For me, the library is an adventure.  Anytime I take an interest in a particular subject, I inevitable end up on an expedition at the library. There are whole worlds contained between the covers of each and every book.  In those pages, I can learn how to do new things, discover different times, people, and places, and learn how to make things, or grow a garden.  When I was in college, I would sometimes spend hours digging through books in the library searching out all I could on a subject, or wandering through a particular section to see what would pique my interest and end up sitting for hours lost in the stacks marveling at the treasures I found like I was Alice who fell down the rabbit hole into wonderland.

I also worked at a bookstore for three years in college.  I am sure you can imagine how dangerous that was to my wallet, which brings me to another thing I love about the library.  It’s free for everyone, granting that everything is returned on time. Anyone young or old and regardless of economic circumstances has access to that great bastion of knowledge.

The library is a place for learning, exploration, self-improvement and entertainment for everyone.  Can’t afford Netflix?  No problem.  The library has tons of great and free movies for you to check out.  Want to learn how to cook new recipes but aren’t sure you want to invest in a big fancy cookbook? Go to the library.  Want to read all the books in the latest bestselling series but aren’t sure you’ve got enough room on your bookshelf or cash in your wallet? Once again, the library is your answer.  Whatever it is, the library has something for everyone to use and enjoy.

My love for books and the library started young.  It’s something my parents instilled in me by reading to me regularly and by taking frequent trips to the library.  I could also plainly see my own parent’s love for learning and things literary all around me in the many shelves of books in our home. A week hardly goes by for me without a visit to my local library.  I know that when I walk through the doors that I will always be able to find something to cheer, inspire, educate, or amaze me, and I never stop being thrilled by the anticipation of what treasures I might discover hidden there among the stacks.

-posted by Miss Meresa, who encourages you to go on an adventure at the library.

Looking back, those words were so important for me because I knew that my mom valued reading for pleasure. Now, as an educator, I think about how can children learn to read for pleasure. How do they develop a love for reading?

Reading involves two major processes: comprehending (what words mean) and decoding (recognizing and sounding out words). Children begin these processes far before Kindergarten. We call this phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge. Phonological awareness is a rather broad term that also includes the more familiar term phonemic awareness. When a person has phonological awareness, he or she can recognize the sound structure of speech, or in other words, the ability to perceive word sounds and to pronounce parts of words.

Even infants do this! They are starting this when they babble. You sit with your baby in your lap and you say “bah, bah, baaaah” or “zu, zu, zu.” At ages 3 and 4, children can already hear rhymes like small, ball, tall and also alliterations like fast, free, foam, flick. Practicing these skills helps them to break down words. Later, at ages 5 and 6, they can break down words into syllables, identify sounds of words, and even hear different sounds in the middle of words too. In preschool, we play with words all the time. Maybe we will be reading a book by Dr. Seuss and make up as many rhymes as we can to the word lorax or schloot. We’ll sing songs that rhyme and separate the rhyming words. We also say rhymes during circle time or on the way to outside. Here’s a rhyming finger play as an example:

                Two little black birds sitting on the hill (hold up both index fingers)
                One named Jack and the other named Jill (wiggle one, wiggle the other)
                Fly away Jack, fly away Jill (put one hand behind your back then the other)
                Come back Jack, Come back Jill (bring back one hand, then the other)

We’ll even ask children what else the black birds are sitting on. Maybe they’re sitting on a pot and one is named Jack and the other is named Snot! Children love being silly with rhymes and it helps them enjoy reading when it can be silly. That way when they come to a book, they remember the rhyming words they sang about earlier.

Alphabet knowledge is also really important for little readers. Young children are engaged in representing familiar objects and actions in a variety of ways, including writing. After all, reading and writing go together, we don’t learn them separately. Children easily love writing as much as reading. They see us write! They examine texts on signs, in books, on the way to school, at the park, everywhere! They are learning how to recognize and name familiar letters, especially those in their own name.

“The word ‘stop’ as a ‘T’ in it, just like my name!”

