The Discovery curriculum is easily modified to meet the needs of each school and classroom. The staff of Naudain [...]]]> Voorhees, New Jersey – The Young Masters Discovery Program was in full swing this week as class facilitator, Stephanie Pelly, taught the second week of “gratitude” using the book and music Young Masters: The Hidden Treasure.

The Discovery curriculum is easily modified to meet the needs of each school and classroom. The staff of Naudain Academy like sharing a Secret of the Heart and each storybook twice a month, including age appropriate lessons and activities. “It’s a good balance with their standard curriculum,” said Stephanie. There are lessons enough to create a weekly program and some schools and centers prefer doing it that way. “It’s great being able to customize the program.”

After proudly saying The Young Masters Pledge and singing Circle Of Appreciation the children of Naudain easily slipped into their attitude of gratitude, and that’s just what was on the agenda for this day. “One of the day’s lessons focuses on being thankful for our classmates,” said Stephanie.

One at a time each child was invited to sit in front of the class on a chair that had a big stuffed heart-shaped pillow with two long playful hands and arms. Each child was given a paper heart with their name on it and on the back of the heart it said “Thank You For Being You”. In groups of three, classmates shared reasons why they were thankful for their friends. Some children responded with comments like, “He’s nice!” or “I like playing together with you!” “She makes me laugh!” “I like to sit with you at lunch!” All three answers were written down on each child’s heart! Then the group of three repeated the phrase, “THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE!” The hearts became a keepsake with lovely messages for each child.

The children felt proud to sit in the chair and honored when their classmates shared kind words of appreciation and gratitude. When the children were asked how they felt sitting in the chair one little girl said, “It felt good.” Another little boy said, “I feel happy,” another said “I like hearing kind words.”

Reflecting on what they read in The Hidden Treasure, Stephanie reminded the children how much there is in our world for which to be thankful, “but being thankful for each other and the gifts we share is really important too. Friendship is a special gift for classmates to share with each other and offering kind words to our friends is something that doesn’t cost anything, but makes someone feel special.”

Stephanie brought her treasure box to class and gratitude paper coins. The children were very excited to know about the big treasure box. “What’s Inside?” asked one little girl. “It’s about what you’re going to put in the treasure chest,” said Stephanie, “you’re going to help me fill the treasure box with things that you’re thankful for.” She then passed each child paper coins that read, I AM GRATEFUL FOR____________________. “It’s a gratitude coin,” said Stephanie. She then asked the children to write on the paper different things for which they were thankful. Many children said they were thankful for their pets, their teachers, their parents, brother or sisters and flowers and trees and even their beds at home.The children took turns reading their answers to each other and placing the Gratitude Coins inside the Treasure Chest. “Look how full our chest is,” said Stephanie. “Look how rich we are.”

The day’s lesson ended with the children singing Thank You For Being Here, one of their favorite songs. “I’m thankful each of you are here,” said Stephanie. Thank YOU for being here.

Stay tuned for the next Secret Of The Heart at Naudain Academy, a Montessori School.
To learn more about Naudain Academy visit www.naudainacademy.com/

To learn more about the Young Masters Little Wisdom Discovery Program go to www.dreamaworld.com

Vorhees, New Jersey – The Young Masters Little Wisdom Discovery program begin with the Young Masters pledge as a group. “I promise to use my gifts everyday, in every way, for I am a Young Master.” Several children wanted to say the pledge by themselves or with a friend or two. They [...]]]>

Click below to download a copy to display in your classroom!

The Young Masters Pledge

Stephanie [...]]]> Voorhees, New Jersey – The children of Naudain Academy were excited to learn about The Hidden Treasure today and as they discovered the next Secret Of The Heart.   Students had several guesses before Stephanie Pelly, the program facilitator, revealed the secret.   “Is it love, friendship or sharing with your friends?” they asked.

Stephanie slowly drew the the word gratitude from her special container.  This was a new word for most of the children, so she explained that gratitude means being thankful.  She also explained that being grateful is showing appreciation for people or things in your life.

The children were excited to hear the story from the Young Masters Little Wisdom book,  The Hidden Treasure. They began to understand that while it’s wonderful to receive gifts, the true gift is being thankful.  They discussed the many things for which Butaan and Phylos were grateful for in the story and after the story they shared all for which they were grateful as a class.

Then Stephanie passed around a red gift box and told the children that there was a wonderful, amazing, awesome, super, fantastic and great gift inside.  In fact it’s the greatest gift.  She told them they could all have a chance to peek and see it, but they would need to keep the gift a surprise until each person discovered the gift themselves.  One by one the gift box was passed as each child took a peek inside.  She repeated, “thank you for being here, you are a gift!”  as one by one they each looked inside the box and saw a star mirror and  - their own face looking back at them.  Some children got it right away… some took a moment to realize that they are the gift.  It’s who they are and all that they can share with other.  Some were a little confused and didn’t see themselves as a gift, so after each person had a turn Stephanie asked, “So what is this wonderful, amazing awesome, super, fantastic and great gift?”  One little boy raised his hand and said, ” Each one of us is a gift to the world!”  ”Exactly,” Stephanie said.  ”We can share our smiles and friendship with people every day! We each have something to give. Something for which to be truly thankful.”   She then asked the children to share some of the gifts they can give to others.  Immediately they chimed in, “friendship, imagination, love, kindness, sharing and playing together.” “Yes, all the secrets of the heart,” said Stephanie.

