Mama Carmody, Author at Love to Laugh and Learn

Generally Having Fun with Music

February 5, 2014 by Mama Carmody 37 Comments

Generally Having Fun with Music

This post, Generally Having Fun with Music, is written in collaboration with Shannon Wijnker, who used to blog on Mamamusing. Shannon is a music teacher and mother of four.

It has been a lot of fun writing the posts “Fun with Music” in collaboration with Shannon. Our posts have covered the different instrument families. This final post, of the series, is about ways for your children to simply have fun with all kinds of music.

Shannon and I both agree that most learning for young children should come through play and experimentation. So dance around the room with your child, share your favorite songs from childhood or watch a musical together. Just generally have fun with music!

“If the parent values music, and makes it a part of their life, then their children will value music also.” – Shannon Wijnker

Shannon shared:

“Children learn best by constructing their own concepts and ideas, and by trial and error. They will learn how to create a variety of sounds. Some of which they will like and some they will decide they don’t. Your concept of what is acceptable sound may vary from theirs. But be patient and let them explore. Remember that it’s not just about making a beautiful sound, but playing and exploring the concept of sound.”

Musical Sensory Bin

Shannon mentioned that the dollar store is a good place to pick up inexpensive instruments for the children to experiment with. Recorders are great choice. You can also find tambourines, kazoos, etc. I took Shannon’s advice and headed to the dollar store to pick up some instruments. I decided to create a musical sensory bin. I found several items in the party favor section and some in the toy section. I picked up a recorder and a toy microphone from the $1 bins at Target.

Items in my Musical Sensory Bin:

Beans (I bought at Dollar Tree)
Rice (I bought it at Costco. It was cheaper to get a big bag here rather than smaller ones
at the Dollar Tree.)
Hand Drums
Plastic Musical Clackers
Kazoos
Slide Whistles
Recorder
Microphone
Empty Plastic Containers (of all sizes)
Empty Oatmeal Box
Metal Spoons (I bought at Dollar Tree)
Empty Shoe Box
Rubber Bands
Plastic Easter Eggs

Generally Having Fun with Music: Musical Sensory Bin

Jeremiah put beans and rice into different containers. We talked about the different sounds they made.

Generally Having Fun with Music: Experimenting with Shakers

There were different types of whistles and kazoos for him to play with.

We stretched rubber bands around a box and listened to the different sounds they made when we plucked them.

The microphone was a big hit. Don’t forget that your voice is an instrument you take with you wherever you go. (Fun with Music: Voices)

Generally Having Fun with Music: Microphone

Using the spoon to drum on the different containers was also fun.

Generally Having Fun with Music: A Little Drumming

Jeremiah was almost 2 years old when I created this Musical Sensory Box. As you can see, he really enjoyed it. He has played with it on more than one occasion and I’m sure he will play with it many more times. The one thing that I noticed is that some of the whistles didn’t work very well. I will probably replace and add some better quality instruments, as I get the money, but this was a good place to start. As we have made the crafts on the different Fun with Music posts, we have added them to the bin. This was a place to start and as his interests grow and change we can add to or switch out instruments.

Shannon also wants to remind us to help our children explore sound within their own environment:

“You can talk about sounds being high and low. You can talk about the timbre (the quality of sound – how we can tell mom’s voice from dad’s). Encourage your children to explore sounds with their bodies and other toys/things they can find in the house. You don’t have to go out any buy instruments to explore sound and music.”

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Musical Outings

In Indianapolis, you can find many places that give free outdoor concerts during the summer. Maybe you have the same opportunities in your area. Outdoor concerts are a great way to introduce your children to live music because they can sit in their own lawn chair, on a blanket or even get up and dance around a little. Expose your children to many types of music. Take the time to talk about what they are hearing, how it makes them feel and the different instruments they are seeing and hearing.

