Mother Goose Monday: Character Cupcakes!

A cracked up Humpty Dumpty cupcake designed by my daughter, Sarah Merrill!

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall!
All the king's horses
And all the king's men,
Couldn't put Humpty together again!

Character cupcakes are a delicious way to celebrate any rhyme, poem, or picture book!

NYSRA Community Day Literacy Event

If you are in the conference area on Sunday October 29, please stop by for a visit!

New York State Reading Association presents . . .

Community Day: Literacy: Charlotte Awards & Beyond!
Holiday Inn
Liverpool, NY
1:00 - 3:00 pm

Ellen Mouillesseaux and I will be hosting . . .

On the Loose with Mother Goose: Early Literacy Through Nursery Rhymes

Mother Goose Monday: Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater

 photo by Amy Merrill1 on Flickr.

Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater
by Mother Goose

Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater
Had a wife and couldn't keep her.
He put her in a pumpkin shell
And there he kept her very well!

 A retro nursery rhyme book with a brightly illustrated version of the classic Mother Goose rhyme, a pumpkin birdhouse, and a "Peter" and his wife miniature dolls, is all you need to dramatize and retell this nursery rhyme!

Mother Goose Monday: Must-Haves

Mother Goose Must-Haves . . . 

Every parent, caregiver, educator, and child will want to make sure that their personal library collection includes at least one great collection of nursery rhymes.  folklorist, Iona Opie collaborated with Rosemary Wells to create two of the best Mother Goose books around.  The rhymes have been carefully selected to ensure that children today have the opportunity to experience the best of the classic nursery rhymes.  Each rhyme has been illustrated with Wells' classic animal characters in her signature bright colors.  The artwork in these two treasuries will have readers exploring the smallest of details. 

 "These rhymes are like sea glass, each one different, ground down to its perfect shape through centuries of repetition.”       ~Rosemary Wells

 

“I suppose my message in life is ‘nursery rhymes are good for you."  ~Iona Opie

Introducing Mother Goose Monday!

 

Mother Goose celebrated her special day (Mother Goose Day is May 1) by reading some of her favorite books! 

Nursery rhymes are often the first forms of poetry that young children are exposed to.  There are many wonderful collections of nursery rhymes that are excellent choices for reading aloud or for selecting  a rhyme or two to feature each week in a classroom, library, or in the home. 

With that said, it makes sense that Mother Goose titles (whether they are collections of many rhymes or a single title devoted to illustrating one rhyme), make excellent Book Breaks!  I will dedicate Monday as the day of the week to highlight both the older classic editions of Mother Goose books and the latest and greatest titles.  Additionally, I will share a rhyme or two that the kindergarteners at my school are reciting and enjoying.   

Each week at school, I conduct a Mother Goose visit to kindergarten classrooms.  It works much the same way as a Poetry or Book Break!  My goal is to expose the students to nursery rhymes that they may or may not, yet  have been introduced to.  The focus is on promoting rich language and literacy experiences.  During the fun and interactive visit from Mother Goose, the children are exposed to a myriad of skills, including: phonological awareness, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and a host of other valuable learning experiences. 

Join me on Mondays and we'll take a Book Break together with Mother Goose!

 

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