Nugra's short story

This is a short story Nugra did a few weeks back. I was playing with the MemoPad on my BB, typing details about myself such as my name, my age, my office, etc. My goal was to show Nugra the idea of introducing oneself to another. He took the bait and started to tell a story about his dog. Enjoy!

"Nugra is in home. Nugra has a dog. His name is Doggie. And he has a nose. His nose is one small nose. When it is itchy, he scratches with his feet. And he is hungry, he likes rice and bones. Big bones. Doggie likes big bones. But doggie does not eat small bone. Now he likes to drink milk. When he is asleep, he sleeps on morning and he wakes up at home. And the car beeps, we hear the horn, like this: beep beep. And Doggie barks like this woof woof. And pakde pujut open the gates. That's all today. Now we have to go to bed. Bye bye. Sweet dreams. We see you next time. Not now telephone. You have to go to sleep telephone. Good night. Sleep tight. "

Reading Aloud to Your Children

A new friend from work just lent me her book titled "The Read-Aloud Handbook" by Jim Trelease. For those of you interested on the content: "the book offers proven techniques and strategies, along with reasons, to help children discover the pleasures of reading and setting them on the road to becoming lifelong readers".

I went straight to Chapter 4 "The Dos and Don'ts of Read-Aloud". What I learn from here is that you must always try to engage the audience, starting with the first time you show the book to them Ask them what do they see from the cover, can they guess what the story would be about, amd it between ask them of what they think will happen next. And to never use book as a threat, which happened before in my family, because the children can change their attitude about book once they see that we use it as a weapon.

I tried it rightaway. I have recently bought Keiko Kasza's books from that new friend. I was planning to save them for birthday gifts for Nugra's or Kahya's friends. But I got so intrigued by one of the cover and decided that I am going to open it, read it to my children and purchase a new one.

The book is called "Dorothy and Mikey", it has 3 short stories about a friendship between 2 hippos. I was drawn to it because I want to expose Nugra to more social story to help him interact more with his peer. Needless to say that I think I made the right choice, Nugra like this book instantly. I think he can see himself in the same situation, the situation where he always want to be the winner or when sometimes he want to just be left to play alone. I was hoping he can pick up some of the conversation in this book and replay it in his daily situation. Nugra is notorious in scripting, that is repeating what he saw and/or read from books or movies. So book like "Dorothy and Mikey" or other social story book is much better than fiction books that he likes alot.

The last chapter from the "Read-Aloud Handbook" has a list of books that are good for reading aloud. I search them on Amazon.com and decided to purchase these items:

• "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" by Barret
• "Eddie: Harold's Little Brother" by Koch
• "Ira Sleeps Over" by Waber
• "Miss Nelson is Missing" by Allard
• "The Seven Silly Eaters" by Hoberman
• "The Wolf Who Cried Boy" by Hartman
• "Two Times the Fun" by Cleary