Stephanie then told the children she was going to use her imagination to give each child a gift.  One child said, “we learned all about imagination in the book The Magic Eye.  They remembered.  She went on to tell them that  in order to receive the gift she was giving them, she would need to use her imagination… and so would they.  One by one she pulled out “imaginary gifts”  and placed something inside each child’s hand or around their necks or once in awhile I even rolled a special gift to a child.  Every child said “thank you” and said they were grateful for their gifts.  One child said… “I know what my gift is, a baseball.”  Another child said, “You gave me sparkles.”  ”My gift was a mircophone!” “I got a telescope.”  ”I got a necklace.”  One child pondered long and hard and might still be thinking about what his gift really was.  ”You can think about it while you’re in bed tonight, ” Stephanie said, and added, “I gave you each my love with your gift…and that’s the best gift.”

They sang “Circle of Appreciation” and had fun playing a game where the students got to point to all their different friends during the song.  They loved this song and game.  The lesson ended as they passed  around earth ball and shared the many gifts they earth gives to us.  ”Something for which we are are very grateful,” said Stephanie, “to be on this beautiful Earth with our families and friends.”

Stay tuned for the next secret of the heart and the continuing journey for these very fortunate Young Masters at Naudain Academy.

See what wonders are happening at Naudain Academy.

I wrote a little bit when I was a child  but I never really thought of becoming a writer until I was an adult. What inspired me was really strange. One day I was reading my brothers blog. He was just playing around [...]]]> 1. When did you start writing and what inspired you to start?

I wrote a little bit when I was a child  but I never really thought of becoming a writer until I was an adult. What inspired me was really strange. One day I was reading my brothers blog. He was just playing around and making up a fantasy story. I thought he was really good and thought ”Hey, I could do that!” So I sat down, started writing a fantasy story about something we used to play as kids and I haven’t stopped writing since.

2. How do you choose the topics for your books?  What’s your age range?

The age range that I find the most enjoyable to write for is 4-8 yrs. old. They are still so imaginative at that age and in love with learning new things. They also say some of the funniest things! As far as how do I choose topics for my book, it’s all up to how I’m feeling on any given day. If something inspires me, then I write about it.

3. What kinds of things inspire you to write?

All sorts of things inspire me. If I hear a child say something funny, I’m inspired. If a co-worker tells me something hysterical or unusual that their child did, I’m inspired. If I see a movie or TV show where something amazing happens, that inspires me as well. Reading other books also inspires me. The world is full of inspiration; you just have to be open to it!

4. Have any of your stories been inspired by real people or events?  What inspires you to write?

Yes, A lot of my stories do contain something about a person I knew or an event that happened in my past. I once wrote a story about two little old ladies who lived next door to us when I was growing up. They were very sweet ladies but a little on the unusual side because they had never been married, lived in a little white house, and had hundreds of salt-n-pepper shakers all over the place. They left a great memory in my mind so I just had to include them in my story writing.

I’ve also written quite a few stories about pets I’ve had or currently have.

5. Do you work on more than one book at a time?

Oh yes. I don’t know how smart or good that is, but I’m usually working on at least four or five stories at a time. Sometimes it gets a little overwhelming but I find that I am constantly coming up with new ideas and just have to get them on paper. However, when you are working on so many stories at one time, it tends to prevent you from completing any one item, therefore it slows you down from getting things completed and out the door. I need to work on focusing on one story at a time!

6. Are you signed exclusively with a publisher?  Are you self -published and how does that work for you?

I am signed with FutureWord Publishing for my book The Pea In Peanut Butter.

7. Do you write every day and do you have set hours that you work?  Where do you write?

Yes, I write or do something with my writing every single day. There is so much involved with writing that it’s nearly impossible not to be involved in it every day. However, sometimes I spend more time marketing, blogging, and doing administrative things that my total time in a week actually writing is probably only four hours. It just depends on what I have going on and what deadlines I have.

I don’t have set hours to write because I also work a full-time job elsewhere. I have to fit my writing time in around that.

I do some of my writing at work in between busy times, and at home on my laptop in the evenings and weekends. I have a designated room to do that.

8 .Has anyone ever written you a fan letter that you’d like to share?

My book has only been published since June 2011 so the word is still getting out about it. However, I once received an email from someone whose children read my book. She said it’s their favorite book at present and they keep trying to memorize the beginning of the book which reads:

I love the super duper, gummy yummy, sticky lickin’, and belly rubbin’ taste of peanut butter. If Mommy would let me, I’d spread it on hot dogs, fish sticks, chips, and pancakes. I’d eat it on bananas, grapes, apples, and frosted flakes.

And to me, that is what it’s all about for me. Knowing that a child smiled and enjoyed my story!

9.  Who was the first character you ever created and why?

I don’t remember the first character I ever created because it was back in grade school. However, I do remember the first PLACE I created. It was a land of nothing but peanut butter. And surprisingly, my first published picture book, is about peanut butter as well! Hmmm, guess it’s a no-brainer that I love peanut butter!

10. Is there anything about yourself that you’d like to share – hobbies,where you were born, special talents other than writing/illustrating?

I was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan but was raised in Edgerton, Ohio. When I turned 22 or so, I moved to St. Louis with my husband. From there his job has transferred us to Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and back to Louisiana where we currently reside. I have many other hobbies. I read a lot, dabble around with stained glass, do interior decorating, and at work I do a lot of graphic design type things.

Find out more about The Pea In Peanut Butter on Amazon.com!  Or visit Allyn at www.allynstotz.blogspot.com