Shannon from Mamamusing wants you to know: “In London, there are several outdoor concerts and festivals in Victoria Park during the summer. One of the best is Sunfest (beginning of July). You can check out a video of my kids enjoying the multicultural music and dancing by clicking here.”

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Games Online

Now that you have introduced your children to some of the various instrument families
in the orchestra, you may want to visit The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. This
is a website created by Carnegie Hall which is a wonderfully FREE interactive online
game for young children to explore and learn more about the various instruments of the
orchestra. You will need to use a computer, because the game requires Adobe Flash,
which you can download for free (if you don’t already have this utility installed on your
computer).

There is also a wonderful set of books for children ages 4 to 9 years old that helps them learn different musical concepts. Along with the books the author, Sharon Burch, has a website with coloring pages and games for your child to enjoy and enhance their learning experience: Freddie the Frog Games and Coloring Pages.You can find more information about the books below in Story Time.

Another Resource recommended by Shannon from Mamamusing

“If you homeschool your children, a great resource for teaching them music (and how to play the recorder) is a magazine called “The Recorder Classroom”. I believe there are 4 issues printed so far. You can download both the music and accompanying mp3s online. They are fun to play and I find my students are motivated to learn the music, when they have great accompaniments to play along with.”

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Story Time – There were so many books that didn’t fall under any of our other posts so I have included them here. You should really check all of them out. I really enjoyed reading them and I’m sure you and your child will too.

Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane by Carole Boston Weatherford
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 9 yrs old
This is an interesting look at the influences on a great musician. The book shares the many different sounds and experiences that John faced as he was growing up; listening to Daddy play the ukulele or to big bands on the radio. The essence of the story it that John heard and listened to many things that lead him on his path of becoming a Jazz Giant.

Freddie the Frog series by Sharon Burch
Reading Level: Ages 4 – 9 yrs old
This series was recommended by Shannon Wijnker from Mamamusing. She uses this series in her music classes. Shannon says, “A great series to start kids learning music concepts and theory is “Freddie the Frog”. These are cute stories with a hidden agenda. My students love these books and ask for them again and again!”

Through the series of books your child will learn the names of notes; they will learn about rhythm, beat and tempo. Each book comes with a CD that includes the dramatized story and sing-along songs.

Adventure #1 – Freddie the Frog and the Thump in the Night by Sharon Burch
Freddie the Frog lives on the island of Treble Clef, with his parents. Join him in his adventure as he searches the island for the source of the thump.

Adventure #2 – Freddie the Frog and the Bass Clef Monster by Sharon Burch
Freddie the Frog awakes from hibernation to find out that he is no longer at home, on Treble Clef Island.

Adventure #3 – Freddie the Frog and the Mysterious Wahooooo by Sharon Burch
Join Freddie the Frog and his best friend, Eli the Elephant, as they discover tempos, rhythms, and beats on Tempo Island. Your child will enjoy learning to play their percussion instruments to the rhythm and beat along with Eli and Freddie

Adventure #4 – Freddie the Frog and the Secret of Crater Island by Sharon Burch
Freddie and Eli take on a new adventure. They seek to find the secret on Crater Island, along with the Blue Beetle Bugs.

Adventure #5 – Freddie the Frog and the Flying Jazz Kitten by Sharon Burch
Join Freddie the Frog and the Flying Jazz Kitten, on Treble Clef Island, as Freddie becomes a jazz sensation. They will learn how to use an instrument they have with them all the time, their voice. Freddie and the Jazz Kitten help your child learn about scat singing.

Froggy Plays in the Band by Jonathan London
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 6 yrs old
Froggy sees a poster at school about a marching band contest and a big prize. When he asks his music teacher about it, she tells him to form a big band and practice, practice, practice. She helps Froggy and his friends as they work their hardest to become a great marching band. The one important thing the teacher tells them is, “Don’t stop for anything!” This is very good advice especially when they get to the end of the parade. Pick up this book and find out what happens to Froggy and his marching band when they didn’t stop for anything.

