Science-based instruction is important but careful observation of kids to see what they need to succeed is paramount.
Tag Archives: parenting
Yup…uh, No Way!
There are dozens of ways to say “yes” or “no,” but they aren’t just different looking, actually they are all subtly different in meaning.
Signs Mean More Than They Say
“Sign language” can be a tool to help children learn to read.
Baby Book Talks
It’s never too early to begin reading to and talking with a child. Language and communication skills are acquired from birth. Read on.
Enrich, Diversify Playtime With Books
Toys are the tools children use to learn about their world. Books can diversity playtime by introducing other cultures to a child’s frame of reference.
Wandering, Wondering and Books
Children taught to ask questions enter school ready to learn.
Stop Whining! I’m NOT your Amusement Park!
When kids whine that there’s nothing to do, let them be bored. Boredom is the perfect breeding ground for creativity. And with any luck, kids will grab a book and enjoy a new adventure with the turn of every page.
Racism and Children: Read, Talk About What You Read
Kids are home from school (still) and the vastness of summertime stretches before us filling our vision of what that once meant, and how, due to the pandemic and to overdue showcased racial inequalities in our lives, those possibilities have forever changed. I recently read, with a strong measure of personal embarrassment and regret, a book […]
Books Provide Powerful Learning, Heartfelt Conversation
I’ve just finished reading one of 10 essays from the 2012 book When I Was a Child I Read Books, by Marilynne Robinson. It was a no brainer for a literacy teacher, teacher educator and a contributor to a children’s library like myself to be drawn to a book with this title. However, I received this […]
How Swapping Stories Can Ignite Lifelong Learning
I recently read an article in The New York Times about the decline of road trips, including hitchhiking 0r “road bumming.” (And no, all the blame doesn’t go to the COVID-19 pandemic.) I think folks largely have stopped picking up hitchhikers for many reasons, including an increase in: a sense of mistrust; an unwillingness of the haves […]