Norah Colvin

Live Love Laugh Learn … Create the possibilities

Category: Early childhood education

  • It’s a Kind of Magic — Cover Reveal — Pre-orders Open! – #readilearn

    It’s a Kind of Magic — Cover Reveal — Pre-orders Open! – #readilearn

    Today I’m excited to tell you that this year’s Anthology Angels’ anthology It’s a Kind of Magic is available for pre-order and will be available for sale on 30th of October at the conclusion of Children’s Week (and dare I say, just in time for Halloween too!).

    The anthology will be published in a dyslexic friendly font and large print for visually impaired readers. How magical is that!

    Pre-order now

    You can pre-order now on Amazon with a Pre-order Price Guarantee, or on the Book Depository which has free international shipping.

    The blurb

    I want to be a wizard,

    But my mind is like a blizzard!

    I don’t know if I can keep doing spells,

    I might just have to say farewell.

    People jeer and people laugh, 

    Which splits my confidence in half.

    Join our second-rate sorcerers as they try and fail at magic spells, terrible tricks and bewildering bewitchments. This is a collection of stories and poems for children of all ages about resilience, friendship and finding out that the most enchanting things are often hidden in plain sight.

    My story

    I am delighted to say that I also have a story included in the anthology. My story is called Not Too Little. It is about the youngest member of a family of sorcerers who is tired of always being told he is too little. One night when his brothers are out, he sneaks into their room to create a little magic for himself and prove once and for all that he is big enough. Of course, it doesn’t all go the way he hopes, and he must solve a series of problems before he, and the rest of the family, realises that he isn’t too little, he’s just the right size.

    Proceeds of sales — Children’s Rights Queensland

    Authors donate their stories and poems for the anthology and all profits from the book will go to Children’s Rights Queensland.The book will also be distributed to disadvantaged and at risk children via that organisation.

    Children’s Rights Queensland, founded in 1971, is focused on raising awareness of the needs, rights and achievements of children under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child.

    Continue reading: It’s a Kind of Magic — Cover Reveal — Pre-orders Open! – readilearn

  • readilearn is Six Years Old Today! – #readilearn

    readilearn is Six Years Old Today! – #readilearn

    Today, Wednesday 24 August 2022 is readilearn’s sixth birthday. Thank you for joining our journey.

    To celebrate this milestone, I have made a new birthday-themed interactive resource Make Words from the Word ‘Birthday‘.

    This resource is designed for use with the whole class on the interactive whiteboard. Children use the letters of ‘birthday’ to see how many smaller words they can make. Each letter can be used only once in each word.

    Children drag the letters to form new words, then type the words into the text box. The page of words can be printed if you wish to keep a record. Progress can also be saved for another lesson if you still have more words to find when the lesson is over. A printable PDF activity sheet for individuals or groups of children to use is also included.

    As a birthday gift from readilearn to you, this resource is available free until 14 September.

    It is just one of the birthday-themed resources in the collection. Others include:

    Happy Birthday — an interactive resource to personalise I used it to make readilearn’s sixth birthday card. The card can be personalised and printed for children on their birthdays.

    Continue reading: readilearn is Six Years Old Today! – readilearn

  • Interview with Deborah Frenkel author of Naturopolis – #readilearn

    Interview with Deborah Frenkel author of Naturopolis – #readilearn

    Today it is my pleasure to introduce you to Deborah Frenkel and her beautiful new picture book Naturopolis with illustrations by Ingrid Bartkowiak and published by Storytorch Press.

    About the author Deborah Frenkel

    Deb is a human (Homo sapiens). She lives in Melbourne with her young family and a number of ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) who occasionally drop by. When she’s not writing for kids, she’s usually copywriting for TV commercials, billboards, and the labels

    of shampoo bottles. Kids, thankfully, are usually more appreciative. This is her first picture book, and her second (with Affirm Press) is due out in 2023.

    Find out more about the author from her website: http://deborahfrenkel.com/

    About the illustrator Ingrid Bartkowiak

    An artist and illustrator based in Brisbane, Australia, Ingrid works in watercolour and oils. Her practice revolves around her fascination with nature and its intricacies. Ingrid completed her Bachelor of Fine Art in 2019 at the Queensland College of Art. Engaging with native flora and fauna, her illustrations are whimsical and encourage an appreciation for nature. They often feature both realistic illustrative elements, merged with abstraction and blocks of vibrant colour. There is a focus on detailing and pattern, with one of Ingrid’s earlier interests being in the visual tropes of the arts and crafts movement. A highly talented artist, this is her first children’s book.

