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. […]
Tips
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Election literacy
Elections provide great opportunities for reading. Not just the words themselves, but what everything on an election sign means. My son and I discussed the concept of the “incumbent,” sparked by the word “re-elect” on a sign we saw. Check out an election sign, and talk to your child about […]
Mom got her son reading!
Great news. Remember the mom from the Oct. 1 post? Well, she has done an amazing job and in just one short week, her son is now picking up books and reading more. She says she went right home and got out a selection of books in subjects that interested […]
Nancy’s Book of Poems
You may remember Nancy, from our Sept. 18 post. She’s the little girl who wasn’t terribly keen on reading. Her mom and I discussed getting her to write about something she’s interested in. Well, Nancy and her mom took the idea and ran with it! We’re pleased to present her […]
Share your favourite book
What was your favourite book as a child? What were the books that soothed you, that made you laugh, that were your friends? One great idea that will help your child (and you), is to revisit them at the library, and then share them with your child. Your child will […]
Learning to read the signs
One of the first words my son learned to read was “Stop.” He didn’t learn it from a book, but from the neighbourhood stop signs. When I was an ESL tutor, I learned that one of the biggest motivators for new readers is relevance. People are more apt to want […]
