and real-life scenarios. For boys try Bigjigs Heritage Playset King Arthurs Castle or the Educo by Hape International Park n’ Go Garage.
For girls: Bigjigs Heritage Playset Princess Palace (pictured) or the Fisher-Price Loving Family Grand Dollhouse.

Puppet shows allow kids to perform experiences as they learn who they are

As the children get older and their hand eye coordination is stronger, they’ll love pretending through puppetry. The Melissa & Doug Deluxe Puppet Theater is a favorite for kids to perform their shows. We love making puppets, but if you’re looking for a starter set for children, try Plush Happy Kids Hand Puppets Set – 8 pc – Multi Ethnical Collection. Our favorite puppets are Melissa & Doug Deluxe Fuzzy Make – Your – Own Monster Puppet but I just noticed Melissa and Doug makes Melissa & Doug Make Your Own Princess Puppet which may end up on a future gift wish list of a our little girl.

Costumes help kids “become” someone new

I used to think kids would wear Halloween costumes once and then they’d go to waste. Just one toddler into parenthood and I learned different. Kids love costumes. We have two overflowing boxes of past Halloween costumes, birthday present costumes and costumes that we purchased at consignment stores, post-Halloween sales and hand-me-downs from friends. There are a few key times to buy costumes at lower prices, primarily the beginning of November and late winter, when the last thing parents are preparing for is a Halloween costume. If your child is starting to show interest in dressing up and living lives different than her own during off-Halloween season, CostumeExpress is offering 15% off all kids’ costumes, including clearance, with code IMAGINE15.

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks to BigJigs for providing a sample product.

© 2012, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

Thank you to who?Comics for sponsoring this post and encouraging my child to read biographies in comic book form! Please click here to learn more about the app. And follow biographies. He wants to learn all about the ups and downs of people’s lives. He’s been reading about Dr. Seuss, Walt Disney and Jackie Robinson. I’m amazed at all he learned.

I jumped at an opportunity to share the Who? Comics series with him. Created in Korea, Who? Comics focus on American and world heros. Each comic has several chapters of life stories–filled with both humor and serious topics. The authors/illustrators are entertaining the readers–it’s like a learning sideshow.

a sampling of the biographies available from Who? Comics

While Big wanted to start with Martin Luther King, Jr., I suggested starting with one of the free stories that comes with the initial download. Big hesitated. “But, I don’t know who Bill Gates is?”

Within minutes, Big had taken my iPad away, so immersed in the story. Through the story he’d rush over to share things. Mom! Did you know Bill Gates’ parents told him he couldn’t play with computers? Did you know he was supposed to be a lawyer? Mom! His best friend died when he was mountain climbing!

His excitement continued as he completed all eight chapters in one evening. Around 10 pm, he came downstairs to return the iPad. Or not. He handed it to me, asking me to download another comic.

“Tell me what you learned?” asked the Huz.

“Actually,” Big said. “I want to search and see what Bill Gates looks like in real life–not in a comic. I want to compare the pictures.” It was 10 pm, but this was incredible learning. We Google-imaged Bill Gates. We examined pictures of his home (oh. my. wow. That’s not a home, it’s a resort!) and we found picture after picture of Mr. Gates. When we came to a mugshot of a very young Bill, I commented, “wow! He was arrested?! Look how young he looks!”

“He was young.” Big shared before I had a chance to google for information. “He was in high school and broke into the local university to hack the computer system.”

Who? Comics' The Computer Genius Who Changed the World: Bill Gates

I was sold. Not only did big thoroughly enjoy what he was reading, he was comprehending it, wanting to learn more and making comparisons in his learning extensions. He was also able to confer an explanation.

“Mom?” he said. “Can I borrow your iPad and show this to my teacher? I think she’d like to learn about Barack Obama.”

“I bet she would,” I said. “You can read the comic and tell her as much as you want. But you are absolutely not allowed to bring my iPad to school.”

