Learn to count to ten with Little Mouse! This board book features a large lift-flap on every page, making learning to count easy and fun! With stylish retro-modern illustrations this is the perfect introduction to counting for young children.
Our Thoughts
Math skills are becoming more and more important for young children and one of the basic math skills children learn first is counting to ten. As parents, we can help set up our children for success by helping them learn these important skills in a fun and unique manner – through books!
This unique hard cover book is a follow-up the popular One Thousand Things by the same author. In this book, Little Mouse, takes us on an adventure to learn how to count to ten. We count animals, insects, cars, stars and more in this book. Each page and number features its own large lift flap, which helps to make the book interactive and fun for young readers.
This book is designed for an age group of two to five but your child is never too young to start reading to! The bright, bold design and illustrations on each page will help draw your child into the story and keep their interest. The illustrations are somewhat geometric in design and are perfect for young readers to identify.
Counting Things will make a great addition to your child’s growing home educational library!
You can purchase a copy of Counting Things on Amazon.
About the Author
Anna Kovecses is a young, dynamic illustrator whose work marries contemporary minimalism with an appealing retro-modern illustration style. She was born in Hungary and now lives and works in Cyprus.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
My boys had their first day of school yesterday. It was full of excitement and nerves – they were excited to see all of their friends again but nervous for the changes and the new expectations. We had a lot of must do items on our back to school list that we are still working on that extends well beyond shopping for school supplies, new clothes and shoes.
So, what are the most two important items that you should include on your back to school preparation list besides the obvious?
Book important medical and dental visits.
It is so important to book an appointment with your family doctor for a general check-up for your child. As they get older and are healthier, we tend to visit the doctor less frequently. Use back to school time as a chance to re-connect with your family doctor, make sure they are meeting developmental milestones as well as being up to date with vaccines. You should also book an appointment to have their eyes checked. This is a service that is covered by OHIP and if they are struggling seeing the boards in class, this could cause other health and behavioural problems.
One of the most overlooked visits is to the dentist. Good dental hygiene is so important for your child as they learn to develop good habits now for later on in life. Unfortunately, some children can develop a fear of the dentist early on which can stop them from visiting the dentist and could cause complications like cavities and plague build up. Ensuring you take them for their regular dental checkups will help to feel comfortable at the dentist’s office. Just like a visit to the doctor’s office, you want it to be fun and enjoyable for everyone involved. Choose a dentist and hygienist that your child feels comfortable with. Our boys have long and hilarious conversations with ours – from talks about soccer, school all the way to their friends and what they like to eat.
Help your child return to their school routine at least a week in advance.
Trust me, the earlier you start the routine, the better it will be for you in the long run. During the summer we tend to relax on our rules, spend more time outside and stay up later. This is harder to do once school starts up again and your child needs all of the sleep that they can get.
Start getting them into the habit of waking up at a set time, making their bed and brushing their teeth in the morning. The same goes for bedtime – set a realistic bed time that will be the same during the school year and follow your routine of bath, brushing your teeth and reading a good book.
Children can easily become bored with routines, so keep it fun! Allow them to choose their own toothbrushes – from beloved characters like Spiderman to My Little Pony, from Arm & Hammer™ Spinbrush™ and Orajel™ will make brushing more enjoyable!. I have always loved the battery-operated brushes, it helps to ensure that each tooth is properly cleaned even when your child is not in the mood to brush properly. While they are brushing, play music or dance – get silly! All kids love being silly, no matter what their age.
As we return back to school, the most important thing that you as a parent can do for your child is keep an open line of communication. This is a stressful time for everyone, when your child knows that they can confide in you about their emotions and fears they will be more confident.
Are you ready to help your child get back into the dental swing of things with a prize pack from Arm & Hammer™ and Orajel™?
My Canadian readers can enter now to win a Dental Prize pack including three Arm & Hammer™ Kids Spinbrush™ Battery Brush and Orajel™ Anticavity Fluoride Toothpaste . Enter via the rafflecopter form below – good luck!