Instruments and Music by Daniel Nunn
Reading Level: Ages 4 – 8 yrs old
This book is a great introduction to instruments and music. Your child will get to see pictures of many different instruments; some will be familiar and some will seem strange. There are instruments from many countries. Your child will learn what materials the instruments are made of and how they produce sound. I believe any child interested in music and instruments will enjoy this book.

Jazz Baby by Carole Boston Weatherford
Reading Level: birth to 6 years old
This is simply a fun little book to introduce music and instruments to even the youngest “musician”. The text on each page starts with “Jazz baby, jazz baby” and then describes, in rhyme, some fun aspect of music; such as playing a horn or the drums. Your child will get to see children singing, dancing and playing instruments. I love this book. I think it’s absolutely adorable. I had to buy one for my grandson and one to have at my house.

Listen to My Trumpet! by Mo Willems
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
Piggie gets a trumpet and wants to show his friend Elephant what he can do on his trumpet. He blows and blows and all kinds of sounds come out of the horn, but is it music? Find out what Elephant has to say about Piggie’s playing and how Piggie responds.

Little Pig Joins the Band by David Hyde Costello
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 6 yrs old
Little Pig wants to play an instrument like the bigger pigs but he is just too small for any of them. He watches as everyone chooses an instrument and marches around. Little Pig watches each of them march in different directions and play different songs all at the same time. Once a big accident occurs, he realizes there is a job for him. Read this adorable book to find out how Little Pig helps out.

Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 8 yrs old
This is a fun and well written book that covers many of the instruments that can be found in an orchestra. There are simple explanations of what the instruments look like and how they are alike or different from each other. Your child will receive an explanation of what the instrument sounds like. The illustrations are quite fun. Each musician is an animal, which will appeal to the younger crowd. This book makes a great introduction to instruments and the orchestra.

Music Is by Lloyd Moss
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
This is an enjoyable book written in rhyme. It talks of all the fun ways music influences our lives. Lloyd Moss captures my feelings about music. It is a happy, important aspect of my life everyday. He talks of music when you wake up and music when you go to bed. Music for your birthday, 4th of July and to ring in the New Year. Music in an elevator and sometimes on a phone. Music fills our lives even when we aren’t paying attention. What would life be like without music?

Our Marching Band by Lloyd Moss
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
This is a fun little book about a group of kids that loved playing their instruments. The story starts with them getting the instrument that they each wanted. They each practiced and practiced their parts separately and although they sounded a little rough in the beginning the sounds they made together were much different. Read this inspiring tale of how dreams and practice turned them into a marching band.

The Orchestra by Mark Rubin & Alan Daniel
Reading Level: Ages 5 – 8 yrs old
This book is a wonderful introduction to music, instruments, musicians and the orchestra. It describes the different families of instruments in the orchestra: strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. Your child will even learn different terms related to music such as melody, harmony, rhythm and tempo. The book covers a lot in simple descriptions your child can understand. I highly recommend this book as an outstanding introduction to music.

The Orchestra (Culture in Action) by Liz Miles
Reading Level: Ages 8 and up
This is a children’s book, but as you can tell by the reading level, it is for a little older child. There is a lot of great information about the orchestra, music, musicians and composers. You could still use this with a younger child who has an interest in music because it is broken up into several different sections. Sometimes you will find more than one subheading on a page. The reason this is nice is that you can read a section or two at a time, to a young child, and save some for later. I wouldn’t use this book as an introduction to orchestras for a young child but it has much valuable information for a little older child.

