It must be Spring.This week I found myself on the floor, in front of my son’s bookshelves, clearing out and arranging. The shelves were getting too squished, and they weren’t really… well, appealing. My theory is that books should be laid out like beautiful fruits, ripe for the picking. His […]
Other News
Great website – reading and math
I love Soft Schools. A wonderful kindergarten teacher told me about it years ago, and I’ve used it ever since. At Soft Schools you can create fun puzzles, tailor-made for your child, and then print them out or let your child do them online. For instance, there are:Word ScramblesUse your […]
Dial-a-story
I’m recording some books on CD for our school. It (and another mom in the schoolyard) reminded me that the Metro Toronto Public Library has a wonderful service. It’s Dial-a-Story, and all you have to do is phone a number — and let your child listen. Every day there is […]
The three main factors
Your attitude shapes your kids’ attitudes. Researchers recorded years’ worth of everyday interactions across a wide range of families. They discovered three main factors that predict whether a child will be a successful reader. 1) Parents’ attitudes about readingEven in communities without bookstores or libraries, if the parents showed children […]
A cool way to get kids reading
Your child’s Nintendo DS is a reading tool. Betchya didn’t know that. And maybe your child doesn’t either. And just maybe you’re about to be the coolest parent ever. Well, this week. Your child loves the DS, right? Well, there’s a “PICTOCHAT” function that lets two DSs talk back and […]
How to get mail
Getting mail is fun. Remember when you were little, and some mail came addressed to you? It was fantastic! And of course, when kids get mail… they read it. Here are some ways to help your child get some mail: *You get mail when you send mail. Help your child […]
Another reason to read to your child
Books have their own language. You’d never say, in conversation, “once upon a time,” or “her flaxen locks.” And yet, when we read those phrases in books, not only do they seem perfectly normal, but they’re part of a fantastic language that contributes to a whole and magical childhood. Here […]
Writing in light
So, here’s a pretty cool product. Crayola’s Glow Station is essentially a flexible white board made of a phosphorescent material. It comes with a pen-flashlight so kids can “write” (or draw) using light. At first, I thought it was a one-trick pony. My son used it the first time for […]
Great new books – the Bird is back!
Boo Hoo Birdby Jeremy Tankard Well, he’s not grumpy any more but really, he should be, since in this sequel to Grumpy Bird, our little blue friend gets bonked in the head. And, just as in the last book, it’s Bird’s friends who make him feel better.Beautifully illustrated and lovingly […]
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 […]