    Find out more about the illustrator from her website: https://ingridbartkowiakart.com/

    About Naturopolis

    Among the steel and stone canyons of the city, nature flourishes in tiny, tenacious ways. Follow the ant (Iridomyrmex purpureus) to discover the scraps of wilderness hiding in plain sight in this lyrical celebration of urban flora and fauna.

    Naturopolis is a wonderful acknowledgement of the unseen, and the world that awaits the viewer, eager to connect with nature. You don’t have to go far to find what is waiting for us beneath our feet.

    Naturopolis is creative non-fiction that celebrates nature that can be found in our cities. The lyrical text invites children to look closely and stunning hand-painted illustrations show them where to look. Each observation is accompanied by an information tag that provides the reader with fun facts about the fauna or flora discovered. It is a perfect balance of fiction and non-fiction, enough to excite the imagination while at the same time, fostering an interest in exploring and finding out more.

    Themes are resilience, community and appreciation of nature.

    The Trailer

    Continue reading: Interview with Deborah Frenkel author of Naturopolis – readilearn

  • Dreaming with Eyes Open CBCA BOOK WEEK 2022 – #readilearn

    Dreaming with Eyes Open CBCA BOOK WEEK 2022 – #readilearn

    Book Week is almost upon us. It runs from 20 – 26 August. The theme for Book Week this year is Dreaming with Eyes Open.

    The beautiful artwork in the poster for this year was created by author-illustrator Jasmine Seymour. You can hear her speak briefly about the artwork and what the theme means to her in this video in which the theme was announced. I think you’ll agree that the artwork is beautiful.

    Book Week is an annual event organised by the Children’s Book Council of Australia and has been held every year since 1945. It is a celebration of Australian children’s books, their authors and illustrators. Celebrations take place in schools and libraries across Australia with displays, story telling and reading, competitions and parades. I think the favourite activity for many is dressing up as storybook characters.

    Shortlisted books

    All the books shortlisted for the awards are listed on the website. A ‘read more’ button beside each book takes you to teaching notes, critiques by the judges, reviews and other activities where available.

    The books are organised into different categories for the awards:

    • Book of the Year: Older Readers
    • Book of the Year: Younger Readers
    • Book of the Year: Early Childhood
    • The Picture Book of the Year
    • Eve Pownall Award (a focus on factual material)
    • CBCA Award for New Illustrator

    We eagerly await the announcement of the winners.

    Australian School Library Day

    This year, to coincide with Book Week, the first annual Australian School Library Day will held on 24 August 2022 (the Wednesday of Book Week). The purpose of the day is to highlight and celebrate school libraries. What a great combination of celebrations of children’s literature, reading and libraries. The Australian School Library Day (ASLD) website has suggestions of how you can join in the celebration.

    The following information was provided by Students Need School Libraries in their promotional brochure for the day.

    “Did you know?

    The School Library Association of Victoria first developed School Libraries Day as far back as 1994. It was an official day for lobbying for school libraries by targeting principals and politicians. By 1999, School Libraries Day went International and was adopted by the International Association of School Librarianship. 
    It now exists as International School Library Month (ISLM), where each nation is encouraged to select their own day in October to celebrate school libraries.  This year’s ISLM theme is Reading for Global Peace and Harmony. 
    How fantastic to see our Aussie school library staff having a global impact!”

    I agree! I’m sure you do too.

    Other great resources

    Continue reading: Dreaming with Eyes Open CBCA BOOK WEEK 2022 – readilearn

  • Looking at Glass for National Science Week 13 – 21 August – #readilearn

    Looking at Glass for National Science Week 13 – 21 August – #readilearn

    The theme for National Science Week, which runs from 13 – 21 August this year, is Glass: more than meets the eye.

    The theme supports the UN International Year of Glass and links to the Chemical sciences curriculum looking at materials, their properties, uses and the ways they can be changed as well as technology and sustainability.

    Glass was chosen for an International Year to celebrate its essential role in society.

