Life imitates art – er, blog. My last post* cautioned parents not to tell kids that reading is hard because, “kids don’t know something is difficult until you tell them it is.” I was talking to Mary in the schoolyard today, and she told me a real-life story that illustrates […]
Tips
One-Page Wonders
A fun, one-page book your child will want to read. Here is an awesome, one-page book you make. There are three simple steps: 1) Download the .pdf of instructions. 2) Download and print the .pdf of the book (colour). 3) Fold the book according to the instructions. OK, a fourth […]
The right time for reading
I don’t always feel like writing. Or reading, for that matter. Since it’s what I do for a living, I have more impetus than most people to actually write. After all, if I do write, I’ll earn some money. If I don’t write, I won’t. And yet, there are many […]
Writing in the park
Reading and writing aren’t necessarily indoor activities.Facing a blank page is daunting, even for professional writers. The next time your child has to write a story for school, start by taking them outside. Before you start, remind your child that a story has a beginning, a middle and an end. […]
Explain the exclamation mark!
This activity will boost your child’s reading in five seconds. One of the most exciting things about reading is the exclamation mark. The other day, I was reading a book to a couple of kids in a kindergarten class. When I got to a sentence with an exclamation mark, I […]
Literacy activities that appeal to kids
Go with what your child enjoys. I strongly believe that the best way to get kids reading is to give ’em what they like. But maybe you think that their interests – their real interests, what they would spend most of their time doing if they were allowed free reign […]
Getting your kid to write an essay
The key is to make it relevant to your child. I spoke with a mom recently who said that her son has to write an essay and isn’t motivated because he doesn’t like the topic. She wondered how to make the project more interesting so he’d want to do the […]
Likes video games, running
There are lots of fun literacy activities for active kids. I was talking to a mom yesterday who said she has two sons – one of whom isn’t a good reader. He likes video games and is quite physically active. Here are some fun suggestions: * Write a simple sentence […]
France gives teens the gift of reading
Another way in which the French are awesome. When kids in France turn 18, the government will give them a free one-year subscription to a newspaper of their choice, President Nicolas Sarkozy announced Friday. The free subscriptions are designed to instill in young people the habit of reading the news […]
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 […]
