Showing posts with label preschool STEAM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label preschool STEAM. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

STEAM by Usborne Books and More

This one is for you Preschool Engineer fans! I scoured the Usborne Books and More website and chose some nonfiction books for you to enjoy with your young children. Most of these are listed for the older set of preschoolers 5+ or kindergartners but, in my experience, any "Lift the Flap" or "See Inside" books work with young children, too.

There are more STEAM books about science for the older set, too. For learning beyond preschool, check out the Illustrated Dictionaries, Stories of Science and Inventions, This is Not a Math Book, and Academy Books.

To go straight the the List I created on Usborne Books and More click here.

Science

There is a huge range of topics within "science" and Usborne Books and More touches on a lot of them. General science, life science, weather science, and space science are among them. Here are my top picks for science...

The Usborne Illustrated Elementary Science Dictionary tells it straight and simple, explaining everything children and parents need in order to understand basic level science. This book will help to lay a firm foundation for confidence and success in science. Readers can dip in for quick explanations or work through by subject to build knowledge step-by-step.






A quirky lift-the-flap book that answers children's questions about science. A fun book to dip in and out of, it has lots of quirky and interesting facts children will find fascinating.




Science Activities Series: These bright, exciting books respond to the growing emphasis on scientific exploration for young children.





See Inside Science Books like this one!

A lift-the-flap information book that introduces readers to the science of weather. Filled with facts from how hurricanes and floods happen to how global warming is affecting the Earth’s climates.



Technology

Like everything in the acronym, Technology and Engineering overlap quite a bit. For purposes of this list, I am focusing on technology as "tools."
An interactive introduction to information and communication technology, which explains what goes on inside computers to make them do what they do. With lots of flaps to lift and look beneath, fact-hungry children will devour the fascinating data contained in this bright and engaging non-fiction book. A return to the days when Usborne was a market-leader in computer books for children. Many of today's tech professionals were inspired by Usborne's coding books from the 1980s.





Have you ever wondered just what happens when you flush a toilet, or what goes on inside a light bulb? Do you want to know how a digger scoops up soil, why boats float and what keeps planes up in the air? Lift the flaps to see inside how things work--from everyday inventions to massive machines.



Engineering

For the Engineering section, I chose books about how technology is put to use in everyday life. As trains, buildings, and spacecraft.
Trains hold a fascination for just about everybody and this lift-the-flap history of locomotion tells it all from Stephenson's Rocket to the bullet trains of today.Lift the flaps to explore all kinds of exciting trains, from a luxury steam train fit for a queen to super-fast trains that run on magnets, trains that can climb up mountains, and lots, lots more.

Part of a collectable series of interactive information books.





Whoosh around the globe to explore soaring skyscrapers, elegant cathedrals, leafy parks and bustling shopping streets. With fun flaps and stunning illustrations, this book takes you inside some of the greatest cities in the world.





Blast off for an amazing inside view of spacecraft – from the early days of the Space Race to building a space station, exploring Mars and more.



Art

I have to admit that that I chose "Famous Paintings" book because my young children have enjoyed looking at "grown up" art books with me and they are some of my favorite memories around books. It is listed for the older set but I think you could enjoy it with your little ones, like I did with mine.
This delightful treasury combines dazzling art from around the world with exciting projects to do that will inspire every young artist. It includes famous European paintings, delicate Japanese prints and traditional African masks, and each work of art is followed by a project influenced by the artist's methods or ideas.




Packed with amazing paintings, prints and sculptures, this book invites you to peek inside the world of art. Lift the flaps to reveal how art is made, explore interesting details and uncover hidden clues.



This lavish book provides a picture-by-picture introduction to 35 of the world's best known, best loved paintings, from oil paintings to prints, all beautifully reproduced and explained in a simple, engaging way.






Math


An innovative approach to what can be a dry and tricky subject, this book is perfect for parents and children to share on the road to learning essential math skills.



A brand new series of interactive board books to make it easier for children to learn math skills. Slide the simple mechanisms and see the picture change to show the result of the additions and substractions, making math visual, concrete, and easy to understand!



Children need lots of practice when learning important skills and this durable book allows them to repeat simple math problems again and again.This book introduces very simple addition and subtraction which will lay solid foundations for mathematics.Comes with a special wipe-clean pen which is really satisfying to write with, yet easy to wipe off the shiny pages.



An ideal introduction to numbers and counting, specially designed for children in their first few years at school.Clear and simple explanations with lively illustrations guide children and parents through essential math concepts.Can be used as a dictionary, or to work through to build knowledge and skills step-by-step.Includes internet links to the best interactive websites offering math puzzles, games and practice.





Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Sensory Books by Usborne Books & More

Just like the element of surprise in plot is important for older readers, the element of sensory surprise is important for visual and tactile learning. 

This list is a selection of what I call "Sensory Books" by Usborne Books and More because, in my opinion, they have the corner on the market on unique kinds of sensory experiences for young readers. 

See the entire list here: http://m6038.myubam.com/wishlist/3f26bd1d-8304-4174-86d5-bf44510040e0 

[By purchasing through this site, you will support the Patchwork School's Book Drive.]

Fingertrail Books

A brightly colored, high-contrast, fingertrail book for babies. Delightful to share, this book will engage even a tiny baby's attention, and as babies grow, they will love to trace their fingers around the tactile finger trails. This series is designed to be used from birth.



Lift-the-Flap First Q&A Series

These stylish, highly illustrated, interactive books are perfect for sharing with young children, and introduces science using a friendly lift-the-flap format. (Search "First Q" to see this Q&A book and more!)



Peek Inside a Fairy Tale Series

The classic fairy tale, brought right up to date for a modern audience with beautiful illustrations and fine laser-cut holes and cutaways which add depth and drama. These are sturdy board books!


Slide and See Series

Engaging, interactive board books, specially designed for very young children, full of vivid colors, stylish illustrations and friendly animals. Simple slider mechanisms allow a picture to be transformed. (Search "Slide" for more.)


Peek Inside Nonfiction Series

Popular topics (animals, farms, gardens, and more) brought to life with beautiful illustrations and fine laser-cut holes and cutaways which add depth and drama. (Search "Peek" for many more!)


Shine a Light Series 

Readers simply hold the book’s pages to the light to “see-through” everything that’s being built – inside and out. (Search "Shine" to see the whole collection!)



That's Not My ____ Series

This delightful series of board books is aimed at very young children. The bright pictures with their patches of different textures, are designed to develop sensory and language awareness.
(Search "That's Not" to see dozens of choices!)




Muddle and Match Series

Readers will make up their own funny stories and create magnificent monsters as they flip through the split pages and muddle things up! (Search "Muddle" for more!)



Provocations by Usborne Books & More

In our experience, these activity books are lovely provocations for children. 

Find this list at: http://m6038.myubam.com/wishlist/a7843981-d2f3-4c81-a728-676e4c3dfc48 

[By purchasing through this website, you contribute to the book fair for The Patchwork School.]

The Magic Paint Series 

Brush water over the gorgeous b/w drawings using the brush or pen provided to see them change before your very eyes. A rainbow of colors magically reveals themselves to bring each scene to life.



The Wipe-Clean Series 

Young children will have great fun completing the colorful activities in this wipe-clean book. There are patterns to doodle and scenes to complete, including dot-to-dots and mazes. 


1001 ___ to Spot Sticker Books 

Interactive sticker books full of busy, illustrated scenes. Items to spot within the main picture are shown in the border as silhouettes and each has a corresponding sticker which children can find, match and add in the correct place. With over a thousand things for children to find, count and talk about. 



Build Your Own ___ Sticker Books 

A construction toy in sticker book form. 



Rub-Off Books

Decorate the scenes with beautiful rub-downs in this beautifully detailed keepsake book! The card pocket in the inside front cover holds eight sheets of rub-down transfers. Half of each spread is colored, and the other half is labeled line drawings ready to be colored. The beautifully detailed rub-downs can be added anywhere you like!


Thursday, August 24, 2017

Invitation to Learn Fairy Tales - Cinderella

A Learning Lifestyle

My preschoolers are officially not preschoolers any more. As we step into Kindergarten and 2nd grade, and as a family new to "officially" homeschooling, I recently bought writing curriculum from BraveWriter and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The guidance offered essentially advocates for 1) focusing on creating an environment filled with books, music, and experiences; and, 2) a language-rich lifestyle - one where you listen to your child, respond thoughtfully, and pursue ideas together. (This builds on what we know about how preschoolers learn, too. ) She, of course, weaves writing lessons into the day and provides structure so parents don't have to come up with everything on their own. (Whew!) 

Books, Music, and Experiences

Despite being regulars at the library, I often find myself scouring the catalog and shelves for books that might work to answer my child's question or delve deeper into the subject du jour. It is no wonder why lists are some of the most popular blogs in the world. You know the ones: "101 Books to Read Before Kindergarten," "10+ Children's Books to Inspire Kindness," and my own  "24 Books for Preschool Engineers."

A Smaller, More Approachable List

The problem is that sometimes we want a smaller, more approachable list. One with fewer books that includes other things. I just want a few good books, a CD, and a video, perhaps a toy. Something like a thoughtful little themed basket.