By experimenting with these letters, they start to write actual letters of words that are significant to them. Even if you feel like you can’t bare another read through of Goodnight Moon for the 5^th time that night, just remember that your child is developing a love for reading by bonding with you in your arms as you read together. Explore letters by using alphabet puzzles, magnetic letters, alphabet games, blocks, stamps, stencils, and charts. We want them to play with these manipulatives and have fun with them. Play Alphabet Yoga together and go through some of their favorite letters by posing as the letter with your whole body!

Finally, when you read with your child, open up a dialogue throughout the book. This is called Dialogic Reading. Research has shown that the way we read with children is just as important as how frequently we read with them. When a child is an active participant in the story, they retain it better. They also show greater gain in vocabulary then when you simply read the book straight through. So when you read, have a conversation about the story. Let them talk and don’t interrupt them, even if it’s hard. Children can take a while to process information before they speak it out loud. In your head, after you ask a question, count three alligators.

There are many ways to engage a child in dialogic reading.

The first thing to remember is to ask them questions, and evaluate what they say. Then expand on their response and repeat what they say. For example, maybe you’re reading Where the Wild Things Are. You might turn to a page and ask “why do you think Max is upset?” They might say “because he had to go to his room without his supper.” Then you might expand on this by saying “wow, I can understand how he feels. Would you feel upset too if that happened to you?”

If a child knows a book really well, leave parts of it blank. Let them finish the sentences. This works especially well for books that rhyme.

You can also recall parts of the book. “Wait, why is Max upset?”

Last, be sure to ask your child open-ended questions such as “tell me what’s going on in this picture.” Open-ended questions help children increase expressive language and attention to detail. Children also love to relate the story to their own lives. “Wow, I have a monster suit just like Max!”

These strategies are a few that will help your child be a little book worm. Helping children to develop a love and appreciation for reading now will go a long way. And don’t forget to have them see you read too! After all, when children know that you love reading, they will too.

-posted by Teacher Aaron, who leaves you with a favorite quote by Dr. Seuss: The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.

The special thing about this book is that it has excerpts from real moms who documented how they were feeling week by week as their baby was growing. They would also document what their babies were doing as the weeks were going by as well. Again, for me, this was reassurance to know that each baby has different temperaments and is going to grow differently.

Miles at 5 weeks.

Here’s an example: I remember when Miles hit the 5 week mark. He was very fussy and it was very hard to get him to sleep. He would put up the greatest fight to go down and sometime he never made it down. He just cried the whole time until his next feeding.

This is when I picked up The Wonder Weeks and started reading as fast as I could! Well, wouldn’t you know, 5 weeks is when babies have their first fussy time, which leads into a ‘magical leap forward’.

After we made it through the 5^th week, both my husband and I realized that Miles was actually responding to music and he was starting to notice and play with his hands! He had started showing off his new skills that he was processing through during his fussy time.  What a pleasure to be able to watch and participate in his learning.  We were able to enjoy this because we knew what to expect.

Another thing that has been helpful about  The Wonder Weeks, is that there is a graph in the beginning of the book that charts out predicted fussy times. I’m a visual person, so this is very nice. I can quickly flip to this chart and see where Miles fits age-wise and see if he is in a sunny period (his personality is shining through) or a stormy period (more fussy than normal).

Here is one last example: Miles has been really cranky lately. I’ve stopped telling people how many weeks he is because I just can’t keep track. So, when people ask how old he is I’ll say 3 ½ months instead of weeks. But because he has been so cranky lately, I decided to count the weeks and check the chart in this book. Sure enough, Miles is in a stormy period and things are changing.

Miles has been very testy when it comes to sleeping. He has been having a really hard time going down and we can’t figure it out. He also doesn’t like my husband putting him down. He will cry and cry and cry with Casey, but then I’ll take him and he’ll quiet right down. This process has been really rough for both Casey and I because Casey feels rejected and I feel like I don’t get a break.

Miles at 17 weeks.

