Sunday, June 16, 2013
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Best cheap Panasonic FV-11VQ5 WhisperCeiling 110 CFM Ceiling Mounted Fan, White
Best cheap Honeywell RCWL300A1006 Premium Portable Wireless Door Chime and Push Button
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
What Makes A Good Children's Book?
When you're selecting a good children's book you should look for a number of things. Is the story engaging to the child? Does it use a lot of sight words and repetition? Are the pictures helpful to the child to understand the words? Is it age appropriate for the child? Is it teaching them good values?
Let's look at each of the qualities and see why they are important.
Is the story engaging to the child?
With young children you need to capture their attention and keep it. Parents know that young children will generally flit from one thing to another after 5 to 10 minutes. If they have something that truly grabs their attention they will stick with it longer. So if the story in the book you've selected captures their attention they will sit with you through the whole story and often times want you to read it again and again.
Does the children's book use a lot of sight words?
Sight words are the simple words that make up 50 to 70 percent of any general text. You may have also heard of them as Doulch words. Many of these words you can't sound out and need to be learned by sight. Words such as are, and, an, at, the, that, did, do, green, just, must, make and if are all sight words. There are about 220 of them along with about 95 nouns. If the children's book has many of these words and uses them in repetition it will help your child recognize them faster and read better.
Pictures in a good children's book help the child understand the words.
If the character is talking about red strawberries there should be red strawberries pictured. It's teaching them about a sight word "red" and it's showing them the color and what a strawberry is. By associating the word to the picture they learn the word so the next time they see the word they see the picture in their mind.
Is the children's book age appropriate?
Parents know their children. Some are more advanced than others when it comes to reading so selecting age appropriate books can sometimes be tricky. If you have a 3 year old child that's already picking up words from stories you might want to consider buying books that are a little above them say in the 4 to 5 year old range. What's important is you want to keep them interested. If it's too hard for them to understand they won't want to read the story. At the same time you want to challenge them.
A good children's book will teach values and social interactions.
You want to teach them about things like saying please and thank you or how important it is to help your friends and people around them. Look for children's books that have messages like that in them.
Taking the time to find a good children's book can be very beneficial for your child. Teaching them words and social graces at a young age when their minds are soaking up everything that's put in front of them can help them immensely in later years. Help them develop skills early that they'll need and use for the rest of their life.
What Makes A Good Children's Book? Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Jack R. Mason - Author
Perry Bear Books (http://www.perrybearbooks.com)
watch mobile phone Low Price Plyometric Platform Box Set 12
Monday, February 25, 2013
Encouraging Children's Language Development
Parents and carers can use a range of strategies to encourage children's language development. We thought of the following:
Talking to the child - even before a child can speak it is important for the adults and children around him to talk to him, for instance, by explaining what you are doing together ('It's time for Adam's lunch, isn't it?'), or what is happening ('It's lovely and sunny out here', 'Mummy will be here soon'). Remember to leave pauses so the child has chance to respond.
Using facial expression to convey meaning - children may not understand the words but they will usually understand the meaning if clear expression is used. For instance, if a child picks up a piece of soil in the garden and is about to eat it you might take it off him saying 'yuck' or 'nasty'. He may not know what 'yuck' or 'nasty' mean. If, at the same time, you also scrunch up your face and stick out your tongue to indicate a horrible taste, the child will understand your meaning quite clearly. Most adults do this quite naturally when speaking to young children.
Reading and story-telling.
Social interaction. Including the child in experiences that give him the opportunity to hear conversations and meet new people.
Language and Other Areas of Development
The child's ability to communicate and use language effectively is of key importance to many other areas of their development.
Language has particularly close links with intellectual development and is the main tool by which we are able to develop our thought processes. For example, we use words to help us store and recall memories and other information.
Think about the word 'sunshine' - what memories and thoughts does this bring up for you?
Everyone's memories and thoughts will be a little bit different. When we asked a group of students this question, their answers included:
warmth light my holiday in Cyprus summer a t-shirt I have with a sun motif flowers.
This is a good example of the way in which words act as tools to help us organise and recall our thoughts and memories.
We also tend to use words mentally to direct and plan our actions, for example: "I'll drop these off at the library first and then call into the supermarket."
It follows that children whose communication skills are impaired in some way, or who have limited vocabularies, may also find it more difficult to develop reasoning skills and acquire new concepts.
Communication skills are essential if children are to express themselves clearly and understand others. It follows that there are close links between language and communication skills and the development of social skills. Poor communicators tend to find social situations difficult, and also find it more difficult to build relationships with other people.
Becoming a Communicator
Effective use of language involves far more than simply learning words - the child also needs to learn a whole range of skills around speech and communication, such as understanding how a conversation works. These are known as pragmatic skills.
Pragmatic skills begin to develop in the early weeks of life, with tiny babies 'turn taking', initiating communicative interchanges, and 'talking' non-verbally to their carers.
