As you may or may not already know, tomorrow is Earth Day. While at first it may seem hard to make a connection between loving our planet and loving to read, with a little creativity, these two loves can be combined! Let’s explore how we can get our kids and our books outdoors!
We live in an age in which it is nearly impossible to escape interacting with electronics. The time spent in front of these electronic devices, sometimes referred to as “screen time,” is increasing with each passing year. As adults, it’s not unusual for many of us to spend the majority of our working day using a computer, not to mention constantly checking our cell phones throughout the day. Likewise, our children’s use of electronics is increasing, and they’re starting earlier and earlier these days. Therefore, it is useful to weigh the benefits and disadvantages of “screen time” for our children.
Whether your child is three or thirteen, reading aloud to (or with) him is a great way to promote literacy skills while enjoying some time together as well. If you’ve never thought about reading aloud as an art, however, you might want to reconsider what story-time really means. Short of visiting an elementary school class to see a real artist at work, implementing a few simple strategies can help you turn read-alouds at your house from fun to fabulous!
Like most moms and dads, I happen to think my children are awesome. They’re cute, funny, and smart. I can’t imagine why anyone of any age wouldn’t want to hang out with them. I certainly can’t fathom why another kid would tease them at school, but bullying exists, and like other evils, it defies logic. Understanding why it happens may be helpful for the long-term, but in the short-term, we parents need to empower our children by preparing them for the worst.
If April 1 is just another day for you, or if you think it’s just for grown-up pranks, then you may be missing out. There are actually some great ways to celebrate April Fool’s Day with your kiddos that are both fun and educational. Check out some of the ways that we at Red Apple Reading Express make April Fool’s Day child’s play.
My husband and I used to make fun of the couples in restaurants who stared longingly at their phones rather than each other. Over plates of over-priced food, they gazed at their screens while never making eye contact with one another. We vowed never to be that couple. Then, we each got a Smartphone…on the same day. Looking back, that may have been one of the most transformative days of our marriage.
Did you know today is National Family Day? To celebrate, we’d like to share some of our favorite literacy-promoting activities that you can do with your whole family to encourage your budding reader and—well, to just have fun together! Remember, reading books is a great way to help your little one acquire literacy skills, but it’s not the only way!
Spring is here—finally! Time to open the windows and break out the sandals. Moms and dads usually love this time of year because it means that kids can unglue themselves from the TV and spend less time underfoot and more time outdoors. While reading certainly makes a great cold-weather activity, be sure to keep up a regimen of daily reading during the Spring months as well. To help you out, here are a few tips for making sure your little one stays on top of her literacy game during warmer weather.
When it comes to parental involvement, the common complaint is that parents aren’t involved enough, but there is a flip side to the coin. Believe it or not, it is possible to become overly involved in your child’s education. Here’s how:
If you’ve been following the blog lately, you know that we’ve been talking about how important it is to know your child’s learning style so that you can help them learn best at home and advocate for them at school as well. We’ve also discussed some specific strategies for those kids who, in my opinion, are the most underserved in school: kinesthetic learners.
What if you have a visual learner, though? What can you do to help her reach her full potential by using her natural talents? Well, first, it’s important to know that visual learners learn by seeing, and they often think in pictures.