All public libraries offer a summer reading program and YOU should definitely get your kids or grand kids signed up. The program works like this- the child reads for 15 mins. a day and records his time on a calendar provided by the library. Each week the library offers a reward for the student for reading and recording their reading time. It’s a win win for you and your child. I remember when the girls were young and I would sit them down on the couch and instruct them to read. I would also tell them that after reading we could go outside and play. I loved it because the house was quiet and both girls were entertained. Olivia would end up falling asleep and Lauren and I would continue reading in silence-it was magical. I have such fond memories of each of us looking at pictures books and reading chapter books. One story that we read aloud was Beverly Clearly’s Dear Mr. Henshaw, a book about a little boy who is writing letters to his favorite author. This starts off as a class assignment, but when Mr Henshaw actually writes back, a friendship is forged and the letters become very personal. This is such a lovely story about a young boy looking for guidance and friendship and he finds it in his favorite author. Dear Mr. Henshaw won the Newbery Award in 1984. You can never go wrong with a Newbery Award book- they are always books written for the young and always seem to contain a moral lesson.
More on the Newbery Award and a list of the book winners
Back to the Public Library Programming – The theme this year (each year the Library of Michigan comes up with a new theme) is “Build a Better World”.
The Library of Michigan website has so much useful information for librarians and parents. This year’s focus is helping kids think globally and how they can help their community. Books, displays, speakers, and programming all promote the idea of constructing a better world and community involvement. Although, students can read anything they want, their book choices don’t have to focus on community, the idea is to just get them to read:)
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| National Honor Society students get their service hours by volunteering at the library throughout the summer. |
Every Wednesday most Libraries have a children’s program going on. Today, we had puppetry, singing, and dancing from the Michigan Storytellers Guild. They were very entertaining. It’s nice that the library offers these programs (for free) because it breaks up the day and week for parents and kids. Not only are the programs fun, but they also offer a learning opportunity.
Feel free to share stories you have read with young children.
Reading Makes Your Child Smarter
Reading is known to have numerous benefits. It increases your world knowledge, enhances your vocabulary, and works to improve your reading comprehension abilities.
But did you know that reading can actually make you smarter?
In fact, reading not only can make a child smarter, the very act of reading can even help to compensate for modest levels of cognitive ability in children by building their vocabulary and general knowledge! This is a finding reported by researchers Cunningham and Stanovich in a report titled "What Reading Does For the Mind".
The simple fact here is that reading can make your child smarter, and that learning to read early on is directly linked to later success in life.
1) Did you know that your child's vocabulary at 3 years old predicts his or her grade one reading success? [1]
2) Did you know that vocabulary and reading ability in first grade strongly predicts grade 11 outcomes? [2]
3) Did you know that your child's reading skill in grade 3 directly influences high school graduation? Studies have found that children who cannot read proficiently by grade 3 are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma than proficient readers! [3]
>> Give your child the best possible head start. Teach your child to read today. Click here to learn how.
But how do you teach a young child to read, and isn't that the job of the school and teachers?
You can't be more wrong…
With the right tools, knowledge, and techniques, teaching young children to read can be a simple and effective process. I'd like to introduce you to a fantastic reading program called Children Learning Reading, a super effective method for teaching children to read – even children as young as just 2 or 3 years old.
The creators of this program have used it to teach their four children to read before age 3, and by reading, I mean real, phonetic reading.
I can understand if you find that hard to believe… In fact, I had a difficult time believing it myself as well… that is, until I saw the videos they posted documenting the reading progress of the their children – not to mention all the videos other parents have sent in showcasing their children's reading progress after using the Children Learning Program. After learning more about their methods and techniques, it became clear how it's possible to teach young children to read effectively.
It is truly within your ability to teach your child to read in a relatively short period of time spending just 10 to 15 minutes each day.
>> Click here now to watch the videos and start teaching your child to read.
1. Vocabulary Development and Instruction: A Prerequisite for School Learning
Andrew Biemiller, University of Toronto
2. Early reading acquisition and its relation to reading experience and ability 10 years later.
Cunningham AE, Stanovich KE.
3. Double Jeopardy How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation
Donald J. Hernandez, Hunter College and the Graduate Center,
Programming for Kids – How to Make Coding Fun (Training Course – 1 hour)
https://knowit-now.com/list/programming-for-kids/