    The National Science Week website has a lot of information for schools, including a free downloadable book of resources produced by the Australian Science Teachers Association. The book contains First Nations activities with links to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures Cross-curriculum priority, and has five different activities for Foundation to Year 2 classrooms:

    • Sugar glass decorations
    • Explore with a magnifying glass
    • Turn a window into a mirror
    • Make a kaleidoscope
    • Glass at home

    These activities bring fun and meaning to the science curriculum and encourage children to ask their own questions for further investigations.

    You can even put in your postcodes to discover what events are being held near you.

    Properties and uses of glass

    There is a great video about glass available on YouTube at this link: https://youtu.be/A6ZEaWvlz6k?t=255

    Although the video may be too long and at too high a level to show our F – 2 children, it is useful for reminding ourselves of the many amazing properties and uses of glass. There are speeches at the beginning and end of the video which you may wish to listen to. However, I have set the link to begin where the information about glass begins (about 4.15). The information ends at about 22 minutes.

    Twelve facts about glass

    Continue reading: Looking at Glass for National Science Week 13 – 21 August – Readilearn

  • Say No to Plastic in Plastic-Free July – #readilearn

    Say No to Plastic in Plastic-Free July – #readilearn

    During the month of July, we are urged to go plastic-free, or at least reduce our use of single-use plastics, by the Plastic Free July Foundation with its vision of ridding the world of plastic waste. The website has many suggestions for reducing the plastic you use and waste. There are success stories and many resources to use to keep yourself motivated and encourage others to become involved.

    This video gives a brief introduction to Plastic Free July.

    In addition to this larger movement, I have the pleasure of introducing you to a young boy with his own inspiring story about what he is doing to reduce plastic waste, including working to have plastic toothbrushes banned. His name is Ned Heaton, and you can hear him talk about his project in this video.

    More about Ned

    Ned Heaton is a kid on a mission to reduce ocean plastics. At the age of 11 he started his own

    bamboo toothbrush business, The Turtle Tribe, which he won awards for, including

    Changemaker of the Year in the Be the Change Awards, and Young Entrepreneur Award in

    the Youth Business Magazine. Featured on radio and television in Australia and around the

    world, Ned is the youngest CEO ever mentioned in CEO Magazine.

    Find out more about Ned and his wonderful initiative at https://www.theturtletribe.com.au/. (If you just want to read Ned’s story, click here.)

    To inspire children, their teachers and their families to take action, Ned and his father wrote a picture book called Say No to Plastic, which is available for pre-order now.

    About Say No to Plastic

    Continue reading: Say No to Plastic in Plastic-Free July – readilearn

  • Lessons about recognising and counting Australian coins – #readilearn

    Lessons about recognising and counting Australian coins – #readilearn

    Money is one of those things we all need to understand to be able to participate fully in life as we know it. I think it becomes more difficult for children to understand the value of money as we move towards a cashless society, but maybe that’s because I grew up pre-cards of any kind. Now many children only see transactions made with cards or even phones and watches. Many will have no need to enter a physical bank to deposit or withdraw funds or for any other reason. It is all done online. Perhaps learning about coins and notes will one day be relegated to history lessons, but for now I think it is still important for children to learn about them and their value and they still feature in the Curriculum. For this reason, I have made some resources to support your teaching of young children about our Australian coins and their value. (Lessons about notes will be added later.)

    Australian coins helps children learn to recognise, identify and describe the coins according to colour, shape and size, and the identifying icon on the tails side. Additional information is provided about the Australian animals and icons featured on the tails side of each coin. This lesson is ready to teach on the interactive whiteboard.

    Australian Coins – Let’s count $1 gives children practice in counting collections of coins to $1.

    There are three separate sections which can be used over a series of lessons.

    1. Count groups of coins of the same value that equal $1.
    2. Count collections of different coins that equal $1.
    3. Make collections of coins to equal $1.

    These lessons are interactive and ready to teach on the interactive whiteboard.

    Count Coins to $1 is a dice game that gives students practice in

    • recognising and naming coins
    • counting the value of coins to $1
    • comparing the value of coins.

    It is a perfect game for maths groups to follow-up lessons with Australian Coins and Australian Coins Let’s count $1.

    Continue reading: Lessons about recognising and counting Australian coins – readilearn

  • Imagine Our Special Place by Kelly Louise Jarris — #readilearn

    Today it is my pleasure to review a beautiful new picture book Imagine Our Special Place written by Kelly Louise Jarris and illustrated by Sandunika Dissanayake. This post is part of a Books on Tour promotion.