After counting how many weeks old Miles is, 17 weeks, he falls smack in the middle of a fussy time. I should’ve known! So, I just opened the book to refresh my memory about some of the changes that are going to be happening to Miles and about every description in the book is exactly what Miles is going through. Trouble sleeping, being cranky, shyness of strangers, entertaining him while he is awake; all of these things are written in this book and documented by the Moms who participated in journaling what their child was doing during this time. Talk about not feeling alone!

I am so grateful for this book, The Wonder Weeks. It has helped me a lot with being patient with my baby and myself. It will be a go-to book for me as Miles grows and gets older.

-posted by Miss Anna, who will be recommending this book to every Mom that she knows, and thinks that if you get the chance, you should check it out.

People have recommended books galore for us to read, Baby Wise, The Baby Whisperer, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, Happiest Baby On The Block and the list goes on.  Being the new mom that I am, I figured that I should start reading up on some of these so I can know what I’m doing, right?

Newborn Miles (before the fussies start)

Well, I remember my second day alone with Miles and my mom had said she was headed over to help and hang out. As soon as she opened the door to our apartment, I burst into tears! It had been an awful day the day before and a really tough night. I was so ready for some reinforcements by the dawn’s early light!

While being able to process out loud some of my thoughts, I realized that I was carrying a ton of weight on my shoulders about how Miles should conduct his days and nights. All of these books were telling me how to do things and I was thought that I was gleaning from all of them. I would read a book and then try to put into practice what they had ‘suggested’.

Finally, I realized that my sweet baby boy did not fit into any book! He is his own little person and he has to figure out a schedule of his own. His tummy will tell him when he is hungry and his eyes will tell him when he is tired.  And as for being a mom, I had to trust my instincts and listen to my baby.  So, I returned all the books to the various friends and libraries and set out on my own to figure this new thing out!

With all of this new information being thrown my way, I did retain some. One book, however, I pick up and read as Miles grows. This book is called The Wonder Weeks. I have to say, this book is such a lifesaver to me! If anything, this book gives me peace of mind that whenever I couldn’t and can’t figure out what is going on with my new little one, he is more than likely growing. And with that, comes a whole bunch of changes in behavioral patterns.

This book covers the 10 fussiest phases in a baby’s first year and a half. Through these fussy phases come wonderful leaps forward in a baby’s development. He learns new skills through these fussy times and is proud to show them when they are through the storm.

If anything, this book taught me to let go of having control. To know that if Miles is in a proven ‘fussy time’, that his normal day to day patterns might be a little off. So if he wants to eat every 2 hours and sleep for 4, it’s ok. If he is staying awake for 3 hours at a time, it’s ok. If he is crying and clinging to me, it’s ok (even if I’m totally annoyed with this!).

-posted by Miss Anna, who will tell you the rest of the story (aka “magical leaps forward”) tomorrow.

John Medina’s book, Brain Rules, to the rescue. Medina has an impressive and somewhat unusual resume for such a reader-friendly book. He is a developmental molecular biologist and research consultant.  He is the director of the Brain Center for applied learning Research at Seattle Pacific University. He also teaches at the University of Washington School of Medicine, in its Department of Bioengineering.  He is also a dad. Perhaps that is what makes his material feel like you’re chatting with someone who knows.  He’s one of us.

I’ve decided to devote my next few blogs to giving you a taste of Brain Rules. I’m sure you’ll find Medina’s research interesting and helpful.  I’d better let you know he’s an avid evolutionist. (I realize this topic can be a hot button.) Whether that is the camp you’re in or not, there’s a ton of good stuff to be gleaned from his “12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School,” the subtitle of the book.

Brain Rule # 1:  The Brain Loves Exercise!

If this chapter doesn’t get you off the couch, there’s no hope for you.  The relationship between exercise and mental alertness is incontrovertible.  Medina tells us about his observations of two 83-year-old men, Frank Lloyd Wright and Jim.  They shared the same number of years on the planet, but Jim was finishing life at a nursing home, staring into space, while Frank was doing television interviews with a wisdom, wit and vigor that would challenge a 30-year-old. While the details leading to Jim’s end-of-life frailty were not known, the fact is that researchers do know what can be done to increase the odds for aging with virility.  Yep, it’s exercise.

