Make your child brilliant. One of the inspirations for this blog was a TVO series called Make your child brilliant, which I saw last year. It’s airing again on TVO starting on Sunday, May 24, at 8 p.m. It’s a documentary featuring a woman in the UK, Bernadette Tynan, who […]
1-hour ideas
Cool games on the Internet
Here are some funky literacy games even your child will agree are pretty cool. I stumbled across this site, and I love it. It’s easy to navigate, fast loading, has great graphics and the games are fun. And it’s by the BBC, so you know your kids will also learn […]
"Project Bookmark" in Toronto
And to think, I was going to stop following Mayor Miller’s tweets. I’m glad I didn’t, because today he was tweeting about an amazing enterprise called Project Bookmark Canada. The project takes advantage of the incredible array of books set in Canadian locations. As the Project Bookmark website says, “when […]
It’s Canada vs. US in a literary show-down
Beat the reading-with-your-child world record! Literacy organization ABC Canada is trying to beat the U.S.’s world record for “Most children reading with an adult, multiple locations.” And you can help. You need to read, with your child, five of Robert Munsch’s stories which you can download and print for free […]
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 […]
"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 […]
Scrabble time!
The holidays are perfect for Scrabble. Turn off the TV, get out the board, pour the adults some red wine. Crack open a bag of Doritos. And create a new holiday tradition. Here’s the Scrabble board from our game last night. Because our son’s seven, he gets to double his […]
Donate your gently used children’s books
Give the gift of reading. Your child is surrounded by books, but just doesn’t want to read. (Don’t worry – we’re working on that.) In Toronto, there are thousands of kids who love to read, but can’t afford books of their own. Fortunately, the Children’s Book Bank gives free books […]
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, […]
Avoiding library fines
Libraries don’t have to cost a lot of money.Here are some tips:1) Renew your books online. When your deadline is approaching, go online using your library card, and hit “renew” for all your books. It buys you some time. 2) If your books are overdue, renew them online anyway. It […]
