Top 10 Books To Read At The Pool With Your Children

Once again, we went around the school and polled our teachers on what they felt were great reads leading into the Summer season.  Here is what they had for you.


1 - Down by the Bay (Raffi Songs to Read)

A classic silly song that toddlers know and love, Down by the Bay has been a favorite and best-selling Raffi Songs to Read since it was first published in 1988. In this friendly board book edition, irresistible art by Nadine Bernard Westcott depicts wonderfully amusing creatures such as a bear combing his hair, a goose kissing a moose, and a whale with a polka-dot tail. Very young children will find this book both entertaining and instructive in early language skills such as rhyme, rhythm, and repetition, and will delight in hearing it read or sung aloud to them.

2 - Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach

New York Times bestselling author and artist James Dean brings readers some fun in the sun! Pete the Cat is one groovy cat at finding shells and building sand castles at the beach. But when it gets too hot, there’s only one way to cool off—jump into the ocean! Except Pete might be a scaredy-cat when it comes to the water.

Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach is a My First I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for shared reading with a child.

3 - OLIVIA Goes Camping

Olivia is super excited to have her best friend come along on her family camping trip. However Francine is not a huge fan of the Great Outdoors and is less than excited about the mud, the bugs, and the idea of sleeping in a tent. It's up to Olivia to help Francine get in touch with her inner nature lover in this funny story that's based on an episode.

4 - The Tiny Seed (The World of Eric Carle)

The charming tale of The Tiny Seed, by beloved author and illustrator Eric Carle, is now available as a Level 2 Ready-to-Read!

Eric Carle’s classic story of the life cycle of a flower is told through the adventures of a tiny seed. Everyone will cheer for the seed’s progress as it floats across the sky, nestles in the ground, and finally grows into the giant flower it was always meant to be.

With the dazzling collage illustrations and lively text in this Level 2 Ready-to-Read, Carle has created a triumphant and fascinating tale for young readers!

5 - Last Day Blues (Mrs. Hartwells classroom adventures)

Fans of First Day Jitters will love the last day of school in Mrs. Hartwell's classroom. Thoughts of summer vacation, beach reading, and play disrupt studies. But the kids don't want their teacher to miss them while they're gone. Once again Julie Danneberg and Judy Love bring to life the crazy antics of Mrs. Hartwell and her class and show that teachers and students are more alike than different.

6 - Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja (a hilarious adventure for children ages 9-12)

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

My name is Chase Cooper, and I'm a 6th grade ninja. It's my first day at a different school and the only person I know is my cousin, Zoe (but she might be a little too cool for me). I was just another scrawny kid until a group of ninjas recruited me into their clan. It was a world of trouble I wasn't prepared for, which is why I kept this diary (or "chronicle" as my dad would call it) - to warn other kids about the dangers of becoming a ninja. They say history is destined to repeat itself... well, not if I can help it.

Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja is a funny thriller that's entertaining for kids, middle school students, and adults.

7 - The Night Before Summer Vacation

A little girl and her family are getting ready to go on vacation . . . or at least they are trying to. In the effort to pack everything that will be needed, there's bound to be something overlooked, and what that is provides a funny ending to this meter-perfect "twist" on Clement Moore's classic.

8 - The Bear Ate Your Sandwich

Bear meets sandwich, adventure ensues. . . . A sly classic-in-the-making for fans of Jon Klassen, Peter Brown, and Mo Willems.
 
By now I think you know what happened to your sandwich. 
But you may not know how it happened.
So let me tell you.
It all started with the bear . . .
 
So begins Julia Sarcone-Roach’s delicious tale of a bear, lost in the city, who happens upon an unattended sandwich in the park. The bear’s journey from forest to city and back home again is full of happy accidents, funny encounters, and sensory delights. The story is so engrossing, it’s not until the very end that we begin to suspect this is a TALL tale. 
 
The wonderfully told story, spectacular illustrations, and surprise ending make this Julia Sarcone-Roach’s best book to date. You’ll want to share it with your friends (and keep a close eye on your lunch).

9 - Bats at the Beach (A Bat Book)

Quick, call out! Tell all you can reach: the night is just perfect for bats at the beach! 

So pack your buckets, banjos, and blankets—don’t forget the moon-tan lotion—and wing with this bunch of fuzzy bats to where foamy sea and soft sand meet. 