While Medina deftly explains interesting details about the fascinating complexities of brain chemistry, the bottom line is exercise increases cardio-fitness, which significantly lowers risk for heart attacks and stroke. Simply put, through exercise, more blood is pumped to the brain which equals more brain health and strength.  Exercise increases long term memory, reasoning, ability to focus, problem solving, and abstract thinking. Exercise increases production of chemicals in the brain that produce feelings of well-being and decrease stress.  Bottom Line:  Exercise—All Good!

Medina wanted to know if “couch potatoes” who began to exercise would see positive results. Exercise proved to increase their mental capacities unquestionably.  He quotes Dr. Annette Yancey’s research on the effect of exercise on children.  She discovered, “Kids pay better attention to their subjects and are less likely to be disruptive in terms of their classroom behavior when they’ve been active.  Kids feel better about themselves, have higher self-esteem, less depression, less anxiety.  All of those things can impair academic performance and attentiveness.” Whether younger or older, started sooner or later, exercise improved function.

The best part of the chapter on exercise is that it doesn’t take much to make the brain happier!  Medina reports that research shows 20-30 minutes of aerobic activity 2-3 times a week gives significant results.  He proposes treadmills in all offices and at least two recesses per day for school children.  He figured out how to mount his laptop on his treadmill and reports that it took him 15 minutes to learn to type emails while walking 1.8 miles per hour.

I’m working at increasing the level of exercise in our lives and home school. My morning routine increasingly includes a 20-30 minute walk/run. Our learning environment is becoming more active.  As I teach, I have my daughter interact with me and write on the white board.  I give her recess as needed. I’m seeing improvement in her attitude and mine.

Next time—Brain Rule #4—We Don’t Pay Attention to Boring Things!

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who recommends you visit www.brainrules.net or buy the book for more detailed treatment of this topic.

Image: Andy Newson / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Signs of Reading Readiness

An interest in books.  Your child will pretend to be reading.  He will hold a book in the appropriate way and turn pages.  At this point, you preschooler is beginning to understand the relationship between print and spoken words.  According to author Amanda Movin, she is not merely playing with books; she is “organizing what she knows about books and language and how they work together.” She is beginning to understand that readers focus on the words which convey a message.

Shows comprehension.  The child will ask questions and make comments while reading.  She can apply story content to her own experiences.  If a child hears a story about ice cream, she can infer, “I like ice cream too.”

Recognizes print in his environment.  Signs on the highway, at the grocery story, church or gym begin to attract the child’s interest.  I vividly recall when I was on a family trip sometime during 1^st grade when I was beginning to read.  I noticed highway signs that said, “Passing” and then “No Passing.”  Suddenly the signs meant something.  I watched them with fascination and excitement for the entire trip.

Letter Recognition and Phonetic Awareness.  The child begins to explore the sounds of words.  She is interested in and can make speech sounds such as “b” and “k”.  He enjoys thinking of several words that begin with the same sound:  bat, bug, Billy.  She replaces one sound with another turning “hat” to “cat”.

A few other signs

• Can give the definition of simple words.
• Can pronounce his/her own first and last name.
• Can print his/her own name.

In their article on Emergent Literacy, Penn State researchers wrote, “It is fun and pleasant to introduce a child to literacy.”  If you’re feeling stressed about your child’s reading progress, it’s time to relax and enjoy the process.  The goal is to introduce your children to “pleasurable language experiences.” Here are some simple suggestions for encouraging your child’s reading readiness.

• Read to your child—a lot!
• Point out printed words in your child’s world—at the grocery story, on road signs, at preschool, at McDonalds…
• Use magnetic letters on a cookie sheet to do letter and word play.
• Check out alphabet books from the library.  Dr. Suess’ ABC, ABC, I Like Me, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Eating the Alphabet; Fruits and Vegetable from A-Z.
• Use the fun phonics videos such as Leap Frog’s “The Letter Factory.”
• Sing lots of rhyming songs such as nursery rhymes or finger plays.
• Play, “I Spy.”
• Make picture books:  Write “A is for Apple” and paste or draw an apple.

