Children’s Books that Say, “I love...”

I Love My New Toy! by Mo Willems. Hyperion, 2008.

See our list below!

1. Give Your Children Delightful February
         Love-Day Songs

Oh, My Darling Valentine (To the tune of Clementine) February is a short month 28 days or 29 In the middle is a love-day, Won't you be my Valentine? Oh, my darling Oh, my darling Oh, my darling Valentine. In the middle is a love-day, Won't you be my Valentine? —Author Unknown

This “just right” song came to me from mentor, retired kindergarten teacher, Joanie Cutler. Clementine is a contagious melody, so you may find yourself repeating, “In the middle, is a love-day, won’t you be my Valentine?” over and over again. What a memorable way for children to learn about February calendar skills, the concept of “middle”, and cultural traditions of love and friendship!

Download: Oh, My Darling Valentine for your Poetry and Song (“I Can Read”) Notebook.

Sing and dance everyday in kindergarten: It’s how the brain learns best!

View our growing collection of songs and rhymes: February Themes of Love and Friendship. (These are either in the public domain or are shared with permission.) Here is the first page of what you’ll find this month. Then just scroll down!

Download our 8.5” x 11” copies for your “I Can Read” Poetry and Songs Notebooks. Children will memorize, proudly recite, illustrate, and read them.

See Photo Essay: How to Organize Poetry “I Can Read” Notebooks

2. Create the Optimum Kindergarten Writing Program: Summer Workshop

Thank you, Online Members

We invite you all to attend our new writing workshop at for only $139 (save $90). Many of you have taken all of our seminars over the years – and some more than once! To make it easier for you to join us for this practical look at our best writing practices for meeting rigorous Common Core State Standards, we are offering all of our readers the “cadre” price of $139. Our summer workshops are limited to 95 participants for a quality experience.

Spokane, WA May 5, 2012 Salem, OR June 19, 2012 Seattle-Renton, WA June 26, 2012 Denver, CO July 24, 2012 Boise, ID July 31, 2012 Professional Development Credits and WA Clock Hours available

Register Now and Save!

Register online by Feb. 10, 2012. After February 10, 2012 registration is $229.

• See workshop invitation for more information.

Second in the Series

This is the second in our series of kindergarten writing workshops answering the questions: How do we build on success for ALL learners and create a culture of engaged young writers? 

Many of you have attended our “kid writing” workshop with Julie Lay. This new kindergarten writing workshop is taught by Nellie Edge which complements and systematically expands the same writing philosophy with a sequence of proven strategies that children and teachers love.  The “kid writing” workshop with Julie Lay will be offered again this fall in select cities. See seminars

Even if you cannot attend, enjoy the invitation to expand your writing program with:

• 10 Best Strategies for Meeting Rigorous Common Core Standards
• How to Talk to Children about their Writing
• How to Help Your Child with Kid Writing
• Beginning to Write: A Parent’s Guide

3. Begin Planning for Student-Led Parent Conferences:
Video Clips and New Links

Glimpses of Student-Led Parent Conference Video Clip with Lisa Young

Teachers who use student-led parent conferences tell us, “This is just the best thing we do!” We agree! Ongoing, authentic assessment leading to student-led parent conferences is one of our “Ten Best Practices in Joyful Accelerated Kindergarten Literacy,” and with good reason!

Consider the benefits of allowing young children to set goals, evaluate their progress, and communicate their new learning accomplishments—with great pride—to their parents. When learning is in the children’s hands, they become more self-motivated, responsible, and independent. Isn’t that what we want?

For more information, see the following:

• Diane Bonica Writes “I’ll Never Conference with Parents Again!”
• Student-Led Conferences Form: “In Kindergarten I Can” (PDF)
• Student-Led Parent Conferences in Kindergarten: A Celebration of Learning
• Student-Led Parent Conferences: "This is the Best Thing I Do!"
• Tips on Creating a Celebration of Learning
• Student-Led Conferences: What Does the Child Share?
• Help Parents Use Active Learning and Encouraging Language
• I Can Read Independently in Kindergarten: I am Building my Reading Stamina (PDF)
• What Do We Read? We Read the Walls (PDF)

Reach for the Stars With the Lives of Our Children

4. Download Chewy Yum Yums and Full-Color Play Dough Picture Recipe

Kids and cooking go together—what a delicious way to learn! 

Chewy Yum Yums with dates and nuts are easy, fun to mix, nutritious, and yummy to eat. Consider making these for your Valentine’s party or student-led parent conference snacks. You are welcome to make copies of our recipes for families.

