Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Pre Conventional Reading - and kids being kids

I don't know about you, but I'm fascinated when I watch little ones engage with books. It feels like just yesterday that our oldest was "reading" Knuffle Bunny. Now she reads to her little sister.


And now our youngest is doing things with books that amaze and astound me. Just watch what she does with this one --- (yes, it's written in Chinese! Some of her words are Chinese as well!)


Interacting with the characters and following them as they change through the story, imitating them to establish feeling and to understand them better, having her own ideas about what's happening in the book, kinesthetic (hit that ball!), noticing the print is different than the illustrations, verbally "labeling" a picture (picu! = rear-end in Chinese),  noticing when she has missed a page.... and so much more. Yes, pre-conventional children really ARE reading. They are capable of doing so much of the important reading-work before ever learning a single letter. And what fun it is!

It would be a shame if I didn't also show you this ... our BunnyCakes is a real riot:



and... lest she be left out... here's our eldest with her new favorite thing. Roller Skates. (How do you get her to take them OFF?)

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

PlaySpaces :: Repulse Bay

Winters in Hong Kong can be great for doing that hike you've been thinking about... but they also can bring 'indoor only' kinda weather. And with flats the size of an acorn, we scramble to find ways to keep the littles entertained.




Enter - Maggie & Rose.



Boy, were we lucky to be invited as guests last Sunday afternoon. Designed for little ones AND the grown ups. A cafe, soft-play-space, nooks & crannies, an art room, movie den, and even a ball pit. No sharp corners or harsh colors anywhere. Peacful. Inviting. Clean. And incredible views of the ocean.













Now to see about that waiting list.