TD Summer Reading Club 2019

As much as I hate to admit it, we are nearing the end of the summer. It just seems to go so fast, especially considering that the weather didn’t start to pick up for us here in Newfoundland until mid-July. While we have packed a lot into a few short weeks, there are still some things on my summer bucket list and a few key things I want to experience with Brennen before he goes back to school. One thing on our list this year was to make more time to read together, and I think we’ve done a good job of that!

Brennen and I have been participating in the TD Summer Reading Club – Canada’s biggest bilingual summer reading program for kids of all ages, interests, and abilities, where kids can:

- Join activities happening in local libraries

- Read books online and get reading recommendations

- Track their own reading and collect stickers and online badges

- Connect online to share jokes, stories, book reviews, and more with other kids across Canada

As part of the TD Summer Reading Club, you receive a summer reading booklet, stickers, a web code and a reading goal sheet. You set a goal of how many books you want to read over the summer, and the great thing is that ALL books count – even books that a grown-up reads to you!

Studies show that kids who keep reading all summer do better when they return to school in the fall. Participating in a summer reading club is a great way to build excitement about reading!

Our local library has a wide variety of books available in alternative formats, and we like to try them out once in a while. Brennen does not read Braille, but we like to let him feel the texture on the pages of a book while we read the story, and he seems to enjoy this!

Brennen received an Accessible Notebook, which includes sections from both the pre-reader and school-age notebooks. Accessible tips have been added to support kids who have vision loss, a learning disability or a physical disability making it difficult to hold or turn the pages of a book.

We had a great time participating in the TD Summer Reading Club once again this year. I read a quote once by an author who said that her hope for all children was that they “feel free to imagine themselves as whoever they want to be in the fictional world, because that is, after all, a stepping stone to imagining yourself as whoever you want to be in the real world.”

I think this is what I hope for Brennen, as we are reading stories together. I hope he is able to imagine himself as a character in the books we are reading, and to use his imagination to take him on all sorts of fun adventures!

What are some children's books that you are loving? I'd love to hear about them!

Ben's Adventures

Brennen and I received a beautiful book recently about a little boy named Ben.

Benjamin Robert Gerlach loved being outside with the sun in his face and the wind in his hair. He was a triplet, brother, son, friend, student and church-goer. He was also a young boy living with Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy. But this didn't define him. He loved lights, toys, movement, noises, his preschool class, his brother and sister, and his mommy and daddy.

He had many challenges in his short life but lived every day with a smile on his face. After a two-year fight with multiple respiratory illnesses, Ben lost his battle on May 2, 2016. This book is dedicated to Benjamin and shows that everyone can have an adventure. And despite medical and physical differences, all kids can play and dream.

Ben's mom, Elizabeth wrote this beautiful book in memory of her son. She was inspired to develop the Ben's Adventures series as a tribute to her son, allowing him to live on and share that even though his short life was a struggle, he was a little boy first.. with friends, dreams, and a love for his family and his life.

In spring 2017, Elizabeth launched the Ben Smiles Memorial Foundation to spread Ben’s story, his smile, and to support their community through gifts and acts of service. Ben Smiles is dedicated to enhancing the playing, learning and living of special needs kids and their families by gifting toys and other important devices to children like her son Ben.

A portion of the proceeds from book sales will support Ben Smiles' mission. 

Elizabeth believes that things happen for a reason, and this was meant to be their story.

"I can't walk. I can't talk. But that's okay! I use my imagination every day."

Brennen and I love reading this book together because it is not often that we get to see characters portrayed in stories that have abilities similar to his. We love how Ben uses his imagination to take him on all sorts of fun adventures, and I like to hope that this is what Brennen does as well. While we try to do lots of fun things together as a family, I am sure that Brennen also imagines himself floating through the clouds, or running on a beach and building sandcastles. That's just what kids do! Their imaginations are limitless and getting swept up in their thoughts and dreams is possibly the best thing that can happen to a little brain.

Elizabeth, I am so sorry for the loss of your sweet Benjamin, and I know that nothing can take away the pain of that loss, but you are doing incredible things to keep his memory alive and you are having a lasting impact on families with children like ours. Thank you for sharing your boy with us. Thank you for showing me the power of imagination. I am both inspired and challenged to embrace this ever complex life and to encourage my own child's imagination in every way I can. 

Read more about Ben's Adventures and purchase your own copy of the book HERE!

Petit Mail

With so much of our time focused on technology these days, I love getting good old-fashioned paper mail. And when the majority of our mail is comprised of bills, bank statements and medical appointment reminders, it is exciting to find a brightly coloured, fun looking envelope sticking out of the pile!

We recently discovered Petit Mail - a kids story postcard subscription created and written right here in Newfoundland by local mom and entrepreneur, Alison Butler. Alison created Petit Mail with her own kids in mind, after noticing how her young daughter loved going with her to their community mailbox. She wanted to give her the excitement of finding a piece of mail with her own name written on it. Learn more about Alison and the story behind Petit Mail story postcards here.

