Multiple studies have demonstrated the benefits of children spending time in nature. Exposure to green spaces offers proven advantages for early learners in terms of attention, memory, and focus, as well as mental health. This research indicates that incorporating greenery into our children’s daily lives is incredibly valuable for their cognitive development.
Unfortunately, though, urban areas were often developed without regard for natural areas—a lack often mirrored on school campuses dominated by concrete and asphalt. This is particularly true in financially disadvantaged and industrial areas.
Happily, new opportunities to interact with nature are springing up all over the place. Many public libraries offer a limited number of free or low-cost tickets to botanical gardens and zoos, while neighborhoods are reclaiming vacant areas to create open spaces and community gardens. And more and more communities are embracing the idea of increasing green spaces and natural areas for learning and reflection at schools themselves.
If greening schools sounds good to you, read on for ways to advocate for them in your community. After all, most children spend much of their time at school, so bringing greenery and growth on campus is a powerful way to ensure they get the nature they need.
How to Advocate for More Green Spaces at Schools
Many people are unaware of the benefits of green spaces for cognitive development. This makes information sharing an incredibly valuable way to advocate for green spaces. Sharing articles and research studies about the issue will enlighten more people to the need.
Parents can bring up the subject at PTA meetings or arrange appointments to talk to school administrators about exchanging concrete and blacktop for lush, green playgrounds with trees and grass.
While there’s no doubt that one individual can make a difference, a group of individuals working for the same goal tends to be more effective and efficient. Fortunately, many government agencies and nonprofit organizations are already striving for a greener and more nature-filled future.
Some, such as federal and state environmental protection agencies, are focused on big-picture areas that affect children incidentally, like clean air and water. Others, such as Green Schoolyards America and Space to Grow Chicago, have narrower concentrations, such as adding greenery to school campuses.
Here is a small selection of organizations that are working towards a greener world and greener schoolyards. Check them out for ways to get involved or inspiration for your local efforts.
The Trust for Public Lands Community Schoolyards Campaign
The Trust for Public Lands has been protecting natural areas and creating parks since the early 1970s. Their mission is to ensure that everyone has access to nature and outdoor activities—a difficult task given the rate of urban sprawl.
Get involved: One of the ways that the Trust for Public Lands is changing the landscape is by transforming schoolyards made of concrete and steel into playgrounds and parks with grass and trees. Their website lists several ways to support the Trust for Public Lands, including local campaigns, becoming a member, or making a donation.
Green Schoolyards America supports the idea of living school grounds: changing asphalt-covered playgrounds into living environments with grass and trees. Along with transforming schoolyards, they also co-founded the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative, helping many schools to safely reopen faster by using outdoor spaces.
Get involved: Parents and school administrators can advocate for green spaces by employing the group’s techniques to help enhance their schoolyard or by donating to Green Schoolyards America.
The Children and Nature Network is an organization built on the belief that wild places and the healthy development of children are inextricably linked. The group envisions a future in which all children—regardless of race, religion, or financial status—have access to the green spaces that are so valuable for mental and emotional development.
Get involved: People can support the group either by donating funds or by becoming a member of the Children and Nature Network.
Advocacy by Children, for Children
As parents, advocating for our children helps ensure they have more options and opportunities available to them, and it also shows them that we, as parents, value their wellbeing and are willing to stand up for them. Teaching our children to advocate for themselves provides them with these same benefits and more.
Self-advocacy, or the ability to effectively communicate one’s needs, is a skill that can help our children thrive throughout their lives, not only in their education and career but also in their personal lives. Learning to successfully advocate for themselves and others is empowering and may help improve their self-esteem and resilience.
For the youngest children, this might look like drafting a family Bill of Rights, participating in Earth Day activities, or—yes—advocating for greening their school campus. Little ones might spot unused areas that could be transformed into something living. Parents can help young school-aged kids draft letters to school administrators or contact local nonprofits to improve either their own circumstances or that of others, and older children can volunteer with local groups or pioneer their own.
For another example of teaching kids to advocate for causes they care about and modeling civic involvement, see our post on three ways to support libraries with your kids.
Book Pairings
MayaSmart.com is your one-stop-shop for raising a reader and a thinker, from evidence-based early literacy advice to fun activities that support key literacy learning, as well as great book recommendations for readers of all ages. Browse the site for more tips, tutorials, and book lists, or message Maya with your questions or activity requests! We’re so happy to have you here!
What does Easter make you think of? If you said eggs or eating, bunnies or bells, maybe you’ll understand when we say that, for us, Easter is also a great opportunity to explore long and short E sounds.
Understanding how different letters and letter combinations correspond to different sounds is key for reading and spelling. But that letter-to-sound correspondence isn’t as simple as we might wish, as any parent who encourages their child to “sound it out” quickly realizes.
Helping our kids recognize common spelling patterns—and exceptions—builds their reading and writing skills. And the best way to do that isn’t to drill our kids on patterns or “rules,” but rather to trickle in simple lessons during fun times together, then reinforce them when we can.
The long E (as in Easter) and short E sound (as in egg) are especially challenging. There are so many different letter combinations that make the long E sound (think of cream cheese and berries, for example), and so many variations (think bread and spread).
