“The world will teach our children if we do not, and children are capable of learning all the world will teach them at a very young age. What we want them to know five years from now needs to be part of our conversation with them today. Teach them in every circumstance; let every dilemma, every consequence, every trial that they may face provide an opportunity to teach them how to hold on to gospel truths.”
Rosemary M. Wixom, “Stay on the Path,” Ensign, Nov 2010, 9–10
The following is a guest post co-written by Emily Patterson and Kathleen Thomas.
A great deal of research has clearly demonstrated that the early years – ages 2 to five – are the best time to educate children in different modes of communication and language. This goes beyond the spoken word (though it is an optimal time for children to learn a second language); many young children have an aptitude for signing as well. This can be taught at home, or some child care programs have begun to teach it in their curriculums.
This really isn’t as odd as you may think. As you may already know, many indigenous peoples around the world, including American Indian nations, have used sign language for centuries to facilitate communication with other tribes with whom they do not share a language. Some paleontologists and anthropologists theorize that Neanderthals – who apparently lacked the vocal mechanism to produce many spoken words – depended a great deal upon hand gestures to communicate.
In fact, recent research suggests that sign language is innate. An article published in the Boulder Daily Camera in 2003 presented strong evidence that babies as young as six months old communicate with their hands:
“…by 6 to 7 months, babies can remember a sign. At eight months, children can begin to imitate gestures and sign single words. By 24 months, children can sign compound words and full sentences. They say sign language reduces frustration in young children by giving them a means to express themselves before they know how to talk.” (Glarion, 2003)
A study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is also cited, demonstrating that young children who are taught sign language at an early age actually develop better verbal skills as they get older. The ability to sign has also helped parents in communicating with autistic children; one parent reports that “using sign language allowed her to communicate with her [autistic] son and minimized his frustration…[he now] has an advanced vocabulary and excels in math, spelling and music” (Glarion, 2003).
The Best Time To Start
Incorporating sign into pre-verbal youngsters early childhood education as a way to communicate can also strengthen the parent-child bond – in addition to giving children a solid foundation for learning a skill that will serve them well in the future. The evidence suggests that the best time to start learning ASL is before a child can even walk – and the implications for facilitating the parent-child relationship are amazing.
Emily and Kathleen are Communications Coordinators for the Austin child care facility, a member of the AdvancED® accredited family of Primrose Schools (located in 16 states throughout the U.S.) and part of the network of child care preschools delivering progressive, early childhood, Balanced Learning® curriculum
We affirm that marriage is necessary for the accomplishment of God’s plan to provide the approved setting for mortal birth and to prepare family members for eternal life. Knowledge of God’s plan gives Latter-day Saints a unique perspective on marriage and children. We look on the bearing and nurturing of children as part of God’s plan and a sacred duty of those given the power to participate in it. We believe that the ultimate treasures on earth and in heaven are our children and our posterity. And we believe that we must contend for the kind of mortal families that provide the best conditions for the development and happiness of children—all children.
Dallin H. Oaks, “Fundamental to Our Faith”, Ensign, Jan. 2011, 22–29
Katie at oohmoon is giving away one children’s illustration a day, everyday, for the year. The illustrations are free to download and use as you please, the only trick is that they are only free for 24hrs, when it will then be replaced by a new illustration. Illustrations from previous days are available for a modest price. Pretty awesome.
These are adorable, aren’t they? They are so colorful and bright and happy. I think it might be time to redecorate my daughter’s bedroom!
This past year for Christmas my girls received a fabulous gift from their Aunt Tiffany.
Tiffany sewed adorable doll sleeping bags for each girl, along with a matching pillow and pillowcase. They are really wonderful and have been getting a lot of use since Christmas day. All of their baby dolls have been inside for a nap, and so have their zhu zhu pet hamsters! Tiffany wrote a little bit about how she made them on her blog here.
But that wasn’t all. Tiffany also made them scripture bags! Let me tell you, I was thrilled beyond measure.