Pragmatic skills include:
knowing that you have to answer when a question has been asked; being able to participate in a conversation by taking it in turns with the other speaker; the ability to notice and respond to the non-verbal aspects of language; awareness that you have to introduce a topic of conversation in order for the listener to fully understand; knowing which words or what sort of sentence-type to use when initiating a conversation or responding to something someone has said; the ability to maintain a topic; the ability to maintain appropriate eye-contact (not too much staring, and not too much looking away) during a conversation; the ability to distinguish how to talk and behave towards different people and in different situations.
Many everyday activities can be used to encourage children's language development, for example during mealtimes or group work. Parents and carers should look for opportunities to help children develop their language. This would include opportunities to:
use questions
listen
learn new vocabulary
speak.
Handling Mistakes
Young children make many mistakes in their speech. They often use grammar incorrectly and they may mispronounce words because they have difficulty in making the correct sounds. They substitute the difficult sound for an easier one, for instance 'th' for 's', as in 'yeth' for 'yes'. Such difficulties usually resolve themselves by 5 or 6 years of age.
It is very important to tackle such errors in a positive way if you are to boost the child's confidence. Avoid direct correction of errors. Show the child that you have understood what he is trying to tell you and also teach him how to say the word correctly. For example:
Child: 'mook.'
It is better to respond with 'Yes! Book, book.' than 'No, not mook, book.'
With older children too, it often helps to echo back mistakes correctly. They get the message but they do not feel criticised. This can be the key to good communication between the two of you.
Child: 'I have to do vis homework for tomorrow.'
Adult: 'You have to do this for tomorrow? OK.'
Some children are so keen to get the words out, or have so much to say, that they stumble over their words. Parents may worry that the child is beginning to develop a stutter but this is just a temporary stage that many children go through. It is not a true stutter. It is only likely to become a problem if parents or carers make a fuss and try to correct the child's speech. The child then becomes self-conscious and a real stutter may develop, at which stage the help of a speech therapist may be required.
Delayed Language Development
Children may be slow in learning to talk for several reasons, including:
genetics - it may be that the child's parents were late talkers too. he or she may have been concentrating on other aspects of development, such as learning to walk. not enough individual attention from adults - children learn to talk from adults rather than children. This can be a problem in large families or where there are twins or young children who are very close in age. lack of encouragement. deafness - A child cannot learn to speak if he or she cannot hear the words spoken by other people. They also needs to able to hear themselves so that they can improve their own attempts at words. Interestingly, during the first year, profoundly deaf babies often babble at the same time as other babies, but they stop after a few months. This may be because they cannot hear themselves and so can't reinforce their babbling.
It is extremely important to recognise deafness in children at an early age, as the earlier the child receives treatment the better the outcome. Parents and carers are ideally placed to notice that something is wrong with a child's hearing. Such problems are also often picked up at the routine developmental checks carried out by health visitors during the first year or so.
Encouraging Children's Language Development Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Linda Pollitt, Director of Studies, Learning Curve
http://www.learningcurve-uk.com
To try a free short child psychology course visit:
[http://www.onthecurve.co.uk]
watches mobile phone New Carlisle 361200G60 Natural 12 Inch Strata Grit
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Coloring Therapy - How a Coloring Book and Crayons Can Help Dissolve Stress
Remember when you were a child, lying on your tummy on the floor, coloring book open, crayon in hand with the other crayons spilling out of the box? Can you remember the sense of peace and enjoyment you felt while you were coloring? Why not consider revisiting this favorite childhood pastime to help during those times when you find yourself feeling on edge.
Coloring is one of the best forms of meditation
For many of us, when we think of coloring, we connect to the innocence of childhood and a time when we weren't burdened by responsibility and expectation. Picking up a crayon once again can help us reconnect to a sense of simplicity we have temporarily lost.
You could think of coloring as letting your inner child come out and have a fun time, or you could think of this activity as a form of meditation. Choosing colors and the gentle, repetitive motion of your hand as you bring color to paper helps quiet your mind--bringing your usual rapid-fire thoughts down to a much slower pace.
Now that you're an adult, there are no limits
Not only can you now give yourself permission to color outside the lines, you can keep your coloring as simple, or get as sophisticated, as you want.
For less than you can buy a jumbo coloring book and a box of Crayola crayons. There is nothing like the smell of new crayons and getting reacquainted with your favorite color as well as opening a fresh coloring book and looking through all the possibilities before choosing your first page to color.
(You can also search the Web for the many sites which offer free, printer-friendly coloring pages.)
You may find that you have outgrown crayons and want to color using something with a different texture and a different feel. Pencil crayons and felt pens are an affordable alternative. But you may want to spend a bit of extra money and try colored pencils, Conte Crayons, oil pastels, pastels or watercolor pencils.
These days, many coloring books are used to market and promote children's movies or TV cartoon characters. Finding books containing basic illustrations of flowers, food, animals, etc are a bit more difficult, but not impossible. Themed coloring books are often best sellers.
Also, if you feel the need to bring some intellectual stimulation to your coloring time, there are several coloring books containing illustrations of the anatomy. It is said, one of the most effective ways medical students learn about the intricacies of the human body is by coloring detailed illustrations of various body parts.