The Philharmonic Gets Dressed by Karla Kuskin
Reading Level: Ages 4 – 8 yrs old
As I first read through this book I was going to discard it as possible reading material for my posts on music but I had second thoughts. It is a silly book. Understand I usually like silly but I was taking my posts on music a little too seriously so I wasn’t going to suggest this book. The book goes through each step the one hundred and five members of the Philharmonic go through in getting ready for their performance that evening. It starts with them bathing and showering and then getting dressed. Oh, and it has every detail of them getting dressed; from putting on their underwear, socks or hose all the way to putting on their tuxedos or dresses. The further I read and the more I thought about it, I changed my mind and decided this would be a good book to include with my posts on music. Although it does it in a silly way, your child will get to see that the musicians are regular people with families and pets. They have to get ready for their job like everyone else. Your child will get so see some of the instruments and the different size cases they get carried in. I believe your child will have fun with this light-hearted book about the Philharmonic.

The Recorder and Other Wind Instruments (Let’s Make Music) by Rita Storey
Reading Level: 6 yrs old and above
This book covers both types of wind instruments; woodwinds and brass. Your child will learn how the instruments are made and how they are played. It gives you examples of skills you will need to build to be able to play a wind instrument, like being able to blow out a long slow breath of air (without puffing out your cheeks). They will learn what it means to buzz your lips and how to do it. The illustrations are pictures of wind instruments and people playing them. Have fun learning about the many different wind instruments.

Saxophone Sam and His Snazzy Jazz Band by Christine M. Schneider
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
This is simply a “doo dilly dilly” silly book of two children and some sneaky jazz music. The music is calling but from where? Is it coming from the kitchen, the bathroom or from underneath the bed? Follow the children as they search for the music that is overtaking the house. They are having a toe tapping good time. After reading the book, or maybe even while you are reading the book, put on some jazz music and have some fun dancing to the “zoo zoo zing” once “the band is in full swing!”

Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 10 yrs old
This book is not simply about a violin (as I thought), it is actually a musical counting book. Not counting as in tempos but as in the way you count musical group settings; such as a solo, a duet, a trio, etc.. The story is told in a fun rhyming text. Your child will be exposed to many different instruments as well as the varied names for the different sized musical groups. Although the story goes up to a group of ten, they only tell you the correct names up to nine. So if you are curious, a group of ten is called a dectet. Be sure to share this with your child to find out what the special names for all the groupings are.

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Music at an Early Age by Shannon at Mamamusing
Fun with Music: Overview
Fun with Music: Percussion Instruments
Fun with Music: Brass Instruments
Fun with Music: Woodwind Instruments
Fun with Music: Voices
Fun with Music: String Instruments
Fun with Music: Keyboards
Review: Rhythm! Discovery Center
Review: Peanut Butter and Jam Concerts
Bongo Boy Music School Review

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Learning Fun at Disney: Manners

May 23, 2023 by Mama Carmody Leave a Comment

I think learning should be fun. I can’t think of a more delightful place to learn than Disney!

Manners

Today, we are going to tackle manners. Using good manners is such an important attribute. Your child will have many opportunities to use their manners and to see manners exhibited while at Disney.

Please and Thank You

The first, in my book, is the simple, “please” and “thank you”. The cast members work hard and sometimes in less-than-ideal situations. It can be really hot or stormy and the cast members still have to be there to care for you. A simple thank you can add some joy to their day.

There will be many opportunities, during the day, to use your manners. One of my favorite times is mealtime.

“Will you please pass the salt?”

“Thank you for letting me get dessert.”

My family came from the south. We were taught to throw in a “please” or “thank you” when answering a question.

“Would you like tomatoes on your salad?”

“No, thank you.”

“Would you like ice cream for dessert?”

“Yes, please.”

The Napkin

Another manner, that is not so widely practiced, is the placing of your napkin. If it’s a restaurant with cloth napkins, we place them in our laps.

Did you know you can send a secret message to your server by where you place your napkin? (Of course, that is, if your server knows the code.) If you leave the table, but will be returning, place your napkin on your chair.

When you are totally finished with your meal, place your napkin on the table next to your plate. This lets the server know they can start taking away your dirty dishes and bring you the bill.

I hope this post on manners has been fun and has given you some ideas of how to use them. What other manners might you use, while on your trip? Don’t forget to continue using them when you get home.

