This circle time lesson for The Family Book combines counting, learning about how each family is unique, and of course, Todd Parr’s excellent book. House numbers ( FREE printable) – This math activity asks children to count the homes on the card and then clip the correct digit. I am familiar with the artwork and themes of Todd Parr's books, and immediately enjoyed "The Family Book" with no exception. The color pallet and shapes do blind the reader due to their boldness, but it is without doubt one of the reasons children and adults of all ages return for more! Self-Portraits can be very useful when learning about families. Who are you in your family? Students can make themselves or a family member.

A joyous picture book about the importance of family and all of the strength it can give you.The message is subtle, but it's a crucial one: every family is special and the only thing that matters is love. Not only that, but if you feel like your family stands out, then don't– there are so many different sorts of families out there that the "normal" family doesn't really exist.Parr devotes time to numerous philanthropic causes supporting pet adoption, children’s hunger, health, and literacy. He is a frequent reader and fundraiser for The Ronald McDonald House and serves on the board of directors for the Virginia Children’s Book Festival. His corporate collaborations include Best Buy, Stouffer’s, and the San Francisco–Marin Food Bank, among others. My class is learning all about families right now, and I wanted to share some of the activities we are exploring. This book is one of my favorites for exploring families, and this year, as I teach over zoom, it is especially well suited for reading over zoom. This family-themed circle time activity is one of my favorites and it helps to show children how unique every family is while working on counting. Many of these activities work well in class, but some are perfect for at-home during remote learning too. Simple enough for any family to do on any budget. Have fun exploring these preschool activities for The Family Book by Todd Parr. Family Name Hunt– this is perfect for a remote school. It’s an easy activity to send home for students to do at home, and my students loved it. Brookhart said that the censoring of these materials, which have been proven effective in schools nationwide in combating bullying, would hurt the progress they have made at the local level.

Lindsay\’s daughter, Kyiah, will be in the third grade next year and took away a lot from the school\’s anti–bullying programs sponsored by GLSEN. Her favorite of which is “No Name Calling Week,” which is now banned under the new policy. How can you teach tolerance and the bringing of a community together as one, but make it quite clear that certain types of people are not welcome in that community? Family Photo Quilt– This is awesome in a classroom when students can see each other’s families on the finished quilt. It’s probably a bit of a misrepresentation to say that it’s just a few parents who have a concern when in fact, at the end of the day, it was a school board representing the views, values and philosophies of a community that really made the decision,” said Cox. “I think our community has very clearly said if those topics come up with 6-year-olds or 7-year-olds that they would rather have those topics discussed at home. We’re still going to teach tolerance, we’re still going to teach diversity.”My family origami house – older students can help fold this paper house, but you can have them prepped for younger preschoolers. I love this project and think it’s a great way to talk about families with your students. Banned & Challenged Books (2020-09-09). "Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books: 2010-2019". Office for Intellectual Freedom. American Library Association . Retrieved 2021-05-04.

Todd Parr's The Family Book is a great way to share the differences of families to children. The book goes through a number of different family dynamics, from adopted children to same sex parents. There are colorful illustrations that engage early readers to the more advanced.

Cox says that the curriculum will not be changed, only the materials that will be used to teach the students; but the district’s policy from this point on states, according to Cox, that under no circumstances will topics involving alternative lifestyles be discussed at the elementary level. But Superintendent Cox claims he was only listening to the voice of his community. Unfortunately, yet again, the heated mob-mentality of a few, fueled by emotion rather than reason, has dictated policy for the many. DC School District Restores Gay-Themed Titles to Summer Reading Lists". SLJ . Retrieved 2 May 2013. Brookhart, along with more than a hundred other parents have signed a petition protesting the ban, a decision which impacts campaigns like No-Name Calling Week, and other materials co-authored by the National Association of Elementary-School Principals. Combined with these differences are the ways they are all alike: they hug each other, are sad when they lose someone they love, and enjoy celebrating together. The Family Book also serves as a teaching tool about bullying.

This reassuring idea is played out in a fun, vivid way that gives you plenty to giggle about. The pop-art illustrations show both human and animal family life. There are adoptive families, step families, families with two mums or two dads, noisy dog families and a single bird parent looking after its nest. Parr even shows you families without children, which is a sweet and modern touch. There are 'families [who] look like their pets' (cue two adults who look just like their pet poodle) and 'families [who] like to be quiet' (see the woman curled up on the sofa with her cat). It's a book to make you all laugh, as well as aid emotional development and allay any fears.The joyful art features both human and animal characters- such as pigs portraying both clean and dirty families. Some families include stepmoms, stepdads, stepsisters, or stepbrothers; some adopt children; other families have two moms or two dads, while some children have only one parent. Todd Parr has written over 30 children’s books, and he is the winner of two National Parenting Publication Awards, as well as three Oppenheim Gold Awards; but his The Family Book (preschool-grade 2; 2004) has stirred up some controversy. This book is censored because it refers to same sex parents. The book talks about how some families can have two moms or two dads. I think this should not be censored. This book is about students understanding what different families can look like. By not teaching students this, you do not allow them to understand not every family has to nor does look just like their own family. Also, singling out this book as censored because it refers to same sex parental families is demeaning. Whether you censor the book or not, children will still come from homes with parents of the same sex. If we do not allow students to hear at a young age that families can look differently, we do not give them the opportunity to understand just because someones family is different than ours does not mean they should be treated as any less than our own family.