Want to get a little risqué? There are also adult-themed coloring books as well.
To make coloring a true meditative and spiritual experience seek out a pre-made mandala design or create your own to color. Mandalas are complex, symmetrical geometric designs which draw the eye toward the center. Many religions use mandalas as a means of connecting the self to a higher power. Within Buddhism, mandalas are created as sacred places which, by their very presence, remind a viewer of the vastness of sanctity in the universe and its potential with in his or her own life. Creating a mandala is said to be a very powerful and sacred experience.
Think of coloring as a creative quick-fix
We all love to create. However, for some of us, painting and/or drawing is not our forte. And for those who do enjoy painting and/or drawing, sometimes it's difficult to find the time to begin a project. Coloring is the perfect creative quick-fix for anyone. It's a time to experiment with color and to express your moods with color in an effortless, convenient and affordable way.
Coloring alongside children can be inspiring. How about inviting a friend or two over for tea and some coloring time? And for any artists who are feeling a bit burnt out working in their usual medium, why not use coloring as a way to rejuvenate your creativity?
More than just as a stress reliever
Coloring is being used in formal therapeutic settings such as eye-hand coordination development and to help heal victims of trauma. Regardless of your needs, there is so much to be gained by spending some time coloring.
Coloring Therapy - How a Coloring Book and Crayons Can Help Dissolve Stress Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Wendy Wallace is an intuitive counselor offering sessions which combine psychic reading, life coaching and counseling--all to help heal your mind, body, and spirit. Visit her Web site to download a set of free coloring pages, find more information on color therapy and sign up for a chance to win a free session. Gain the insight you need. What changes might you make in life if you could know what the future holds? http://www.ifyoucouldknow.com
watches cell phone Save On Diode Led Di 0187 Fluid View Low Price Plyometric Platform Box Set 12
Saturday, February 9, 2013
3 Good Christian Children's Books About Death
There are several appealing children's books on the market either helping parents to explain death to young children, or targeted directly at children for their reading pleasure, which incorporate an explanation of death. But surprisingly few of these are specifically Christian books. However, I am able to recommend three such books which are very engaging.
1) Water Bugs and Dragonflies by Doris Stickney was published by The Pilgrim Press in 1982. This is a very small, slim book, containing a story which starts below the surface of a quiet pond among a little colony of water bugs. The story finishes with the transformation of a water bug into a dragonfly and illustrates beautifully the fact that the dragonfly cannot return below the surface of the water to tell the water bugs what has happened to it, and what life is like in its new body. A prayer follows, which the child reader may use as a guide when praying for the person whose loss he or she is mourning. The book then gives notes for parents advising them on what they can say to a child about death, and backing this up with quotations from Matthew and Mark showing the way Jesus approached little children. The book ends with a prayer for parents. I think this is an ideal resource for parents who might be unsure and insecure about how to handle the subject.
2) Will I Live Forever? by Carolyn Nystrom illustrated by Jo-Anne Shilliam was published by Lion Hudson in 2006. Told in the first person through the viewpoint of the young child, it directly addresses the reader with a question about sad, scary thoughts, and then relates those questions to the child's world. The story encapsulates the Christian understanding of why we die, starting with the story of the Creation, and of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It goes on to incorporate quotations from the Gospels. It is also very honest and straightforward about the physical processes of death - the corruption of the body, the reason why it must be cremated or buried, etc. It goes on to reflect upon heaven - once again answering the kind of direct, logical questions a young child will demand to be answered. This is an excellent book, one you will wish you'd had access to when you were a young child.
3) Grandma's Party by Meg Harper, illustrated by Paul Nicholls, was brought out by The Bible Reading Fellowship in 2003. This is a delightful book centred around the funeral of a grandmother, and it offers practical ways to help children be part of the grieving process when a loved one dies. It includes a story and also creative craft ideas for how a child may become involved in preparing for a tea following the funeral; recipes; instructions on calligraphy to make place cards; and how to make picture frames, books of memories, and paper water-lilies. The book has a solid Christian base, explaining the resurrection from the dead, and finishing with prayers which may be read by a child at the funeral. This is a lovely, practical book, helping parents to understand how to involve and include children at every stage, so they may live out the truth that death is a part of life, not something alien and taboo and frightening, to be hidden behind a wall of silence and mystifying rituals.
3 Good Christian Children's Books About Death Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
S.C.Skillman is the author of mystery romance novel "Mystical Circles" in which Juliet, concerned that her younger sister has fallen for the charismatic Craig, leader of a dubious New Age spiritual group, sets off for the Cotswolds to see the situation for herself. She arrives at Craig's community hoping to rescue Zoe. But intrigues, liaisons and relationships flare and flourish or fizzle out quickly within this close circle and, despite her reservations, Juliet is drawn into the Wheel of Love... with completely unforeseen consequences.
Mystical Circles is now available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. You can find out more by visiting the author's blog at http://www.scskillman.com.
watch mobile phone Order Polo Ralph Lauren Purple Label Satin Navy
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Who Was the First Scientist?