Learning Fun at Disney: The Importance of Imagination

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Learning Fun at Disney: The Importance of Imagination

September 10, 2020 by Mama Carmody Leave a Comment

Disney, the land (or world) of fun and imagination. It can also be a fun place to learn. Some of these learning ideas can be used in other settings such as home, at the store or at other amusement parks but some learning activities will be especially for Disney.

First, let’s discuss imagination. Some people may not understand how important it is but it is, oh, so important. Sometimes very intelligent people feel that they don’t need to use it. They feel using their imagination is childish.

Let’s look at the definition of imagination. According to Merriam-Webster, it is “the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality”. It is “a creation of the mind,” “fanciful or empty assumption”.

Yes, sometimes imagination can be fanciful, seemingly silly and useless but think of the great things that have been accomplished and the wonderful inventions that have been created all because of someone’s “creation of the mind”.

My grandson and I recently flew on an airplane to Disney World. I am always in awe as the plane gathers speed. Then all of a sudden this big metal contraption lifts up, off the ground and we are flying above the houses and eventually above the clouds. What kind of an imagination must the Wright Brothers have had to believe that they could fly through the air like a bird? They didn’t simply give up and say, “There is no way we can ever do what a bird does.” No, they imagined the possibility of fight and then used their brains to figure out how to make this dream a reality.

This is what inventors do. They use their imagination to dream about some fanciful new gadget or way to travel. Then they use their brains and education to test and experiment with everyday items in new and different ways. The great imaginers of today will be the outstanding inventors of tomorrow.

Disneyland and Disney World are places full of imaginative activities but you can find an extra helping of imagination at Disney World Epcot. There you can enjoy a ride on Journey to Imagination with Figment. Figment is a little purple dinosaur. He is an adorable figment of some Imagineer. He helps you to learn how much fun and how important it is to imagine new and wonderful things.

Being smart and learning as much as you can are wonderful objectives but don’t forget to add in a large dose of imagination. You might come up with the next great invention because you were able to imagine it.

Figment of your imagination. — Use Your Imagination

When Do Children Start Learning

Learning Should Be Fun

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When Do Children Start Learning

October 11, 2011 by Mama Carmody 18 Comments

When Do Children Start Learning

Before I start sharing some of my learning activities, I thought it might be a good idea to cover the topic of “when do children start learning”.

In my opinion, coupled with the experience I had with my children, I believe that learning starts even before a child is born. But since you probably won’t put a lot of stock in what I believe, I searched the Internet and found some studies that have come to the same conclusions about when children start learning.

I’m not going to spend a lot of time going over all of the research I have found. I do think it is important to share a couple of links with you so that you can see what studies have found. Once we understand when learning begins it will help us understand when we can start the educational process with our children.

Research

In an analysis done by Stephen M. Maret, Ph.D., he states that verbal communication from the mother to the fetus, results in earlier talking, independence and better concentration after birth.

Another good article that refers to several studies done with fetuses is “A Peek into Fetal Memory: Learning in Utero” by Mark Earley.

*** update 1/10/13 A new report just posted January 3, 2013 on WebMD: Babies Listen and Learn While in the Womb

Now that we see that science says children start learning when they are still in the womb, it helps us understand that it is never too soon to start exposing them to learning activities.

The earlier we start exposing children to different learning activities, the less pressure and the more fun we can have with them. If you start reading to an infant and talking about colors or numbers (or whatever concept you are introducing) you can simply have fun with it and don’t need to put pressure on them because they are too young to expect them to master the concept.

But My Child Is Older

Don’t worry, if your child isn’t an infant. Children are like sponges. Take advantage of their natural curiosities and turn them into fun learning experiences. Not sure how to do that? I’m here to help you with that.

