Sometimes You Have to Follow Their Lead

Yesterday was a success - sort of.  Mr. A more than happily grabbed his pirate book and settled in for a good read.  In fact, we had to read it twice, which I was more than happy to do.  He's totally engaged with this book.  He points out the shark eating the soccer ball every time, and loves the pirate cat.  After the second reading I asked if he wanted to color a picture of a pirate.  Mr. A yelled "YES!!!" I thought I was really on a roll.  I broke out the coloring pages and crayons.  It turned out he only wanted to watch me color, not actually handle the crayons himself.  I got exactly three black lines on a jolly roger before he was ready to move on.  We went outside to play instead.  That was alright because even though he didn't want to color, we got to read and have just-the-two-of-us time.  Those were my big goals for the day anyway.

Today, we're going to do more of the same.  I filled the wading pool this morning and I'm thinking the little guy will have more fun in it when his sisters aren't splashing him to death.  We'll break out our large collection of balls again, and have fun floating them and throwing them and whatever he wants.  And since I am still encouraging his interest in books, just before it's time to head in for nap time I'll teach him to jump like a frog.  We'll jump and ribbit till he's tired of that, then get ready for a rest.  If I'm lucky he'll be excited about this froggy book before he goes to sleep.

Here's to growing a reader and enjoying our time together!

"The Best Book I've EVER Seen!" Apparently, Mr. A Likes Pirates.

My girls are readers.  From day one both of them would happily drop whatever they were doing to sit with me and read a book.  Since I'm a teacher and complete book fiend myself, I have was always been in heaven when they brought me a favorite book and asked me to read.

Mr. A was different.  Oh, he'll snuggle up for a bedtime story, but generally he's pretty uninterested in reading.  I'll invite him to pick out a book and he'll say "Oh, no thanks" and run off to play with his trucks.  Sometimes he'll choose a book about tractors but only want to quickly flip through the pages, touching all the pictures, and then he'll run away again.  I know boy's brains are different.  Boys are less language based and more action driven than girls.  Yeah, yeah, everyone knows that.  I can't help but be a little disappointed when he refuses even a silly Sandra Boynton book.  It's the active boy stereotype come to life. 

I have seen some positive changes recently.  He's started pulling his books out and looking at them when he's supposed to be napping.  Last week he handed me this book and, in his sweet little sing song voice asked "Will you read this to me?"  Of course we stopped right there and read it.  He asked me to read it again.  And again.  I asked him if he liked the book and he yelled "IT'S THE BEST BOOK I'VE EVER SEEN!!!"  I was completely thrilled!  I mean, there have been books he's requested night after night (), but he's never been completely, jumping up and down excited over one before.  He's dropped whatever he's doing every day since when I suggest reading about pirates.

Because the girls will be at Vacation Bible School this week, Mr. A and I get to do things that revolve around him.  It seems like the perfect time to boost reading and coloring skills.

Printable Link

We'll start by reading his pirate book, and I found a cute little counting rhyme about pirates. (He's going to love it!)  Then, I found a P is for Pirate coloring page.  Mr. A has also differed from his sisters in the coloring/drawing department.  At this age they were both drawing complete figures and coloring rather than scribbling.  Not my boy.  Frankly, I was thrilled that he picked up some markers and scribbled a little bit on a Father's Day card.  It's obvious he needs some encouragement on that front, too, so I printed another coloring page and with any luck I'll get more than a few scribbles on them both.

Printable Link

If you have a little pirate fan, we also recommend these books.




And of course,  DLTK-kids  had pages of pirate themed activites for all ages.
And I have to include Disney's Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  There are fun games about them here.

Yo Ho Let's Go!