Is your child showing some of the signs of reading readiness?  As you help your child begin a life-long love of reading, careful observation, simple language activities, and lots of reading aloud can give you a confident beginning.

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who would like to dedicate today’s blog to her favorite reading chair—the old, green recliner.

Summer is the time the library pulls out the stops and beckons, no, bribes our children to come on in.  Reading incentive programs promise prizes to all kids who read their way to the goal line. Book bags, books, computers, IPods and 10 speed bikes as prizes entice kids to read, read, read.  Library reading incentive programs attempt to draw our kids into the wonderful experience of summer reading—in other words, reading for the sheer pleasure of it.

While some children are born book lovers, helping our children become book lovers often takes incentive, as the library knows, and some intentionality on our parts.  A good place to start is to create a book-friendly home environment.  Do your kids have easy access to books?  Even babies that are a few months old can enjoy a “book.”  Granted they chew on it, slobber all over it, and might accidentally turn a page, but nevertheless, they are experiencing their first book.  Small plastic books with black and white faces and patterns have been shown to intrigue newborns.

For toddlers, baskets or low shelves with hardy books provide access and opportunity to have positive experiences with books, which is the goal at this age.  Board books are more appropriate and comfortable for chubby fingers.  Paper books should be used with supervision so that pages don’t get torn or written on.  It’s never too early to teach that books are a treasured possession.

Trips to the library can be a positive part of a child’s earliest memories. Today’s libraries often have wonderful large stuffed animal pillows to sit on or snuggle with as kids read.  Bubble chairs, puzzles, puppets and computers draw kids in—though I don’t let my children use the computer at the library except to find books.  Creative programming such as Read to a Pet, puppet shows and story hours keep kids interested in the imaginative world of stories contained in books.  I still vividly recall the story hour at our local library when I was a preschooler.  We sat in a circle on a big oriental carpet and at the end, the librarian passed around a small treasure chest filled with hard candy.  Even back then the library knew about incentives.

Love for books is contagious. When kids see mom or dad reading, it is assuredly making an impression on them. When do your kids see you read: first thing in the morning, before bed, on the couch at night next to your spouse who is also reading, at the beach, at the doctor’s office?  Do you and your spouse or friends talk about the good books you’re reading in front of the kids? Do they hear your enthusiastic reviews or critiques? Is a stack of books on your night stand? When your favorite book is made into a movie, do you share how disappointed you are because movies made from books NEVER get it right? (Editor bias admitted!) Is your house full of loved books that your children can discover right at home?

This summer, my children are doing our library’s reading program that offers all sorts of incentives! My first-born, achievement-oriented son immediately confiscated the kitchen timer and knocked off the first level of required reading in two days to earn a cool cinch sack.  Soon he’ll be in the drawing for a laptop computer.  Lately, I’ve been finding him reading in the mornings next to my husband. Both my kids have learned to put holds on books.  They anticipate the email that tells them their book has arrived.  We dash to the library and they eagerly search for the paper tab with their name on it sticking out from their book.  I watch this summer routine with joy.  As their beloved teacher once said, “See, you’re becoming big, fat READERS!”  And they are!

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who feels that being in the middle of a good book enhances the quality of life.

In the book, an elderly lady goes off to the market to buy a fat pig, as the nursery rhyme tells us. But, as we all know, a pig is never enough. So back she goes on subsequent trips to bring home a hen, trout, lamb, cow, duck and goat. But while she’s gone, her other purchases wreck havoc in her kitchen. And just what does she finally do with all those animals? You’ll just have to read it to find out!

-posted by Miss Analiisa, who would like to see what would happen if this particular little old lady ran into three blind mice.

Until I provided commentary for a recent podcast for the BAM Radio Network, I had no idea that he was also a musician (with a band!) and had written a reading program called “The Sounds of Language”. He knows that when we make language musical, children develop a joyful love of reading.