Brian Lies’s enchanting art and cheery beachside verse will inspire bedtime imaginations again and again. Come visit a bedazzling world of moonlight, firelight, and . . . bats!

10 - Indestructibles: Beach Baby

Beach Baby is the perfect beach book for baby, telling the sweet story of baby’s day at the beach—and it’s sand-proof, waterproof, and sunscreen-proof, too.

With two million copies in print, Indestructibles are the books built for the way babies read. They are 100 percent baby-proof, chew-proof, rip-proof, and drool-proof. Printed on a unique nontoxic, paperlike material that holds up to anything babies can throw at it—gumming, spilling, dragging across the floor—Indestructibles are the little books that could. They’re indestructible. And if they get dirty, just throw them in the dishwasher or rinse them in the sink.

Practical Life For Preschool Aged Children

Ahhhhh...Practical life. The foundation of the Montessori Education. The place where every child wants to hang out and every teacher regrets putting out those water activities. And the beans. Let's not forget about the rice. Do you have any idea how hard it is to clean up itty bitty grains of rice from the floor. They don't sweep up easily when scattered about. 😒

The children gravitate to this area of the classroom like it is the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. It is bright, exciting, and offers the opportunities they need to succeed in everyday activities.

These lessons foster the development of the child's mind, body, and spirit. It is an area that provides the child with the opportunity to develop the necessary skills for becoming an independent little human in their daily chores and activities.

We all know how much easier our hectic lives would be if our little ones acquired those important skills leading them towards independence. The problem is we don't give them the time to foster their natural desires to do so.  How many times have you caught yourself wishing, even pleading for them to "do this" or "do that" on their own, only to tell them, "just let me do it?"

Well, get this. According to one of my favorite child development resources, The Secret Life of Childhood, "The practical life area is one of four general areas in the prepared environment. Activities here build on the child's natural interest and help him develop good work habits, concentration, hand/eye coordination, a lengthened attention span, and control of his body.

Practical Life lessons are introduced in the class first, and for good reason.  This is where children will practice and develop the skills needed to accomplish what the adult does everyday. How often does your child ask to help you in the kitchen? I'm sure you have noticed that your child expresses and wishes to imitate these daily tasks.

It is the Teacher's role to provide the materials needed to meet the needs and prepare the environment on a daily basis. She is also the dynamic link between the child and the environment.

The adult must observe the child to see if they have acquired the power of concentration which will normally occur in the practical life area. It is up to the teacher to introduce the materials and give a presentation on how to use them properly. Once the child becomes engrossed in the work, the teacher should move on allowing them to complete the task. She must only interrupt when necessary, such as if the child is being destructive, dangerous, or disruptive.

The areas of the Practical Life Curriculum are lessons of Grace and Courtesy, large and small muscle development, care of the environment, and care of person. These are the introductory lessons to the Montessori classroom where the child will develop respect for themselves, others, and their surroundings. These also teach obedience and self confidence.

Some lessons address the social needs of the child. Others prepare the child for reading, writing, and proper hygiene.

Below are a few examples of what we do in our classroom to reinforce these needs:

• Pushing in the chair. This contributes to respect for others and the class.
• Greeting a guest. This is typically done during circle time on the first day of school and practiced on and off throughout the year. Each child takes a turn introducing themselves to one another and shakes their hand. This lesson demonstrates positive and respectful social interactions.
• Dressing Frames. They include buttons, snaps, zippers, buckles, laces, and bow ties.
• Handwashing. Demonstrating that all important proper hygiene. Especially during cold and flu season.
• Tongs and Spooning. Excellent for hand/eye coordination and small muscle development. Pincer grip leads to the proper way of holding a pencil which then leads to proper handwriting.
• To develop the large muscles they can sweep, wash dishes, and clean the table.

As stated in The Secret Childhood, "Movement is an important aspect in the lessons of Practical Life. It is something that precedes, accompanies, and follows all bodily activities."  You cannot express an idea or thought without muscle movements. It is important not to restrict movement.

"Through movement he acts upon his external environment and thus carries out his own personal mission in the world. Movement is not only an impression of the ego but it is an indispensable factor in the development of consciousness. It is the only real means which places the ego in a clearly defined relationship with external reality."

So, it is clear to see that young children develop their own minds and intelligence through movement.
Hence, Practical Life. The greatest area in the Montessori classroom...according to the children. 😃
Even something that feels like "play time" serves a developmental purpose.