Community: A feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. – Merriam Webster Definition
My children, like so many others, spent the majority of their day in school with their teachers and friends. Their friends, teachers, principal and administrative staff have become a second family to my boys. They are there for them when I can’t be, they clean up cuts, teach them to share and build a classroom based on respect, friendship, faith and learning. This second home is where my children learn important life skills and develop a sense of belonging, pride and giving back to their local community. Knowing how important education, school and the community environment that they are a part of is, I chose Catholic Education for my children. I wanted them to have the same positive experiences that I had as a child and to be nurtured in an environment that pushes them to succeed while supporting each and every individual in the classroom.
My boys participate in many events at their school from mass to monthly awards ceremonies to reading buddy groups to sports activities after school to themed events outside of school hours (French Cafe for example). As a family, we have attended many schools events outside of school hours such as BBQs, plays, mass , Advent nights and fundraisers for families in our school. The extracurricular activities at our school are based on faith and respect – including sports activities where a prayer is said before each and every game.
Recently, one of the parents of three children in our school was diagnosed with terminal cancer and to help support this family, a movie fundraiser was organized by the teachers and family community, with all proceeds from the event going to help support this family in a difficult time. This movie night brought together families from all age groups, teachers and administrative staff in the school that wanted to show this family that they were not alone during this difficult time and that we are all there to support them through giving our time, our thoughts, our prayers and acts of kindness.
Why is community so important?
Community is so important for many reasons. One of the most important benefits of belonging to a community is that it helps children to realize that there is more to life than just themselves. We are here to serve others and to give back to others wherever we can. We have all been so blessed and it is important for children to learn the importance of giving back and helping others out in hard times. Being a part of a community in a Catholic school gives you the opportunity to help others in the school, not because it is expected but because you are taught the value and importance of giving back to others by their teachers. I started volunteering in my teen years as a school requirement, I continued to volunteer long after the requirement was met because of the joy I received from working in hospitals and retirement homes. I knew I was making an impact in the lives of others and it gave me a strong sense of accomplishment and joy. I want my boys to experience that same feeling of joy in giving back to others.
Community helps individuals know and feel that they belong to a group who will support them and provide them guidance. When I drop my boys off at their school, they know so many of the students regardless of how old they are. They play sports together, they look after each other when someone is hurt (I have had some of the older students even approach me after school when my youngest had been hurt playing, asking how he was because they had helped him to a teacher to receive care for his cuts) and they are each other’s biggest cheerleaders. Being a smaller school, their teachers know them so well and I have had great conversations about my boys, their learning and how they behave in the yard with many teachers outside of their home classroom.
Being a part of a faith based community and learning to give back to others is so important for children as they grow up. Learning these important life lessons in school from their teachers is crucial for instilling these values at a young age. Ontario Catholic Teachers play a huge role in creating well rounded, thoughtful students who understand the importance of community and giving back to others.
Disclosure: This post is part of the YummyMummyClub and Ontario’s Catholic Teachers #CatholicTeachers sponsored program. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors.
Canada is an amazing country to live in – we have the freedom to do and be who we want to be without fear. We have access to healthcare, education and resources that help us to succeed and grow in life. When I asked my kids what made Canada special, their answer: “That we can be whoever we want to be and no one is mean to you for that”.
Every parent is familiar with the popular, Owlkids brand. Owlkids was founded in 1976 and is based out of Toronto. They bring you the popular, Chirp (ages 3-6), chickadee (ages 6-9) and OWL (9-13) magazines to more than one million readers a year!
With Canada’s 150th birthday around the corner, how did OWL Magazine decide to celebrate Canada? With a magazine cover contest!
Children, 8-14, from across Canada were encouraged to submit art that best represented what they thought made Canada special. The contest ran from February 18th to March 31st and OWL Magazine received over 400 submissions! The greatest recurring theme in all of the submissions was the importance of diversity and unity. It is so important that inclusion, acceptance and diversity are celebrated and encouraged especially among are youth.
So who was the winner and what was their submission?
