Learning to write as a kindergartner

LetterSchool

I sent my 5yo son to a play-based preschool.  I chose a loving and nurturing environment over one with academic rigor.  While it was a conscious decision, it was still disconcerting when we were told by his kindergarten teacher that he only knew 27-28 letters (out of 56, including upper/lowercase letters and variants of a/g and others).

True to their tiger mom nature, my sister and brother-in-law introduced us to LetterSchool, an iPad app that teaches kids to write in a unique and fun fashion.

My favorite children’s books

I am often asked what some of my favorite children’s books are.

At any one time, we can have up to 30 books from the children’s library.  Through the help of librarians, I was introduced to some incredibly writers.  The key to reading to your kids comes down to finding books that you also enjoy.  Just like the Sesame Street makes it worth watching as a parent by inviting celebrity guests, many authors sneak in humor or puns that give me the chuckles.

my favorite books

What Dads Can’t Do
Every time I read the book, I would tear up. It reminds me of my father’s selflessness and my husband’s dedication to our boys.

You Be You
It is about having the confidence to be different.  My 2yo toddler loves looking for the little fish named Adri swimming among other fish.

The Pout-Pout Fish
This is a cleverly written and vocally engaging story with a twist. Blub, Bluuub, Bluuuub!

I Love You Through And Through
One of the few books I could recite by heart. When my boys were babies, I would lay them on the bed and make them giggle by pointing to their heads and bottoms.

Kids love these books. I love them even more because these books bring back so many memories whenever we read them aloud together.

Getting started

I am a mom of 2. My oldest child is now 5 and half.  He started in kindergarten this past fall.

When I first learned that I was pregnant, my sister took me shopping at Babies R Us.  I was overwhelmed walking around the store with the registry scanner for an hour.  Back then, I didn’t know what a crib bumper from stroller, high chair from a car seat.

Soon I got a copy of Baby Bargains and started identifying the best product for each category.  By best, it wasn’t the most expensive, but the most effective, durable, or simply the “right” one for my needs.

Since then, many of my expectant friends, mostly fathers, asked me for a list of items.  That’s the impetus for this blog.