Now that my baby is a high school senior, I am more thankful than ever that we introduced books to him at a very early age. This summer he has five mandatory books that he must read for the English class he will take next fall. I agree with him that the book selection leaves something to be desired. He just suffered through Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, a book that I enjoyed as a 52 year-old female, but one that left a 17 year-old boy cold. The next four books don't look that much more appealing.
Thankfully, he has had chances to read great books, ones of his choosing, throughout his life. While I am disappointed that he is not the avid reader that his parents and siblings are, he appreciates reading on his terms. While he leans toward books that are sports themed, I am thrilled that he is reading at all.
When your kids are very young, reading offers many values. Most importantly, it is an opportunity to spend quality time with your kids with no distractions. It gives you a common interest that you can discuss at any age. Most kids latch on to favorite stories and can often recite them verbatim after several times through the book. Just hearing the rhythm of the words is important for children as their own language skills develop. Seeing how words are written provides valuable pre-reading and pre-writing skills.
Of course, in our competitive educational world, the standardized tests the kids must ultimately take to get into college will have words and references from literature that the students must know to succeed. It's impossible for a student to take a crash course and be successful if he hasn't read throughout his life.
But there are benefits beyond the educational values of reading. Children can escape into fabulous new lands, learning more about the world around them. They can discover new interests and be inspired by heroes who came before them. Kids who may be shy or face awkward social issues at certain points in their lives can discover through books that they are not alone. They may even find ways to empower themselves to forge through a difficult situation.
So pull out your old favorite children’s books and share them with your kids. Or, introduce your children and yourself to some new kids’ literature. Not only will you enjoy the shared experience and get your kids onto a path of learning, but you will demonstrate the importance of reading while your kids are young.
Showing posts with label summer reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer reading. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
How to Choose the Right Summer Reading Book
For many families, those three words, Back to School, bring dread and despair. If your kids are past their preschool years, there's a good chance their summer reading book is still in the Borders bag and the packet of work they need to turn in next September is in a corner somewhere collecting dust. No worries.
Experts say that summer is all about family experiences that enrich children's lives and bring a broader understanding of the world around them. Visits to the library, the park, and even a ballgame provide shared experiences that are invaluable. Tomorrow's blog will talk more about that, but today I want to focus on summer reading, and share advice from Farrah Koonce, Principal of the Clara Barton Elementary School in Cherry Hill, NJ.
She suggests that there are many ways to keep students from regressing over the summer. “They should engage in some academic stimulation, whether it’s reading, writing, or mathematics,” explains Dr. Koonce. “They need to just be doing something to keep their brains active. Doing something to stimulate their brain is critical.”
For example, visit the library and help your child independently choose a book that interests her. Violeta Katsikis, Instructional Support Specialist at Clara Barton Elementary School, provides guidelines to help kids choose appropriate books. Ask yourself these questions. If the answer is YES, this book is probably a JUST – RIGHT book for you. JUST – RIGHT books help you learn the MOST because you can figure out most of the words and you can UNDERSTAND what’s going on in the book.
1. Is this an interesting book that you want to read?
2. Do you know the author or anything about the topic?
3. Can you tell another person what is happening in the story or
something you have learned?
4. Do you sometimes need to reread a part to understand it?
5. Are there just a few (2 or 3) words per page that you do not know?
6. When you read are most places smooth and some choppy?
Hopefully, you parents are reading, too. When kids see that their parents have a love for reading, it will make them that much more interested in trying it for themselves. And, they don't need to read novels. Experts agree that reading anything is good, be it comic books, magazines, or even the cereal box. It's amazing how much vocabulary kids can pick up by reading just about anything.
When my kids were younger, I often read their summer reading books. Many of them were wonderful, and it gave us a chance to discuss the book together.
Experts say that summer is all about family experiences that enrich children's lives and bring a broader understanding of the world around them. Visits to the library, the park, and even a ballgame provide shared experiences that are invaluable. Tomorrow's blog will talk more about that, but today I want to focus on summer reading, and share advice from Farrah Koonce, Principal of the Clara Barton Elementary School in Cherry Hill, NJ.
She suggests that there are many ways to keep students from regressing over the summer. “They should engage in some academic stimulation, whether it’s reading, writing, or mathematics,” explains Dr. Koonce. “They need to just be doing something to keep their brains active. Doing something to stimulate their brain is critical.”
