Nellie Edge Excellence in Kindergarten Literacy

http:www.nellieedge.com/

The web site that I chose to visit was Nellie Edge Excellence in Kindergarten Literacy.  I am very impressed.  I have attended several Nellie Edge seminars and was aware that she had a web site, but until now, had never looked at it.  What a wonderful resource for kindergarten teachers, as well as parents, and/or anyone interested in early childhood education.  I did not have the address, but upon doing a search for Nellie Edge,  the site came up quickly.

I have looked at very few web sites, so the experience was new. I found the Nellie Edge site to be extremely user friendly, and attractive in its childlike simplicity.  The colors were soft, and the graphics, which included a photograph of a smiling child, plump purple hearts, and a child's artwork among others, were appealing to the eye, and correlated well to the subject matter.  The information included on all links was current.

There were numerous links on the home page, and I found them to be representative of what was inside.  I also found each to be very helpful. In an earlier seminar I had learned of "magical memory reading" and I was pleased with the link.  I reviewed information I had heard earlier, but I appreciated, in particular, the tip to remind children to "Read with your eyes and mouth, and track the words with your fingers." The link on reading and singing little books included many helpful hints on the use and storage of the books.  I also appreciated the parents as partners link.  I especially liked the parent letter prototype that was included.  I'm going to use it in our poem books.  One of my favorite and most useful links was the web resources link.  With just a click, I was able to go to the site with Mrs. Davis and her kindergarten classroom.  There was a wonderful idea to promote family involvement in kindergarten literacy.  It was all about creating 'traveling book buddies.' It was cute, age appropriate, and extremely motivational.  I will definitely revisit that site this summer. 

Through taking the OWP course, I have had to become more familiar with computers, including the Mac in the ESD lab, and my own personal computer at home.  I think the most valuable part of the lab experience has been in finding the wealth of information available on the internet.  I am also grateful for the introduction to power point, as I think it could be valuable in a parent presentation.  I have also appreciated the opportunity to learn the rudiments of establishing a web page.  I am hoping that practice will make me better, not perfect.