The Texas Library Association publishes a list of books for young readers that are designed to be read aloud. They are called 2 x 2 books. Check out the 2008 list. Lists from previous years are also available. Get a jump on the school year by reading with your child!
Back from vacation! While we were gone, I thought about how one of my goals as a parent is for my children to think back on growing up and remember having a great childhood. One shared activity that builds bonds between any two people is enjoying a meal together, from cooking to dishes. Well, dishes with your child may get postponed to another occasion, but the cooking and eating together can happen.
I found a great website that has a banana caterpillar recipe. Using a recipe is a sneaky and fun way to use both reading and math skills. Besides the reading you can have discussions about greater than, less than and the math symbols > and <. Example: 6 < 8 or 4 > 5.
Have fun!
I know there are many children who are avid readers. However, I often think of those children who love book but hate to read. I am passionate about wanting to close the gap between reader and reluctant reader. Success is school depends on a child’s ability to read. One way to address the drop-out rate is make reading enjoyable as early as possible in a child’s life.
What helps your child?
I read an article that addresses summer reading with 5 great tips.
Whether you have a reluctant reader or an avid reader (or both) in your household, summer reading is essential for your child. Unfortunately, parents are a little busy as they carpool and supervise children in their activities or rush home from work and leave again to carpool and supervise children. And that doesn’t count meals, laundry, yard work, on and on. So reading gets done like this: One of the parents give a book to a child and tell them to go read. And the parent takes care of the house. Maybe the child reads. Maybe the child wanders off. Maybe the suggestion of reading the book starts a fight between the parent and child.
Here’s a different way. Look at the schedule and see if one of those activities can be skipped or if the laundry can wait another day. Move reading time into the schedule.
Play a reading game.
Read fun books. Books that make you and your child laugh. Sad books that make you cry with your child. Reading is an activity that bonds parents and children. Even if they are teenagers, chances are underneath all those protests about how lame reading a book with a parent is, there is a kid who is delighted to have one-on-one time and enjoy a good book.
Where are you going to get the books? How are you going to afford books? Try the public library. It’s a endless resource of great books.
Read to your child. If your child wants, let your child read to you. Enjoy!
Here’s my problem. I am great example of ‘Use it or lose it’. I went to a workshop and learned how to make a PowerPoint. It was a decent PowerPoint. At home one of my kids taught me how to send pictures to Walgreens to be printed. The pictures traveled through cyberspace and were there when I went to pick them up. Time has passed since I used those skills. Now can I make a PowerPoint? No. Do I remember how to send pictures to Walgreens? Not really. Use it or lose it. It’s true!
The same with your child and his/her reading skills. While summer is a wonderful time for saying “Ahhhhhh” and relaxing, summer is a deterimental time for your child’s reading skills if the skills are not reinforced. Books and reading games are enjoyable ways to review necessary reading skills. Not to mention a good excuse to have some precious alone moments with your child.
More information about using or losing learning skills can be found here.
Enjoy that summer relaxing and reinforce your child’s reading skills at the same time!
I was at the ‘University of Albertsons’ yesterday when a mother demonstrated a wonderful lesson about getting and giving her undivided attention with her 2 elementary school age daughters. She was selecting ears of corn and needed plastic bags to put the corn in. She called her daughters over from their cart that was nearby, learned over to their eye sight level, and gently said, “Look at my eyes and listen to my words”. Immediately the girls looked into her face. She politely asked for two plastic bags and the girls scampered off to retrieve them for their mom.
I was immensely pleased to see such a positive interaction between the mom and daughters. Secondly, I knew that this was not the first time that kind of interaction had taken place. Obviously, that mom had worked hard to achieve such an easy level of interaction. First, I know she had given her daughters her undivided attention and had looked into their eyes when they spoke. Second, she had placed the expectation that her daughters do the same when she spoke.
Listening with complete attention to your children is vitally important. Not only does it raise their self-esteem, it gives them the confidence to interact with their peers and adults with confidence. My compliment to the mom at Albertsons and to all you who stop, listen and give that undivided attention to your children.
Playing games with your children is so important. I read an interesting article that puts forth the benefits of playing with children in such a clear and helpful manner. I hope we all stop our crazy schedules for a breather and add a little fun to our lives. (You don’t tell them it’s educational and character building.)
Thanks for the information about free curriculum. Good curriculum is so essential to learning. I love to balance a structured curriculum with the opportunity to explore whatever learning moments arise. It’s fun to see their minds whirl with new ideas and listen to their great questions.