For example, visit the library and help your child independently choose a book that interests her. Violeta Katsikis, Instructional Support Specialist at Clara Barton Elementary School, provides guidelines to help kids choose appropriate books. Ask yourself these questions. If the answer is YES, this book is probably a JUST – RIGHT book for you. JUST – RIGHT books help you learn the MOST because you can figure out most of the words and you can UNDERSTAND what’s going on in the book.
1. Is this an interesting book that you want to read?
2. Do you know the author or anything about the topic?
3. Can you tell another person what is happening in the story or
something you have learned?
4. Do you sometimes need to reread a part to understand it?
5. Are there just a few (2 or 3) words per page that you do not know?
6. When you read are most places smooth and some choppy?
Hopefully, you parents are reading, too. When kids see that their parents have a love for reading, it will make them that much more interested in trying it for themselves. And, they don't need to read novels. Experts agree that reading anything is good, be it comic books, magazines, or even the cereal box. It's amazing how much vocabulary kids can pick up by reading just about anything.
When my kids were younger, I often read their summer reading books. Many of them were wonderful, and it gave us a chance to discuss the book together.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Encourage the Three R’s Through Fun
During the summer, nobody wants to be tied to reading lists or worksheets. Yet, we need to keep our kids’ minds sharp. Consider these easy, relaxing tips in your everyday life.
Reading:
• Let your children read things other than books, including comic strips, cereal boxes, and magazines.
• Choose library books based on your child’s interests.
• Be sure kids are reading at their appropriate reading level so they don’t get frustrated.
Writing:
• Have them write letters, or e-mails, to Grandma or another relative or friend, sharing some of their summer experiences.
• Let the kids write out the week’s shopping list for the grocery store.
• Encourage them to keep a private journal where they can write about whatever they want.
Arithmetic:
• Let your kids help you cook and bake, allowing them to read the recipe and do the measuring.
• Have the kids count out money at the store, and figure out what the change will be.
• Give them a budget and let them do the shopping.
Reading:
• Let your children read things other than books, including comic strips, cereal boxes, and magazines.
• Choose library books based on your child’s interests.
• Be sure kids are reading at their appropriate reading level so they don’t get frustrated.
Writing:
• Have them write letters, or e-mails, to Grandma or another relative or friend, sharing some of their summer experiences.
• Let the kids write out the week’s shopping list for the grocery store.
• Encourage them to keep a private journal where they can write about whatever they want.
Arithmetic:
• Let your kids help you cook and bake, allowing them to read the recipe and do the measuring.
• Have the kids count out money at the store, and figure out what the change will be.
• Give them a budget and let them do the shopping.
Monday, April 19, 2010
The Fun Family Way to Keep Kids’ Minds Sharp this Summer
It may seem like the minute your kids walk out the school doors for summer recess, their brains begin to drain. Not so, say many educators and parents, who believe that summer family experiences can be very educational. It turns out the family experiences you enjoy during the summer are actually great tools to keep your kids’ brains sharp.
Grace Wadell, the mother of four kids aged six to fifteen in the Radnor PA school system, is a firm believer in creating a summer to-do list. “On the first day of summer break we all sit down at the kitchen table and I ask them to give me a list of everything they want to do this summer,” she explains.
That list is varied given the kids’ range in ages and interests, and might include things like making ice cream from scratch, going to the shore, or visiting a museum. Together they choose the ones they want to do, and turn them into enjoyable learning experiences.
Wadell uses each experience as the centerpiece for learning more about a particular subject. For example, one summer the family visited the Franklin Institute, so she enrolled them into a science camp to tie in with the trip. She also took them to the library where they checked out books about science-related subjects.
Field Trips
Unfortunately, school field trips are often the first thing to go when budgets are cut. Summer provides the perfect opportunity for families to visit the zoo, museums, and parks. Even everyday errands to the grocery store and dry cleaner can be educational and fun. There are dozens of fun, affordable, and educational day trip opportunities in Philadelphia. Check out http://daytripplans.com and www.fieldtrip.com for suggestions.
“Think of the common experiences that we have as parents that our children can benefit from,” suggests Valarie Lee, Assistant Professor of Reading at Rowan University. “If you’re going to the hardware store or laundromat, think of all the opportunities there are for measuring, sorting, and counting.”
