Back to Blogging

Hello! It's been a VERY long time since I've posted a blog. 

 After traveling with my husband to Mexico for both business and vacation and to Pennsylvania to spend time with my family, we are home and happy to be back in Houston.

Let's catch up....

Here are some family photos we got taken before we left.  We have a Texan theme because Emma Rebekah is the only true Texan in the family.  My husband, Pablo, is from Venezuela and I'm from a small town in Pennsylvania called Mount Joy.  

                                     

Her smile brings me so much joy.

This year I'm going to be working as an Elementary Consultant with Teach For America and as a mentor at Small Steps Nurturing Center.  When I was a teacher at Small Steps, the following video was made.  It reveals the heart of this organization.

Small Steps UTube Video

I'm extremely eager to begin working with new teachers of young children.  My goal is to provide creative resources for both parents and teachers.  Below you will find two resources that I have recently found very useful.  

  

Pablo is going to be doing some professional development in CA so in preparation for his course, he has been studying in the evening.  I thought it would be fun for us to join him.  Although we are all reading different texts, It's fun to climb into bed with all our books and/or articles and just read as a family.  

Here is what  Emma is reading...  

I was introduced Indestructibles while attending a class given by the School Literacy and Culture Project at Rice University . The books are built for the way babies read and as their website indicates, they are definitely, "water-proof, tear-resistant and baby-durable."  I am grateful that the wordless books are a constant reminder to sing and recite timeless nursery rhymes.  

Here's what I'm reading....

  Even after teaching for over 12 years these sort of books still inspire me.  Fox weaves current brain research into her book. The following is an excerpt from Reading Magic.  

Children's brains are only 25% developed at birth.  From that moment, whenever a baby is fed, cuddled, played with, talked to, sung to, or read to, the other 75% of its brain begins to develop.  And the more stimulation the baby has through its senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing, the more rapidly that development will occur (pg. 13).  

More about this amazing book in a different post.  It's a MUST read for all parents and teachers of young children.  

It's feels great to be back blogging.  Please look for more posts soon.