Lighting the Way With Words

Hi All,

As both teachers and parents, we love to enhance our children's vocabulary on a daily basis. Children pick up on new words in conversations, in library books you just brought home, or new words they hear on their favorite television show, such as the Imagination Movers.

In the spirit of expanding vocabulary once a week, we are going to post a word that we think could help children's vocabulary grow. With the word we will be posting a picture that demonstrates its meaning. Each week we'll add a new word and corresponding picture. This week, we've started with the letter "A" and we'll continue, as time goes on, to create a visual Night Light Stories dictionary by adding words alphabetically!

BUT WAIT! WE NEED YOUR HELP!

This blog and our stories would be nothing without you.We need you to get creative with us. When we post the new word of the week with our picture, go ahead and take your own picture of how YOU think the word should be defined visually. Send it to us at nightlightstories@gmail.com and we will post them on our site for all to enjoy.

So here we go! This is our first word and we hope you will help us be creative with it. Feel free to include a sentence that uses the word as well. You can create one like ours by visiting http://www.bighugelabs.com. Most of all, have fun!

Lighting the Way with Words

Night Light Stories was featured in the following blogs this week:

Toddler Brain by an illuminating mom and teacher, Dana Verhoff

Teaching All by an inspiring educator, Patrick Black

Thank you for your kind words. I am so happy that you were able to share our stories with your children in your home and in your classroom! I love watching that glow grow brighter.

BRIGHT BIRTHDAY WISHES

We want to send out bright birthday wishes to:

Gianna S from Peabody, MA

Meme from Georgetown, MA

Nana from Eden, NY

We hope your day SPARKLED!

If you know someone who has a birthday coming up and you'd like to send them a Night Light Birthday wish, send us an email at nightlightstories@gmail.com.

Please send us your loved one's first name and the first initial of their last name only and we'll pass along the birthday wish. There are no age limits!

IF YOU ARE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT...ENTER THE CONTEST!

Hi All!

First things first. We are working on new stories that we hope to have out by the end of summer.

Mr. Chris and I were asked to be involved in a really innovative curriculum project for the county in which we teach, so as of now, that is where our creative writing is flowing. Whenever we have something new for you to check out though, we'll post it here. For now, I hope that this contest can tide you over!

The first half of summer vacation has been busy! We have just returned home from two weeks of traveling to Buffalo, NY and Boston, MA to visit our lovely families. During our trip to Boston, we took a mini-vacation to North Conway, NH to a place called Story Land.
It is a place where they bring many children's stories to life in very creative ways. While my wonderful father was taking pictures, I had an idea for a contest. I contacted one of our favorite children's book publishers, Barefoot Books, and they generously donated a perfect prize to help keep your minds illuminated the rest of the summer!

Here is how the contest works:

1. Look at the pictures below from Story Land.

2. Identify the children's story that each picture features. For each one you identify, that will count as one entry! So, if you correctly identify all 5 of the pictures you have 5 entries.

3. The last picture that is included is the BONUS picture. If you can tell me which children's story it is from, then you will receive an extra 2 entries.

4. If you share this with 5 other people (proved by including me on the email) or posting it on your blog (send me your blog site) you will recieve 5 extra entries.

5. Visit www.barefootbooks.com and search around their easy to use and eye catching new website. Share something you really enjoy about their site and receive an extra 3 entries. Also, if you place an order by today, July 15th and enter the code HAPPY during check out you can receive 20% off your order!

6. Leave a comment on the blog, send me your entries at nightlightstories@gmail.com, or Tweet me at nightlight08. Do just one thing or do them all! Any one of these you choose to post will enter you for a chance to win.

7. Contest ends August 1st!

PICTURE #1

PICTURE #2

PICTURE #3

PICTURE #4

PICTURE #5

BONUS PICTURE (Hint: Search around the blog)

What Do We Win?

I am so HAPPY that you asked!

Barefoot Books is generously sending us a copy of their new book with singalong CD:

"Clap your hands and sing along to this fresh take on a traditional singalong.

The multicultural children in this colorful early learner encourage action and imagination, and two full spreads at the end teach "hello" in thirty-six languages, and the names of the children and their countries of origin."

Even if you do not win the book, everyone can still be a winner! Today, July 15th, Barefoot Books is offering a free download of IF YOU ARE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT on their site. Here is the link to the download. Please click away and ENJOY!

IF YOU ARE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT FREE DOWNLOAD

As always, I look forward to watching the glow grow brighter with the

many stories we can share together.