Petit Mail is a fun way to introduce a new generation to the joy of snail mail. Every month, your Petit Mail story postcard arrives in your mailbox in a bright, colourful envelope, addressed by hand with your child’s first name. Brennen was pretty excited to receive his!

Each Petit Mail story postcard has a different theme, such as: art, writing, science, engineering, nature, reading, and imaginative play, all at an age-appropriate level. We were excited to receive several themes to try this month!

Brennen and I enjoy making art, so I was thrilled to find 'Oliver Explores Art' in his envelope. We read the postcard, then used the tips on the back to dive right in and make some art together!

All kids love to use their imaginations and create something new with their own hands. Some kids, like Brennen, need extra help to do so but it is just as important for him to be creative as it is for anyone else. Art fosters sensory perception, offers children a chance to experiment, create and build. It strengthens their ability to think and make decisions, and helps children make sense of the world around them. And art is fun! Children have a natural tendency to create, and as always, with children’s art activities (certainly at our house) it is more about the process than the final product.

I love that Petit Mail encourages a parent and child to spend quality time together, and offers you suggestions of new and unique ways to spend that time with your child. As a Mom, I always harbor a bit of guilt, thinking I could be doing more. There is always too much to do and not enough time to do it, and the reality of life with jobs and families and infinite responsibilities is that we must prioritize and make time for what is most important. For me, that is my children. Spending precious time with Brennen is at the top of my list. It can be tough at times to connect and engage with him, but I will continue to make efforts to find ways to nurture our relationship, because it is the most valuable part of my life.

Thanks to Alison at Petit Mail for creating such a high quality subscription service that offers so much in one little envelope.

Our next story postcard is 'Milo Loves Reading'. We love reading together, and we love to visit our local library, so this one should be fun!!

Alison has also recently created a Preschool Kids Reading Club on Facebook where parents can share book ideas and recommendations specifically for preschoolers and early readers. Learn more about that HERE!

I am Raising a Readasaurus!

Last summer, our family participated in the TD Summer Reading Club, which I wrote about HERE. I was excited to know that our local public libraries have put great effort into being more accessible and accommodating to people who experience reading in different ways. They have a good selection of audio books available, as well as print materials in alternative formats, such as e-text and braille.

We recently received another package from the CNIB, that included our very own Readasaurus Kit - a fun and practical tool to help develop essential early literacy skills in children with vision loss.

Brennen has cortical visual impairment (CVI), which means that he has a decreased visual response due to damage to his brain. For Brennen, it is not an issue with his eyes, but more an issue with how his brain interprets visual input. CVI is a brain problem rather than an eye problem, and it is common in individuals with cerebral palsy.

Our girlie, on the other hand, has no vision, and we are constantly searching for ways to stimulate her and to enhance how she experiences the world. Sighted children often learn by watching and imitating, but children who are blind or partially sighted need hands-on, active learning opportunities.

The Readasaurus Kit was developed by the CNIB with input from early intervention specialists, teachers, rehabilitation workers and library staff as a fun tool for parents and children. The kit contains a Family Guide outlining the importance of literacy and family story time, as well as highlighting the types of books to share with children with vision loss.

When I opened our package, I was excited to dive in to the materials, which included braille stickers for common words that appear in many books for kids, and an activity book of "Words to see, touch and hear". There was also a magnifier and braille ruler, some shape stickers and magnets, a package of Wikki Stix, and some glow-in-the-dark "braille is fun" wrist bands!

What I love about this kit is that while it includes lots of fun activities for our children, it is also focused on giving parents information about how to best help them learn. There are ideas on how to teach your child to listen, how to help them gather information about the world through touch and movement, and strategies to help your child collect, organize and understand information.

I am so excited about this! Like I said, Andrew and I are eager to find ways to help our children learn and explore, and to offer them new ways to enrich their lives every day. We had gotten into a bit of a routine with Brennen, after thirteen years of figuring out what works and what doesn't work for him, but with two little ones in the mix, our life is in constant motion so I am grateful for resources like this one that push us to get creative and try new things.

Our girlie just loved the Activity Book. We spent some time on the tactile pages, letting her feel the numbers and letters at her own pace before moving on to the next one.

We then used finger paint on the colouring pages! I love that the lines of the pictures are raised, creating a textured border outlining the images.

 

Our kit also included a disk with three audio stories from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, that Brennen enjoyed listening to on his headphones.

We have been having a great time with the activities included in the Readasaurus Kit, and I am excited to try some of the ideas suggested in the Family Guide, like how to adapt or modify existing books, and how to make our own books with textures and tactile elements. The guide also contains many helpful links to online resources specific to promoting literacy in kids with vision loss.

Parenting children with special needs is a constant learning process, but it is so incredibly rewarding. Our children have changed our lives in so many positive ways, and we will continue to invest our time, love, and energy into each of them, celebrating their accomplishments and supporting their unique needs. It is an honour and a joy to watch them develop, and with help from organizations like the CNIB, we will continue to grow and learn right along with them.

