Perfect Approach for Children
937936
This is an excellent book. I have an extensive background in meditation and children and can honestly say Dana offers an appropriate approach to meditation for children. Her insightful method of combining breathing with math memorization coupled with progressive relaxation and white light meditation is superb. I highly recommend this book.
Sarah Wood Vallely Author of "Sensational Meditation for Children"
4388210
I am SO excited about this book! I was once talking to another mom about how to approach this subject with our kids, and she said, "I wish we had cue cards!" That's exactly what this is! Only better, because it is an easy-to-ready picture book that is fun and interesting for my kids. Double score!

Plus, it doesn't just teach my kids how to identify pornography; it gives them a practical, usable action plan ("turn, run, and tell") that's as easy to remember--and as easy to use--as "stop, drop, and roll." And let's face it: our kids are more likely to see porn than they are to catch on fire, so giving them the tools to deal with this as early as possible makes so much sense!

The pictures are beautiful! And I love the added hidden-camera feature. (There are little drawings of cameras hidden in the pictures throughout the book.) This is a great way to keep my kiddo's attention and make it fun while I'm reading. It's also helpful that the text uses the term "bad pictures" and makes the word "pornography" optional. I know some parents have a hard time with that, and it's not even an issue with the way this book is written. Such an EASY approach tackling such a tough topic! Love it.
810266
As an early childhood educator, I really like the simplicity of the program and how it progresses so that the child can build upon what they already learn. Sight words are given 3 at a time and child will master it very fast. Highly recommend.
2325453
The format of this book with scenarios and multiple choice options gives kids an excellent way to practice making good choices.  The answers are somewhat obvious, but the writing is clever and funny and kids love looking for the hidden answer in the excellent illustrations.  As a primary level teacher I found this book to be an excellent springboard for discussions about rules, choices and the consequences of ones actions.
1097882
This childrens book is perfect for children from about 2-7 years old. Each section of reading include a little story introduction to the topic for the night, then a couple poems to delve deeper into the subject and then a prayer at the end that relates to the topic. Each section is a different topic to cover that night. This is a wonderful way to teach your kids about God and get them learning at a very early age.

This storybook gives very clear and understandable messages to the children. I loved the illustrations in this book! They are absolutely adorable. All the characters in the book are the adorable animals kids enjoy looking at.

The quality of this book is wonderful. The front cover is cushioned making it great for little hands, the binding is fantastic, and its strung through as opposed to the glue that is sometimes used. There is also the ribbon bookmark that I really think makes it more special.

I would recommend this book to any parent looking for a good way to incorporate God into their nightly routine, or even looking to start a nightly routine. This would also make a great gift for little ones. It has a dedication page at the beginning to make it even more special.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.  A positive review was not required, no other compensation was given. All opinions are my own.*
2170860
Beautiful book- a very simple and yet straightforward way to introduce the concept of culture to a young one. Opened some great discussions with my preschooler including that we are all equal even if we do things differently or look different than others.
3148317
The techniques in this book sounds almost too simple.  Give a child three chances to correct misbehavior.  Don't get emotional.  Be consistent.  Use reasonable consequences.
It is just that simple, and it works.
I find that my home life is a lot more enjoyable when my husband and I consistently use this method with our three-year-old daughter.
3208742
This book, "Join in and Play", is AWESOME for teaching children how to socially engage with other children.  It is a step-by-step account of social interactions between children, providing social language dialogue and cues for asking one child to play, for asking to join in an already existing group, and how to deal with rejection if a group or single child says, "No" or leaves the play area.  It has every one of my social IEP goals in it, so it is my new favorite ECSE book!  (Will work for K, 1 and 2 as well).
4641713
The author puts a lot of exciting and interesting content into perfect perspective for young children. The combination of straight-forward explanations, paired with the fun illustrations make for a great way to introduce young ones to some profound ideas. You'll certainly find this book a worthwhile purchase - and more importantly, you'll love sharing this book and the conversations that it inspires!

