"Is This Mine?"

I hate that knock on the door, when I know it is a student trying to earn a trip or a prize by selling magazines. I do not have much time to read. I am a mother. Not being able to say no, I sit down and look at the list of magazines I can choose. I notice they have a kids category. What an idea, my son is 3, the perfect age to start with those informative educational magazines.

As a kid, I had a subscription to National Geographic World and Highlight. Both of those would be too advanced for my son. I really don't want anything too commercial like Disney or Sesame Street. "Turtle" a magazine just for preschoolers. Sign me up.

SEVERAL weeks later, the magazine came. I handed it to my son. He flipped through it, tossed it on the ground and went back to his previous activity. OK, this is an activity we will do together.

Upon opening the Turtle magazine, we were greeted with a short poem. Cute poem related to the month we were in, printed on a descriptive picture. The next page tackles the obligatory contents, contributors, name, address, etc. What a surprise to see the list of articles with page number and not tons of advertisements (Publishers of other magazines take note). The contents of the magazine divides into two basic categories: Fun to Read and Fun to Do.

Fun to Read - "Turtle" provides a great variety of reading opportunities. They have short stories with pictures for reading by parent and child. My three year old obviously can't read by himself. But an advanced Kindergartner might be able to enjoy these stories by himself. Yes, this magazine is for preschoolers, but these stories could be used to promote reading by older children. The pictures are of good size to keep the interest of younger children.

The magazine includes short poems. These poems are used on the opening and ending pages. There is a story where pictures are substituted for words to allow your child to interact and participate in reading. Also included is a story without words. You are presented a picture and your child can tell a story from the picture.

At the end of the magazine are sections for information. One section highlight a specific individual, like a gymnast for example. Another section focuses on questions by children to a Doctor. These question vary from allergies to bug bites.

Fun to Do - Learning by having fun, one of the best and easiest ways for our children to learn. "Turtle" gives us just the right tool to do that. Dot to dots help with learning numbers. Coloring pages promote fine motor skills. Combine these with matching games and hidden picture activities and your child is learning without knowing it.

Also in "Turtle" you can find science experiments to promote inquisitiveness and logical thinking. A poem or song with movement, healthy food snack recipes and contests round out this part of the magazine.

Now when I bring in the mail, my son is looking for his magazine. I wish it had more issues and came more often. We are usually done with the magazine in a day or two, leaving a long period of time (approx. six weeks) between issues.

The activity pages are by far my sons favorite. He likes reading the stories where he can participate. The story with the pictures substituted for words is the first item he wants to read. The short stories are the hardest for my son to sit through. He would rather make up his own stories to go with the pictures.

We will probably stick with this magazine for a while. When he gets a little older we will definitely be getting Highlights and if they still publish it, Ranger Rick. But for now, this is perfect for him. Long enough to make an impression, but short enough to keep his attention.