    About author Kelly Louise Jarris

    As a mother of four boys, Kelly Jarris has been lucky enough to see the diversity in each child, which is how the characters came about for her first book, Wonderful Wishes. Kelly also writes and appreciates stories from life experiences, with her recently released picture book, Imagine Our Special Place. Her sister’s journey with terminal cancer inspired Kelly to write a book that touches on sibling bonds, imagination and feelings of the unknown. The story has been described, “Their imagination takes them out of their reality into other happy places”.

    Kelly has a background in veterinary nursing and was once an Australian wildlife rescuer.

    Visit Kelly at her website: Kelly Louise Jarris Books | Australian Children’s Book Author (kljbooks.com)

    About Imagine Our Special Place

    The Blurb

    Sophie is unwell and has to go to the hospital a lot. This enchanting story is about two sisters that go on a magical journey. It touches on celebrating life and all its precious moments. Imagine being able to bounce off white fluffy clouds, meet the Queen of all the Rainbows and sip tea from a golden cup made from the sun! Sophie has a beautiful imagination.

    What I like about Imagine Our Special Place

    Many children have siblings who are ill and have to spend time in hospital. Many children are themselves ill and have to spend time in hospital. Illness and hospitals can be cold, scary places. Imagine Our Special Place with its bright, colourful and hope-filled pages lifts us out of the cold reality into the world of imagination where anything is possible.

    Continue reading: Imagine Our Special Place by Kelly Louise Jarris — readilearn

  • Learn about 100 and Celebrate 100 Days of School – #readilearn

    Learn about 100 and Celebrate 100 Days of School – #readilearn

    The Australian school year consists of approximately 200 days. Depending on the length of terms and number of public holidays in each, the 100th day often falls towards the beginning of the third term in July. Knowing that many of you will be preparing to celebrate the 100th day with lessons investigating 100, I thought I’d share our readilearn resources that support you with that. It’s always exciting to count the 100th day, because once it’s reached, it’s time to start counting down to the end of the school year, which get closer with every day.

    Celebrating 100 days of school

    Although Busy Bees celebrate 100 days of school suggests ways of counting the days from day one, it also suggests ways of celebrating when the 100th day arrives. Suggestions include: count and collage 100 items and decorate a cake with 100 candles. There are party suggestions and an original game to play. (Also included with purchase of the Busy Bees 100 chart.)

    The explanatory Celebrating 100 days of school – Letter to parents suggests items that may be suitable for children to bring in and count as part of the 100 days celebration. It is a Word document that can be personalised with your name and class before printing and distributing. (Also included with purchase of the Busy Bees 100 chart.)

    Teaching numbers up to 100

    Continue reading: Learn about 100 and Celebrate 100 Days of School – readilearn

  • Chocolate Anyone? – #readilearn

    Chocolate Anyone? – #readilearn

    Next Thursday 7 July is World Chocolate Day. If you ever needed an excuse to indulge in a little chocolate, this could be it. If you follow the link, you will find out some fun facts about the history of chocolate that begins more than 2 000 years ago.

    If only we were allowed a little chocolate in the classroom, there are so many wonderful learning opportunities it could provide, for example:

    Counting — how many chocolates all together?

    Subtraction — how many left if I eat x?

    Sharing (children can make equal shares, teachers can have the remainders 😉)

    Multiplication — blocks of chocolate are great for arrays (columns and rows of)

    Data — surveys who likes/does not like chocolate, what is the class’s favourite chocolate?

    Measurement — how many chocolate bars tall are you? how many blocks balance one chocolate bar?

    Chemical science — mixing, adding and removing heat, how chocolate is made, following recipes to make chocolate cake and chocolate crackles (just for starters).

    Biological science — the cacao plant, where it grows, how it grows, and what it needs.

    Of course, while all of these are possible, my suggestions are a bit tongue-in-cheek. However, we do have some absolutely acceptable ideas for incorporating chocolate into your program on World Chocolate Day.

    I’m sure you’ve all heard of Michael Rosen. Going on a Bear Hunt is probably one of his better known books, but he is a fabulous poet and storyteller, and his website is rich with material for teachers and children. If you’ve never checked it out, I suggest you do.

    On of my favourite stories, that children really love too, is Chocolate Cake. I wrote about it in the post Storytelling with author Michael Rosen.

    It’s really fun, so I’ll share it again here.

    Source: Chocolate Anyone? – readilearn