Our school board issued a list of great literacy activities. They’re simple and fun, and are great examples of what I like to call “guerilla literacy” – using tons of little tactics here and there that add up to… a kid who likes to read. You may want to print […]
Other News
A good teacher – the most important thing
Sometimes, the research catches up with what mothers already know. “Everything the world has learned about education shows that the quality of the teacher is the most important factor in a student’s success.” –The Toronto Star, reporting on a speech given by Malcolm Gladwell, author of the bestselling Blink and […]
Reading is a language
My son called me over. “Mom,” he said,”remember when I used to look at a word like ‘fox’ and I’d sit there, trying to sound it out? And it would take forever?!” “Yes,” I said. “Well, isn’t it funny,” he said, “that now I just blast through sentences and pages […]
Tips from an editor
Here’s a tip that may help your child’s writing. Half of me (professionally) is a writer, and the other half is an editor. I edit books, articles and speeches; I’ve been doing it about 20 years or so, and over the years I’ve discovered some common traps people get into […]
Reading Incentive: KidsCash
Try KidsCash to get your kid reading. If you’re looking for an incentive to get your kid to read, you may want to take a look at KidsCash. I saw this product on Breakfast Television, and I think it could be applied really well to help encourage kids to read. […]
Physical literacy games
It’s a good idea to link learning to physical activity. I was inspired this week by my son’s teacher, who was teaching them fractions by having them throw balls into various buckets marked 1/7, 1/3, 1/4, etc. They had to add them up and avoid making an improper fraction. I […]
The Internet helps kids read
The Internet can help to get kids reading, according to a 2008 Scholastic Kids and Family Reading study. In an article in the Bismarck Tribune (North Dakota), journalist Pamela Krueger says the study shows that: *Kids who use the Internet are more likely to read a book for fun.*Two-thirds of […]
The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary
Just when you thought the Wimpy Kid series couldn’t get any better, author Jeff Kinney has outdone himself. He’s created The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary—a non-fiction version of the Wimpy Kid books. How great is that? We know how much kids love the Wimpy Kid books. And then there was […]
More books = more education
Books lead to education. There are three things that you can do to help ensure your child will become a reader:1) Read to him every day.2) Have lots of books in your home.3) Read, yourself. The research is very consistent. Statistically, families that do these three things end up having […]
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Movie
My son and I saw the movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid the other day. As you know, the books are hugely popular with boys and girls of all ages. But I was leery about the movie. I pictured one of those “revenge of the nerds” types of movies, where […]
