Our blog moved

Hi everyone,
 The blog has moved to its natural place - it is now an integral part of Batalugu's web site.

Please keep on visiting us at: http://batalugu.com/blog/

Tell a tale,
Dorit Rosen
Co-Founder

The ice cream shop as an allegory

I took my kids yesterday afternoon to the ice cream shop. To be honest, it is not just an ice ream shop, an ice cream boutique would be a more accurate term.
For kids, it is more of an ice cream amusement park. So many different flavors are mounted and decorated in a very attractive way, the customers can taste as many flavors as they want before they order, and an endless choice of toppings is offered.

My children take it for granted. For them this is how an ice cream shop should look like. They can't even think about anything less extravagant.

This always makes me think about the ice cream shops that where available when I was a child, not to mention the fact that ice cream was a luxury item that was consumed only in rare occasions when my parents were kids.

If you think about it, this is true in almost every aspect of our daily lives. the last few generations face tremendous changes that occur very quickly.

I think that by telling  my kids how things were in the past, when I was a child, when their grandparents were children and even when my grandparents were children, I give them a great tool to expand their point of view.

This will give them a better perspective, some comparison points and will prepare the grounds for them to live in a fast pace changing environment.

Naturally, I use Batalugu to write stories for them in the form of books. This way I can upload pictures and visualize the stories in a better way.

I encourage you to tell your children about things that you remember or heard in your family's  private past in order to better prepare them for the future.

Tell a tale,
Dorit Rosen
Co-founder
http://batalugu.com

Increase affect and effect your children's literary experience

I am attending nowadays a 10 meeting workshop that teaches how to play meaningful and effective games with children. The workshop is moderated by Mrs. Sigal Huri, and I thank her for the great insights.

One subject that keeps on poping during the workshop is emotional affect and how it effects the way kids play.

"Affect refers to the experience of feeling or emotion.^[1] Affect is a key part of the process of an organism's interaction with stimuli. The word also refers sometimes to affect display, which is "a facial, vocal, or gestural behavior that serves as an indicator of affect" (APA 2006). " (WIKIPEDIA - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affect_%28psychology%29 ).

The principal is very simple, increase your kids' emotional affect during the game, and the game will become more meaningful, effective and fun for them.

I suggest to use the same techniques of affect increasing when reading books with the kids, and turn the reading to a much meaningful, memorable and joyful experience.

So, how can one increase emotional affect?
Usually by stimulating the hearing and touching  senses.

Examples for stimulating the hearing sense:

• Whisper or increase your voice according to the content
• Use different musical scales producing the same sound
• Use your sound going  extremely from high to low tone or the other way round. It is known that sirens are great affect increasers

Examples for stimulating the touch sense:

• Tickle or hug the kids in the middle of reading
• Jump, clap your hands or do other physical actions with the kids that are related to the book content

As always, those are just simple examples, use your imagination and you will probably find much better ideas to stimulate your kids senses when you read books.

Another suggestion I can provide: if you write a book for your kids using http://batalugu.com , you can combine elements that increase affect in the text itself, and use them naturally  when reading the book.

Tell a (meaningful and effective) tale ,
Dorit Rosen
Founder
Batalugu

Specific stories to improve children's social skills

Lots of kids lack necessary social skills. Sometimes they are just too shy, sometimes they want to play with other kids but they don't know how to approach them, and sometimes they don't understand the behavior codes and social structures.

Parents often notice that their kids struggle in the social arena. This is one of the most upsetting thing for parents, who obviously want their children to have friends and be socially succesful. The good news is that a lot can be done to change this situation.

Social skills are like any other skill, they vary from one person to another. Some people have more of it, they are the "naturals", the ones that "were born with it" that will probably become excellent networkers as adults.
For those who weren't as blessed, there are teaching and practicing techniques that can improve social skills.

A lot of knowledge in that area was accumulated during research of children with all kinds of special needs.
One of the recommendations that professionals who work with children with special needs, is to write a social story that simulates a realistic situation that is relevant for each child. The story should be read  to/with the child every time before that situation occures.

A good example is a play date. The story should describe the child who hosts the play date, the child comes over, things that they are going to do together and potential solutions for problematic situations.

After reading the story, the event happens under the supervision of an adult (a parent or a professional) that teaches whatever needs to be taught, in real time.