Take the things you do every day and view them from the perspective of a child. “How can I help my child understand how to make a prediction from this, how to ask questions, how to use math skills and literacy skills,” says Lee. “Use those everyday experiences that we take for granted.”
Lee points out that in school, language is an area where many students suffer, so the more parents can talk to your children about what you’re doing, the better. For example, in the grocery store, have your child read the word milk off the shopping list and then let her find the word on the carton. Once the milk is in the cart, she can scratch it off the list.
Summer is also a great time to encourage your kids to volunteer and give back to the community. According to Carolyn Zogby, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Red Clay Consolidated School District, “Community service contributes to healthy development.”
For suggestions on things your kids can do to volunteer, visit www.volunterrmatch.org.
Grace Wadell, the mother of four kids aged six to fifteen in the Radnor PA school system, is a firm believer in creating a summer to-do list. “On the first day of summer break we all sit down at the kitchen table and I ask them to give me a list of everything they want to do this summer,” she explains.
That list is varied given the kids’ range in ages and interests, and might include things like making ice cream from scratch, going to the shore, or visiting a museum. Together they choose the ones they want to do, and turn them into enjoyable learning experiences.
Wadell uses each experience as the centerpiece for learning more about a particular subject. For example, one summer the family visited the Franklin Institute, so she enrolled them into a science camp to tie in with the trip. She also took them to the library where they checked out books about science-related subjects.
Field Trips
Unfortunately, school field trips are often the first thing to go when budgets are cut. Summer provides the perfect opportunity for families to visit the zoo, museums, and parks. Even everyday errands to the grocery store and dry cleaner can be educational and fun. There are dozens of fun, affordable, and educational day trip opportunities in Philadelphia. Check out http://daytripplans.com and www.fieldtrip.com for suggestions.
“Think of the common experiences that we have as parents that our children can benefit from,” suggests Valarie Lee, Assistant Professor of Reading at Rowan University. “If you’re going to the hardware store or laundromat, think of all the opportunities there are for measuring, sorting, and counting.”
Take the things you do every day and view them from the perspective of a child. “How can I help my child understand how to make a prediction from this, how to ask questions, how to use math skills and literacy skills,” says Lee. “Use those everyday experiences that we take for granted.”
Lee points out that in school, language is an area where many students suffer, so the more parents can talk to your children about what you’re doing, the better. For example, in the grocery store, have your child read the word milk off the shopping list and then let her find the word on the carton. Once the milk is in the cart, she can scratch it off the list.
Summer is also a great time to encourage your kids to volunteer and give back to the community. According to Carolyn Zogby, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Red Clay Consolidated School District, “Community service contributes to healthy development.”
For suggestions on things your kids can do to volunteer, visit www.volunterrmatch.org.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Tips for Choosing Summer Reading Books
For many families, those three words, Back to School, bring dread and despair. If your kids are past their preschool years, there's a good chance their summer reading book is still in the Borders bag and the packet of work they need to turn in next September is in a corner somewhere collecting dust. No worries.
Experts say that summer is all about family experiences that enrich children's lives and bring a broader understanding of the world around them. Visits to the library, the park, and even a ballgame provide shared experiences that are invaluable. Tomorrow's blog will talk more about that, but today I want to focus on summer reading, and share advice from Farrah Koonce, Principal of the Clara Barton Elementary School in Cherry Hill.
She suggests that there are many ways to keep students from regressing over the summer. “They should engage in some academic stimulation, whether it’s reading, writing, or mathematics,” explains Dr. Koonce. “They need to just be doing something to keep their brains active. Doing something to stimulate their brain is critical.” For example, visit the library and help your child independently choose a book that interests her. Violeta Katsikis, Instructional Support Specialist at Clara Barton Elementary School, provides guidelines to help kids choose appropriate books. Ask yourself these questions. If the answer is YES, this book is probably a JUST – RIGHT book for you. JUST – RIGHT books help you learn the MOST because you can figure out most of the words and you can UNDERSTAND what’s going on in the book.
1. Is this an interesting book that you want to read?
2. Do you know the author or anything about the topic?
3. Can you tell another person what is happening in the story or
something you have learned?
4. Do you sometimes need to reread a part to understand it?
5. Are there just a few (2 or 3) words per page that you do not know?
6. When you read are most places smooth and some choppy?
Hopefully, you parents are reading, too. When kids see that their parents have a love for reading, it will make them that much more interested in trying it for themselves. And, they don't need to read novels. Experts agree that reading anything is good, be it comic books, magazines, or even the cereal box. It's amazing how much vocabulary kids can pick up by reading just about anything.
