Do you remember this Howard Johnson song titled "M-O-T-H-E-R (A Word That Means the World to Me)?"

'M' is for the million things she gave me,
'O' means only that she's growing old,
'T' is for the tears were shed to save me,
'H' is for her heart of purest gold;
'E' is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
'R' means right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all together, they spell MOTHER,
A word that means the world to me!

What does your mother mean to you? Here are a few suggestions to help celebrate her special day. Most can be done at home.

1. Make a bouquet of flowers using colored tissue paper and chenille stems. Create an arrangement by putting the stems in styrofoam in a basket.

2. On a piece of poster board, make a colorful flower by using crayons, markers, paint, or torn pieces of colored construction paper. Laminate it to make a placemat.

3. Let your mother be the star of her own TV show! Get a box and cut out two holes near the top, one on each side, to insert a dowel; repeat on the bottom. Glue a scroll of paper to both dowels and use them to turn the paper. Use photographs or draw pictures of your mom; then write captions for each. When you put the lid of the box back on, cut out a square for the screen. Enjoy!

4. Have a Mother's Day Tea at school. Prepare refreshments and let the students share some creative writing, one-on-one, with their mothers. Afterwards, entertainment could include songs and dances. Have someone sign the songs as they are sung.

5. Choose a photograph or draw a picture to frame. The frame can be made of patterned or textured wallpaper samples or cloth. If you use poster board, use craft scissors with various-shaped edges and decorate with stickers, buttons, or glitter.

6. Write your original words to the song, MOTHER, and perform it. If there is a different special lady in your life, use her name or title instead. Perhaps you would rather list adjectives for each letter in MOTHER rather than write a song.

7. Tape vignettes of your mother and present her with the videotape or DVD. Alternately, keep a photo journal and present her with an album or scrapbook.

8. Have family entertainment with all members singing, dancing, or telling their favorite stories. Mom could be sitting in a specially-decorated chair.

9. Give coupons for each day of the week. What will you do to help your mom? Wash the dishes? Babysit? Vaccuum?

10. Buy your mother a ticket for an upcoming event or movie.

I hope these tips are useful and inspire your own creativity. However you celebrate, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Freda J. Glatt, MS, retired from teaching after a 34-year career in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. Her focus, now, is to reach out and help others reinforce reading comprehension and develop a love for reading. Visit her site at http://www.sandralreading.com. Reading is FUNdamental!