A lot of repetitions and practice is needed, but in the end results are seen.

My message to you is:
If you think that your child is facing some social challenges,  don't give up! 
There is so much that can be done in order to improve the situation.
If you decide to use the story method I mentioned above, using Batalugu is a great way to write and illustrate a personal story that exactly fits your child's specific needs. You can either use it online or order a professional looking hard copy of the book.

So, tell a tale (and use it to improve your life),
Dorit Rosen
Founder
http://batalugu.com

Birthday parties, baby bouncers and (e)books

Just got back from a birthday party of a 4 years old girl, and, I am still overwhelmed.
The family hired a well known entertainer, who tried to provide as many attractions as she could within 90 minuets.

Birthday parties, as many other things in our lives, have become a well planned, overly budgeted production.
Every party must have a theme (preferably something to do with super heroes, TV  or movie characters). Each detail, from the invitations to the favor bags, must be related to this theme. Sound systems, sophisticated  costumes and effects are a very common sight in very young children's birthday parties.

The kids get used to an extreme level of excitement, sometimes much higher than their capacity, and once the level was set as a standard, it is very difficult to go back.

Parents that would rather have a qualitative, quieter, self made party, are afraid that their kids will be disappointed, and find themselves surrender to the social pressure.

Interesting enough, I find a lot of similarities to the process we witness regarding kids and reading.

The kids are getting used to extreme levels of  stimulation from the moment they are born.
Electric swings for babies with colorful lights, moving objects and music, vibrating baby bouncers with the same entertainment systems as the swings, fancy electric toys and so on and so on.

If you are a parent, a grandparent an uncle or an aunt - you know it very well. If you are not related to kids, you will not be able to miss it when time comes (and you are probably not reading my blog right now...).

Don't get me wrong, those things are great. I am embarrassed to admit how many times I used them when my children couldn't fall asleep, or when I wanted some quiet moments for myself.

It doesn't get better as they grow up and get older.The level of excitement grows up as well. At this point it is very difficult to convince them that a book is a great way of entertainment.

It is certainly not easy, but there are several ways to overcome this obstacle. For example:

• Education and habit - If you read a book to your kids every evening before bed time, since they are babies, hopefully, they will have good memories and grow up with passion for book.
• Combination - If you combine devices that are known as high excitement generators (such as a computer, an iPad etc.,) with the content you want, you can at least control what you get them to read.
  Using Batalugu's platform to create books is an excellent way to combine both worlds.

Tell an exciting tail,
Dorit Rosen
Founder
http://batalugu.com

Familly tales, stories and anecdotes

Each family has its own stories, tales and anecdotes that are being carried out from one generation to the other.
Some of them are pure history telling the story of the specific family within the general events. Some are so old that probably over the years facts were lost or changed while others were added.
Other stories have a strong moral and some are just funny.
Families' traditions are made using stories.
Parents have the urge to tell those stories to their children (and sometimes to anyone who is willing to listen).
I love to tell my kids family stories, especially the funny ones. I assume that as they grow older I will tell them the more serious ones as well. I tell them about my grandparents who past away long before they were born, about my memories as a child and about myself growing up in Africa. Sometimes I show them some old pictures.
Using Batalugu, I will start now turning  those stories into a book or books. I can upload scanned pictures and add relevant illustrations from Batalugu's rich image bank.
The above photo was taken in the very early 1900's, maybe even before 1910. The woman in it is the grandmother of my grandmother. The only thing that I know about this woman is the fact that she lived in Poland. I don't know her name or when she was born.
My father has the original photo which is very small in dimensions. It is a mystery to me how it was kept all those years. A friend of my father, who is a  photographer, managed to restore it in a special lab, so I got a copy of it which I scanned.
This unique piece of history is more likely to be well kept as a part of a book about our family's history.
I hope that this will inspire you to write down your family's stories for the sake of the next generations.