Invitation to Learn

It is in the spirit of having a small sampling of one topic that I am writing Invitations to Learn. Each invitation grows from our homeschool life and is a pint-sized unit of study for the DIY crowd. With this list, I am inviting you to learn alongside your child and giving you a small amount of guidance for creating a rich learning environment in your home or school.

Read a book one day; listen to an audiobook another day; watch a movie a different day; go on a field trip a different day. By offering one great thing at a time, you are inviting your child to learn with you and enjoy learning with you! Over time you and your child will consider the topic in several different ways, using different materials, have different but related conversations about it, and you will grow your knowledge in wonderfully robust ways.


INVITATION TO LEARN FAIRY TALES - CINDERELLA


I have found some of these at the library or for free online. For your convenience, I will also include affiliate links to Amazon when available.

Peek Inside a Fairy Tale: Cinderella
https://m6038.myubam.com/p/6015/peek-inside-a-fairy-tale-cinderella

The classic fairy tale brought up to date for a modern audience with beautiful illustrations and fine laser-cut holes and cutaways which add depth and drama. Young children will love looking at the details in this book - both in the illustrations and in the peek-throughs and flaps - and sharing and talking about it with a grown-up. Second in a new series which takes the format of the bestselling "Peek Inside" non-fiction series and applies it to much-loved fairy tales.




The following anthology is a good one to start with because the popular Cinderella story is short, sweet, and to the point. Then followed by different versions of the tale from around the world. Start here and then dive deeper into the classic or go to Canada, China, Egypt, IraqIreland, or Mexico, or dig into the Jewish version:



Think there’s just one fairy tale with an overworked girl and wicked stepsisters? Think again! Cultures all around the world have their own Cinderella stories. Visit Canada, China, Egypt, and France, and find out whose “glass slippers” are made of red silk, and whose “fairy godmother” is a fish.



Cinderella by Marcia Brown

There is perhaps no better loved, no more universal story than "Cinderella." Almost every country in the world has a version of it, but the favorite of story-tellers is the French version by Charles Perrault.
This translation is excellent for story-telling and also for reading aloud. Marcia Brown's illustrations are full of magic and enchantment from the little cupids putting back the hands of the clock to the last scene at the palace. They are pictures that will stay in a child's mind.



From Algonquin Indian folklore comes one of the most haunting, powerful versions of the Cinderella tale ever told.

In a village by the shores of Lake Ontario lived an invisible being. All the young women wanted to marry him because he was rich, powerful, and supposedly very handsom. But to marry the invisible being the women had to prove to his sister that they had seen him. And none had been able to get past the sister's stern, all-knowing gaze.

Then came the Rough-Face girl, scarred from working by the fire. Could she succeed where her beautiful, cruel sisters had failed?



Misty, jewel-like illustrations evoke the mythic past in this Chinese Cinderella story. Ages 4-8. 




This Egyptian spin on the classic Cinderella tale was initially recorded in the first century by a Roman historian and is retold here by folklorist Shirley Climo.
Poor Rhodopis! She has nothing—no mother or father, and no friends. She is a slave, from the far-off country of Greece. Only the beautiful rose-red slippers her master gives her can make Rhodopis smile.

So when a falcon swoops down and snatches one of the slippers away, Rhodopis is heartbroken. For how is she to know that the slipper will land in the lap of the great Pharaoh himself? And who would ever guess that the Pharaoh has promised to find the slipper’s owner and make her queen of all Egypt?


Ella Bella Ballerina: cinderella

Ella Bella loves her ballet class, which is conducted by the kindly Madame Rosa at an old theatre that seems touched by magic. One day, when Ella loses one of her slippers, Madame Rosa lends her another pair for dancing--and is then reminded of Cinderella and her story of the lost slipper. Madame Rosa recounts the tale to her students, and Ella Bella listens with heightened interest. When their day’s lesson has ended Ella lingers at the theatre, then opens Madame Rosa’s music box and listens as it plays melodies from the Cinderella ballet. Suddenly, Cinderella’s fairy godmother magically appears, and Ella Bella is transported into the beloved story of Cinderella. This delightful book’s final page describes the ballet Cinderella, with music by the great Russian composer, Sergei Prokofiev.



Have you ever tried to tell a story in 20 words or less? After reading a few of the longer books, you and your child will likely be very impressed that the story can be told in only a few words in these sturdy board books. Intended for the youngest readers but give plenty of food for thought for the most loquacious among us.

Les Petits Fairytales: Cinderella

Ages 1-3yo.