The background: The Ant Bug has been using her dad’s scripture tote from when he was a little boy. The bag is cute and has worked well for her, but the handle is starting to fray. The Sweet Bee would be a little Sunbeam in Primary in January, so she also needed her own bag. I knew that sewing a scripture tote should be a simple enough project and perfect Christmas gifts, but unfortunately, I don’t really sew. Not really at all, except for this project. I searched on Etsy for a tote bag, but failed to find exactly what I was looking for. As Christmas Day approached, I had to admit defeat in this project and file my thoughts away in the “hope to figure out a way to do this project soon” category.
This is the bag the Ant Bug has used for the last three years. It has to be at least 20 years old, from when my husband was in Primary.So I was really thrilled (and suprised!) by the adorable scripture totes that Tiffany made. She told a little bit about how she made them on her blog here. 
I am also very excited about what goes inside the scripture bags. Would you like to take a look inside?
A copy of the Book of Mormon (my girls are young still, so they don’t have a complete set of scriptures just yet).
A small notebook for writing and drawing (not pictured) and a set of these awesome markers. I was spying on the family we were sitting behind in sacrament meeting the week before Christmas and I noticed their solution for Sunday writing tools. Never lose a marker lid or crayon under the bench again! The markers are made by Roseart and come with a clip attached to the cap, so they can all be easily held together on the clip. Just uncap the marker you want to use for the moment, and the markers all stay together. Pure genius. They are washable, and I found them easily for sale at Target.
Quiet Books, courtesy of Simply Fresh Designs. 
The story behind the quiet books: I discovered Simply Fresh Designs while looking on Sugardoodle for ideas for the 2011 Primary Theme. Heather had shared a file of images illustrating each of the monthly Primary themes for 2011. The images are beautifully made, using accepted LDS artwork, and she made the jpeg files available to download free in a variety of sizes. What a great resource! But as I started to browse through her site I discovered more of her files that make perfect quiet books. And she is generously sharing them all for free!
The images are available in a variety of sizes and can be printed using a photo lab (like Costco, Walgreens, Walmart, etc) just like you would a digital photo. She suggested inserting them in a 4×6 photo album, which is exactly what I did. I found my albums at Target for $1 each. So I downloaded the files, sent them off to Walgreens (they had a nice print special before Christmas-I think I printed between 70-80 images), and then stuck them in the inexpensive albums. Three quiet books for about $10, not too shabby. I used them as stocking stuffers, and my girls have been excited to have special new books to take to church.
Here are the links to the files I made my books from:
Quiet Books–We Believe (adorable illustrations of gospel principles)
Articles of Faith (colorful text)
Book of Mormon Stories (26 story summaries from the Book of Mormon, illustrated with the well-known LDS artwork)
I combined the Primary theme and Articles of Faith into one book, since it wasn’t as long as the others. There is also another book available, Prophets and Apostles. I haven’t downloaded it yet, but I think it would be great for General Conference.
So there you have it. Now each of my girls has their own Sunday bag with their own activities to help them be reverent during Sacrament Meeting, and they are responsible for carrying it. I also usually stick a Friend magazine in my bag, and they each get a small container of snacks in their own bag (pretzels and fruit snacks), and that’s it. My own Sunday bag(s) just got a lot more manageable, and the girls feel special carrying their bags into church/Primary. Whenever the Sweet Bee talks to someone at church she proudly says “This my Sunday bag!” and shows it off. 
Thanks again Tiffany! And be sure to go check out Simply Fresh Designs if you would like to make your own quiet books!
“Recent research on the development of a child’s brain has revealed new insights into how and when a child learns. I quote from a recent study: “From birth, a baby’s brain cells proliferate wildly, making connections that may shape a lifetime of experience. The first three years are critical” (J. Madeleine Nash, “Fertile Minds,” Time, 3 Feb. 1997, 49).
“Is it surprising that our Father in Heaven fashioned the minds of very young children to be so capable of learning at a time when they need to be taught who they are and what they must do? The years from birth to age 10 are the peak years for acquiring the language that will become the foundation for understanding future knowledge and truth. That foundation is formed by the words they hear and the impressions that come to them from the world around them. It is an ideal time for parents to read to their children from the scriptures. They will begin to learn the language of the scriptures.