We live in a scientific age. Millions of young people study science, thousands of universities teach it, and hundreds of publications chronicle it. We even have a cable channel devoted exclusively to its wonders. We are immersed in technology rooted in its discoveries. But what is science, and who was its first practitioner?
Science is the study of the physical world, but it is not just a topic, a subject, a field of interest. It is a discipline--a system of inquiry that adheres to a specific methodology--the scientific method. In its basic form, the scientific method consists of seven steps:
1) observation;
2) statement of a problem or question;
3) formulation of a hypothesis, or a possible answer to the problem or question;
4) testing of the hypothesis with an experiment;
5) analysis of the experiment's results;
6) interpretation of the data and formulation of a conclusion;
7) publication of the findings.
One can study phenomena without adhering to the scientific method, of course. The result, however, is not science. It is pseudoscience or junk science.
Throughout history, many people in many parts of the world have studied nature without using the scientific method. Some of the earliest people to do so were the ancient Greeks. Scholars such as Aristotle made many observations about natural phenomena, but they did not test their ideas with experiments. Instead they relied on logic to support their findings. As a result, they often arrived at erroneous conclusions. Centuries later the errors of the Greeks were exposed by scholars using the scientific method.
Perhaps the most famous debunking of Greek beliefs occurred in 1589 when Galileo Galilei challenged Aristotle's notions about falling bodies. Aristotle had asserted that heavy bodies fall at a faster rate than light bodies do. His contention was logical but unproven. Galileo decided to test Aristotle's hypothesis, legend says, by dropping cannon balls of different weights from a balcony of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He released the balls simultaneously and found that neither ball raced ahead of the other. Rather, they sped earthward together and hit the ground at the same time. Galileo also conducted experiments in which he rolled balls of different weights down inclines in an attempt to discover the truth about falling bodies. For these and other experiments, Galileo is considered by many to be the first scientist.
Galileo was not the first person to conduct experiments or to follow the scientific method, however. European scholars had been conducting experiments for three hundred years, ever since a British-born Franciscan monk named Roger Bacon advocated experimentation in the thirteenth century. One of Bacon's books, Perspectiva (Optics) challenges ancient Greek ideas about vision and includes several experiments with light that include all seven steps of the scientific method.
Bacon's Perspectiva is not an original work, however. It is a summary of a much longer work entitled De aspectibus (The Optics). Perspectiva follows the organization of De aspectibus and repeats its experiments step by step, sometimes even word for word. But De aspectibus is not an original work, either. It is the translation of a book written in Arabic entitled KitÄb al-ManÄzir (Book of Optics). Written around 1021, KitÄb al-ManÄzir predates Roger Bacon's summary of it by 250 years. The author of this groundbreaking book was a Muslim scholar named AbÃ…« 'AlÄ« al-Hasan ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Haytham.
Born in Basra (located in what is now Iraq) in 965, Ibn al-Haytham --known in the West as Alhazen or Alhacen--wrote more than 200 books and treatises on a wide range of subjects. He was the first person to apply algebra to geometry, founding the branch mathematics known as analytic geometry.
Ibn al-Haytham's use of experimentation was an outgrowth of his skeptical nature and his Muslim faith. He believed that human beings are flawed and only God is perfect. To discover the truth about nature, he reasoned, one had to allow the universe to speak for itself. "The seeker after truth is not one who studies the writings of the ancients and, following his natural disposition, puts his trust in them," Ibn al-Haytham wrote in Doubts Concerning Ptolemy, "but rather the one who suspects his faith in them and questions what he gathers from them, the one who submits to argument and demonstration."
To test his hypothesis that "lights and colors do not blend in the air," for example, Ibn al-Haytham devised the world's first camera obscura, observed what happened when light rays intersected at its aperture, and recorded the results. This is just one of dozens of "true demonstrations," or experiments, contained in KitÄb al-ManÄzir.
By insisting on the use of verifiable experiments to test hypotheses, Ibn al-Haytham established a new system of inquiry--the scientific method--and earned a place in history as the first scientist.
Who Was the First Scientist? Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Bradley Steffens is the author of twenty-one books, coauthor of seven, and editor of the 2004 anthology, The Free Speech Movement. His Censorship was included in the 1997 edition of Best Books for Young Adult Readers and his Giants won the 2005 San Diego Book Award for Best Young Adult & Children's Nonfiction. His latest book is Ibn al-Haytham: First Scientist, the world's first biography of the eleventh-century Arab scholar known in the West as Alhazen.
watches mobile phone Buy Xcavator Whipmix Automated Divesting Unit Dental New Order Moorea Butler Faucet Kit With Aluminum Under
Sunday, February 3, 2013
What are the Best Kinds of Books to Sell as an Online Bookseller?
Like any other business or investment, the objective is to buy low and sell high, so the best books to sell online are the ones you can get cheap and sell at much higher prices. This is much easier said than done, which is why some booksellers opt to specialize.