I guess teachers will have to find another way to approve books in the future. There’s no way my guy is bringing a $600 toy to school.

Thank you again to who? Comics for sponsoring my post. Please click here to learn more about the app. Visit who? Comics for updates. I was selected for this opportunity by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own. #CleverWhoComics #spon

A few additional notes on Who? Comics

• View a video created by Who? Comics
• The comics are created in Korea, so be prepared for different facial expressions than what we usually see in American comics. (Makes me wonder if Koreans see American faces as so mean and scary sometimes?)
• These biographies are true-to-life. They don’t sugar coat the hero’s lives, so know that these stories will include drugs, alcohol, death, etc. They’re written for children ages 8-12, be prepared to discuss some of these concepts with your children.
• The initial cost for the download is $9.95, and that comes with two comic books: Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey. Additional books cost $4.99 each. I opted to download all 29 books for $29.99. It’s a pricey app at nearly $40. But if your child is swept into real-life stories, you know how much you’d spend on biographies anyway.
• Take some time to pick up the iPad and enjoy the comics on your own, too, (or with your kids, though I will confess that shared reading of comics is difficult.) I started reading Bill Gates after Big did and I couldn’t put it down, either. The authors/illustrators do a great job of telling a story through conversation and you will be amazed all the knowledge and research that goes into these stories.

© 2012, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

As a former teacher who is active in education, I’m asked this question, a lot. There are several factors to consider, as each child needs to be considered individually. In-other-words, I can’t give you an answer for your child, only for mine. And I opted to hold both of my August-birthday boys back a year by placing them in pre-Kindergarten, aka “red-shirting.”

Questions to ask yourself when considering Kindergarten vs. Pre-Kindergarten

• will my child be the youngest or the oldest? How do I expect my child will do in that position? You want to think long-term here, as well as short-term. Yes, you’ll compare your 5-year-old to his peers currently (does he keep up with his peers? does he interact well?) but you also want to think of him going through puberty before or after others and how he’ll be at 16 or 17 when he starts driving (before or after others.)
• how does my child compare, physically, to his peers? I don’t usually advocate comparing your child against others, but socially, you need to consider if your child will keep up on the playground or in gym class. Alternatively, will he be miles ahead physically and, therefore, bored.
• is he academically ready to go to Kindergarten? There are questions , below, that you can ask your child’s preschool teacher, but there are also great resources for you to use at home. Family Education has a valuable checklist. Of course, it’s now registration time and 6-7 months before Kindergarten, so do note that your child will grow, a lot, during the next 6 months.
• how does my child compare maturation-ally with his peers. Is your child Leo the Late Bloomer? He likely will catch up, but will pushing ahead or holding back change his self-outlook?

Questions to ask your child’s teacher when considering Kindergarten vs. Pre-Kindergarten

• Start out asking a very general question. Remember that, ultimately, it’s your decision, but your child’s teacher sees your child in a different situation than you do. She also knows what his peers are like, and how your child responds to his school surroundings.
• Refer to the Family Education checklist (above) and see how the teacher’s responses compare with yours.
• Ask your teacher if she’s sent children who are similar to your child to Kindergarten or Pre-Kindergarten and how they’ve responded.
• What Kindergarten or Pre-Kindergarten program do you recommend for my child? Why? (Why is key here. You’ll learn a lot about your child when you find out why  she thinks a program is best for your child.)

Next steps

 image source: PhotoXpress

© 2012, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

Practicing spelling words each night can be boring. What eight-year-old gets excited about writing each word three times or listing them in alphabetical order? Here are a few creative alternative activities to spice up spelling to help your child study and learn spelling words.

Create a word search

Print out a sheet of grid paper and place the words strategically inside, then fill the empty boxes with random letters. Have your child find the words. Alternatively, have your child create the word search for you, or do both so you can swap and solve. Discovery Education’s Puzzlemaker offers an electronic option to create the word searches.

