With summer already underway, you may have started trying to figure out how you’re going to keep your kids interested in reading this summer. Here are some tips to encourage a summer full of reading: 1. Keep books everywhere—in the playroom, in the bedroom, in the car. The more accessible books are, the more they’ll get read….
The “summer slide” refers to what can happen to kids’ brains when they are idle during the summer months. Experts from the National Summer Learning Association estimate that the equivalent of about two month’s instruction time can be lost if children don’t keep their brains active during that break from school. Reading is a great…
When my niece, Charlie, was two years old, she got a huge alphabet mat for her playroom. Before getting the mat, she’d learned a few letters (C for Charlie, M for Mama, etc.), but within days of having it, she became obsessed with letters and learned them all. I’d like to think it’s because she’s inherited all…
Do you want to know how you can best prepare your child to be successful in kindergarten? Are you wondering what school is even like these days for a kindergarten student? Do you wish you could talk to someone who had these answers and more? You’re in luck! This Monday, January 30, at the Centerville…
Trying to come up with a New Year’s resolution before 2017 arrives? Here’s an idea: resolve to read to your child daily! When a child learns to love books at an early age, it paves the way for a lifelong interest in reading. As a parent, there are many things that you can do to…
The “summer slide” refers to what can happen to kids’ brains when they are idle during the summer months. Experts from the National Summer Learning Association estimate that the equivalent of about two month’s instruction time can be lost if children don’t keep their brains active during that break from school. Reading is a great…
Some of you might be wondering what in the world I could be talking about—Spring Break Blues?! I mean, who doesn’t LOVE Spring Break?! Well, if you’ve ever taken little ones out of town, you’ve probably experienced at least a little bit of the madness that can occur during a long ride in a car…
As a parent, you are your children’s first and often most influential role model. Your kids are constantly watching you and learning from your behavior (whether you like it or not!). Though you’re probably very conscious of making sure to properly model good manners and choosing right from wrong, things like modeling good reading habits might…
Babies are very cute, but they sure are needy! If you have a newborn at home, there’s a pretty high likelihood that your “me-time” has substantially diminished or even become non-existent. It’s your responsibility to make sure that your baby is fed, bathed, happy, diapered, well rested, stimulated, and kept alive. That doesn’t leave time…
As children write, they become aware that the written letters and words have meaning, and they start to see the relationship between written and spoken word. Because of this, writing is one of the five early literacy practices that help children become ready to read. The holidays present a number of great opportunities to practice…
