The new edition of Literacy Lava, a free e-zine for parents with great literacy articles and ideas, is now available. You can download the .pdf from The Book Chook, here. I’ve got an article in it, and there are lots of other great articles including: * Writing tips for kids; […]
Other News
Fun new, brain-challenging jigsaw puzzle
They’ve finally come up with a new, addictive, fun and brain-saving type of jigsaw puzzle that kids will actually enjoy. It’s difficult – if not downright impossible – to explain exactly how Ji Ga Zo works. You have to try it for yourself, and you’ll understand. (Which is why I […]
No time for literacy activities? Harness the power of two
If you aren’t able to find time to read to your child or offer him literacy activities—use the power of two—you and another parent. You know that kids who are read to every day are more likely to develop a love of reading. But that’s 15 minutes that tends to […]
Valentine’s Day literacy activities
Use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to do some fun literacy activities.
Valentine’s Day literacy activities
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1. Think of words that rhyme and write a poem for a loved one.
2. Create personalized Valentine’s Day cards and write each other loving messages. Cut out words and letters from magazines to make them extra unique.
3. Bake Valentine’s Day cupcakes and use candy heart notes or icing to write a sweet message.
4. Play a “Valentine’s Day edition” game of Scrabble® and score double points when you spell a word about love.
5. Show yours kids you love them by reading a love-themed book together, like Clifford’s Valentine’s Day.
6. Research the meaning behind Valentine’s Day.
Holidays provide a great opportunity to incorporate creativity and imagination with fun literacy-related activities to be enjoyed individually or as a family. Benefit from literacy by spending 15 minutes a day reading, writing, playing a game or following a recipe.
Remarkable research on kids’ ability to self-instruct
Here’s why we say you should “scatter books around the house.”
I want you to watch this exciting speech by Sugata Mitra on TED.com that illustrates the extent to which kids can teach themselves.
Through his “Hole in the Wall” project he conducted a series of experiments in 1999.
Give your kid more – he can handle it
Every new mom knows that her baby understands more than he can say. You say to a baby, “milk!” and that baby brightens right up. Long before he can speak, he understands.
That amazing, ahead-of-the-curve process never stops, as long as kids are constantly challenged with new ideas and offered the chance to learn new skills.
I’m not advocating French flash cards for infants or War and Peace for a toddler. But I am saying that your kids can handle more than you think.
Happy Family Literacy Day, Canada!
Today is Family Literacy Day. It’s a great day to… click on “15-minute ideas” or “Games” or “Crafts” in our tags and find a wonderful activity you can do with your kids that will help to get them reading. At our school, a parent contacted the local library, which is […]
Teaching Kids the News
We’ve just launched an exciting new website that offers kid-friendly news articles.
Teaching Kids the News provides daily news articles, appropriate for kids (approximately grades 1-6).
Some articles also have ESL (English as a Second Language) versions.
The site can be used by parents; by teachers in the classroom; by homeschoolers and by kids themselves.
Writing a review
Is your older child writing a book or movie review? Here’s a five-minute clip of two of the best movie critics, Siskel and Ebert, talking about what makes a good film review–the discussion also holds for book reviews, restaurant reviews, or any other piece of writing you’re doing in which you must be critical.