Tactile learning

Many children learn by touching, so learning by creating letters with fingers is a fun way to practice spelling words. Spread shaving cream, pudding, or ketchup on a cookie sheet or other flat surface, then have your child write the words with his fingers.

Take a shower

You know how we do our best thinking in the shower? So will your child! Spread shaving cream on the wall, or just use the steam as it builds up on the walls as a surface for practicing.

Write a story

Rather than writing sentences that stand alone, use the words to create a story. This will get the child thinking more about the words and their meaning, while still practicing how to spell them.

Ransom words

Search through catalogs and magazines for the letters in the words. Cut them out and glue them onto a paper that to create the word list.

Go outside!

Who’s to say kids have to practice spelling inside? Have your child write words in chalk on the driveway, with a hose sprayer, in mud or sand. Or use clay or playdoh to create the words.

Be a cheerleader!

Finally! It’s okay to yell and jump! Have your child shout the letters of his words as loud as he can while jumping up and down or doing gymnastics.

Righty/Lefty

Ask your child to write his words with dominant hand. Then have him write the list again with the opposite hand he usually writes with.

Secret Agent Words

Create a secret code using letters, numbers or symbols to represent the alphabet and write your words using those symbols.

Online games

Vocabulary Spelling City allows kids to enter spelling words into it’s system and access more than 10 games like Match It, Hang Mouse and Unscramble for free, all using his spelling words. A premium membership offers 11 more activities for just $24.99 for a one-year family membership.

Magnetic Letters

Your child can use magnetic letters to form his words on the refrigerator or a cookie sheet. You can purchase Magnetic Learning Letters – Lowercaseor make your own.

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

At around age seven or eight, kids start wanting big things. This is a prime opportunity to teach our children the value in saving money. Big, especially, is learning about saving versus spending. After our hard lesson (for all of us) last fall, Big asked for a wallet so that he could start saving.

The hardest thing for kids is to prioritize the value of saving. We all recognize the excitement in instant gratification as an adult–it’s often more exciting as a child. This makes it the parents’ responsibility to encourage our children to look past the shiny item on the shelf and remember what that they’re saving. We’ve come up with a few techniques to keep those goals in our children’s heads.

Sticky notes

When kids decide they’re determined to save for something big, we encourage them to grab a pad of post-its and write the item and the cost on a few. They then stick the note in their wallet, on their mirror, maybe even over the clock, so that no matter what flashes before them that will tempt them to spend, they’ll be reminded of the goal before the money leaves the wallet.

Goal charts

Fundraisers do it all the time using thermometer-type images to help reach a goal. By creating one with your kids and hanging it somewhere prevalent, they’ll be reminded just how much they need to save, and how close they are to getting to their goal.

Divided banks

These Large Money Savvy Pig- Purple are great for so many purposes–most encourage giving, saving and spending and teach children to budget their “income.” We’ve learned that if we dedicate one of the sections of the bank to a goal, they’ll see the money collect. This option also gives the kids the ability to still spend some, and allows them a learning experience to determine where each penny will go.

Discussion

The more you talk about goals, the more you remind your child about his goal. Kids are far more likely to hear a voice in their heads that say “do I really need to buy that?” if buying choices were discussed at dinner the night before. Make spending and saving a regular conversation in your household as you all talk about things you want, things you need, the choices you make when you’re shopping and how you are saving. There’s nothing wrong with being honest with your child and saying “well, I really, really wanted that cake pop maker for our family, but I know we’re saving money to go to Disney World next fall. How are your savings going?” or “Was it hard to not spend money at Target today on that Beyblade? How do you feel now that you don’t have it, but you have more money in your wallet?”