That’s why we’ve put together a sweet Easter-time snack activity designed to help kids explore different spellings of the E sounds. You can read this Easter Egg Bread recipe together, noting the spellings of long and short E sounds, and then make your treat.
As you review the recipe with your child, note the various words with long and short E sounds. I suggest handing your child a pencil and helping them circle all the E sounds they find. (To help you, here’s a list of letter combinations that make a long E in this recipe: EE, EA, Y or IE at the end of a word. The letters that make a short E in this recipe: E, EA as an exception.)
Chatting about these different spellings and patterns, and noting the exceptions to the spelling “rules,” as you make a treat together will help stick them in your child’s memory.
This recipe is part of our Read with Me Recipe series of printable recipes that are super easy to make—and read—with children. They feature simple words and short sentences typed in an easy font that will set your little one up for reading success. Just print out the recipe and then read it with your child as you cook together. The idea is to make it easy for you to mix reading and spelling into everyday life with your kids. This kind of “everyday literacy” is key to raising thriving readers.
Tips for teaching reading with this recipe:
- Introduce your child to how recipes work. If you’re not sure they know them already, be sure to explain words like “ingredients” and other cooking terms to build their vocabulary.
- Watch out for specific words in the recipe they may not be familiar with, and give a simple definition. Taking time to explain or define words you encounter together will make a big difference.
- Keep an eye out for tricky-to-read words, such as “knife.”
- For little ones who aren’t reading much yet, just pointing out what you’re reading and emphasizing a few key words or letters is enough. If you make the recipe again, you can help them find the words you pointed out before.
- Use this as an opportunity to show them punctuation, as well as words and letters. Point to the commas, periods, or other punctuation marks, and explain what they mean.
- If they can’t read the recipe on their own, give them chances for success by asking them about what they do know, gently underscoring key knowledge. E.g., ask, Can you find a letter T? or What letter does this word start with?
- For kids who are reading already, encourage them to read the recipe themselves. If they have trouble, just calmly help them with any words they can’t quite get. E.g., if they have trouble with the word “banana,” try covering “nana” and helping them read just the first part of the word before you uncover the rest.
- Bring your patience. Give your child space to read a word (or identify a letter) before you jump in, but be prepared to help if they’re showing signs of frustration.
Bonus:
Ready for some more practice with reading and spelling short and long E sounds? Read the following Easter poem with your child, and note the spellings together.
Easter eggs,
Yellow and blue.
Easter eggs,
For me and you
Easter eggs,
Candy sweet.
Easter eggs
Are good to eat.
Easter eggs,
Pretty and funny.
But … where oh where
Is the Easter bunny
(—Anonymous)
Easy Easter Recipe: Egg Bread
- Bread
- Cream cheese (alternative: peanut butter)
- Berries
- Bananas
- Butter knife
Step 1: Cut the bread into an egg shape.
Step 2: Spread the cream cheese on the bread.
Step 3: Cut the berries and bananas.
Step 4: Put the berries and bananas on the bread in an Easter egg pattern (or make an Easter bunny face).
Step 5: Eat!
Like many traditions that have endured over the years, making New Year’s resolutions serves a valuable purpose. It creates room for reflection and for refocusing ourselves on living with intention. In the whirlwind of raising small children, this is especially hard to do—and especially needed.
Days with little ones can feel so very long, yet the years feel all too short, and living them mindfully helps with both. To aid you in thinking about your values for the coming year, we’ve put together our picks for five meaningful New Year’s resolutions for parents with small children, plus some useful tips, tricks, and tutorials for putting them into practice easily and painlessly.
Spend Quality Family Time (Here’s How)
Time is what every parent of young children feels they have the least of … and it’s the one irreplaceable gift to our kids, and ourselves, that really matters in the long run. But the funny thing about time is that it’s not absolute. Instead, it’s malleable, stretching or compressing in experience and memory.
Just like hours in pleasant company can disappear at breakneck speed while minutes at the DMV stretch like hours, truly meaningful moments will loom larger in memory than the days or weeks surrounding them. Focus on creating those meaningful moments with your little one this year, and give yourself a break about the rest of the time.
Fantastic ways to construct quality time together include sitting down to do a DIY craft or activity with your child, cooking a kid-friendly recipe together, cuddling over a shared book, or playing an old-fashioned board game. (You could even make your own DIY board game.). Why not take a few minutes to brainstorm what you’ll do together, so you have something up your sleeve when a window of time opens up?
Get Outdoors
Researchers have found that spending time in nature is wonderful for our mental and emotional wellbeing, as well as naturally supporting physical health. Various studies have found that exposure to nature reduces stress, supports greater attention and focus, and improves children’s behavior. It even appears to make kids smarter, as various studies have found that time in green spaces correlated to higher IQ. Read more in our article about the benefits of green spaces for children.
This year, why not look for opportunities to spend time with your child in nature? That might look like having a picnic dinner now and then, sharing a book together in an urban garden, or taking a 15-minute walk in a green space after school or daycare pickup. You might also check your local library for tickets to botanical gardens or other nature areas, and note options nearby.
For inspiration, consider taking a nature walk story time with your child, picking up some good picture books about nature, or going on an alphabet scavenger hunt together outdoors.