The winner was 11 year old Abigail DiBiase from Wasaga Beach, Ontario. Abigail’s submission represented the importance and positivity of acceptance, diversity and celebrating our uniqueness. It highlights where we as Canadians came from and the future that we are working towards. When Abigail was asked about her submission, she had this to say: “I love the magazine and had a lot of fun working on my cover. My artwork shows that Canada is full of so many different people and I think it’s really cool that we all live together in a happy way”. Does that not just make your heart melt?
With their unique and special cover, celebrating the diversity that is Canada – OWL Magazine wants you to join in on the Canada 150 celebration with a special giveaway. One lucky Canadian reader will win an OWL gift bag (with a value of $80) containing:
One year gift subscription form with ribbon
OWL magazine holder
Current OWL magazine issue
The Book of Languages
Message Pad
Owlkids Tote bag
My Canadian readers can enter via the Rafflecopter form below – GOOD LUCK!
Children spend a fair portion of their lives in a classroom. It is where they learn not only important language, math and science skills but also skills for life. They learn how to be friends, citizens in their community and to respect the world they live in. An excellent teacher helps guide them through these lessons by giving them the tools they need to guide them along this journey.
My parents registered my siblings and I in the York Region Catholic District School board and it was one of the best decisions they ever made for us. I spent fifteen years of my life in a community of support and engagement. I still remember all of the art shows, fun days and after school activities we were able to participate in. It was the amazing teachers working behind the scenes that helped to support the engagement, participation and good will spirit in our schools. It is only as an adult that I can truly begin to appreciate the amount of work and devotion they put in to us students!
When I was in high school, I found myself debating whether or not I should continue in the sciences. I wasn’t sure if it was a good field for me and even if I fit in. Sciences were dominated by males, they didn’t make you feel like the odd one out but you still felt strange in class with more boys than girls. It was my Grade 10 (and later on 12) teacher, Mr. Smith who cemented my decision to continue in the Sciences and later on attend McMaster University for Kinesiology. He used humour in such a way to make us feel engaged, want to learn more and to even better understand the course work. There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t have us in tears from laughing so hard. He truly loved his students and wanted them to succeed. Under his guidance, a group of us participated in the Aventis Biotech Challenge. This found us working at Sick Kids Hospital for several months in their laboratory, putting together a presentation and poster board to present our findings. We came in fifth place that year and it was all to the amount of hours Mr. Smith helped put in for us. He was there to help us practice our speeches over and over again, with great tips, he gave guidance on what a poster board should look like and how to make our group stand out. He made us proud to be a part of something bigger. He even joined us at Aventis later on in the month for a tour that we were awarded as part of our coming in fifth place. He taught me to always push myself harder and further – to never box myself in by fears. This has been one of the greatest life lessons that I was blessed to be given.
When I became a Mom, I knew that this was the environment I wanted my children to grow up in. A community of teachers who loved teaching and seeing my children succeed as much as I did. Teachers that would guide, show compassion and understanding and encourage the children to push themselves to do their best every day. I could not wait to register my boys fully knowing they were about to embark on a journey of education, faith and friendship.
My boys take after me quite a bit – from my shy ways to my perfectionism. It can take a lot to draw them out of their shells and no one did this better than my son’s teacher, Mr. Rocchi. My son truly came alive under his guidance. He loved going to school every day – he excelled in all of his classes, he made new friends in different grades, he was learning about respect and time management. Mr. Rocchi encouraged him to always do his best but to do so with humility and respect. It wasn’t always about winning but the journey along the way. Mr. Rocchi coached my son after school for flag football and although my youngest is seven years younger, he let him play along, gather the flags and “coach”. He made one young child’s year with his kindness! Mr. Rocchi is an incredible teacher, guide and example for the children in our boy’s school – I have kept my fingers crossed that our youngest is in his class!
Ontario Catholic Teachers have an excellent opportunity to teach our children more than just math, language and science. They have the opportunity to teach them important values and goals that will help them become stronger members in their community. I am proud to have not only been one of their students but that my children are students now under their guidance!
Teachers play an important part in your child’s life, what has a teacher done that has gone above and beyond your expectations?
Disclosure: This post is part of the YummyMummyClub and Ontario’s Catholic Teachers #CatholicTeachers sponsored program. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors.
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