I've been taking the time over the past couple of weeks to organize some of the clutter in our house, and have come to the realization that I could open up a mini resource library with all of the planning books I have. I must admit, I spent more time looking at my resources than organizing, as my daughter loves all of my planning books, too. I just can't help myself when it comes to instructional literature...especially for the younger children. Some of the fabulous recipes for homemade arts and crafts mediums have really come in handy right here at home. My friend Jenn is always calling me with thoughts about different things to do at home with her two year old, and when brainstorming, she's always asking "where do you get these ideas from?!" Some of it comes from all of my beloved books, but it is also what comes to me naturally. Sometimes my cousin teases me about the fact that I am now and adult, and yet still migrate toward the younger years. I can't walk past an educational toy shop without at least looking...and usually buying the newest, coolest things I can find. My parents tease me that we should put a sign up in the front of our house that advertises admission for "Kaitlynland", but the truth is, I have as much fun playing with her toys as she does. I am going to greatly miss the times I have with her as she ages, but have thouroughly lived in the moments we've had together at this marvelous, fabulous, wonderful time in her life called childhood.

On Literacy...
I have had experience with Rigby Literacy, and have had some limited exposure to the Wilson Reading program. I have used running records, and have taken a collegiate course on assessment on reading. I believe that reading and writing are intertwined from the earliest years. Children explore their environment, and often imitate. Creative drawing, exposure to different literary mediums, and practice with the ABC's are all essential during the preschool years. I also believe that heavy phonics instruction is an essential first step to becoming an efficient reader. A child simply cannot comprehend what he/she cannot decode, and so, I believe that phonics is an extremely important first step in the development of a strong reader. However, phonics should be balanced with taught strategies that help aid in comprehension, and becoming "one" with a literary piece is equally important.

As a teacher, there are many effective teaching strategies that I have used to help with the comprehension aspect of literacy. Open ended questions, text with in depth illustrations that help key-in on tricky words, and discussion of stories from the beginning to the end are all essential for children to become engaged, interested, and excited about literacy, and should be used while working on the phonetical components so essential for decoding. I love to read, share my passion for literature, and model my own thinking processes while teaching students. Without language, we simply cannot get anything accomplished. Literature is our source for information, for enjoyment, for inspiration, and for learning so many things~ whether those things are fiction or non-fiction, and students should from an early age understand that reading is a hands-on practical way that will help them further their education, while nourishing their curiosity.