Singing helps children learn to read When my son was little, our life was a musical. If I could sing something rather than say it, I would. “We’re… puttin’ our shoes now, tying up the laces, goin’ to the park!” (to the tune of Top Hat, White Tie and Tails). […]
Activities
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 […]
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. […]
Hoppity, by A. A. Milne
Hoppity by A. A. Milne Christopher Robin goesHoppity, hoppity,Hoppity, hoppity, hop. Whenever I tell himPolitely to stop it, heSays he can’t possibly stop. If he stopped hopping,He couldn’t go anywhere,Poor little ChristopherCouldn’t go anywhere… That’s why he always goesHoppity, hoppity,Hoppity,Hoppity,Hop.
Tag helps kids read, learn
“Tag” could be a great learning device for your not-big-on-reading child. It’s essentially a wireless, electronic pen. When you poke a special “Tag” book with it, the book talks. Kids can hear the story, listen to the characters speak, play games and identify words.You have to use the Tag books, […]
Hallowe’en is for learning
No, not really – it’s for candy and for zombies. But in the midst of our Hallowe’en party today, I managed to sneak in some learning. We had hidden “eyeballs” (bouncy balls with corneas printed on them) in the backyard. Each child had to find five with their initials on […]
Why I love the library: Part I
There are so many great ways to enjoy the library. This post is the first of many, as I share with you a love of libraries. Being enthusiastic about libraries rubs off on children, and the library can become a place where kids feel comfortable and empowered. When my son […]
What you say he is, he will become
How many times have you said, “My child’s not a reader.” If you’ve said it, he’s heard it. The way we define our children goes a long way towards making them that way. So if we tell people our child’s not interested in reading, he’ll live up to that expectation. […]
