The quote WORDS ARE THE VOICE OF THE HEART is attributed to Confucius.  He knew what he was talking about.

To give your children their voices of the heart, you must first give them words.

Children love words.  Children love the way words settle into them.  They love what words mean.  They love to know how to use words.  It is magical to them.  In our search for 56 Adjectives, we’ve bumped into all kinds of words to get to know as friends.  These words become the voice of the heart when children express themselves.

Words build the utmost confidence.  Inner confidence.  A voice.  A voice of the heart.

Today’s words on Day 52 of 365 Days of Literacy for Kids are kind of fun just to know:

1.  ursine –  of or characteristic of a bear; bearlike. What to love about this word? Kids love animals.  Animals fascinate kids.  ursine pertains to an animal… a bear.  Children can have lots of fun with the word ursine because it’s such a descriptive adjective.  bear-like.  Look around you.  What is bear-like… large, shaggy, sometimes fierce, protective of their young, large-clawed, formidable.  People can be described as ursine. Manners can be described as ursine.  Example:  The child at the cafeteria table was scolded for his ursine manners. Ask your children to describe a child eating like a bear!

Many animals unrelated to the bear have been noted as ursine… baboon, sloth, opossum, seal. ursine really creates a bear image all rolled into one word.  ursine is a fun word to know.  Use it with your children.  Encourage your children to find ursine around them and to use it in their speech and writing.

2.  utmost – the highest or greatest degree; extreme limit or degree of something. What to love about this word? utmost is the best.  Literally.  Children love words that express the best, the greatest degree.  Children want to know when they have achieved or tried to achieve to their utmost abilities.  utmost is a wonderful way to compliment someone, and it’s an easy word to remember.  utmost derives from the words outermost and uttermost, referring to the farthest point away from center… the outermost or uttermost limit.  utmost has come to mean the same thing.

As a quick note, utmost has been known to be mispronounced UP–most.  Think utter, shortened to ut.

utmost is a word that can be used by children rather easily.  It’s a fun word to know and how it came to be.  Now, to the utmost of their skills,  encourage your children to use their voices of their hearts.

ursine.  utmost. Wonderful adjectives for your children to know, to play with, to voice.  Play with your children with words as they build strong, magnificent voices.  Remember that LITERACY is all about WORDS – Written, Spoken, Felt.