Because the assumed objective of all online booksellers is to turn a profit and find homes for books in need, a better question to ask might be, "Why do some booksellers specialize?" Of the booksellers that specialize, most do so because they know one type of book better than other types. A popular theme is children's books. If someone has children and knows which types of children's books are more valuable than other types, they may just feel more comfortable dealing exclusively in that category. Still others are very good at identifying and locating first editions. What does seem to be a central theme with booksellers that specialize in one category or another is more knowledge about their category of specialty.
Still, the predominance of online booksellers do not specialize, they simply find books that will resell at prices higher than what they have to pay for them. This does not mean they do not know anything about specialized categories, it simply means they are open to any category where there is a profit to be had. There is nothing wrong with taking this approach, as this is exactly what bookstores have done for years.
Another logical question would be whether it is a good idea to exclude particular categories. There are probably as many arguments that support excluding categories as there are against doing so. Personally, unless I have time on my hands that I want to waste (maybe an hour each year) I avoid romance, cookbooks, book club editions, promotional books (Advance Reading Copies, principally because so many marketplaces prohibit the sale of this type of book) and popular novels. I am sure I have passed over some real gems in these categories, but my experiences in the past suggest I will be spending hours going through them only to find nothing of value. On the other hand, I know a few booksellers that make a nice living in these categories by finding valuable first editions and/or sets of books by a particular author that can be auctioned for considerable profit.
To be a successful online bookseller, you need only find a sufficient quantity of books that will sell online for a profit and to continue to add to your inventory more books than you sell. What value a book has to you is not really relevant if you want to sell it, the only thing that matters is its demand and what a customer is willing to pay for it. That said, I would encourage you to specialize if there is a category that you know well, but even then, if and only if you can find adequate inventory that will sell. It might be a lot of fun to specialize in a category of interest to you, but if you do not sell the books, you are not an online bookseller; you are a collector building a personal library.
What are the Best Kinds of Books to Sell as an Online Bookseller? Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Michael E. Mould is the author of "Online Bookselling: A Practical Guide with Detailed Explanations and Insightful Tips,", and developer of "Bookkeeping for Booksellers,", a 19 sheet linked and tabbed Excel Workbook designed to assist online booksellers with the calculation of their in-state retail sales tax obligations and the preparation of their Schedule C tax forms. "Bookkeeping for Booksellers" also provides 55 integrated graphs to visually show an online bookseller just how their business is performing.
"Bookkeeping for Booksellers" and "Online Bookselling" are both available for digital download here: http://www.e-junkie.com/cougarmountainbooks
mobile phone watches Low Price Plyometric Platform Box Set 12
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
What is Children's Literature?
It may seem strange to think that there is some question as to what constitutes a children's book for many after all this would seem like a question with an obvious answer. A children's book was after all created for children. However Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain one of the books considered to be classical children's literature was originally intended for adults and as indeed received some past censorship because of how interpret it was considered for children. The Grimm's fairy tales also where written initially for adults, yet they where bought for children. This situation of children taking over what was supposed to be an book for adults has led to many problems. After all society then complains that the story was not appropriate for children, and so attacks to book. Further the book not being appropriate for children perhaps does cause some social problems. Yet we still seem to consider many such books as children's literature.
Why is it books written for adults become children's books? Or at least books read by children. Although it is perhaps impossible to state all the reasons for this situation, I would forward three theories on ways in which this can occur.
The first reason is that a book offers a fantastic reality, an imaginative story, children like such stories and so for whatever reason it is presumed that such imaginativeness is in the realm of children's literature. This could for example be the case with Gulliver's Travels and of course the Grimm's Fairy Tales. In many ways I would argue it's sad that if a story is fun and imaginative it is automatically pushed off into the realm of children. Not that children's literature is lesser, indeed this imaginativeness has helped in many ways to make it superior to that created for adults. Rather it is sad that adults do not presume that such creative genius is worth more of their time.
Another reason which a book might become children's literature is that it is about a child, for some reason a child character makes people automatically assume a child should read it, as if they are the only ones who can relate to a child. This is a ridiculous notion of course, we where all children and besides of which all such books where written by intelligent adults.
The final reason I will propose is that many books and works of art intended for adults become children's as a means of expanding their reach or extending their life. This is why for example one will find the works of Jane Austen in the children's literature section at the book store with a little charm.
This still does not answer the question of what is children's literature. Part of the problem here may be that we have not yet truly defined the question, broad questions have broad answers. The question may be what should parents have their children read, or what should educators and those studying children's literature study in order to learn about the impact of literature on children? In the case of the first question the answer is in regards to the parents beliefs and their kids reaction to things. If a parent does not believe their kid should be exposed to something then it does not constitute children's literature for that kid. This definition of course makes the whole field of children's books very difficult as there are so many differing views on what is acceptable for children to read.
However this problem would beg the question, is the purpose of the definition to help people study children's literature or to help parents decide which books their kids can read? In the case of the purpose for study children's literature would constitute all books which children regularly read. After all the purpose of study is to determine what is acceptable to read and what impact such readings have on children, as will as ways to make future books better. For this purpose to be effective all books which children read must be included.
Part of the difficulty of course with determining what constitutes children's literature is that there is some debate as to what children are.