Bonuses and income

Don’t be afraid to give your kids money to help them to save. My kids are always looking for opportunities to earn a few extra dollars and when I contribute to their savings, it’s opening up the idea that they’re one step closer to the reward. Sometimes when the children restrain themselves from spending, I give them a reward. For example, I’ll say “Wow! I’m so impressed that you didn’t buy that Pokemon card set. I saw how you were eyeing it up. That must have been really hard. But you’re also saving to buy a Kindle, right? You know what? I’m so proud of you that I’m going to pitch in an extra dollar to your Kindle fund.” Don’t do it every time because they’ll expect it, but offering a bonus every now and then rewards them, lets them know you’re paying attention and encourages them to save more for the goal. Just make sure that you don’t turn around and buy them the Pokemon card set! They’ll learn no value then. It’s okay for kids to want.

Enroll in a goal-setting program

The internet has many opportunities to teach goal-setting. Kidworth, a free online program, offers kids a chance to set a financial goal and share it with family and friends, giving them the option to contribute to saving and, eventually, to purchasing the goal, while tracking their success in saving.

As a Kidworth Ambassador, I was compensated for sharing these ways to help children learn to save. How do you teach your kids to save?

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

Our world has been rocked with news of the scandal at Penn State, but the lack of attention on how to help these children is astounding. I’ve gathered a few resources:

• Don’t Be an Enabler — When a Child Is Abused, Here’s What to Do was written by Michael Reagan, President Ronald Reagan’s son. He’s not afraid to share his opinion, and he tells it like it is. Because, unfortunately, he knows. “Finally, don’t you ever use the “benefit of hindsight” excuse! I’ve armed you with the foresight to do the right thing to protect a child—and that child is counting on you.”
• Dr. Phil’s website posted a list of warning signs and resources;
• Catherine McCall wrote an article for Psychology Today that discusses not just how to talk to your child about abuse, but also how to talk about sex, which must be addressed when you’re having this conversation. It also includes books to read with your children;
• Massachusetts Citizens for Children is a child advocacy resource that listed 5 things children must know in order to protect themselves.

It’s unfortunate, there are so few recent resources on this topic. I’ll be interviewing a leading therapist in this area and will share her suggestions with you very soon.

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

My first classroom experience was in special education. We had 13 students. I was a paraprofessional–a teachers’ aide. This was my job while I was in grad school, earning my Masters in Education and my teaching certification. My first day, I knew nothing of what to expect.

My head teacher placed charts on every child’s desk. Each child had his own goal. Some were academic. Others were behavioral. When the children succeeded in their goals, they received a stamp. A part of my job was “stamper.” I very quickly realized that the children knew exactly what they would need to do in order to get a stamp. And as soon as they realized they behaved poorly or didn’t fulfill a goal, they would glance over at me, or at the chart on their desk. The sad faces broke my heart, but, over time, I’d notice a change. The kids knew they behaviors that needed to change. They’d work to change it.

Those kids were 12 years old. They loved receiving stamps. Sometimes they didn’t need any reward beyond the stamps. The kids smiled with such pride when I stamped their squares each day. And when they earned enough to receive their prize? Oh! The cheers and thrills.

A few years later, I was pregnant. And despite all I learned from teaching special and regular education children and managing their behaviors, I proudly announced to my family “I will not ever bribe my children.”

Ha.

A few years later, I nodded in agreement when Big’s pre-K teacher said “some people would call our rewards bribery. I call it payment for a job well done. Just like you get paid at work and receive bonuses and raises when you work well, your children should receive them as well.”

It was like a light bulb going off, all those years later. Sure, at that point I’d bribed him plenty. But I’d never thought of it as paying him for doing a good job.

The kids really do respond to these rewards. My expectations are as clear now as they were that first year in teaching.  At night, the boys and I conference and I ask them whether they deserve a marble, they always know the answer and can usually express and example as to why they are or are not fulfilling each goal.

Things have changed so much since I was actively in the classroom as a teacher. I imagine at Parent-Teacher Conferences next week, I’d be recommending this FREE app, Marble Jar, to a lot of the students’ parents… and probably have it set up in the classroom for a class goal or two.

