Sing into Reading: the Blog

Little ones love literacy.

Music is magic! 

Slow Down

 

Sometimes you need to slow down so you can speed up again.

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Creating a Literacy-Rich Environment

 

Members of Sing into Reading receive excellent instruction for children teaching literacy through music and love. For a limited time, members will also receive instruction for parents: "Teach Your Child to Read With Music and Love." Check out this sample class, "Creating a Literacy-Rich Environment." 

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Gratitude Journal

 

Gratitude is a two-way street. The more you give, the more you get. 

I am receiving gratitude from people who are thankful for the Thanks and Giving Celebration. Here’s the thing: I am so grateful to you for supporting this dream of mine to teach literacy through music and movement.

Choose gratitude. Every minute of every day you have a choice. You can choose to complain about what you do not have, or be thankful for what you do. Choose appreciation. Choose gratitude. You can find things to be thankful for, even when things are not going well. That's when it is especially important to practice gratitude.

Gratitude, like love, creates what I call "rosy moments." Cherish them. Savor them. Make them last. Writing down what you are grateful for will help you remember the rosy moments and make them last longer.

 There are many benefits of using a gratitude journal, including closer relationships, improved physical health, reduced aggression, better sleep,...

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Gratitude

 

This blog is one you can share with the kids. 

I talk about choosing appreciation and gratitude.

Please join me November 27 at 11:30 am EDT for the Thanks and Giving Celebration, a free sing-along for kids and their grownups. Sign up here: www.singintoreading.com/thanks-and-giving

And here are some quotes on gratitude for the grownups:

Stephen Richards: “When you express gratitude for the blessings that come into your life, it not only encourages the universe to send you more, it also sees to it that those blessings remain.”

Todd Stocker: “Thankfulness creates gratitude which generates contentment that causes peace.”

Zig Ziglar: “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”

Henri Frederic Amiel: “Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness...

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Someday Soon Jar

 

How to make a "Someday Soon jar:"

  • Take a jar and write "Someday Soon" on it. 
  • Whenever you think of something you want to do someday soon that you can't do right now, write it on a piece of paper and put it in the jar. 
  • Someday soon, when you are able to do all these things, enjoy taking out your papers, reading your ideas, and doing all those fun things!
  • I want to thank Jewish Federation of Toledo for my "Someday Soon jar."

Keep singing,

Risa

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Telling Small Moment Stories

 

Telling stories is how we contextualize and make sense of our world. 

Last week, I talked about the importance of telling fairy tales and folk tales. I referenced Bruno Bettleheim's Uses of Enchantment. Going through difficult scenarios and emotions in stories prepares us to go through them in real life. 

Today I share a small moment story with you from my childhood, "All Sandy." 

Tell your small moment stories. Tell stories to your little ones about when you were little.

Keep singing,

Risa

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Folk Tales and Fairy Tales

 

In this blog, I talk about how important it is - not just to read stories to our children - but also to tell them. Stories help us make sense of the world, and boost our emotional intelligence. In particular, fairy tales and folk tales teach us coping skills and prepare us for difficult emotions and situations in life.

After talking about folk tales, I tell one, and sing it.

I mentioned story startes and closers. You can find a great list of story starters HERE, and story closers HERE

Keep telling stories.

Keep singing,

Risa

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Please sign up here for the blog, which features songs, games, and literacy tips, as well as the pedagogy behind it all. Keep singing!