Focus on Mental Wellbeing
Mental health is like a gate. It can keep you and your children from reaching your full success, potential, physical health, and joy just as surely as a gate can block your way. Open up your family’s path by making mental wellbeing and social-emotional health a priority this year.
And we’ve got some great news: You can start just by curling up with a good book. Because, as it turns out, reading stories nurtures emotional intelligence, open-mindedness, and altruism. It also helps kids build social-emotional intelligence. Learn more in our article about the benefits of reading fiction.
Plus, engaging with kids during shared reading has been shown to support parents’ mental health. In fact, in research, mothers who received coaching about how to read with kids and engage more with them reported as much stress reduction as people get from therapy or direct instruction in coping mechanisms.
What a lovely way to nurture ourselves and our children. Read our post about how to practice engaged reading with your child for tips to get you going.
Do Good
Taking actions to support positive change in the world and help others in need are among the most powerful commitments we can make. They also instill important values in our children. And what’s more, doing good is remarkably empowering.
This year, choosing to take some simple actions with your child to support a good cause will teach them that they can impact the world for the better—and that you think it’s worth their time and effort to do so.
Browse our list of some awesome organizations that support literacy in different parts of the world for a cause that’s close to our bookish hearts, or think about issues that matter to your family. We also recommend finding ways to help out your local library.
Read Together
Well, we know we’ve mentioned this above a few times, but this is a site focused on raising readers, after all, so what did you expect? Make a resolution to read together this year—for a few moments or a few hours, in the park or the doctor’s office waiting room, at night or at the breakfast table—and you’ll further all these resolutions and more.
To get started, add some awesome new reads to your repertoire. We’ve got lists of picture books for all kinds of themes and occasions to inspire you, plus a selection of articles on how to maximize the benefits of story time, even if you have just a little bit of time to stretch into reading memories. Add some of our recommended books to your library list, or ask your librarian for books that match your child’s interests (and your own).
Happy New Year!
Kwanzaa is almost here! And Kwanzaa educator Jessica “Culture Queen” Hebron is on a mission to equip parents to introduce children to its festive traditions, as well as support families already celebrating. Culture Queen’s hallmark is crafting experiences that leave kids humming with positivity and enthusiasm for themselves and African American culture.
“If you’re trying to find yourself and you’re trying to figure out what it means to be black and American or African American, [Kwanzaa celebrates] very uplifting, positive, universal principles that you can try to follow and align your life with to give yourself self-empowerment,” she says.
From breaking down myths surrounding the holiday to explaining the history behind it, Culture Queen has you covered with three ways you can celebrate Kwanzaa with your children and start new traditions together this year.
Educate Your Children—and Yourself!—on the History and Significance of Kwanzaa
If you have questions about the Kwanzaa tradition, you’re not alone. There are lots of common misconceptions about the holiday, from people assuming it’s a religious ritual to wondering if it’s even a “real holiday” at all.
In this post on five Kwanzaa misconceptions, Culture Queen breaks down the history and significance of this holiday and why it’s an important day for all black Americans.
“The principles were created to be universal for black people in America,” she says. “So no matter what their religious experiences or cultural experiences, they have one thing that they can unite with—Kwanzaa.”
Before celebrating in your own home, discover the rituals associated with this special celebration—contrary to popular belief, gifts are encouraged!—and spend time discussing its history and significance with your children.
Read Picture Books about Kwanzaa Together
Kwanzaa’s use of the Swahili language, a formal table setting, and a candle lighting ritual can intimidate newcomers, so Culture Queen recommends that people of all ages first learn about the holiday through picture books. The illustrations, examples, and simple wording make the holiday accessible and engaging.
She shares her favorite five picture books that show families living the seven principles of Kwanzaa. These are: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith).
For young readers, she recommends It’s Kwanzaa Time: A Lift-the-Flap-Story for an engaging, age-appropriate introduction to the holiday. If you have little ones with longer attention spans, Kevin’s Kwanzaa goes deeper with short encyclopedia-like info boxes that provide rich context and history.
Discover three more Kwanzaa books that kids of all ages will enjoy. (Plus, if you’re looking for more holiday reads, don’t miss our roundup of seasonal picture books by black authors that we think will become beloved family favorites.)
Bring the Holiday to Life
Giving Kwanzaa the magical, glittery treatment other holidays receive will make the celebration truly come to life for your kids.
So, how do you go about doing that? Culture Queen suggests returning to your favorite traditions year after year—reading picture books, sharing history, and so on—and also adding new ones, as well. Whether that’s incorporating rituals you haven’t tried before or creating your own Kwanzaa candle holder together, introducing new ideas keeps the celebration exciting and engaging for the whole family.
In this blog post on how to celebrate Kwanzaa, Culture Queen shares her own memories of her first Kwanzaa, as well as how she celebrates every year.
We hope these articles will help you and your family celebrate Kwanzaa if you’re already fans of the tradition, or learn about something new together if you’re just discovering its history and rituals.
And remember, MayaSmart.com is your one-stop-shop for raising a reader, from evidence-based early literacy advice to fun activities that support key literacy learning and recommendations of great reads (like the ones in this post). So go ahead and browse around the site for more tips and tutorials, or message Maya with your questions or activity requests! We’re so happy to have you here!