“The Savior has given us a pattern to follow as we study the scriptures. We hear the word, we ponder upon its meaning, we ask our Heavenly Father to help us understand, and then our minds and hearts are prepared to receive the promised blessings. Pondering is more than reading words; it is searching for meanings that will help us as we relate to one another and as we make choices in our lives. It is allowing the word to move from our minds to our hearts. The Spirit bears witness to our hearts as we prayerfully seek to know the things of our Heavenly Father. When we have that witness and knowledge, we think and live and relate to each other in more Christlike ways.
“As parents, our children look to us and our example to guide them. When we consistently live what the scriptures teach, we provide them with an anchor that will guide them in discerning truth in a world of conflicting values. With the scriptures as a reference point, we can help them process their experiences and the consequences of their choices. By so doing, we help them keep the eternal perspective always in focus so they never forget who they are and where they are going.”
Anne G. Wirthlin, “Teaching Our Children to Love the Scriptures,” Ensign, May 1998, 9
Did you get snow over the weekend? Quite likely, since 49 of the 50 states now currently have snow. I, however, am living in Florida, where snow continues to be elusive and just out of our reach. In my mind, January should equal snow, so this week we have been making our own.
Make and Takes suggested using coffee filters for cutting out snowflakes. Let me tell you, the filters work wonderfully. Already in a perfect circle shape, and they are a little thinner and easier to cut through for little fingers. They were well worth the 97 cents I paid for 100 filters (although I did feel a little weird buying coffee filters, since that isn’t something I have ever consumed…)
We have them decorating our windows and hanging from the ceiling.
Later this week we plan to add a little color to our snowflakes. And when we get tired of our filter snowflakes, I think we’ll make a few out of q-tips.
Thanks to Confessions of a Homeschooler, the Sweet Bee and I have plenty of preschool activities to keep us busy. Today we had fun with the snowman matching card. We matched number clothespins with the appropriately numbered snowman, then counted and put each snowman in order. 
Here are the books we are reading to complete our snow-themed bookshelf:
Snowmen At Night by Caralyn Buehner
Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehner
Thomas’ Snowsuit by Robert Munsch
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton
Stella, Queen of the Snow by Mary-Louise Gay
For more snowy ideas, check out my Snowy Fun post from 2010.
President Hinckley has counseled parents: “Read to your children. Read the story of the Son of God. Read to them from the New Testament. Read to them from the Book of Mormon. It will take time, and you are very busy, but it will prove to be a great blessing in your lives as well as in their lives. And there will grow in their hearts a great love for the Savior of the world, the only perfect man who walked the earth. He will become to them a very real living being, and His great atoning sacrifice as they grow to manhood and womanhood, will take on a new and more glorious meaning in their lives” (quoted in Church News, 6 Dec. 1997, 2).
Monday night for dinner we had White Chicken Chili. Living in Florida does not lend itself to many cozy, warm, soup-making days, so I haven’t made this recipe since last winter. I have to say, it was delicious and enjoyed by all (well, except for the Sweet Bee, but she really only eats frozen bananas and pink sandwiches. Although she actually ate some of the chicken from the soup, so that was positive). The soup/chili is easy to make and one of my favorites, so even though I have posted it before, I thought it was worth repeating today.
White Chicken Chili
1 small onion, peeled and chopped fine
2-3 medium garlic cloves, peeled/chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1- 4oz can chopped green chilies
30 ounces (2 cans) white bean undrained (great northern, cannellini, or garbonzo)
1 can chicken broth
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. salt and a couple shakes of pepper
2-3 chicken breasts (can be frozen-shred them once they are cooked)
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
juice from 1 lime
Combine all ingredients in crockpot pot except for sour cream and cheese. Let simmer for 4-6 hours on low. Add the sour cream and cheese for the last hour.We like to eat ours with taco chips, and usually a big green salad to go with it.
You can find my other favorite winter soup recipes here. Up next on my list to try is Meck Mom’s Easy and Delicious Chicken Soup recipe.
What’s your favorite soup recipe?