Download Chewy Yum Yums and other picture recipes.

Our Play Dough Recipe is available online in full color. You may enlarge and laminate this recipe for your classroom cooking center.

Tip: Bags of pink play dough make a fun valentine gift for your children.

Member's Only Resources

Download all 14 pages of our Sign Language “Heart Word” and “Play Dough” Word Work Center templates from our “members only” resources.

5. February Writing-to-Read Ideas and New Curriculum Links

View our sign language video clip with curriculum links:

 L-O-V-E Spells Love
 M-O-M Spells Mom

Singing, signing, and spelling are powerful ways to learn high-frequency “heart” words.  

February card writing activities provide great practice in writing meaningful sentences and phrases:

One boy decided to make ten secret messages to hide all around his home—even his sister’s bedroom. View entire photo essay.

I love you.     To _________.
I like you.      From _________.
You are my friend.

Keep sentence strips, photos/name cards of classmates, a variety of paper, pens and envelopes in your card-making center.  Children can practice writing a message (with high-frequency “heart” words) and adding “To _____” and “From _____.”  Enjoy their delightful, creative designs.

See Becky Leber’s Literacy Centers Photo Essay (Page 2) for more details. (Thank you, Becky Leber, for showing us how to build independent literacy centers!)

This is one of the literacy centers we will present at our February 18, 2012  “In Kindergarten” workshop in Salem, OR and our Summer Writing workshop, Writing-to-Read Accelerates Literacy: All Kindergartners Love to Write and Draw.

Invite children to write “love coupons” and take them home for Mom and Dad. This idea comes from the book Kid Writing: A Systematic Approach to Phonics, Journals, and Writing Workshop: (Page 92) See the Kid Writing Website

Hide “I love you” messages for Mom and Dad to find!

My kindergarten friends were so excited to take home secret “I love you” messages to hide that one boy made twenty of them! We brainstormed where they might tuck them… Under Mom’s pillow? By the computer? In Dad’s shoe? Parents were quite delighted. For Valentine’s Day, invite the children to decorate their messages.

Each child can write several notes on 4" by 8.5" paper and tuck them inside a business envelope to keep them safe on the way home from school. This is a great way to build fluency with high-frequency “heart words” and phrases.

See Photo Essay: All Kindergartners Love to Write “I love you!”

Marc Chagall

We remember Joanie Cutler’s magical kindergarten where children came to know about the life of artist Marc Chagall during valentine month.

Notice his use of color, floating figures as in a dream,
flowers,and the people of his childhood…

Here are Some of Our Favorite February Links:

• Jacque Verrall's Full-Day Kindergarten: Wrinkled Heart Lesson and Poem
• Laura Flocker's Kindergarten
• Kinder by Kim February
• Mrs. Flanagan’s Little Giraffes Valentine’s Day
• Diane Bonica's Kindergarten: Hearts and Friends Quilt
• Calico Cookie Valentine’s Themes

Happy Browsing!

6. Children’s Books that Say, “I love you...”

The most power-packed words a child can write (besides their own names) are “I love you.” We teach these important high-frequency “heart” words early in the year, and we teach for fluency. Our kinders (even special needs children) can all proudly read, write, sign, and spell “I love you,” “I love my…,” and “I love the…” How happy the children are to confidently read these words in so many wonderful books! Here are some sample children’s book pages and covers:

See: Favorite Books That Say “I Love You.”

I Love You: A Rebus Poem by Jean Marzollo. Scholastic, Inc., 2000.	I Love You Sun, I Love You Moon by Karen Pandell. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1994.	I Love My New Toy! by Mo Willems. Hyperion, 2008.
Page from I Love the Mountains, A Nellie Edge Read and Sing Big Book™	Page from Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, A Nellie Edge Read and Sing Big Book™	Page from I Have A Cat, A Nellie Edge Read and Sing Big Book™

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen, Candlewick Press, 2011

Favorite Children’s Books of 2011

We think you will smile when
Bear says, “I love my hat.”

Enjoy all of the Favorite Children’s Books of 2011.

7. Salem Cadre Schedule: 2012 Professional Development Goals

We hope this continues to be a great year for engaging young writers!

Remember to document how you are meeting your Professional Development Goals. I will bring forms for professional development credit to the April meeting (See Cadre schedule).
We hope many of you will join us this summer for our newest workshop, Writing-to-Read Accelerates Literacy, June 19 in Salem, OR at the Red Lion Holiday Inn at 3301 Market Street NE. Please notice we are offering all of our online members the Salem “cadre” rate of $139 instead of $229 for online registration through February 10, 2012.