Do you celebrate Kwanzaa? Will you this year? What are your favorite Kwanzaa family traditions? We’d love to hear from you!
Traditions are one of the best parts of the holidays. The beloved dog-eared picture books, recipes passed down from generation to generation, special activities and crafts … the list could go on and on! But, this year, what if you added some new traditions to the list that also spark a deeper love of reading and support literacy?
At MayaSmart.com, we’re always looking for ways to incorporate literacy into everyday life. From reading recipes together in the kitchen to sneaking spelling practice into crafts, we believe a consistent, simple approach is key to raising strong readers. There’s no need to break the bank on curriculum or have a degree in education—you already have everything you need to support literacy in your home!
That’s why we curated eight easy ways you can do just that over the holiday season. Keep the magic of the holidays and make special memories with your children while supporting literacy at the same time. Win, win, win!
Transform Your Elf on the Shelf into a Magical Pen Pal
Elf on the Shelf has found its way into millions of American homes and become a beloved modern-day Christmas tradition. However, it can also create a hole. Because the elf is purportedly there to report on kids’ behavior, and that behavior leads to getting gifts, a child’s relationship with the elf can tilt away from Christmas values such as charity, togetherness, and love.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. By corresponding with your elf via letter, you can transform a behavior modification tool into a tool for social-emotional learning, family bonding, and literacy!
Buy Gifts that Spark a Love of Reading
Finding the perfect Christmas gift that’s fun and purposeful can feel impossible. So we’re making your holiday shopping just a little bit easier. We’ve compiled a list of 14 terrific educational gifts for preschoolers that will become household favorites the whole year through. These fabulous gifts spark early learning and a love of reading in your child. And best of all? None of them sing or have flashing lights.
Try a New Tradition
If you’ve been searching for fun and rewarding Christmas traditions for kids—and grown-ups— maybe it’s time to take a page from Iceland’s favorite national festivity: Jolabokaflod. The Icelandic Yule is a celebration of reading and simple pleasures. On Christmas Eve, each member of the family receives a book then snuggles in for a night of reading and sipping hot chocolate.
To help you start your own Jolabokaflod, we share the history behind this literary holiday and tips for recreating it in your home.
Bake Together
Baking or cooking with your children sounds heartwarming in theory, but can be very messy and stressful in reality. That’s why we developed Read with Me Recipes—a series of kid-friendly snacks and meals that are super easy to make with kids.
And we’re presenting them in a format that’s also easy to read with kids. Think simple words and short sentences that will set your little one up for success. The idea is for you to print out the recipe and then read it with your child as you prepare a simple, frustration-free dish together.
This holiday season, try our DIY Christmas ornament recipe to make some special memories with your child while getting in some reading practice at the same time.
(This ornament isn’t edible, but if you’re looking for a kid-approved snack, don’t miss our other other Read with Me Recipes.)
Tackle Tricky Words with This Holiday Craft
Kids learn through playing. And what better way to practice reading and spelling than with a fun holiday-themed craft?
One of the big stumbling blocks for kids learning to read is the multitude of spelling variations in the English language. Take the letter combinations IGH and IGHT. No child attempting to sound these out would guess that they indicate a long i sound (or, in combination with E or A, a long a sound), yet they do.
While thankfully these spelling patterns only feature in a relatively small selection of words, they’re found in some very common ones—and some very festive ones. This holiday lights craft and reading game takes advantage of seasonal words from light and bright to neigh and sleigh to highlight these unusual letter combinations.
Stuff Stockings with Crafts that Support Literacy
Creating homemade presents can be the perfect way to indulge in the best of the season while avoiding its excesses, and ones that engage children and inspire learning will bring out their best, as well.
So why not complement a few choice store-bought items with these lovely literacy-supporting DIY gifts? We’ve selected six cute reading- and writing-themed projects that you can make or upcycle from a few simple materials, plus we’ve created a free printable set of color-your-own Christmas bookmarks. Then let the stocking-stuffing begin!
Share Great Holiday Picture Books
Every family has their personal favorite tales and books they pull out year after year. Traditions are a wonderful part of the holiday season. But what if, this year, you added some new books to your mix, to become new traditions, too?
If you look at many of the classic American Christmas books, they’re written by white authors. Christmas is a holiday that includes families of every race and ethnicity, so shouldn’t the holiday books we read our children? Black children deserve to see themselves in books and stories, and non-black children need to see how Christmas in the United States truly looks.
We curated a list of eight favorites, plus some other lovely winter holiday books by black authors, for you to add to your reading traditions.
Build Vocabulary with this DIY Christmas Flipbook
What child doesn’t love Christmas? This free Christmas printable takes advantage of holiday enthusiasm to build your child’s vocabulary and help them learn to recognize, read, and spell new words. Fun holiday words, that is, of course!
With twenty-six seasonal words and illustrations from A to Z, this easy DIY will become a holiday staple.
What are your favorite holiday traditions that support reading? We’d love to hear from you!
MayaSmart.com is your one-stop-shop for raising a reader, from evidence-based early literacy advice to fun activities that support literacy learning and awesome free educational printables. And, of course, one of the best ways to raise a reader is to read to your child (and talk about books with them, even when they’re babies—learn more in our post about how to get the most out of your read-aloud time). That’s why we publish lots of kids’ book lists and book reviews with suggestions of great reads for various ages and interests.