After all different cultures have at times believed many different things about children. However I would point out that this in and of itself is exactly the point, childhood is viewed as different by different cultures. It is then a cultural definition, one which our society can answer and change. Certainly it is difficult for people to accept this idea, and for many the idea that the culture determines someone's role is tantamount to prejudice, however when it comes to defining a state and an impact we are indeed looking at cultural variables. One cannot for example assume that a picture book based on the Impressionist style, and with Swedish Motifs would have the same impact on Americans as it does Japanese or Swedes. It is culture which determines the role literature plays in our lives so it is through a cultures definitions of something that that thing should be defined. Further accepting one cultures definition of what defines children and not another's is prejudice.
In American culture this definition of child has been constructed in a way as Minors to the age of 18, however not all of these ages are considered children per say, they are teenagers, pre-teens, Elementary, Preschool, Toddlers and more. However as a society we have defined these groups and so a wish to understand their demographic must begin with the societies definitions of them. Arguing that a culture is wrong is often a mute point, just as literature is a social construct many of the emotions and impact surrounding it are too.
Children's literature then according to my definition and the definition which will be found throughout this site is literature which impacts directly through reading a fairly decent percentage of the population which is considered children by the culture it is from.
Or in the case of cross-cultural analysis such impacts will extend to ages determined by the culture with the oldest children or the largest definition of them. Why? Because in many cases especially historical ones children where considered adults fairly young, yet if we want to compare differences in impact between 8 year olds we must study both sets of 8 year olds. It is important to stress that this is not a means to push one cultures definition on another it is merely a research construct intended to help study literature, so that we can better understand its impact.
Ty Hulse has degree's in art and psychology with both with a children's and a cross-cultural focus. He is currently working to create the site Zeluna.net which discusses Children's Literature and Picture Books, as will as Fairy Tales.
watch cell phone Purchase Cheap 14K White Gold Heart Solitaire Navel
Friday, January 25, 2013
Writing Lesson Plan - A Children's Writing Lesson Plan For Beginners
Since many aspiring children's book writers are also teachers, it might be a good idea to offer some advice in a familiar format -- a writing lesson plan. We'll develop this plan step-by-step.
LESSON ONE:
Let's start our adventure with a look at the categories of children's books:
* Picture books -- In its broadest definition, a picture book is a book in which the illustrations play a significant role in telling the story. Under this umbrella are several types of books:
1. Baby Books -- For infants and young toddlers, these books are generally lullabies, nursery rhymes, fingerplays, or wordless books. The length and format varies with the content.
2. Toddler books -- Very simple stories for ages 1-3 (under 300 words) familiar to a child's everyday life, or concept books (teaching colors, numbers, shapes, etc.) Books are short (12 pages is average) and the format can be board books (sturdy paper-over board construction), pop-ups, lift-the flaps or novelty books (books that make sounds, have different textures, etc.) See the "Max" series of board books by Rosemary Wells (Dial).
3. Picture books -- Traditionally, picture books (also called "picture story books") are 32-page books for ages 4-8 (this age may vary slightly by publisher). Manuscripts are up to 1500 words, with 1000 words being the average length. Plots are simple (no sub-plots or complicated twists) with one main character who embodies the child's emotions, concerns and viewpoint. The illustrations (on every page or every other page) play as great a role as the text in telling the story. Occasionally a picture book will exceed 1500 words; this is usually geared toward the upper end of the age spectrum. Picture books cover a wide range of topics and styles. The list of Caldecott Medal winners, available from your library, is a good place to start your research. Nonfiction in the picture book format can go up to age 10, 48 pages in length, or up to about 2000 words of text.
4. Early picture books -- A term for picture books geared toward the lower end of the 4-8 age range. These stories are simple and contain under 1000 words. Many early picture books have been reprinted in the board book format, thus widening the audience. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (Philomel) is an example.
As we continue our writing lesson plan, we step up to a slighty older age group:
* Easy readers -- Also called "easy-to-read", these books are for children just starting to read on their own (age 6-8). They have color illustrations on every page like a picture book, but the format is more "grown-up" -- smaller trim size, sometimes broken into short chapters. The length varies greatly by publisher; the books can be 32-64 pages long, with 200-1500 words of text, occasionally going up to 2000 words. The stories are told mainly through action and dialogue, in grammatically simple sentences (one idea per sentence). Books average 2-5 sentences per page. See the "Amelia Bedelia" books by Peggy Parish or other "I Can Read" books published by Harper Trophy.
* Transition books -- Sometimes called "early chapter books" for ages 6-9, they bridge the gap between easy readers and chapter books. Written like easy readers in style, transition books are longer (manuscripts are about 30 pages long, broken into 2-3 page chapters), books have a smaller trim size with black-and-white illustrations every few pages. See "The Kids of the Polk Street School" series by Patricia Reilly Giff (Dell) or the "Stepping Stone Books" published by Random House.
