R Is For Reading

I'm taking you on a journey from A to Z through the land of dairy! 

There's no need to pack your bags, just come along!

  R Is For Reading

I love to read. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why I enjoy my off-the-farm job as an Instructional Assistant in reading and math at one of our local elementary schools. My love of reading might also be the reason for me sharing some of my favorite "cow" books whenever I can. This spring I contacted my local public library asking if I could read my cow books at the story times during June Dairy Month. I goofed! Who knew that the schedule was made out 6 months, to a year, ahead? Well I do now, and you can bet I am already on the schedule for June, 2014!

Here are some of my favorites-

Millie waits for the Mail by Alexander Steffensmeier  

Millie is unlike most other cows. She chews her cud and grazes in the fields with the others, but she doesn't enjoy that nearly as much as she loves scaring the mail carrier. It's too bad the mail carrier doesn't have as much fun each time Millie comes up with a new way to surprise him. 

 

 

Cows Can't Fly by David Milgrim 

Ms. Crumb said cows were far too fat; that facts were facts and that was that. But this little boy doesn't care about facts. All he knows is that he drew a picture of some cows, and when a breeze blows it into the air, he sees cows flying everywhere. And if cows can fly, isn't anything possible?

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

Farmer Brown is used to all the sounds he hears on his farm. The clucks of the chickens, the quacks of the ducks, and the loud moos of the cows. Then one morning, a sound rings through the fields: Click, clack moo. It seems that his cows have begun to type on the old typewriter. Not only that, they have also typed a request. 




Do you have a favorite cow or farm book? I'm always looking for new stories to add to my collection. After all, I have until June 2014 to add to my library!

Learn more about dairy at Dairy Makes Sense

 
I am making a commitment to share as much as I can with you each day this month, about the life of our dairy farm family including what we do, how we share our passion for dairy, and dairy foods we enjoy.

 See you here tomorrow...S Is For Smoothies

Thank A Teacher

My favorite thing to do as a child was to play school.  I spent hours setting up my classroom, making cardboard box "desks" for my dolls, hand-writing worksheets, making a check-out system for my library books. Yep, I couldn't get enough of school. It seemed only natural then, when considering my future career after high school, that elementary teacher was the first thought to pop into my head. That thought was quickly pushed out however, by a school counselor that said I had to think practically and the prospect of everyone getting a teaching job was unlikely at that time. 

So after college, a career as an interior designer, and ten years as a happy stay-at-home mom, I began my next career. No, I'm not a licensed teacher, but I am an educator. I'm finishing my fifteenth year as a Title 1 Instructional Assistant at a local elementary school, teaching kiddos that need a little extra help with reading and math. This being Teacher Appreciation Day, it seemed like the perfect time to share with you, a recent event that was held at our school.

Students and parents were treated to an evening of art and reading.

The gym became "Camp Read-A-Lot" with stars above, campfires, and tents filled with reading by lantern light while stretched out on camp chairs or sleeping bags.

The halls became an art gallery, while the cafeteria was filled with creation stations for making bookmarks and adding to a mural.

At the end of their night under the stars, each student went home with a book to keep and a snack bag of treats that said "Read S'more."

I appreciate the creativity and extra effort that teachers put in to make our school so exciting and fun for the students. Every day I witness teachers making each child a priority. For everything they do and for what they help our kiddos achieve each day (and night), I say "ThankYou!" 

Don't forget to thank a teacher!

When Cows Fly

I love to read; anything and everything, but my favorite books to share are about cows and farming.

"Help Wanted. Full-Time Cow. Experience Desirable. Apply In Person."

These lines are from one of my favorite childrens book, The Cow Who Wouldn't Come Down by Paul Brett Johnson. It tells the story of Gertrude, the flying cow, who reins in her ability to fly in order to keep her job as a milk cow.

When I'm not farming, my other job is teaching reading and math at our local elementary school to students that need a little extra help. I love this opportunity, but I also love Summer vacation as much as the students do. My hope is that the kids don't vacation from reading. Parents please read to them, read with them, and let them see you reading. It is time well spent.

Now back to Gertrude. I have never seen our cows fly. I'd like to believe that if they could fly, they would still choose to live on our farm and provide us with the refreshing, delicious, beverage they are known for.

Milk, cookies, and a good book. Ah, summer.