The two books I am going to introduce to you today are quite different from one another. The first is a book titled BRICK: Who Found Herself in Architecture, written by Joshua David Stein and illustrated by Julia Rothman. This is a delightfully illustrated book that centers around a small red brick who grows up and […]
I love children’s books. There are SO many to choose from. You can find children’s books about animals, friendship, sharing, being naughty, love, siblings, letters, being safe, being born, starting school, death…pretty much anything! My latest passion is reading children’s books that foster mathematical thinking. There are two rather sophisticated, fun and fantastic books that […]
This last spatial reasoning game we have for this month is a two player game where the goal is to get four markers in a row. This game is great because it provides a productive struggle. The board is constantly changing as each player moves a marker each turn. This will help our children strengthen […]
This next game is not only a great way to build your child’s spatial reasoning skills, but also helps them with the important life skill of reading maps. Mapping can help your children understand the world around them while strengthening their spatial thinking. Materials: Construction paper in four different primary colors Index cards or small […]
In this activity, we will create a Hexbug maze using straws, popsicle sticks, tape, and poster board! This fun activity not only allows young children to deepen their understanding of spatial relationships by connecting words, actions and symbols, but also gives them opportunities to build and problem solve. Many young children understand concepts related to […]
Spatial reasoning is a set of cognitive functions and skills that enable us to understand and describe spatial relationships between objects, others and ourselves. Our relationship with spatial reasoning begins at birth. Infants use these skills to recognize human faces, understand their body/body parts, and location of objects and others in relation to themselves. As […]
Spring is right around the corner here in the Grand Valley. Farmers and families are starting to plan out their vegetable and fruit gardens. To me this is truly the start of the New Year as it represents a shift in both the weather and the activity level of the community. We get to see […]
Cats and dogs have always been a large part of my life. I have fond memories of my grandparents dog Pepie, cat Tiger, and my favorite horse Sniffer. Pepie would ride with us to feed the horses and run around the pasture with reckless abandon. Sniffer loved having me visit because it meant a treat […]
Our nation is seeing an expanding interest in healthy foods that are grown in local family and small business gardens. This link will help you find one in your area: https://www.ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/farmersmarkets . In my area, starting in June, there are several farmers markets that offer a wide variety of seasonal goodies to take home. Everything from fresh […]
Grandma Great always had a flower garden no matter where she lived. I remember, as a young child, helping to plant, tend, and then harvest the garden foods that we would later eat. At her house there were two sections set aside for flowers, one in the front and one on the side where there […]