* Chapter books -- For ages 7-10, these books are 45-60 manuscript pages long, broken into 3-4 page chapters. Stories are meatier than transition books, though still contain a lot of action. The sentences can be a bit more complex, but paragraphs are still short (2-4 sentences is average). Chapters often end in the middle of a scene to keep the reader turning the pages. Look at the "Herbie Jones" books by Suzy Kline (Puffin) and the "Ramona" books by Beverly Cleary (Morrow).
* Middle grade -- This is the golden age of reading for many children, ages 8-12. Manuscripts suddenly get longer (100-150 pages), stories more complex (sub-plots involving secondary characters are woven through the story) and themes more sophisticated. Kids get hooked on characters at this age, which explains the popularity of series with 20 or more books involving the same cast. Fiction genres range from contemporary to historical to science fiction/fantasy; nonfiction includes biographies, science, history and multicultural topics. Check out some middle grade novels from the list of Newberry Medal winners at your library to get you started.
Our final stop for this writing lesson plan is one of the hottest areas of publishing:
* Young adult -- For ages 12 and up, these manuscripts are 130 to about 200 pages long. Plots can be complex with several major characters, though one character should emerge as the focus of the book. Themes should be relevant to the problems and struggles of today's teenagers, regardless of the genre. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton defined young adult when it was first published in 1967; the Newbery Medal award list also contains many worthy titles. A new age category (10-14) is emerging, especially with young adult nonfiction. These books are slightly shorter than the 12 and up category, and topics (both fiction and nonfiction) are appropriate for children who have outgrown middle grade but aren't yet ready for the themes (fiction) or who aren't studying the subjects (nonfiction) of high school readers.
Back with Step 2 of our writing lesson plan soon! In the meantime, visit http://cbiclubhouse.com to learn about the right way to write stories and submit them to children's book publishers.
Writing Lesson Plan - A Children's Writing Lesson Plan For Beginners Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Laura Backes is the Publisher of Children's Book Insider, the Newsletter for Children's Book Writers. Want to learn how to become a successful children's book author? Come hang with the Fightin' Bookworms at http://cbiclubhouse.com Whether is writing picture books, chapter books, young adult novels, finding children's book publishers -- or anything else -- you'll find all the answers at the CBI Clubhouse!
watches cell phone Save On Diode Led Di 0187 Fluid View
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
The Mini Notebook - A Perfect Student & Children's Computer
Mini notebook computers, which are also called mini netbooks, may be seen all over at the moment, even in a lot of classrooms. It might seem that the mini laptop has materialized and turned out to be the most prevalent variety of pc effectively straight away. The novel mini laptop computer gives maximum functionality contained in an exceedingly condensed profile.
Screen Size
The lone objection certain purchasers state with these mini notebook computers is the miniature screen size however it changes depending to some amount on the version and make that you pay money for. Right away, there will be selected makes on the market that include bigger screen sizes whilst maintaining the condensed size. These minis are also lightweight and easily portable, with nearly all tipping the scales at a little more than a pound to about three pounds with screen sizes varying from seven to ten inches. Should you have already seen a mini laptop computer it follows that you will already understand how appealing these little laptops are. Most industry professionals already have one of these mini notebook computers. Professionals like them because of the condensed size and their functionality.
Price
Mini notebook computers have become inexpensive especially once compared with ordinary laptop computers. Because these minis are much smaller, the price of production is cut, and so the cheaper purchase price. This has made the existing mini notebooks an instantaneous hit particularly with the current economic climate. There are currently brands to buy that exhibit a similar purchase price to a modern cellular phone. With compelling and innovative knowledge all contained in such a small package, the mini notebook computer has captured the attention of knowledge aware folks everywhere. Even though lesser in size, the functionality of the mini laptop has not been sacrificed. Speedy hard disk drives, contemporary processors, together with a realistically sized keyboard are now available features with mini laptop computers. Access to contemporary expertise for our children must be an absolute necessity. But, the price of computers can be so excessive that many parents may be unable to purchase a normal pc. Using the option of the mini notebook, virtually everyone can now enjoy the benefits of online access.
For Children & Students
Laptop computers for school children ought to be lightweight, easily portable and durable with a condensed size that will definitely squeeze into their bag. Moreover, think about the functionality of the laptop computer. If your pc is to be made use of in the college or a distance from your home frequently, then assess the length of the battery life. The perfect laptop computer has to hold a rechargeable battery that will work for a few hours without charging up. In addition, ensure that the computer will have an satisfactory wireless connection, as the web has nowadays developed into the most useful means to educate. Another feature to include when selecting your student pc may be that you will require a piece of word processing software to write and edit your assignments. The normal version of Microsoft Office will probably be sufficient for nearly all of your requirements, but, whenever you mean to do any type of slide-show presentations or website construction, you will most likely want to purchase Office Pro.
When you need a really discounted pc, in that case you possibly will think about looking for a refurbished laptop and not a new one. There are various benefits to doing this but the huge one will be the low purchase price. An extra advantage that a large amount of purchasers will disregard is the fact that a refurbished laptop will have been already screened for defects, at the same time as someone else will have been making use of it.
