I have to credit my sister for thinking of a great gift idea last year for my 8-year old son.

A joke book.

He has really gotten a lot of use out of it and it’s a great way to develop reading fluency. It’d be a nice stocking stuffer or gift for kids ranging from ages 7-11, especially.

Some of the jokes in the book are unique and clever and do make you laugh out loud. Overall, the book has a good mix of regular jokes as well as a section of knock knock jokes.

Here’s an example of a joke from the book:

What are some other fun and educational stocking stuffers you are giving?

~ Carrie

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Just in time for Christmas shopping, here’s a fun idea if you enjoy giving books as gifts.

The Day the Crayons Came Home is the sequel to The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. Both are adorable, funny, instant-classic books! Some of Duncan’s crayons have been lost and this is the story of how they found their way back home.

One unique page in The Day the Crayons Came Home has a glow in the dark message (written by the glow in the dark crayon, of course). Just a heads up, there is a little bit of potty humor (bear poo) involving the brown crayon. My favorite part of the book, though, is the clever ending.

This book makes a great gift for kids, teachers, or anyone who enjoys children’s literature. If you’d like to add a little extra, you can include crayons and a paper pad. The book, crayons, paper pad set would also be a great addition to a silent auction.

Happy shopping!

~Carrie

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I tend to write “options” on the top of my to do list instead of “to do”. I still circle and put stars around the more pressing tasks, but “options” sounds just a little more positive to me.

Here is the free “Options” printable available to print via Google docs. Great for school, home, or work.

This free printable is available exclusively on the My Book Boost blog. Thank you to Pauleenanne Design for the background paper!

I have more modern writing paper/stationary available in my TPT store:

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How often do you look through the pages of a book, handout, or form before reading it? For me, I would say “sometimes.” It’s something I want to do more of.

Looking through the pages beforehand gets our brains to start thinking about the layout and concepts.

 

Previewing a book, also known as talking a picture walk, is a great lifelong skill. It takes time to look through the pages, but it’s a good investment. As a parent or teacher, demonstrating this skill often may help get kids into the habit.

Model looking at the cover, some or all of the pictures and/or pages, and then finally reading. Talk about how you’ll likely understand more because you looked through the book first.

This is a really helpful habit to have when kids start taking standardized tests and other exams. Looking ahead to see how long the test is can help students ration out their time as well as give clues to upcoming concepts. In any case, happy comprehending, whether it’s a fiction book, nonfiction book, or exam, etc.

~Carrie

If you’re interested in more information, click to see a resource in my TPT store that focuses on many of these “before reading” habits:

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Start saving those white plastic bread tags! I’ve got an easy, upcycled snowflake ornament for you to make.

 

Materials:

White cardboard circle with a diameter of approximately 2.25 inches

6 white plastic bread tags

Glue or glue gun

Yarn or string

White paint (optional)

Glitter glue or glitter (optional)

Sponge or cotton swab to apply glitter glue (if using)

Procedure:

1. Cut out a circle from a piece of cardboard. If one side of the cardboard is already white, that’s helpful. If not, feel free to paint the cardboard white. You can use a pencil to trace around the bottom of a cup if you can find a cup that has an approximate diameter of 2.25 inches.
2. Find six white bread tags that you’d like to use for your ornament. Place them around the edge of the circle to make sure they’ll fit.
3. Using a hot glue gun or another kind of craft glue, glue the bread tags around the edge of the circle.
4. Paint the brown cardboard on the back of the ornament white, if you’d like.
5. Knot a piece of 15 inch yarn or string to use as an ornament hanger.
6. Glue the yarn or string to the back of the ornament.
7. Add glitter glue/glitter, if you’d like.

These can also be personalized in any fun way you’d like, such as adding names and/or initials to the center of the ornament. Lots of possibilities.

Do you plan to give this a try? What other eco-friendly ideas do you have for the holidays?

~Carrie

p.s. Here are a few holiday resources found in my TPT store:

If you’re not familiar with TPT, it’s an awesome marketplace where you can find free or priced educational downloads. Great for teachers, homeschoolers, and parents!
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