When my kids were younger, I often read their summer reading books. Many of them were wonderful, and it gave us a chance to discuss the book together.
Check out the August issue of SJ Magazine for more tips on things you can do with your kids this summer to make school even more successful next fall. The most important thing is to spend time doing activities together.
Experts say that summer is all about family experiences that enrich children's lives and bring a broader understanding of the world around them. Visits to the library, the park, and even a ballgame provide shared experiences that are invaluable. Tomorrow's blog will talk more about that, but today I want to focus on summer reading, and share advice from Farrah Koonce, Principal of the Clara Barton Elementary School in Cherry Hill.
She suggests that there are many ways to keep students from regressing over the summer. “They should engage in some academic stimulation, whether it’s reading, writing, or mathematics,” explains Dr. Koonce. “They need to just be doing something to keep their brains active. Doing something to stimulate their brain is critical.”
1. Is this an interesting book that you want to read?
2. Do you know the author or anything about the topic?
3. Can you tell another person what is happening in the story or
something you have learned?
4. Do you sometimes need to reread a part to understand it?
5. Are there just a few (2 or 3) words per page that you do not know?
6. When you read are most places smooth and some choppy?
Hopefully, you parents are reading, too. When kids see that their parents have a love for reading, it will make them that much more interested in trying it for themselves. And, they don't need to read novels. Experts agree that reading anything is good, be it comic books, magazines, or even the cereal box. It's amazing how much vocabulary kids can pick up by reading just about anything.
When my kids were younger, I often read their summer reading books. Many of them were wonderful, and it gave us a chance to discuss the book together.
Check out the August issue of SJ Magazine for more tips on things you can do with your kids this summer to make school even more successful next fall. The most important thing is to spend time doing activities together.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Prepare for Back to School - Just Have Family Fun
Yesterday I talked about the importance of summer reading, but don't forget that summer is also the time for kids to relax and enjoy family moments.
According to Valarie Lee, Reading Professor at Rowan University College of Education, summer should be a time for family experiences. “You can’t underestimate the value of talking to your kids,” Dr. Lee explains. “It doesn’t have to be expensive vacations, but just opportunities to experience things with your kids. Going to the park, going on a hike, visiting the library - the things that are so enriching for them in the school environment are the conversations you have during those activities.”
Telling stories, playing games, and sharing events are wonderful learning tools for children. Even seemingly mundane activities actually promote learning. For example, Dr. Lee suggests that when visiting the grocery store, talk about products, prices, and print that the kids see around them.
And don’t let those commercials scare you that your kids are going to forget everything they’ve learned in school.
“We create this fear that the kids are going to lose all of this information,” Dr. Lee explains. “Reading is a good example of where they lose a little bit, but if they’re engaged in experiences during the summer that are going to create background experiences, then they bring that schema with them into reading in the Fall when they go back to school.”
This depressed economy has brought many families together, and that's a great thing. Research proves that having family meals together keeps kids out of trouble. It also forges important relationships and there's nothing like dinner table debate to educate every generation! Here I am at 50 years old blogging.....we can all learn from our kids!
So enjoy your summer and don't worry if your kids don't seem to be doing enough on the academic front. Enjoy the experiences life has to offer and they will be learning every day.
According to Valarie Lee, Reading Professor at Rowan University College of Education, summer should be a time for family experiences. “You can’t underestimate the value of talking to your kids,” Dr. Lee explains. “It doesn’t have to be expensive vacations, but just opportunities to experience things with your kids. Going to the park, going on a hike, visiting the library - the things that are so enriching for them in the school environment are the conversations you have during those activities.”
Telling stories, playing games, and sharing events are wonderful learning tools for children. Even seemingly mundane activities actually promote learning. For example, Dr. Lee suggests that when visiting the grocery store, talk about products, prices, and print that the kids see around them.
And don’t let those commercials scare you that your kids are going to forget everything they’ve learned in school.
“We create this fear that the kids are going to lose all of this information,” Dr. Lee explains. “Reading is a good example of where they lose a little bit, but if they’re engaged in experiences during the summer that are going to create background experiences, then they bring that schema with them into reading in the Fall when they go back to school.”