Experiences With My Children

As I said earlier, I believed that children started learning in the womb so I started a certain “learning” activity even before they were born. I wanted my children to be able to recognize their father’s voice. Since he worked all day and he wasn’t the one carrying the child around inside him, I wanted some way for him to connect with his unborn child. I had him read a children’s storybook onto a tape recorder. Then when I would sit down or lie down to rest, I would put a headset against my stomach and run the tape. We had a very interesting experience at the birth of our oldest daughter that made me believe that this technique had helped. She had just been born and the nurses had taken her aside to clean her up and get her vitals. She was upset and screaming at the top of her lungs. My husband couldn’t get to her to touch her because the nurses were working on her but he walked near her and simply said, in a sweet, new daddy voice, “What’s wrong honey?” At the sound of his voice she immediately quit screaming. I was surprised and pleased.

I took little board books with me to the hospital and started reading to my children right away. If I remember correctly the books were about colors and shapes. I always wanted to stay ahead of what they SHOULD know so I could keep it light and fun. I wanted my children to feel successful once they got into school. I didn’t want them to feel pressured or always struggling to keep up.

At the same time, I wanted them to enjoy their childhood and not feel like they were in school even when they were at home. I wanted to make learning fun for my children and I want to help you do the same for yours.

Firefighters: Love to Learn About Community Helpers

October 26, 2014 by Mama Carmody 32 Comments

Firefighters: Love to Learn About Community Helpers
with Free Printables

Firefighters put their lives on the line for us each and every day. It is essential that we teach our children about the sacrifices they make to help others.

Schedule a visit to the fire station. Call first to see if they welcome visitors and what a good time would be to stop by. If the first station you call doesn’t welcome visitors, then try another one. I know there are many stations that would love to have you visit. One thing to ask, is if someone would be willing to put on a full set of fire gear. It is very important for children to know what a firefighter might look like if one would have to save them from a fire. Children need to be taught not to run and hide from them but to go to them.

I like to start my learning activities with a book and I recommend you do the same. There are a few listed below in the Story Time section. If you have another book, that you really like, please share it with me.

Below you will also find a craft and some ideas for pretend play. Be sure to enjoy this time of exploration and learning with your child.

Content:

Playtime
Fun Sheet
Craft
Story Time
Videos
Related Posts
Acknowledgements

Playtime

Does your child have a fire station or fire truck to play with? I love the Fisher Price Rescue Heroes. They were very popular with my preschool classes. I just scored several of them at a Goodwill Store. You would have thought I won the lottery. Playmobil was another things my preschoolers loved. They have a fire station and fire trucks.

Dress up is a fun way to explore the world of firefighters. Dress up is fun for boys and girls alike. I like to look for costumes after Halloween. That’s when they are really inexpensive.

Firefighters: Fireman D.I.Y. Costume by Parties for Pennies

You can find a D.I.Y. Firefighter costume on Parties for Pennies. Click on the link, or the picture, to see how to make this cute outfit: Fireman D.I.Y. Costume

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Fun Sheet

I have created a fun sheet to do with your child. Have your child color the firefighter and then color only the items that the firefighter would use. Don’t color the items that the firefighter would not use. Click on the picture to get the downloadable fun sheet.

The fun sheet is a great way for your child to develop their fine motor skills, as they color. They will learn to follow directions and will also reinforce what they have learned about firefighters.

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Craft

Fire Truck Shape Craft

Materials Needed:

Fire Truck template
Crayons, markers or paint
Paint brushes
Scissors
Glue stick
Optional:
magnets
lamination

Instructions:

I have given you several free downloadable templates to use with this craft. I had so many different ideas of things you could do, I just had to include it all.

First of all, you can use it as a simple craft.

Print the fire truck with no color
Print the fire truck shapes (with no words and no color)
Let your child color or paint the pieces.
Cut out the pieces. (either they can do this or you can, depending on where your child is developmentally)
Glue the pieces to the fire truck.

* Another option would be to print the truck shapes with color and cut them out. Then let your child glue those shapes on.
** You could also cut the shapes out of construction paper and let your child glue them to the fire truck.

