TED is an acronym for an organization focused on Technology, Entertainment and Design* that seeks to share recent developments and big ideas in these three areas of rapid growth. TED is most commonly encountered in the short phrase, TED Talks, which are 18-minute short lectures/presentations by clearly brilliant people on topics that a large number of folks who […]
These days, pretty much every time we encounter the word “reading” in a communication about schooling, we’ll also find the word “skills.” For example, we might hear statements like: Our school’s reading scores indicate a need for better skill instruction. We need to assess her reading skills before we can identify a proper leveled book. […]
Public schools in the U.S. on a traditional schedule are closing for the summer, with buses making their final run full of chattering children, excited to be finished with the school game for a few months. But unfortunately, this also is often the first day of the Summer Slide, the path taken by way too […]
Each year the International Literacy Association (previously known as the International Reading Association) publishes three Choices Reading Lists which identify the choicest books published within the last year as selected by three groups: children, teens and professionals. The Choices Reading Lists offer titles and brief teaser-descriptions of the books that are surefire winners for those three populations. As […]
The essential resource for children to become literate is a culture* rich in reading and writing. Children reared in such a culture will naturally grow to become lifelong readers and writers. Those who grow up in a culture devoid of reading and writing may be taught to read and write on demand, yet are not likely […]
Try to feed her. She doesn’t want a bottle. Burping her doesn’t help. Diaper check! Nope. Holding and rocking her to sleep? No luck. Singing and dancing with her? Nada! She keeps looking around apparently trying to tell you what’s wrong, but you just don’t get it, so both of you are getting more frustrated by the minute. Been […]
We are happily in the midst of the Week of the Young Child™, established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). NAEYC invited us to join them April 8–12, 2019 for their yearly celebration of five fun-filled, themed days for families and educators of the youngest learners. This event is an annual celebration to spotlight early […]
In the U.S., the state (e.g., Kentucky, California, Texas, etc.) in which a baby is born makes a big difference in the likelihood for that baby’s happy and healthy life. The “State of Babies 2019” provides state-to-state comparisons of the various dynamics that maximize or mitigate the opportunities available to families and their children. A complete version and an executive summary reviews […]
I’m happily involved in a few elementary schools with a project supported by Kentucky Humanities called Prime Time Family Reading Time. It’s an effort to alter the nature of what is considered a good dinner-table conversation or travel-time discussion that include everyone on the proverbial (or perhaps literal) bus. The objective of Prime Time is to […]
In “Serious Fun,” a new book from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), editors Marie Masterson and Holly Bohart invite early childhood education experts to explore the power that play adds to any educational experience. Play can be totally free, or it can be “guided” — where education and play naturally converge. That is […]