This depressed economy has brought many families together, and that's a great thing. Research proves that having family meals together keeps kids out of trouble. It also forges important relationships and there's nothing like dinner table debate to educate every generation! Here I am at 50 years old blogging.....we can all learn from our kids!
So enjoy your summer and don't worry if your kids don't seem to be doing enough on the academic front. Enjoy the experiences life has to offer and they will be learning every day.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Summer Reading - How to Chose
For many families, those three words, Back to School, bring dread and despair. If your kids are past their preschool years, there's a good chance their summer reading book is still in the Borders bag and the packet of work they need to turn in next September is in a corner somewhere collecting dust. No worries.
Experts say that summer is all about family experiences that enrich children's lives and bring a broader understanding of the world around them. Visits to the library, the park, and even a ballgame provide shared experiences that are invaluable. Tomorrow's blog will talk more about that, but today I want to focus on summer reading, and share advice from Farrah Koonce, Principal of the Clara Barton Elementary School in Cherry Hill.
She suggests that there are many ways to keep students from regressing over the summer. “They should engage in some academic stimulation, whether it’s reading, writing, or mathematics,” explains Dr. Koonce. “They need to just be doing something to keep their brains active. Doing something to stimulate their brain is critical.”
For example, visit the library and help your child independently choose a book that interests her. Violeta Katsikis, Instructional Support Specialist at Clara Barton Elementary School, provides guidelines to help kids choose appropriate books. Ask yourself these questions. If the answer is YES, this book is probably a JUST – RIGHT book for you. JUST – RIGHT books help you learn the MOST because you can figure out most of the words and you can UNDERSTAND what’s going on in the book.
1. Is this an interesting book that you want to read?
2. Do you know the author or anything about the topic?
3. Can you tell another person what is happening in the story or
something you have learned?
4. Do you sometimes need to reread a part to understand it?
5. Are there just a few (2 or 3) words per page that you do not know?
6. When you read are most places smooth and some choppy?
Hopefully, you parents are reading, too. When kids see that their parents have a love for reading, it will make them that much more interested in trying it for themselves. And, they don't need to read novels. Experts agree that reading anything is good, be it comic books, magazines, or even the cereal box. It's amazing how much vocabulary kids can pick up by reading just about anything.
When my kids were younger, I often read their summer reading books. Many of them were wonderful, and it gave us a chance to discuss the book together.
Check out the August issue of SJ Magazine for more tips on things you can do with your kids this summer to make school even more successful next fall. The most important thing is to spend time doing activities together.
Experts say that summer is all about family experiences that enrich children's lives and bring a broader understanding of the world around them. Visits to the library, the park, and even a ballgame provide shared experiences that are invaluable. Tomorrow's blog will talk more about that, but today I want to focus on summer reading, and share advice from Farrah Koonce, Principal of the Clara Barton Elementary School in Cherry Hill.
She suggests that there are many ways to keep students from regressing over the summer. “They should engage in some academic stimulation, whether it’s reading, writing, or mathematics,” explains Dr. Koonce. “They need to just be doing something to keep their brains active. Doing something to stimulate their brain is critical.”
For example, visit the library and help your child independently choose a book that interests her. Violeta Katsikis, Instructional Support Specialist at Clara Barton Elementary School, provides guidelines to help kids choose appropriate books. Ask yourself these questions. If the answer is YES, this book is probably a JUST – RIGHT book for you. JUST – RIGHT books help you learn the MOST because you can figure out most of the words and you can UNDERSTAND what’s going on in the book.
1. Is this an interesting book that you want to read?
2. Do you know the author or anything about the topic?
3. Can you tell another person what is happening in the story or
something you have learned?
4. Do you sometimes need to reread a part to understand it?
5. Are there just a few (2 or 3) words per page that you do not know?
6. When you read are most places smooth and some choppy?
Hopefully, you parents are reading, too. When kids see that their parents have a love for reading, it will make them that much more interested in trying it for themselves. And, they don't need to read novels. Experts agree that reading anything is good, be it comic books, magazines, or even the cereal box. It's amazing how much vocabulary kids can pick up by reading just about anything.
When my kids were younger, I often read their summer reading books. Many of them were wonderful, and it gave us a chance to discuss the book together.
Check out the August issue of SJ Magazine for more tips on things you can do with your kids this summer to make school even more successful next fall. The most important thing is to spend time doing activities together.
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