Young children love hearing the same book over and over and over (you knew that!), but regularly mixing in different books to your shared reading will keep it fresh for you and them, plus introduce them to more words and concepts. To make it easy for you to find excellent new-to-you picture books to share with your child right now, we’ve curated some of our best recommendations for diverse picture books that are extra relevant this month. We include links to Bookshop.org so you can order them from independent booksellers, but remember that reading to your child doesn’t have to break the bank: Your local library should carry these titles, too!
So, without further ado, here’s what to read with your picture-book-loving child this month:
Books about Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday is Jan. 17, and there are hundreds of books dedicated to exploring his life, dreams, and work to help you mark the occasion. Among picture books alone, approaches to King’s story include cradle-to-grave biographies, roundups of his famous speeches and quotes, and deep dives into stories of the March on Washington, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, his memorial in Washington, D.C., and more. So how’s a parent to choose which books are best to explore with their child? Read our post about how to find the right books for your child about Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy and the American history it so vividly illustrates (and get some recommendations of specific titles, too).
Books about Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is coming up on the first of February! So this month is a good time to stock up on a few picture books to teach your child about this tradition that’s important to so many cultures or prepare for your own festivities. Your library should have lots of options, and we’ve also got you covered with recommendations of some favorites, as well as activities designed to bring the ideas and vocabulary from your reading to life. Our red-envelopes story time activity and Chinese zodiac story time activity both pair a Lunar New Year picture book with a learning project to do with your child. Our super-popular storytelling Lunar New Year lion puppet activity also includes a couple of book recommendations, and is a fantastic pre-literacy project with kids of any age. You can also build on your Lunar New Year reading by making a Lunar New Year fortune teller.
Bright Brown Baby by Andrea Davis Pinkney
This collection of five poems by New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrator Brian Pinkney just came out this month. So snag your copy and snuggle up with your little one to enjoy these joyful rhymes. When your child goes down for a nap, you can read up on how rhymes and poems for babies and kids help prepare them for reading and writing. If your little one is old enough to play a simple matching game, you can also create a DIY rhyming card game to build on the book and further their understanding of rhyming, a key literacy skill.
Reading widely and frequently with your child is crucial to set them up for success in school and life, as well as a lovely way to introduce them to new concepts. In addition to bringing books into your reading time that tackle timely topics or subjects you want them to know about, be sure to follow their interests, as well. If your kid loves horses or sports—go to town on books about that subject (among others!). If your kid is curious about science or loves animals—ditto. Following their interests keeps them engaged and helps you build a responsive relationship with your child. You also won’t go wrong sharing some books you love or titles about topics you care about, as your child will catch your enthusiasm. (If you really want to get your little one to dig into some new reads, dress up a personalized book grab basket to introduce the fresh titles.)
We’ll be back next month with our guide for what to read to your child in February. Meanwhile, go ahead and browse around the site for more tips and tutorials, or message Maya with your questions. We’re so happy to have you here!
What are you and your child reading this month?
Teaching your child the alphabet is one of the key things you can do at home to set them up for school success and prepare them to become a thriving reader. Letters are the building blocks of literacy, but at first it’s hard for kids to distinguish them from squiggles—much less to tell individual letters apart.
Learning to recognize and identify them takes years, which is why parents are so well positioned to teach the ABCs. Fit a little alphabet play into your schedule from time to time, and your child can learn all their letters by kindergarten. By the time they enter elementary school, kids should recognize the full alphabet, including upper and lowercase forms, as well as the sound that’s connected with each letter.
There are many techniques and activities parents can use at home to teach children the alphabet, and using many different ones is ideal to keep the learning playful. Our free alphabet tracing printable lets kids practice writing letters, a good way to build their awareness (and keep them entertained to boot). Our printable is 26 pages, with one tracing page for each letter from A to Z. The pages are available in black-and-white for easier printing and are low-ink friendly. You’ll find the template below, followed by evidence-based tips for teaching the alphabet.
We recommend investing in a presentation book with plastic sleeves to put the tracing pages into, so your child can write the letters and then wipe them clean to use again another day. You can find plenty of options of presentation books in craft stores or online for under $10. Then, when they know their letters, you can remove the pages and replace them with other write-and-wipe activities, from fill-in-the-blank words to mazes and more. It’s a win-win for money savings and for the environment.
Materials:
- Printer & regular printer paper (26-52 pieces)
- Presentation book with plastic sleeves (optional)
- Whiteboard/dry-erase marker (optional)
- Baby wipes (optional)
Cost: Under $10 for a presentation book
What to do: The free alphabet-tracing printable template includes one page for each letter from A to Z in uppercase, followed by one page for each letter in lowercase. Print just lowercase or just uppercase for beginners, or both for more advanced learners.
You can use them right away for one-time tracing, but to make them reusable, we highly recommend a presentation book. Just carefully insert all the pages into the pockets of the book. (Alternatively, you can also use contact paper to laminate each page.)
How to Teach Your Child the ABCs with an Alphabet Tracing Book
Don’t try to teach your little one all 26 letters at once. Start with the first letter of his or her name, or with another letter that holds meaning for them. Make the learning fun so that your child will enjoy the process.
