The other day on the subway, I noticed some ads. PizzaPizza’s ad said, simply:XL craving? and Bell’s said:More 3G coverage.Facebook anywhere.So let’s say you’re a child who’s just learning to read.XL? These examples do two things:1) They illustrate just how difficult reading can be. And tricky!2) They’re a terrific learning […]
Tag: tips
Get your six-year-old reading
A mom came up to me in the schoolyard this morning. She said she wanted some help getting her child reading. Her son is six years old and in grade one. He’s frustrated because he’s not picking up reading a bit faster – so he’s clearly motivated to read. I […]
GKR strategies at work
Last month, I talked to a mom whose son wasn’t reading. She was really distraught about it, and was searching for ways to get him interested in picking up a book. I gave her some suggestions:*Since her son is active, go for a walk and the read signs and ads […]
Goofy titles draw kids in
If you lie, your butt will grow. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but my son sure wants to read this book. We were at the library today. I was trying to get my son to check out some books. He was more interested in the computer game […]
Brain-training exercise
Brains – especially young brains – benefit from exercise. Here’s an exercise that Bernadette Tynen (the brain researcher) does with her students. She says that if you do it with your child once a week, it will help to make his thinking more flexible and creative. She gives the child […]
Respecting the reading bubble
I can tell when my son is reading – and I leave him to it. There’s a certain hush that falls over the house, over his room. A certain intermittent squeak to his armchair. A kind of quiet that I can’t explain, but which I know means that he’s upstairs […]
Reading extensions work
You may be wondering why I’ve been pushing the Disney movies. It’s because extending reading beyond books — into movies, soundtracks, games and toys — gets kids reading. Of course, it all has to start and end with the book. Which is where parents come in. You make sure the […]
Summer reading program
Is your child collecting library stickers? The other day, my son and I went to the library to report four books and get stickers for his poster. (The stickers are the rewards in the library’s summer reading program.) Unfortunately, the librarian would only give my son one sticker. He said […]
Reading the paper on the floor
Life imitates blog.Having recently reminded myself what boys like (in terms of their reading material), I’ve been on the lookout for something to encourage my son to read during these busy summer days. This afternoon, I found it. The Toronto Star newspaper ran a great story on what Toronto was […]
Getting boys reading
I know what boys like.* I’ve been following the website and tweets of a librarian whose speciality is helping boys become great readers. He’s definitely an expert in what appeals to boys. Here, I’ve distilled (*cough* ripped off) some of his best ideas about how to make reading fun for […]