Now, buying first-rate, inexpensive laptop computers for school children is possible if you discover one of the hosts of locations that there will be refurbished laptop computers to be had. If you're on a budget, as on the whole college students will be, you should save a lot of cash by buying carefully. But, purchasing a reduced pc might result in going for something shoddy. When you're investing a lot of money for an education, you may need to also supply the best technology in the form of a first-rate laptop computer which should keep going several years. So now have this in your thoughts as you buy that perfect student laptop computer.
An extra reason these mini notebooks are the 'just what the doctor ordered' student laptop computers is their wallet friendly price. A lot of college students are as a rule on a strict budget and these mini laptops are a seamless match. Most first-rate mini notebooks are nowadays priced in the 0 to 0 price range, whilst many other entirely passable ones go for well below 0. In addition, price tickets are now constantly falling, so virtually any student can nowadays buy a mini laptop.
Where To Find A Deal
Firstly you may take a look at one of the inexpensive laptop computers offered from all of the foremost computer designers. The majority will have varieties that will supply the components college students require, but also with a lower cost. These inexpensive laptop computers may not include some desirable software, but initially for nearly all college students, these uncomplicated laptop computers are spot on. Most may even incorporate gigantic hard disk storage space and modern cases. It is thought that during next year most computer manufacturers should be able to sell mini notebook computers for less than 0. These designers also expect to drop their weight to under a pound. Whether you mean to send e-mail, make videos, keep in touch, or simply use the net, mini notebook computers are innovative even before having these measures.
Shouldn't Replace A Normal Computer
You must understand however, that these mini notebooks aren't planned to supplant the PC. Whilst mini notebook computers are getting better, many makes are still finding it challenging to squeeze the quick functionality together with the great memory on the market into such condensed pieces. As a result, most mini laptop computers are not as efficient as a normal laptop computer. Mini notebook computers, however, can be modified and improved to suit the requirements of the consumer. There will be various admirable mini laptop options these days. The laptop manufacturers like Asus, Hewlett Packard, Apple, and others provide a extensive array of features and makes. When you're looking for a capable computer, you'll absolutely want to have a good look at these mini notebooks.
An extra grounds for acquiring a mini laptop is the array of options they confer. The best habitually have 3 USB ports together with many internet options. Unlike hand held devices, that may cost just as much or even more. Mini notebook computers allow a more potent processor, extra memory together with improved desirable software options.
Safety
Possibly, one of your top priorities while selecting laptop computers for school children ought to be theft. You may at the moment find many different anti-theft extras as fingerprint entry and maybe even receive facial recognizing software within some of the brand new laptop computers. You can also purchase a useful cable lock which will keep the computer a little safer. In addition, you could assess anti-theft software as LoJack which is able to follow and trace your stolen computer with the unique IP identification whenever it is made use of to connect to the web.
The Mini Notebook - A Perfect Student & Children's Computer Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Paul B has loved using his mini notebook for school and has even written a mini notebook guide to help people find that perfect computer.
watches mobile phone Order Moorea Butler Faucet Kit With Aluminum Under Purchase Cheap 14K White Gold Heart Solitaire Navel
Sunday, January 20, 2013
8 Tips For Decorating A Small Bedroom
When decorating a small bedroom then it makes sense wherever possible to conserve the floor space you have in order to make a cramped room feel larger than it really is. Below are some small bedroom decorating ideas which should help you to achieve the right result for such a small space.
1. If you do not have enough space in the room for small bedside table then why not place a wall mounted shelf next to the bed. It will have enough space on it to place an alarm clock, books, photos and other items which will personalize the space for you.
2. If you do not have the room for a bureau or closet then use under bed storage instead. They can either be made from inexpensive plastic or if you wish you can have some made to order from wood. But it is important that you have enough space beside the bed so that you can pull them out when you need access to them.
3. For those of you who want to watch a little TV before going to sleep then fit either a wall or ceiling mounted TV stand. You will be able to purchase one in any good DIY store or store that specializes in storage products.
4. The colours that you use on your walls in a small bedroom should be neutral tones and only 2 or 3 hues of this colour should be used in the room. It is important that you paint the moldings and doors in the room in the same colours as the walls by using contrasting colours you will be making the room feel smaller than it is. The ceilings should be painted white as they will provide a sense of height to the room.
5. The furniture for such a room should be clean lined and have small delicate patterns on it which will help to foster the illusion of space.
6. Open up the room by maximizing any views that it may have of the outdoors by using light fabrics or blinds at the windows.
7. Ensure that the room is well illuminated as this will also provide a sense of space in such a small room.
8. If you are able to add a mirror in a position opposite a natural form of light as this will help to provide further light into a room and therefore create the illusion of space.
Hopefully the small bedroom decorating ideas that have been provided above will help to create the haven of peace and tranquility that you are looking for in such a confined space.
8 Tips For Decorating A Small Bedroom Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Lee Dobbins writes on many topics including bedroom decorating. Please visit Bedroom-Designs-And-Decorations.com to get more tips on decorating your bedroom.
watches mobile phone Order Polo Ralph Lauren Purple Label Satin Navy Low Price Plyometric Platform Box Set 12 Low Price T9 Bulgarian English English Bulgarian Electronic