Just before I finish, I must mention Batalugu's Hallo-WIN book writing contest with a chance to win $500.
You can find all the details at:
http://batalugu.com/contests/2010_Halloween/

As always, Tell a Tale (now you can win a prize for it)
Dorit Rosen
Founder
http://batalugu.com

Healthy food and children's books

Before I start writing this post, I have to confess...
Children's literature is not my only passion in life. I am also passionate about food. Not only eating, but also cooking, baking, watching TV shows, reading magazines and exploring new flavors, techniques and products.
Saying that, I can now start writing my thoughts about both of my passions.
Many parents are concerned about their children's nutrition and eating behavior. Some are worried about their kid's over weight, some about under weight, some can not convince their kids to eat enough fruit and vegetables and so on and so on.
As in reading, you can influence your children choices by giving them self example, educating them and turning healthy nutrition into fun.
You can do some very basic things to improve your kids knowledge and willingness to eat healthier:

• Talk to them about different kinds of foods and their impact on health (for example, my 4.5 year old son knows that meat and fish contain protein that builds muscles, and that pasta contains carbohydrates that supplies the body the energy it needs to run, jump, climb and ride the bike).
• Have family meals and serve healthy food. Eventually, your kids will start eating what you eat (at least at home...).
• Prepare healthy dishes that are easy to make together  - such as: fruit salad, vegetable salad, whole wheat pasta with home made tomato sauce etc.,
• Write together your family's healthy food book, using Batalugu. There are so many ways I can think of to write such a book. You can gather in it all your favorite recipes and upload relevant photos, you can explain about the different food groups and their contribution to our body, you can tell a story about a family that completely transformed its attitude towards food and nutrition, and much more.
• Turn this book to your food "bible" and decide that from now on your family is going to act according to the healthy guidelines that are written in this book.
• There is so much free information and so many great advices about this topic on the Internet. Expand your own knowledge and practice it at home.

I love this subject! I will probably get back to it sometime soon.

Tell a (Healthy) Tale,
Dorit Rosen
Founder
http://batalugu.com
dorit@batalugu.com

"Story date"

Since I started writing this blog, I find myself trying to figure out new ways to make reading an integral part of our children's life. I want them to perceive reading as entertaining as any other joyful activity they do.
In this post I would like to present to you a new term "Story date" (I got the inspiration from the term "play date").
The story date can take place in many many ways. You just have to be creative and adjust it to your kids' ages, areas of interest, temperament and level of understanding.

I have a few ideas to share with you:

1. During each play date, dedicate some time for literature: read a book/ make an imaginary story/ talk about books you like. This is of course the responsibility of the parent of the kid who hosts the play date.
2. Organize an upgraded "library" style story time for a group of friends. Do it on a regular basis. It can be done outdoors in a park or each time in another child's house.

• The kids who host the story date get to choose the book (and read it if they are old enough or know it by heart). 

• After reading the book at the story date, hold a discussion about it or have a joint activity related to the book, it can be a play, a craft or anything else that is on your mind. 

• The hosts also get to be responsible for the refreshments and the giveaways (if you decide to have them). The giveaways don't have to be anything expensive, just a little something that will serve as a memory of the event.
• This will bond the group of children and will give them a lot of things to talk about, a great collective memory and a strong foundation to become passionate readers.
• You can always choose to read on a story date a book you wrote for or with your kids using batalugu.com

Tell a tale,
Dorit Rosen
Founder
Batalugu

Helping children cope with challenges by reading books

The concept of helping children cope with challenges using books is very well known and being used by many parents. There is even a professional term for it: Bibliotherapy.
Almost every family that expects its second child, buys at least one book for the older sibling. Those books usually deal with the subject from several angles, telling different stories, but they all share the same target: preparing the older child in the family to the arrival of the new baby.
Other common issues that are popular in books of that nature are:

• Moving to a new neighborhood
• Starting new school/kindergarten/nursery
• Potty training
• Refusing to brush teeth/comb hair/take a bath and other hygienic issues
• Refusing to eat healthy food and weight issues
• Fears and anxieties such as: fear of darkness, dogs, ghosts and so on
• Health issues such as the need to visit the dentist or to wear a new pair of glasses 
• Separation and divorce
• ... and more

This concept has proved itself. If you google the subject you get tons of relevant information.
I want to give this concept another notch.
What I am suggesting is that you write specific books addressing the challenges and problems of your own kids, using http://batalugu.com. We have a huge amount of illustrations and backgrounds you can use. You can also upload your own stuff.
When you write the book for your kids or with them, you have full control of the content. You can make sure that it will provide the best solution for your children's needs.