I received compensation for the series of Marble Jar posts on Just Precious: Using Marble Jar with my kids and Marble Jar: Motivational Rewards App for Kids.

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

Big sat down with me yesterday for a very serious conversation. “Mom,” he started. “I think we should have our own election on Tuesday. I think we need to vote for a new house President. I’m going to run, so I can be in charge.”

“Interesting,” I replied. “Too bad our house isn’t a democracy.”

(source)

We’re really fortunate that our country is. Take advantage of that. Please, go to your assigned polls and vote today. Find a few minutes and sneak in there and vote. Vote for someone because you believe in them, because you identify with their goals, because they speak of the same ideas as you. Vote because you can.

It’s an off-year election. Most areas aren’t voting for Congress, there’s no Presidential run off. Only three states are hosting gubernatorial elections tomorrow.

So why vote?

Because your local elections are just as more important. They effect you directly. They affect your children’s schooling, your parks and recreation, your streets, your speeding tickets. These “little” local elections–they’re the ones that make a big difference in your every day.

If you’re local to me, you probably already know I’m an advocate for our board of school director Write In Candidates. They’re running without a party backing because they want to take the politics out of the schools and focus on the students.

For those of you unfamiliar with school boards, in our area, we have six positions that need to be filled, which means you can vote for six candidates. If you’re undecided, please, check out WC Vote before you head to the polls. Ask questions. Investigate. Your vote is crucial–whether you vote for my candidates or another. If you’re voting the WC Vote ticket, because this is a write-in, note that you will need to fill in the circles and write each candidate’s name.

Yes. You can bring a paper into the voting area with you to remind you of each candidate’s name.

Yes. You can take notes in with you as well.

My Facebook status reads:

Only a small portion of education is academic. If it weren’t for athletics, activities and social interaction, would you be where you are today? Don’t take that away from our children.

Now. Go. Vote.

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

Creative writing is a fabulous release for many of us. Sometimes, we need to climb out of our own shoes, pants or bed and into someone else’s. Here are some Creative writing prompts to get you started:

• It was a dark and stormy night…
• She wore a dress the color of cotton candy, the skirt surrounded in tulle. It would be natural to see a smile highlight her face…
• He didn’t always live this way…
• Thirty-five years ago, Simone’s daddy lifted her lace veil and whispered a few words before handing her off to Randall. Everyone assumed he said the typical “I love you”…
• It’s not every day you open the mailbox and find…
• For an hour, Camille stared at her computer, unable to focus on the letters on the screen…

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

Years ago, at the tender age of 6, I transferred schools. The last memory I have of my old house on Waring Road was of practicing learning my letters all over again, because this new school taught, used and expected a fancy style of handwriting, called D’Nealian Manuscript.

D’Nealian handwriting is similar to a serif font, in that it has tails, rather than straight lines, like sans serif fonts. For example, serif fonts include Times New Roman and sans serif fonts include Arial.

While some teachers barely bat an eye, other teachers and schools are very strict that their students learn the correct style to match their curriculum. Therefore, it’s advisable for parents to have an idea of which style of writing your school district teaches.

While many parents roll their eyes, thinking D’Nealian a more difficult style, in truth, there are many benefits to this handwriting, outweighing the frustration in re-learning.

• Once a child knows D’Nealian, the move into cursive handwriting is simpler, as the tails are connected;
• D’Nealian Manuscript is slanted to the right, the same direction the eye is learning to read, which assists the eye and hand to move from left to write in reading and writing;
• there is less starting and stopping in writing, less of a pencil lift. This makes writing words less of a chore for the children;
• While children may still press hard on their pencil while writing, children tend to put less pressure on their letters when ending with a tail, as in D’Nealian, than the do when ending with a straight line. This teaches children to feel the difference in pencil pressure and helps them to learn to “let up” on the pencil as they learn to write.

If your elementary school prefers D’Nealian, there are a lot of free worksheet resources online to reinforce the writing style for your child, and to make sure that parents understand the style.

© 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.