Invite your child to trace the letters by following the dotted lines. Each page contains plenty of room to practice, but don’t push your child to do more than they want at one time. Keep it light and follow their interest and attention level. If they make a mistake or when they’re done tracing, use a baby wipe to erase the marker. (Be sure to wipe the marker off right away, to ensure you can remove all the traces and use your book again and again.)
Important: To maximize the learning, talk to your child about the shape of the letters and how they’re formed. Point out where there are straight lines and where there are curves. Call their attention to details like short and long lines; open and closed curves; hooks, humps, and dots. Point to where lines intersect or where curves stop and start. These features will help them learn to tell apart the different letters and begin writing them on their own.
(Get more science-backed tips in our post addressing frequent questions about teaching kids the alphabet at home.)
We hope this educational alphabet tracing activity will offer you and your child lots of opportunity for fun and interactive learning together. Enjoy using our free printable and let us know how your tracing goes!
And remember, MayaSmart.com is your one-stop-shop for raising a reader, from evidence-based advice to fun activities that support key literacy learning and recommendations of great reads. Browse around the site for more tips and tutorials, or message Maya with your questions or activity requests!
Want more wipe-and-write activities to put in your presentation book? Let us know your requests!
February is Black History Month—a dedicated time to acknowledge, celebrate, and honor the contributions of African Americans in the United States. During this month, we reflect on over 400 years of heritage and history, paying special attention to the unique struggles, successes, voices, and experiences of black Americans. Check out this curated list of books for young adult readers to help them learn and appreciate black history, not just in the month of February, but all year round.
These 11 books only begin to scratch the surface of the stories and contributions of African Americans. What are your favorite black history books for teens? Let us know!
By Maya Smart
What does Santa Claus really look like? Nancy Redd’s new children’s book, The Real Santa, features one boy’s quest to find out. In today’s video, I chat with Nancy about this beautiful Christmas tale, the importance of representation in kids’ stories, and the behind-the-scenes process of creating a picture book.
Watch the video of our conversation, or scroll down for the transcript.
Thanks so much for joining us this afternoon. I’m so excited to hear about your latest book, but before we dive into this wonderful, beautiful, soon-to-be classic picture book for the holidays, I wanted to take you back to some of your childhood holidays in Virginia. What were some of the things that your mom did to bring the holidays to life in your home? Some of the traditions?
Oh, I love that. That’s such a great question. First and foremost, I love you, Maya and I love Christmas. Our Christmas began the day after Thanksgiving. We put the tree up and there would always be a lot of cooking. It was a very big deal putting the ornaments on because a lot of our ornaments are decades old and they’re a collection of beautiful, emotional products that we’ve just kept.
A lot of them were very special black Santa ornaments or black angel ornaments that they had found on some faraway trip. Because we’re from Southern Virginia, near North Carolina, a small town called Martinsville, and there were no stores for the longest time that carried a diverse array of possibilities. So whenever my mom or my dad or family member would travel to the big city or up north, they’d always come back with these incredible, diverse things.
And a lot of our Christmas decorations actually came from friends and family who would send us things from Philadelphia or New York or other cities. So it’s just a huge thing in my household. It’s my favorite holiday and Santa is one of my favorite holiday characters.
So I see a couple of young men in the background. One is your son, and then there is also another beautiful black boy asleep on his pillow. So tell us a bit about that character and also the boy who inspired him.
Yes. So The Real Santa is my children’s book and it is a wonderful story of a little boy, based not only on my son, but so many boys like him, and girls, and myself and my brother, who wondered what the real Santa looked like. And the answer really has never had a satisfactory ending for people of color. I wanted to create a joyous, inclusive, heartwarming tale that anyone can enjoy and have the spirit of Christmas fill them inside with wonder and imagination.
And I feel really lucky to have gotten the chance to share this little boy’s story based off of my own son, who still to this day stays up every night, as long as he can, to catch the real Santa in action. And he’s never successful, but like our protagonist, he ends up getting an answer that’s satisfactory and it maybe comes from his dreams, it maybe comes from reality, and that’s for the child to decide when they read it.
It’s such a lovely concept. And I can’t wait for all the families at home to get a chance to flip through and see that. I see also, in your backdrop there, the cover of your previous book, Bedtime Bonnet. Tell us what was different about your creative process and coming up with your second picture book, now that you’ve got one under your belt. Was it a little bit easier to dive into this book or did it present any challenges, all its own?
Every book presents challenges, because the books that I write come from a deep yearning in my soul. I’m fortunate to be able to pull them out, but it’s always a journey, because it’s a discovery for me. So, when I first started writing Bedtime Bonnet, it was because I was frustrated that my daughter didn’t want to wear her bonnet, because she never saw anybody wear her bonnet because she was not yet at the age of sleepovers, but her hair was getting messy because she didn’t want her bonnet.
But the cartoons on TV, African-American cartoons, never wore their bonnets to sleep. So she thought the bonnets were only for old people like me and grandma. So that was, it was hard. I’m always reminded by myself and the people I show my writing to, and especially, I’m very fortunate to have an amazing editor in Sarah Sergeant at Random House, [that] this isn’t about me. This is about the kids.