I wrote a book about how to behave when going to the supermarket:
http://www.batalugu.com/v.php?bid=98&key=20beffcd4f31ca4c05c59ef25628ee21fbf50c61
In addition, my daughter just started first grade so I wrote a book about preparing for first grade :
http://www.batalugu.com/v.php?bid=221&key=a19ced12f23753636747c3232810a081f39bc8a4

I haven't thought about it until now, but in both books the storytellers are the children themselves, and they describe their own experience - interesting!

So, I encourage you to write personal books for and with your kids.
Its easy, fun and FREE!

Tell a Tale
Dorit Rosen
Founder
Batalugu

How to help your kids organize their thoughts

Recently, I spoke to several mothers of children at the ages 4-9 and I understood that one of their challenges is teaching the kids how to think and write in a proper sequence. This led me to start exploring the subject of sequencing.

Sequencing means to put things in the right order. It is a corner stone in learning to read, in reading comprehension and in developing critical thinking.

The "executive functions" are a group of brain functions that are responsible (among other things) for our ability to organize our thoughts, plan and sequence. It was scientifically proven that those functions can be improved using different methods.

There are several simple things that you can do as parents to help improve your children's ability to sequence.

At very young ages (1.5 - 3 years ):

• Tell them when you start something and when you finish something
• Establish simple routines such as: having dinner, bathing, brushing teeth and going to bed

As they grow a little bit older and according to their level of understanding (2.5 – 5 years):

• Talk to them about the sequences in their routines and other events in life
• Write simple stories emphasizing sequences, using http://batalugu.com
• Discuss order and sequences in stories you read to them
• Play a game of cards: let them arrange the cards in the right order. Here is an example of such a game I bought to my kids. You can create such cards yourself and adjust the content and the length of the sequences to your kid's level

When they understand more complex things (5 – 9 years):

• Explain the importance of sequencing in daily life
• Analyze together sequences in their lives, causes and effects of sequences and so on
• Write stories together using http://batalugu.com. There is a great planing tool that can help you list the sequence of events in your book, and follow the right order when writing. It is called “Plot highlights” and it is a part of the Book pad, located in the upper right side of the “Write” section

One of my tasks as a product manager at Batalugu, is to make sure that our users find solutions for their needs using our application. If your children need to improve their sequencing skills, please take advantage of Batalugu, write stories with and for them and help them become better “sequencers”.
It is fun, easy and FREE.

Tell a tale,
Dorit Rosen
Founder
Batalugu

The first day at school, and what's next?

It is finally here! after THE 60 days , summer vacation is over and a new school year begins.
I hope that all the preparations succeeded and that your children are going back to school excited and full of energy.
In the next couple of weeks they will have to get used to the new routine, to wake up early in the morning and get ready on time, be prepared for their school schedule, be responsible for their homework, get organized for their afternoon different activities and get used to the new or renewed TV/computer rules.
My advice to you: As always, when raising kids, be sensitive, yet determined. The guide lines should be kept, but you have to be attentive. Listen to what they say - ask them about their day at school and try to understand the subtext. Take part in their experiences, help them get in track and respond to their requests.
These days are not easy, it takes time, but in the end the family will be "up and running" again.

What about reading?
Try to find some designated time during the day for reading. Insist on having the same time in the first few weeks, until it becomes a part of your family's routine. It is always recommended to redirect some time from TV to reading.
Find an hour in one of the afternoons for a joint visit in the library. Having this specific hour on the family's schedule will allow you to spend some quality time together..

You can also spend some quality time writing a book about the first day at school using http://batalugu.com


I wish you the best of luck at school.

Tell a tale,
Dorit Rosen
Founder
Batalugu

How to raise kids with passion for reading?

In one of my previous posts, I promised to write about helping your children develop the passion for books and for reading.

The main idea is to do it softly and slowly, make an evolution not a revolution.

Here are some basic ideas, I might add some more in the future.

Create a "reading friendly" environment
There should be a space at home where your kids feel comfortable to read. It doesn't have to be stylish or specially designed, it simply needs to be convenient and give the child the tranquility needed to spend some time with a book.

• Try to avoid placing some other devices in that space that might distract the children from reading (such as a TV or a computer).
• Place the books for younger children where they can be reached. A child can grab a book even before s/he starts reading. 
• At a very young age let them turn pages and watch the illustrations. 
• When they are a bit older they can repeat parts of the story they know by heart.
• You should match the books they can reach, to their age.
• Offer only a limited amount of books and change the variety from time to time. 