Another way to play with this is to make a puzzle out of it.

Print the fire truck with color.
Print the fire truck shapes with color.
Laminate both sheets. (I get my laminating done at a nearby teacher’s store)
Cut out the fire truck shapes.
Add magnets to the back of the fire truck picture and to each of the pieces.
Now your child can do the “puzzle” on a cookie sheet.

*You could also print the fire truck with no color for some extra puzzle fun.

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Story Time

DK Readers: Jobs People Do — A Day in a Life of a Firefighter (Level 1: Beginning to Read) by Linda Hayward
Reading Level: Ages 5 – 7 yrs old
Follow Rob Green as he goes through his day as a firefighter. Rob will have to be away from his family for a full day (24 hours). This book covers a couple of duties that Rob might have that I haven’t seen covered in other firefighter books. It explains that the firemen have to inspect restaurants and stores to make sure they are safe and have the simple fire equipment they need to keep customers safe. It also talks about a class having a field trip to the fire station. The firemen will also get to go put a fire out. Rob even sleeps at the firestation. This will be a fun way for your child to learn about firemen and the jobs they have to perform.

A Day in the Life of a Firefighter (Kids’ Career Library) by Mary Bowman-Kruhm and Claudine G. Wirths
Reading Level: Ages 5 and up
If your child is looking for a little more information about firefighters and not just a simple introduction, this would be the book to go to. This book explains the responsibilities of firefighters and the equipment they need but with a little more detail than some other books. If you have an inquisitive child that loves to sit and listen, I would recommend this book.

A Day with Firefighters by Jan Kottke
Reading Level: Ages 2 – 6 yrs old
This is a great book to introduce your little one to the responsibilities of firefighters. It has very simple text but covers the basic information your child will need. The illustrations are actual pictures of firefighters on the job. On another note, I was surprised when I picked up this book at the library. It came in a plastic bag with some paperwork and a DVD. I thought it was a movie of the book but that’s not what it was as all. It was actually a video of someone using American Sign Language to share the book with deaf children. It turns out there is an organization called The Shared Reading Project. The video is to help parents be able to effectively share books with their deaf child so they can become lifelong readers. You can search your library’s website for The Shared Reading Project and you will find several titles to choose from.

Fighting Fires: See More Readers Level 1 by Seymour Simon
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 7 yrs old
If you have a child that is really interested in different types of trucks then he/she will love this book. It doesn’t just talk about fire trucks in general but names and gives you pictures of the different types of fire trucks and the special job each of them does. I especially like the fact that the book explains how people used to pass buckets of water by hand to put out fires. This book impressed me because it covers fire fighting from a different angle than most books.

Fire Fighter! (DK Readers) – Level 2 by Angela Royston
Reading Level: Ages 6 – 8 yrs old
Your child will enjoy the excitement in this book as the firefighters do their jobs. It starts out as a quiet day in the firehouse. Your child will get to see the different things found in the firehouse. Then the alarm goes off and they head to a fire. They are worried that a child might be trapped in the burning house. Your child will get to hear about the different things a firefighter might experience while searching through a burning house for a trapped person. There are several different side notes and pictures of the equipment the firefighters use. This is a very sweet and informative book.

Firefighter (Benchmark Rebus) by Dana Meachen Rau
Reading Level: Ages 2 to 6 years old
I love the books by Dana Meachen Rau that are put out by Benchmark Rebus. They are so simple and easy to understand. I like the fact that they use pictures instead of words as part of the text. It will make your little one proud that they are helping with the story. In this book we learn about the many things that firefighters do and the equipment they use. This is a very cute book to introduce the job of firefighters to your child.

Fire Fighters (Community Helpers) by Dee Ready
Reading Level: Ages 4 and up
This is a great book to introduce your child to the responsibilities of a fire fighter. The illustrations are actual pictures of fire fighters doing their many jobs. The text is simple; just a few clear sentences to each illustration. Once you share this book with your child, they will have a better understanding of what fire fighters do and the things they need to perform their jobs.

