I love Soft Schools. A wonderful kindergarten teacher told me about it years ago, and I’ve used it ever since. At Soft Schools you can create fun puzzles, tailor-made for your child, and then print them out or let your child do them online. For instance, there are:Word ScramblesUse your […]
Tag: five-minute ideas
A cool way to get kids reading
Your child’s Nintendo DS is a reading tool. Betchya didn’t know that. And maybe your child doesn’t either. And just maybe you’re about to be the coolest parent ever. Well, this week. Your child loves the DS, right? Well, there’s a “PICTOCHAT” function that lets two DSs talk back and […]
How to get mail
Getting mail is fun. Remember when you were little, and some mail came addressed to you? It was fantastic! And of course, when kids get mail… they read it. Here are some ways to help your child get some mail: *You get mail when you send mail. Help your child […]
Lunchbox surprise
Put a note in their lunchbox. I like to put a little note in with my son’s lunch. Notes are great for kids who aren’t that into reading because they’re short, they’re fun, and they’re from mom. I keep my notes to the point, and very upbeat. Something like: “Hope […]
Motivate with a reading reward chart
Kids love rewards. If you’re having a tough time getting your child to read, try a reading reward chart. Make a graph with a week’s worth of days. Your child puts a sticker on each day you read together. (Fifteen to 30 minutes is ideal.) Or, your chart can be […]
Reading – more fun than making your bed
I often let my son break the rules by reading. When I tell him, “it’s time for bed,” he knows that if he grabs a book, it’ll buy him an extra half-hour or so. As long as his teeth are brushed and he’s in his jammies, I’ll extend his bedtime […]
"I’m bored!"
We said it to our parents – your kid says it to you. You’ve hated hearing it in the past. But the next time he says “I’m bored!” you’re going to love it. Here’s what to do: The next time you’re in a book store or a corner store, check […]
For kinesthetic learners
Reading doesn’t have to be on a page. If your child is a kinesthetic learner – he learns by touching and doing rather than by seeing or hearing – here are some great ideas. Use letters made from blocks, cards, fridge magnets or Scrabble tiles. Toss seven large letters (blocks, […]
Literacy is more than reading
Have you taught your child how to read a newspaper? I don’t mean the words themselves. I mean how a newspaper works. What a headline is. Where the author’s name is, and how to tell what’s happening in the pictures. Where does the rest of the article go off the […]
Read to your child every night
Every night? Every night. Reading to your child could be the single most important thing you do to turn your child into a great reader. And if for some reason you “can’t” read to your child every night, forthwith are my reasons why, in fact, you can. *He’s too tired. […]