Author: Rhonda Williams, Editorial Specialist, OSU Extension Publishing

Reading is FUNdamental

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five children reading books while lying on the grassWhy is reading important to our youngest 4-H members?  Being able to read and comprehend is the cornerstone of any child’s education.  Reading introduces educational foundation skills, increases vocabulary, and instills a love of books and reading in children at a young age.  Children who read are better able to make the connection between written and spoken words, not to mention the fact that reading is fun!

Reading just one book per day to a child from birth to kindergarten will result in them hearing almost 300,000 words by the time they start school.  Children will also bond with that caring adult who takes the time to read out loud.

The cool thing about books is that they can be used to begin conversations with children about sometimes difficult or challenging subjects.  Reading provides an opportunity for children to safely explore strong emotions.

Cloverbud volunteers can reinforce the love of reading by incorporating a Reading Adventure (or two!) into their annual Cloverbud activities.  Reading Adventures take popular children’s books and pair them with ideas for healthy snacks, games, and activities.  Reading Adventures are designed to be stand-alone lessons that can enhance your already dynamic Cloverbud program; or, they can be used with different chapters found in the Big Book of Cloverbud Activities.  Each Reading Adventure identifies which chapter of the Big Book can be used with that particular adventure.

Most books featured in the adventures are popular books which you may already have on your bookshelf.  If not, these titles should be readily available from your public library or from an online library source.

Check out Reading Adventures.  Check back often as new titles are added as they become available.  Have an idea for a book that would make a great Reading Adventure?  Send your book recommendation to williams.418@osu.edu.

Reading a book can take us places when we need to stay where we are.  And, a child who reads will be an adult who thinks.

Photo from stock.adobe.com by Adobe Stock.

Reading Adventure: The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal

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The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal by Nick Seluk is a new Cloverbud Reading Adventure that you can use with your Cloverbuds to help them understand the solar system and the importance of the sun. This adventure can be used anytime but is great paired with education about the upcoming solar eclipse.

This lesson teaches Cloverbuds about the solar system and the planets and other items it includes. You will explore why the sun is a big deal through a variety of hands-on activities designed to reinforce key science concepts. It will help your Cloverbuds to understand that the sun sits in the center of our solar system and holds it together. Without the sun, life on planet Earth would not exist.

The book does a great job of explaining why we have four seasons, the sun’s role in the water cycle, and how plants need the sun for photosynthesis. Plus, it gives us light and keeps us warm!

Check out this new Reading Adventure and discover why The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal!

Solar Eclipse 2024

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Have you heard the news? On Monday, April 8, 2024 a solar eclipse will occur over North America with portions of Mexico, the United States, and Canada in the path of totality. What is the path of totality? That means the moon will completely cover the sun, temporarily blocking its light. This can lead to a drop in temperature, animals behaving like it’s nighttime and stars and planets might be clearly visible. Imagine how scared the first people to view a total eclipse must have been!

Roughly 35 Ohio counties will experience complete totality while all other counties will experience a partial eclipse. Introduce your Cloverbuds to the eclipse by using the lesson, Small Moon, Big Sun 1 This is a stand-alone lesson focusing on the concept of the eclipse and a discussion about the solar system. Concerned because you are not a scientist? No problem! The lesson includes the background information to help you explain the event to your Cloverbuds in language they can understand.

Begin your Cloverbud meeting with a discussion about what an eclipse is and learn about the parts of the solar system. There is a cool experiment to help your Cloverbuds understand how the moon, which is much smaller than the sun, blocks the sun during an eclipse. If you have available internet connectivity, you can share the video about gravity which explains why the moon doesn’t fall from the sky. End your meeting with a discussion about what your Cloverbuds think it would be like to live on another planet.

In addition to this lesson, there are some children’s books that can be used to reinforce the key concepts: The Sun is Kind of A Big Deal by Nick Seluk, Eclipse by Andy Rash. and Eclipse by Darcy Patterson. Look for a related Cloverbud Reading Adventure coming soon!

If your 4-H families are planning to view the eclipse, follow these Tips for Sun Safety.

For more information or for other eclipse activities, visit ohio4h.org/solareclipse.

ALL SOLAR ECLIPSE VIEWING RISKS BORNE BY THE VIEWER. Any and all risks associated by viewing the solar eclipse on any property operated by, or with glasses distributed by the Ohio State University, are borne and accepted solely by the individual taking such action. Instructions on how to use the glasses are printed on the inside of the glasses. Please read them carefully and follow the instructions exactly as written. You hereby release The Ohio State University, its Trustees, boards, officers, employees and representatives from any liability, for any and all claims and causes of action for loss of or damage to property and for any and all illness or injury to your person that may result from or occur during your participation in the activity, whether caused by negligence of The Ohio State University, its Trustees, boards, officers, employees, or representatives, or otherwise. See instructions on glasses before use.