So, figuring out how to get messages across without the angst, but with the self-love and expression, for me, is always a challenge, because when I first started writing The Real Santa, the protagonist, the little boy was more frustrated. He was like, I see all these Santas, but I don’t know! I’m upset! I don’t know which one’s the real Santa!”
And my editor was like, “Look, I know this is emotional for you, but you got to dial this back. You have to figure it out from the perspective of the child.” Because the child is not upset. The child knows what Santa looks like. He’s just looking for confirmation. He’s not looking for an argument, right? So we tweaked and finessed until we came up with a story that, like Bedtime Bonnet, affirms and assuages any fears without causing conflict.
And in this book, in addition to the boy and all of the Santas, he’s also surrounded by this wonderful extended family. Can you talk about his sister, mom, and dad, and grandparents, and why it was important to show the intergenerational elements of that family in the book, as well?
I feel like it’s one of the best parts of family that needs to be incorporated more. I grew up—both of my grandfathers passed before I was born, unfortunately, but my grandmothers were extraordinarily pivotal in my life for different reasons.
My maternal grandmother, who I’m named after, Nancy, I spent most of my life with. I mean, we would literally come home from school and my mom would get in the car, we’d go to grandma’s house. And I was just hanging out there. I mean, it was just, like, literally my life. My grandmother’s as important as my mother, right? And I wanted to, I want to always express that in the work I do, how important intergenerational households are for me.
I really, in Bedtime Bonnet, I think it was really important for them to all be living together because I don’t see a lot of intergenerational households and I, while we were all in different houses, we may as well been living together. I mean, sometimes I’d spend the night over there and sometimes I wouldn’t. And I want people to see our joy, our private lives and how beautiful and interconnected we are and how loving everyone is.
You mentioned some of the notes that you made for the illustrator to help her come up with visuals that amplified what you wrote in the text and also helped to add another layer of storytelling to the book. Tell us about that collaboration between the writer and the artist.
It’s really fun. And I feel very fortunate to be able to do so. I can’t draw worth a lick. You know, my daughter loves art, like your daughter, maybe they’ll illustrate our books one day. But I’m very lucky to have collaborated with two incredible illustrators for both of my books.
And what people don’t realize is they’re not just working in a vacuum. The author offers art notes and they can be as simple as “family in living room.” I choose to go more detailed with what I want each character to do, because there are a lot of subliminal messaging and Easter eggs that I like to put in my books and also representation. Small things, such as in Bedtime Bonnet, on the cover of the book, I wanted her to have an earring in her ear. I wanted her to have a beautiful lush robe, right? Instead of reality, like a tattered nightgown, which is what I’m actually living in, but that’s neither here nor there. We’re aspirational with these books.
And so, with The Real Santa, we had a lot of fun coming up with imagery that expressed joy, love, trust, safety, security, and with—keeping a little bit of magic. And so some art notes might be one or two sentences, like “family outside.” There is a snowman Santa. There is a mailbox Santa, there is a black Santa decal on the car. There’s a black Santa on the window. There are black Santas everywhere, because that’s what I grew up with, right?
And then the artist somehow brings it to life. I have no idea how they do it. Charnelle did such an amazing job in this book, somehow living in my brain. And it’s partially because she, too, lives this truth, right? She knows exactly what I’m trying to do. And that’s the power of our own voices, and the power of when you have an illustrator and author team who truly get the subject from a yearning inside of wishing we had this when we were growing up. That’s how you get to this, which is really outstanding, her work is.
Recently, in your career, you focused on writing for children and picture books has been your chosen format, but throughout your writing career, some of the same themes of representation and safety, security, some of the other things you’ve mentioned, have come up in other ways in other work that you’ve done. Can you talk about the trajectory of your writing career and what’s up next for you?
Well, I have to laugh, because my first book, as you know, when I was 26, was Body Drama, which was the first ever photographic guide to puberty. And it was because I was a young lady and I felt uncomfortable about aspects of my body. And I didn’t want anybody to feel uncomfortable about aspects of their body. I was very close to teenagers, at 26, so I wrote for teenagers.
And then, as I got older, I wrote more books geared towards women. Like, when I became a mother, I wrote a nonfiction book, called Pregnancy, OMG, which is a photographic pregnancy book, right? It’s a mom-to-mom book.
And then I became knee-deep into motherhood and was looking at the books that were out there and saw gaps and holes that I wanted to fill with my version, my vision, for what my children see in themselves and the written word. And it’s so much fun to be able to do this, and I feel very fortunate.
So, for the typical child who picks up this book and reads it, is not—to your earlier point—going to have all of this background and context and complicated ideas about race and representation in their mind as they’re reading. After you got through the process of working through all of those issues, coming up with your title, telling the story the way you wanted to tell it, setting it aside for awhile, when it comes in the mail and you hold that hard copy in your hands for the first time, how does that feel? Does it feel resolved and now you’re ready for a new challenge? Or is this a challenge and is representation something you’ll continue to revisit?
This book arrived yesterday. One of the reasons I have all of these pillows and stuff is because I didn’t know if the books would arrive in time for our publicity boosts. So I had to have something [so] people could see the cover of the book, but the book arrived. And as soon as it arrived, my son just totally went ballistic, because he was like, “Yes, my book!” You can see, he also loves Christmas. (That’s him right there.) He loves Christmas so much. And he loves that his story has been placed in the historical experience of all children’s wonder, many children’s wonder, of who this jolly icon actually is, what he actually looks like.
