Books

22 Ways to Help Your Child Overachieve

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You can strengthen your children’s reading and writing by reading aloud with them. Okay. So that’s not ground-breaking news. You’ve heard it a thousand times, right? Let me say, here, that I bet you could do it so much better than you’ve been doing it. I have some teaching tips that I’d love for you […]

Books

Reading to Your Kids

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Reading to your kids is so very important. Even with high stakes tests hanging over my shoulders, as a classroom teacher I invest the time to read aloud to my students every single day because I believe that it is the best way to promote a love for books*. But reading aloud offers so much […]

Parenting

Wiggling Readers

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Is your child is a fiddler? Sorry. I don’t mean, “Is your child one who plays a fiddle?” I mean, “Is your child one who, when trying to read a book, plays with a shoelace (or, God forbid, Velcro!) or incessantly flips the corner of the page or taps a toe against the chair leg […]

Activities

Readers Read and Writers Write

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Are you ready for a fun and productive summer with your kids? I’ll be posting fun-focused activities, that both you AND your kids will enjoy! To get the summer started right, simply gather some tools and set a schedule for reading and writing. DO NOT read or write today! Put it off. Plan it for […]

Alphabet

It’s More Than Just A-B-C’s

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When thinking about teaching kids to read, what comes to mind? Chances are, you think about the alphabet. We teach kids that catchy tune, slap some letter magnets on the fridge, and drag out the alphabet puzzles. That’s a great start! But what kids really enjoy is getting your feedback about how they’re doing with […]

Parenting

Talk With Kids: Let’s Get Real

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Talking With Kids . . . Let’s Get Real 7 Tips for Talking With Your Child 1) One thing I’ve learned as an educator is to stop talking so darned much. When teachers and parents go on and on (and on and on) blabbering about something we want kids to know, we really can sound […]

Accuracy

Are You Speaking Your Child’s Love Language?

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Are You Speaking Your Child’s Love Language? Dr. Gary Chapman says that each of us has a preferred love language- a way in which we best receive the love of those around us- a way that best speaks to our hearts. Some of us feel loved when someone shares quality time with us. Others feel […]

Listening

“My Kids Don’t Listen to Me!”

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  “My Kids Don’t Listen To Me!” When I speak of my desire to teach parents to teach their young kids to read, even before they enter a classroom, that’s the response that I often hear from parents. So why would kids respond to their teachers or tutors more readily than they would their moms […]

Parenting

Tips to Make Working With Your Kids… Work.

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Are you working with your kids this summer to improve a skill? Maybe it\’s math facts (Try Tap Math. We love that app.!), or maybe it\’s spelling. Whatever the topic, here are some tips to make the practice both fun and effective: Schedule your activity time for when your children will receive it best. Make […]

Family Fun

The Best Summer Yet!

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Are you ready for a fun and productive summer with your kids? I’ll be posting fun-focused activities that both you AND your kids will enjoy! To get the summer started right, simply gather some tools and set a schedule for reading and writing. DO NOT read or write today! Put it off. Plan it for […]