Language contains rhythm and meter and timbre and tone, just like music does. Rhyming, rhythmic books (when they are read well – but more about that later) make melodies of their own, which is why pre and early readers are drawn to that type of language – it’s like music. Those books are fun to listen to, and make children want to learn to read.

When music (in this case, “chanting” in melodious phrases) is brought into the learning environment, the entire brain is engaged. And the more of the brain involved in learning process, the more retention occurs.

Musical reading is different from “decoding” – the sounding out of words. In reading, the music is the phrasing of words. (This is the “reading well” part I mentioned above.) Try it. Say, “And they all lived happily ever after. The End.” The first sentence is the first “phrase”. Read it with inflection and interest. Notice how “happily” becomes the “high” point of the phrase, and then “after”, ends on a “lower” point. The sentence crescendos and then decrescendos. (See the graphic and you’ll understand what I mean, even if you aren’t a musician.) Next you have a natural pause after the period. Then the second sentence (because of the nature of the words, will be read quite strongly, with equal emphasis to both words, and usually a little slower. (We call that a ritardando in music terms.)

Now, read the sentences without inflection or phrasing – monosyllabically. “And-they-lived-happily-ever-after. The-end.” Not as interesting, huh? One out of every two 3rd graders reads in this manner. Do you wonder that 3rd grade is understood by teachers to be the indicator of who will be a fluent reader and love books and language, and who will not? Why? Those children who become life-long, avid readers have learned how to “become the book”. In other words, they are getting lost in the story.

So how do children make the leap from rhyming, rhythmic text and easy readers to getting totally absorbed in chapter books like The Cricket in Times Square? If we can get books to come alive, we can get children to read. Reading aloud to early or struggling readers liberates them from the process of merely decoding, and enables them to make the leap to imagining. They are free to hear, feel and see in their minds what is happening in the book.

I can’t tell you how many times I checked out a book from the library for my oldest when he was in 2^nd and 3^rd grade, and he went, “Nah, that looks boring”. And then I merely opened the book and began to read aloud to him. Musically, lyrically, in phrases. With intonation and inflection. And after a chapter or two, I put it down and walked away. Without fail, he picked it up and read it cover to cover, every time.

One of the greatest gifts given to me by my dad was the reading aloud every night after dinner for the entire time I lived at home. He loved language. He was a musician as well. And music had built into him the ability to read with tone, timbre, phrasing, dynamics, and melody. I gained an ear and feel for language before I could read, and it continued as I became an early reader, all the way through high school as I developed into an devourer of books.

Here’s some ideas for series to read aloud:
Little House on the Prairie – Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Boxcar Children – Gertrude Chandler Warner
The Chronicles of Narnia – C. S. Lewis
The Little Britches Series – Ralph Moody
Any Ramona, Beezus or Henry Huggins book by Beverly Cleary

What are your favorites? I’d love to know! Here is the podcast with John Archambault in its entirety.

-posted by Miss Analiisa, who is currently reading Peter and the Starcatchers aloud to her children, and enjoying it as much as they are!

This year, we found out that our family’s scholarship to Kindermusik was no longer available. In all honesty, we were sad, but how could we expect it to go on forever when Studio3Music was relying solely on the generosity of individual donors? Upon hearing this news, my only thought was how could I not only keep my children enrolled in Kindermusik classes, but pay it forward as well? Whether you call it fate or coincidence, the timing could not have been better! As it turned out, I was in a unique position to do both…

Exactly three years ago, my then 8-month-old daughter began bopping to the beat of the music in her activity seat, so naturally I assumed I had a musical genius on my hands. I wanted to provide her any opportunity I could to nurture her natural tendencies and enrich her brand new life. And, although quitting my job as a teacher to stay at home with a newborn felt somewhat refreshing and allowed me time to explore other interests (such as writing children’s books), I soon realized that I needed to get out and do things as much as I thought she did. But my life had drastically changed.