Firefighters (Neighborhood Helpers) by Cecilia Minden
Reading Level: Ages 5 and up
A little girl, named Elizabeth, believes she may want to be a firefighter when she grows up. She wants to learn all she can about being a firefighter. You will find a lot of information in this book about what firefighters do and the equipment they use. It even talks about some of the education they need. Although there is a lot of text in this book it is broken down into subtopics so if your child has a short attention span or just needs a break, it is easy to stop and start up again. There is a lot of additional information along the sides of the pages too. If I had a child that was really interested in firefighters I would definitely share this book with them.

Fire Fighters: A to Z (Community Helpers) by Jean Johnson
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
Every letter of the alphabet represents something a firefighter uses or does. There are a lot of wonderful pictures of firemen at work. The illustrations are in black and white but they are still very interesting. There is quite a bit of information about firefighters including an extra section in the back called “More About Fire Fighters”. I would recommend this book whether learning about firefighters or just wanting to reinforce alphabet recognition.

I’m Going to Be a Fire Fighter by Edith Kunhardt
Reading Level: Ages 4 and up
This story is about three little girls whose daddy is a firefighter. They get to go to work with him one day and they share all the things that their daddy does on the job. You will see some of the tools he uses and the many different aspects of his job. The illustrations are actual photographs of the firefighter at work and with his family. This is a fun way to learn about firefighters.

I Want To Be A Firefighter by Dan Liebman
Reading Level: Ages 3 – 7 yrs old
This book has wonderful photos of firefighters at work. The text is simple which makes it nice for a younger child. Although the text is simple there is plenty of information to help your little one learn about firefighters. Not only does this book talk about building fires but it also talks about forest fires and fires on boats. You child will learn a lot from this simple but informative book.

I Want to Be a Firefighter by Stephanie Maze
Reading Level: Ages 8 yrs old and up
This book is for a little older child. There is plenty of text and a lot of pictures describing the life and job of a firefighter. Your child will learn about the different places firefighters are needed, such as in urban areas or out in the brush putting out wildfires. Your child will also learn about the different kinds of training that a firefighter needs. There are a lot of interesting pictures of firefighters in action. If your child is a little older and interested in firefighters this will be a great book for them.

Uncle Rocky, Fireman by James Burd Brewster
Reading Level: Ages 3 and up
Uncle Rocky, Fireman is actually a series of books about Rocky Hill and his fire station. As of this moment, I have only read the first book but I can’t wait to get hold of more of the series. I love the use of sound words such as vroom, vroom and clang, clang, clang. Children love making noises and this story definitely encourages that. I love that the author uses technical terms without making the story difficult to follow. Your child will learn new words like turnout coat and smoke inhalation. I hope you enjoy following the adventures of Uncle Rocky as much as I did.
The author, James Burd Brewster, is offering a free download of his first book. Just go to his website: Glad To Do It!

We Need Fire Fighters (Helpers in Our Community) by Lola M. Schaefer
Reading Level: Ages 3 and up
This is a simple little book that makes a great introduction to fire fighters. There is just one sentence per page. Each page shows a picture and explains something about fire fighters. You get information about the jobs they do and the things they need to carry out their work.

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Videos

Fireman Sam – distributed by Lionsgate
Recommended for ages 3 to 6 yrs old
Fireman Sam is a British animated children’s show. It is about Fireman Sam, the other firemen at his fire station and the townspeople of Pontypandy. Each episode deals with some aspect of a fireman’s job. The ones I watched covered things like forest fires, a fire because of paper close to the stove and fire prevention. I believe your child will enjoy these videos and learn a lot about being safe with fires while having fun at the same time.

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Community Helpers – Overview
Doctors: Love to Learn About Community Helpers
Dentists: Love to Learn About Community Helpers
Police Officers: Love to Learn About Community Helpers

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