It’s a good idea to link learning to physical activity. I was inspired this week by my son’s teacher, who was teaching them fractions by having them throw balls into various buckets marked 1/7, 1/3, 1/4, etc. They had to add them up and avoid making an improper fraction. I […]
Month: April 2010
The Internet helps kids read
The Internet can help to get kids reading, according to a 2008 Scholastic Kids and Family Reading study. In an article in the Bismarck Tribune (North Dakota), journalist Pamela Krueger says the study shows that: *Kids who use the Internet are more likely to read a book for fun.*Two-thirds of […]
The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary
Just when you thought the Wimpy Kid series couldn’t get any better, author Jeff Kinney has outdone himself. He’s created The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary—a non-fiction version of the Wimpy Kid books. How great is that? We know how much kids love the Wimpy Kid books. And then there was […]
More books = more education
Books lead to education. There are three things that you can do to help ensure your child will become a reader:1) Read to him every day.2) Have lots of books in your home.3) Read, yourself. The research is very consistent. Statistically, families that do these three things end up having […]
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Movie
My son and I saw the movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid the other day. As you know, the books are hugely popular with boys and girls of all ages. But I was leery about the movie. I pictured one of those “revenge of the nerds” types of movies, where […]
Read the signs
Signs are great “flash cards.” The other day, I was speaking with a mom whose son is having some trouble with reading. It was recommended that he start learning “whole words.” (As opposed to phonetically sounding things out.) I’m all for the whole-word approach to learning to read. It’s a […]
Profile: Girl, 7, tomboy likes nature, video games
When you’re trying to choose books for your own child, it’s really useful to ask kids with similar interests what they like. Chances are, there’ll be some cross-over. But it’s kind of hard to find just the right kid. So we’ve got a series of Profiles (click on Reading Profiles […]
Read to your child. Every day.
It’s the single most important thing you can do to get your kid reading. Statistics show that if you read to your child, every day, even for 10 minutes – it’s likely that your child will grow up to become a reader. The New York Times recently published a heartwarming […]
Profile: Girl, 8, likes skiing and horses
Quite a charmer. Here is a girl I know quite well. She’s a fun-loving, easygoing girl who has a twin brother (with a very different, albeit nonetheless charming disposition). If you know a girl like her, check out this girl’s favourite books and maybe your girl would like them, too. […]
Great online game: Clockwords
Clockwords is an online word game I can’t stop playing. (Must. Stop. Playing… Have. Deadlines…) Here’s why it might be good for your child – in moderation, something I’m not particularly good at, so be forewarned. 1) LiteracyThe game is based on you (uh, your child, that is) coming up […]