So for me, it is a closure of sorts. I did, I’ve done everything I can, just like with Bedtime Bonnet. When I first came up with that idea for a book, it was considered preposterous, like who wants to read a book about a bonnet? Well, you know who wants to read a book about a bonnet? A lot of children who didn’t understand what a bonnet was and why their mommas and daddies, you’re trying to make them wear one.
And my favorite is looking at the reviews of the book and the ones that say, “My daughter didn’t want to wear her bonnet until we got into his book. And now she asks for it every night, and we play games with grandpa hiding the bonnet.” You know?
And that’s just so heartwarming, because it takes something that a lot of us, myself included, grew up with a little bit of shame about, right? Like we weren’t out here like proudly wearing our bonnets, or talking about our bonnets as a critical, key facet of our beauty routines. But now that shame may have been eliminated or at least minimized for the next generation.
And so a similar feeling is, with The Real Santa, so that for this next generation of children, they’re not growing up othered. They have options, they have representation. They have something, a north star to look towards for the beliefs that are held near and dear in their hearts and in their family. And they don’t feel left out of the large mainstream conversation.
Well, thank you so much for the work that you’ve done in both of these last two picture books. As a mom, I’m so happy to have them on our bookshelves at home. Well, soon, I don’t have this one in hard copy yet, but I’m excited to add it.
I just got it. Yours is on its way!
To add it to my shelf soon so Zora can appreciate it and share it with her friends. Again, thank you, Nancy. It’s been wonderful to chat.
Thank you. I’m excited to add your book on my bookshelf.
Thank you.
If you’re looking for a cute and inexpensive stocking stuffer, you can make your own Christmas bookmarks for kids using our free printable template. These color-your-own bookmarks make a sweet little gift to encourage children to read and a fun holiday activity to do with them on Christmas eve or the big day. They’d make a creative addition to a family Jolabokaflod celebration (an awesome Icelandic Christmas “book flood” tradition we’re trying this year). And they’re also a good option as a homemade gift for kids to make for their loved ones.
Helping your child make a personalized bookmark is a fun way to encourage them to pick up their favorite books and read them. And that’s one of the most important habits they can learn in life, since reading is a key to everything from academic success and career prospects to building emotional intelligence. Then, once they’ve got their bookmarks, make sure they have something enticing and inspiring to put them in, by providing some new reads, whether from the bookstore or the library. Our list of winter holiday books by black authors is a great place to start.
Our free bookmark printable consists of three Christmas-themed bookmark designs that kids can color in. This helps younger children develop their fine-motor skills and their creativity (and serves as a simple and easy-to-make favor for last-minute holiday preparations). Scroll down for the printable files and tips. You can also get ideas for more DIY Christmas gifts in our post about 6 easy crafts that support literacy and make great stocking stuffers. And don’t miss making our free printable Christmas alphabet book, our holiday lights craft spelling activity, and DIY Christmas ornaments that support reading (well, at least the recipe does…).
Materials:
- Printer
- Cardstock paper
- Coloring materials
- Scissors
- Self-laminating sheets/contact paper (optional)
Cost: $1-5
Just download the bookmarks and print them on a piece of cardstock paper. A sturdier paper like cardstock is ideal to make bookmarks more durable. You can also just print it on normal paper and then laminate your bookmarks after coloring them.
Next, cut out the template to make your bookmarks. Optional: If you have a corner puncher, you can also use that if you want to make your bookmarks with rounded corners.
Then color them in! If you’re laminating your DIY Christmas bookmarks in contact paper/self-laminating sheets, do that once they’re colored in. Alternatively, for a giftable activity, skip the coloring and put the plain bookmarks inside your child’s Christmas stocking or stick them on top of a gift to someone else. On Christmas eve or Christmas day, the recipient can color in their bookmarks.
Tip: You can also add colorful tassels to your bookmark by punching a hole at the top and tying a bunch of yarn through the hole.
Book Pairing: We love starting any activity with our children by pulling them close and sharing a good book together. That said, with bookmark crafts it can also make sense to save the reading for last, so you can put your new bookmark to use! With a picture book that you read straight through, you can use the bookmark as a tool to draw attention to print rather than to mark your page. Just put it under each line of text as you read, sliding it along the line as needed.
We recommend pairing this DIY bookmark activity with the book The Real Santa by Nancy Redd. Alternatively, browse our list of winter holiday picture books by black authors for some other awesome Christmas reads for kids, or snag your favorite holiday book and snuggle up for story time.
Want to make more bookmarks? If you love these Christmas-themed bookmarks, try our other easy make-your-own-bookmark tutorials: cute DIY cat bookmark, DIY fruit-slice corner bookmark, DIY chunky tassel bookmark, DIY elastic bookmark, DIY cut-out-shape bookmark. Or get access to all of our bookmark printables when you sign up for our free VIP (Very Intentional Parent) Vault of resources.
And remember, MayaSmart.com is your one-stop-shop for raising a reader, from evidence-based advice (like how to teach kids their ABCs) to fun activities that support key literacy learning and recommendations of great reads. Browse around the site for more tips and tutorials!
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