Discover the magic of Cinderella in this petite edition of the classic fairytale, created especially for little readers with just a handful of words and bright, enchanting illustrations.



AudioBook: Land of Stories: A Treasury of Classic Fairy Tales


Dear Listener, this is a very special book that contains more than 35 classic fairy tales and nursery rhymes, plus your very own survival guide to the Land of Stories. If you notice anything glowing, followed by an inviting humming noise, don't be afraid! That is just the book's magic.
Enter the world of fairy tales in this stunning book that includes more than 35 beloved stories and rhymes retold by New York Times best-selling author Chris Colfer.

This companion book to the Land of Stories series will appeal to new and old fans alike, who will delight in favorite classics such as "Cinderella", "Sleeping Beauty", "Little Red Riding Hood", "Jack and the Beanstalk", and more. Here is the beloved fairy-tale treasury that Alex and Conner fall into in The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell - a beautifully designed addition to the series and the magical book that started it all!


CLASSIC FAIRY TALES
Cinderella
Hansel and Gretel
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Jack and the BEanstalk
Little Red Riding Hood
Snow White
The Three Little Pigs
Rumpelstiltskin
The Elves and the Shoemaker
Beauty and the Beast
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
SLeeping Beauty
The Princess and the Pea
Rapunzel
Henny Penny
The Little MErmaid
Three Billy Goats Gruff
The Snow Queen
The Frog Prince
Puss in Boots
THumbelina
The Gingerbread Man
The Ugly Duckling
Pinocchio


MOTHER GOOSE NURSERY RHYMES

Little Bo Peep

Little Miss Muffet
Little Jack Horner
The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe
Humpty Dumpty
Rub-a-Dub-Dub
Three Blind Mice
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
Georgie Porgie
Hey Diddle Diddle
Pat-a-Cake
Jack and Jill
Jack Be Nimble


Two-movie collection featuring Disney's classic animated version of the fairy tale and the 2015 live action adaptation.

In 'Cinderella' (1950), enslaved by her stepmother and two ugly sisters, the beautiful Cinderella (voice of Ilene Woods) seems destined to miss the glittering party at which the Prince (William Phipps) will choose his bride. However, a magical makeover courtesy of her Fairy Godmother (Verna Felton) gets her to the ball on time and Cinderella begins to cast her own spell on the Prince.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, 'Cinderella' (2015), stars Lily James as the eponymous character alongside an all-star cast including Richard Madden, Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter. When her widowed father remarries to Lady Tremaine (Blanchett), Ella (James) does her best to be welcoming to her stepmother and her new stepsisters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drizella (Sophie McShera). However, after the unexpected death of her father, Ella finds herself being mistreated by Lady Tremaine and her daughters, forced to be a servant and nicknamed 'Cinderella'. One day in the woods she encounters a handsome stranger and believes him to work in the Palace, not realising he is in fact Prince Charming (Madden). Ella's household receives an invitation to a royal ball and Ella hopes she will get the chance to see the young man again. When Lady Tremaine refuses to let her attend the ball, a friendly fairy (Bonham Carter) steps in to lend a helping hand.



LEGO Cinderella


Manufacturer Recommended Ages: 4 - 7 Years


  • Charming toy for 4-year-olds features cinderella's carriage, with rolling wheels, a seat, and space for her beauty chest, accessory elements include a pumpkin, magic wand, bowl, bone and a beauty chest with brush and lipstick.
  • Includes easy-to-follow building instructions, castle with a ballroom and bigger pieces that make building easier.
  • Includes mini-dolls: cinderella and prince charming, a puppy and a horse.
  • Carriage with horse measures over 3" (9cm) high, 7" (18cm) long and 1" (5cm) wide.
  • Castle measures over 5" (13cm) high, 2" (6cm) wide and 3" (9cm) deep.


DUPLO Cinderella

Manufacturer Recommended Ages: 24 months - 5 Years


Disney Cinderella fans will love recreating the ball scene with the Prince in this beautiful castle. Turn the gear wheels to make them dance, but remember to keep an eye on the clock! Develop early construction skills with this easy-to-build set with iconic accessories and decorated bricks to bring the magic to life. Includes two LEGO DUPLO figures: Cinderella and Prince Charming, plus a bird figure.


Our Cinderella dress features a stretchy blue velvet bodice that is elegantly detailed with a gathered white inlay, sparkling silver trim and a beaded flower. The silver trimmed hip drapes capture that authentic Cinderella look. Features: clothing quality fabrics; machine washable. Stretchy, soft and very comfortable. Sizes: S-XL New Sizes available in Large Plus (ages 7-9), Size 9-11 and Size 11-13.