TD Summer Reading Club

At the end of this past school year, Brennen received an exciting card in the mail - it was an invitation to the TD Summer Reading Club. The invitation was printed in English and braille, and stated that it was "For kids of ALL abilities", so we headed off to the A.C. Hunter Children's Library, renewed our library card, and eagerly signed him up! The TD Summer Reading Club is Canada's biggest bilingual summer reading program for kids of all ages, all interests, and all abilities. It is a free program that is offered at 2,000 public libraries across Canada. It celebrates Canadian authors, illustrators and stories, and inspires kids to explore the fun of reading in their own way. There is something for everyone, including children with print disabilities as well as preschoolers and their families. (You can learn more about print disabilities HERE.)

We were excited to receive an accessible notebook, which contains a place for your child to state their summer reading goals, a list of top recommended reads for the summer, a space to collect stickers from the library each time we visit, and a list of challenges for school age readers and pre-readers - really fun things like "Make up a story about you and your favourite toy" and "Say hello to every animal you see"! Our notebook also included an audio book on CD that we can listen to at home, and a program certificate that can be personalized once we complete our reading goals.

Children's books are one of my greatest loves. I have always been an avid reader, and I love to get lost in the quiet of a good novel, but there are some children's books that I read as much for me as I do for my little ones. There's just something so powerful about having a life's message condensed into just a few words in a way that a child can understand. It gets me right in the heart. At our most recent visit to the library, I spent some time looking around - meandering through the aisles of hard-bound treasures, while Andrew settled into a cozy chair reading stories to our youngest. I came back with tears in my eyes, and he said, "What's wrong with you?!" I said, "I read THIS book.."

We are big readers and book collectors in our house. Our little ones love to look at the pictures and listen to the sounds of the words on each page. Reading books aloud to children stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. It introduces concepts such as numbers, letters, colors, and shapes in a fun way, and it builds listening, memory, and vocabulary skills while preparing them to understand the written word. You should definitely, absolutely, without any question read aloud to your children. Reading together at home creates a special time for you to bond with your child, while at the same time helping to develop their lifelong appreciation for reading.

Diversity in children's books is a big issue for us, as I believe that every child has the right to see themselves reflected back from the pages of picture books. Here are some of my favourite books that celebrate difference and uniqueness and feature children with a range of abilities:

We Go In A Circle by Peggy Perry Anderson - A story about therapeutic horseback riding that reminds me of our time with Rainbow Riders.
Just Because by Rebecca Elliott - A young boy describes all the fun he has with his big sister, who has special needs.
What's Wrong with Timmy? by Maria Shriver - Answers to questions that children might ask about a child who looks or acts different.
Don't Call Me Special by Pat Thomas - Talks about equipment that children with physical disabilities might use to help them live happy lives.
Different is Awesome by Ryan Haack - Shows how some people do things differently, but that's ok!

Do you guys have any favourite books that help children learn to celebrate being themselves? I'd love to hear about them!

Raising a child with a disability, I have come to realize that we live in a world where accessibility is generally an afterthought, but I am happy to see that our local public libraries are super accessible and super accommodating, and the staff are eager to help. They have put a lot of time and thought into considering people who experience reading in different ways.

Our libraries also offer activities and events that children of all abilities can participate in. The website states, "If your child has special needs that affect their ability to participate in programs at the library, mention this to staff so that programs can be adapted. Any specific suggestions you can offer may be helpful."

Talk to your local public library staff this summer to find out how your family can join the TD Summer Reading Club!

The Wondrous World of Brennen

"You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book." - Dr. Seuss

There is a special place in my heart for quality children's books, and one of our most favourite gifts this Christmas was a book that Andrew and I ordered for Brennen from Wondrous Ink.

Wondrous Ink makes the most beautifully illustrated personalized children’s books, where the letters in the child's name become part of the adventure. The company was started by Mike and Angelica Brittain, a husband and wife team with a real passion for bringing back the magic of books and engaging children through learning and reading.

The inspiring story-line uses each letter of the child's name to show them why they are so special and unique in the world. Along the way, they help a host of colourful characters in different ways, discovering something new about themselves with each interaction, until at the end they realize that those qualities actually spell out their very own name!

"One day a boy came home from school and said to his busy mother, "There are millions of people, we learned today, and each one different from the other. Out of all the boys in all of the world, not one is exactly like me. So what makes me different from everyone else?" the boy asked curiously."

You can also include a special message to your child, which is printed on the inside cover for no additional charge.

I have high standards when it comes to quality and durability in printed products, and Wonderous Ink really delivered. Each book is printed on high quality, thick paper and wrapped in bright fun packaging, perfect for gifting!

By integrating a young reader in any book, you are engaging them in a new way and igniting their imagination. Putting your child at the centre of the story creates a timeless keepsake packed full of magic! This is a book that our family will treasure for years to come.

We have a large collection of children's books downstairs for the little ones in our daycare - accessible shelves stocked with board books and hardcover picture books, sturdy enough to weather the wear and tear of their curious little fingers. This book, however, will have a special place in Brennen's room, it's words beautifully preserved on his nightstand, among the gifts and treasures and all of the other little things in his space that say "You are loved".

You can preview what your book will look like before you purchase. Try yours HERE!

To save 15% on your first Wonderous Ink order, use my referral link!