 
Give them a good example
They should see you reading a book every now and then.

• Tell them about books you loved as children.
• Show them the books you currently read. You can also tell them what the book is about, adjusting the level of the description to their level of understanding.
• If the book you read is funny, lough out loud and tell them in general what was it that made you laugh.
• They should see you get excited from what you read.

Make reading a daily habit
This should be a fun activity and not an obligation.

• Involve them in the reading process.
• Ask them questions and encourage them to ask questions.
• Let them dramatize stories you read together.

Take them to the library
Get them their own card.

• Encourage them to exchange books frequently.
• Let them choose the books they like after reviewing them with you.
• Start doing it before your children read. They don't need to read themselves in order to be registered at the library.
• Look for special events for kids in the library. Those events are very educational and usually free of charge and free of advertisement. 

Teach them how important it is to pay respect for books
You must insist that the kids keep their books clean and whole, and put them back in place when they are done reading. 

Turn books into something special

• Buy them books as presents for birthdays and special events.
• Buy books for their friends for birthdays and let your kids choose those books. You can limit the selection they have to choose from.

Create books with them and especially for them using http://batalugu.com

• Its educational, fun, easy and FREE!

As always, I would love to get your comments.

Tell a tale,
Dorit Rosen
Founder
Batalugu

On the edge of a new school year

The summer vacation is heading to its finish line and school's first day is around the corner.
These days almost every family is busy either with its last chance for recreation, or completing preparations for school.

This is a great time to take a pause, gather the whole family and summarize the vacation.
You can make a list of all the special things you have done during the summer: camps, trips, vacations and visits. You can of course, mention all kinds of other activities indoor and outdoor. Don't forget special projects you had.
At my sister's house, for example, they had a summer project - the kids scanned all the thousands of paper photos (it is hard to remember, but, until 12-15 years ago you had to develop your photos on paper without having a soft copy on your computer).
60 days is a very long time, and the kids probably do not remember what happened in the beginning of the summer vacation.

Using the list, you can create a beautiful memory book, uploading your own photos and combining them with text and the cute illustrations of Batalugu.
This can be your family's final joint summer activity.

In addition, have a short brief of the coming school year, emphasizing the changes from last year.
Who is going to which school/kindergarten/daycare, teachers' names, special arrangements etc.,

If you have a special event this year, such as: one of the kids is going to kindergarten, first grade or a new school, celebrate it.
Have a nice dinner party on Aug 31st, invite close friends and family, and simply enjoy your time.
Thinking about it again... have a dinner party anyway. You don't need to have an excuse for that, do you?

I wish you all a great summer vacation ending and the best of luck at school.
Tell a tale,

Dorit Rosen
Product Manager, Batalugu.

Its all about reading ...

Have you ever stopped to think about one of the most important skills (if not THE most important skill) one can acquire?
I am talking about reading of course. Almost every single action we do during our day involves reading.
We read the labels when we shop, we read the signs when we drive, we read our mail and the news (whether electronic or in paper), we read our medical reports and tests results, we get written instructions to operate things, we read professional materials and so on, and so on...
Only when we stop to think about it, we realize what an important part reading takes in our daily life, even before mentioning reading for fun.

I don't believe that anyone can even think about living in the 21st century without being able to read.

But the big questions are:

• How can we make reading much more than a basic skill?
• How can we develop passion for reading in our children?
• How can we turn reading to a meaningful part of their life?

There are so many things we can do in order to make reading a major factor in our children's life.

I will only mention some basic things such as:

• Read books with them every day before bed time, starting at a very young age
• Let them hold books and look at the illustrations
• Ask them questions about the books you read together
• Encourage them to ask questions themselves

I will elaborate on this subject in one of my coming blogs.
Right now I have a different suggestion (on top of all the other activities which are very important). 
Something that will help them bond to books on an emotional level.

• Create books especially for them. Write about:

• subjects from their own lives
• events you want them to remember
• things you want to teach them
• issues they need to deal with

• Dedicate the book to them and add their photos

• Involve your kids in the book creation process

• Let them express their creativity and become young authors

Those will be their own special books that they will cherish forever.
You can do all this staff in a very joyful and user friendly way using batalugu.com.
You can also share your books online with friends and family.

So, have fun reading and writing to and with your kids.
Tell a tale,
Dorit