I'm excited for the next volume to become available, as this author clearly knows how to take an abstract concept and place it perfectly for the eyes of a child. Get this one - you won't regret it!
3499521
I teach chess at a local library and I've found this book to be an excellent resource.  The library where I teach currently has four copies and these books are always checked out.  I've found chess puzzles to be a good way to convey chess concepts to young players and this book uses chess puzzles in a creative way to teach young players how to move pawns and pieces correctly.  The format reminds me of a Richard Scarry or a Where's Waldo book.  Children have a lot of fun looking at little details on every page, just like looking for "Gold Bug" or Waldo.  This book engages childrens' attention while introducing the basics of pawn and piece movement.  It's a fun book for children and it accomplishes its purpose wonderfully.
294358
I've used this method with some of my students and they loved playing from these pages. The concepts are introduced at a good pace and it seems to be easier than other methods out there. It's a great book to get kids started in piano.
-Christian Bideau, author of PLAY The Color of Music series.
4557872
The beautiful thing about this book is that it makes teaching a little child on his own level, very easy.  Children hear minor third intervals of music from birth.  Familiar tunes such as Rain,Rain, One Two Tie My Shoe,are so natural to the ear, that applying the tunes to the strings is very simple. I have enjoyed using this book for over 20 years as a Suzuki teacher. I start my 4 and 5 yr. olds here, as a "pre-twinkle suppliment, then move on to the Suzuki Guitar books.  All the imaginative games and sample lesson plans are a must, in my teaching.  Thankyou, Sonia
1772955
I taught my four youngest boys to read with this book. We loved it. I also used 70 Basic Phonograms, and Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons with my older children. Reading Make Easy worked out better for my family, because the author gave games and kinesthetic approaches to teaching. You write words on 3 x 5 cards to form sentences. There were no editing errors in the book. The child is slowly weaned from the visual clues on short and long vowels. I prefer her stories to the stories in Teach Your Child to Read in 100 EZ Lessons.
4844656
We have been homeschooling our children for over 7 years now.  We loosely follow what is known as the Trivium, and during first grade we focus on life science.  When we study anything in history and science I want the children to read supplemental books along with their textbook and so I am always on the lookout for great books which correspond to what we are learning.

I have quite a few books by this publisher.  Personally I believe some have been lacking in certain areas, but this one is quite wonderful.  What I truly love about the book is the format.  The author gives some facts about the whales and dolphins next to a beautiful picture, then you turn the page (or swipe since this is a kindle book) and the next page is a gorgeous picture without any writing.  I believe this a wonderful way for the child to remember what they have just read or what has been read to them (if dealing with younger children/beginning readers).  While looking at the stunning photo the child can either think about the previous page or can discuss with the parent what he/she remembers.

The book is geared for young children and I believe is perfect for a kindergartner and up to a 2nd grader.  There are between 1-3 facts stated on each page and, thus, the content is not too overwhelming, but at the same times is still quite informative.  I also believe toddlers and even older children (adults as well as I love it too) will appreciate and enjoy the book as the colored photos are truly stunning.

I know this is being nit-picky, but there is one grammatical error I found in the book.  The author uses "further" for distance instead of farther.

I was given this book for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
2848968
I purchased this and a few other titles when my grandson was turning 3.  It seemed like we had a whole new list of how to handle the everyday situations that a 3-year-old can bring into the household.  My husband and I are lucky enough to get our 1 year old and 3 year old overnight once a week.  I now have more time to spend with my grandchildren than I did with my own and this book has been a wonderful resourse.

It is written from the child's point of view, which is unique in itself.  It is separated into chapters (about 3 pages long each) by the subject matter like Activity Level, Aggression, Anger (Child's), Anger (Parent's), Bathroom Language, Cleaning Up Toys, etc. - all done in easy alphabetical order so it is easy to find in a moments notice.

It is all about being able to communicate with your 3 year old.  My grandson is very verbal - so much so that I forget that he is only 3 and really does not understand all that he is saying.  This book gives me insight into what he REALLY is saying to me and it helps me to find the words that he is actually needing.

It is simple (no high tech talk) and to the point.  It gives great advice that you can find instantly and comes from the child's viewpoint.  I've just purchased another one for my son and daughter-in-law.
3222836
This is an excellent therapeutic tool.  After introducing the concept and need for relaxation techniques, I use this book in therapy for children ages 6-14.  Although it is a children's picture book, older children/teens enjoy it as well.  The illustrations are engaging, beautiful, and almost magical.  The text is simple and straightforward, and I have the children work along with the octupus to practice progressive muscle relaxation.
As a mother, I use these books at home to introduce relaxation techniques informally.  I prepped my children that this is not a 'plot' story, but rather a really beautiful book that shows an amazing 'trick' to calm oneself down - and it really works.  My daughters (ages 4 and 8) are intrigued by the illustrations.  My sons (ages 6, 10 and 12) are far less interested, but they are now aware of the concept of relaxation.  I did find the 6 year old looking through the book after I had read it aloud.
Two friends have asked to borrow the book when I'm ready to lend it.  However, I do use it often at work and at home!
1018023
The set up of the book is user friendly. The kiddos enjoy doing it everyday and look forward to it. It touches on all skills daily.