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 […]
Research
Singin’ in the Brain
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). […]
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 […]
Will your child be a reader?
I’m reading Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain, by Maryanne Wolf, a researcher who explains, among other things, how the brain learns to read. She underscores how essential it is that children be read to often: “Learning to read begins the first time an […]
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. […]
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, […]
Treating books with kindness
This goes along with my last post, about considering books as a “treasure.” Once you think of books that way, you can’t help but have a certain reverence for them and this in turn reinforces the idea that they contain something valuable. Accordingly, I don’t allow books on the floor, […]
A book is a treasure chest
When I see a book, I think of it as a “treasure chest.” The person who opens the cover will discover infinite possibilities – excitement, emotion, great characters, facts, new ideas! When I leave a book on my son’s bed for him to “find,” it’s like I’m leaving him buried […]
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. […]