My husband and I decided, before having children, that I would be a stay-at-home mom. Giving up my income meant that we would lead a very modest life, but knowing that my children would grow up with the unconditional love and attention of a parent 24 hours a day made the financial sacrifices worth it.

One day, while researching ways to get out of the house with my little musical prodigy I was ecstatic to find Studio3Music, and to see that there may be Kindermusik scholarships available. I crossed my fingers and gave the amazing director, Analiisa, a call. Since the session had already started, I wasn’t expecting that any funds would be left, so I was astonished to hear her say that just that day, someone had called offering to pay full tuition for one child, and because we were the first to call, we would be the recipient. This was music to my ears, and that night we prepared a special dinner for Daddy to share the news with him. We started Kindermusik Village classes together at the Seattle Symphony location in November of 2007.

When my son was born 11 months later, I was secretly thrilled that he got to sleep at the outskirts of class and absorb the music and language that was decorating the air around him for 45 special minutes out of every week. When he also started bopping to the beat of music at about 8 months old, I figured this coincidence might be more indicative of a developmental milestone than the sign of a musical genius. However, by then it didn’t matter. I had already experienced the impact that Kindermusik classes can have on the physical, emotional, and cognitive development of children, regardless of their musical ability and I wanted more than anything, for him to benefit just as much as my daughter had.

Miraculously, around the same time, Analiisa informed me that our benefactor had offered a sibling scholarship as well. I can’t even begin to describe how blessed and lucky we felt to have been chosen as the recipients of such a beautiful gift. Every few months, I learned that our scholarship would be extended for the following session and feelings of thankfulness and humility overwhelmed me each and every time. (I truly cannot even write this without tears in my eyes!) The fact that we would not have been able to participate in this, given our own resources, made me cherish the opportunity even more.

Though I absolutely LOVE raising my children as a stay-at-home mom, I am also guilty of feeling that I should be contributing financially to the family in some way. I am educated, and have the student loans to prove it! Shouldn’t I be putting that to good use? Arguably, I am putting my education to good use, but at the moment, it feels like it is only benefiting my 2 beautiful children, and I want to do so much more. As a special education teacher, I want to make sure that our community knows how extremely important language development is in ensuring school readiness and in reducing the need for specialized instruction.

About 4 months ago, while researching children’s book publishers, I came across a company called Barefoot Books. This company’s philosophy and history resonated with me so much that, as a former elementary school teacher, an aspiring children’s book author, and the mother of 2 toddlers, I could not pass up the opportunity to plan events in an effort to share beautiful art and story with children and spread the importance of early literacy with the community.

So I started my own home based business and became an ambassador for the company. Can I have the best of both worlds? Can I stay home to raise my children AND contribute to our household income? That remains to be seen. (Read: Not yet!) But no matter what, I do not regret my decision to give it a try! How could I, when each and every time I share a book and sneak in an impromptu lesson with a child, or counsel a parent whose child is struggling in school, I get that feeling that only donating and volunteering can give!

That being said, I now have yet one more reason to thank Analiisa. I have been given the opportunity, through my business, to volunteer in spearheading the efforts to establish a true scholarship fund for Studio3Music. I get to help make it possible for other families to experience the gift of Kindermusik! I get to give back! I get to remain a part of the Studio3Music family! And I could not be more ecstatic!

~posted by Colleen Marsh, a Kindermusik parent, who is forever grateful to the unknown benefactor of her 3 year family scholarship and the inspiration behind formally establishing Studio3Music’s Scholarship Fund.

We have many exciting fundraising events planned for the year, but to kick off our efforts, we have added a link to this website that connects directly to our fundraiser through Barefoot Books. You can click on this link above or to the left any time and know that by making a purchase, you are also donating 100% of the profits toward Studio3Music’s Scholarship Fund, so please share this with your friends and family. We will also be displaying the Barefoot Books line of books, games, puzzles, puppets, and more at Benaroya Hall on Saturday, October 30 during our Halloween Symphony Serenade. These are truly unique and beautiful items and they make great holiday gifts.