activities

Don’t Rush the Holidays – Enjoy Fall While You Can!

It’s that time of year again – the leaves are turning and beginning to float to the ground, the weather is getting chillier, and the holiday season is just around the corner. Fall is fully here! Instead of jumping straight into holiday mode, why not enjoy the season and wait until December to panic? Red Apple Reading has some fun fall activity recommendations that will help you relax with your family and enjoy the season while you still can. Make this fall season the best you and your family has ever experienced!

By Jennifer Campbell, ago

3 Effective Vocabulary Builders

It is interesting to watch our little one’s vocabulary change and evolve as they grow up. Their one word interactions gradually become simple sentences, and the next thing we know we are having conversations with them. In her article For the Love of Words, Susan Canizares writes, “Children who acquire a substantial vocabulary are often able to think more deeply, express themselves better, and learn new things more quickly. They are also very likely to be successful not only learning to read, but also in reading at or above grade level throughout their school years.” Since a good vocabulary is so critical, Red Apple Reading would like to offer some ways you can help build your child’s vocabulary.

By Jennifer Campbell, ago

Fun With Books!

Every now and then, it‘s a good idea to do a little thinking “outside of the box“. Maybe your little one has lost interest in reading or just refuses to try a different genre of book. Book swaps and book clubs are a perfect way to do something a bit unique in order to encourage your child to read and/or expand her interests. So let’s explore a couple of ways you and your kiddo can have some fun with books!

By Jennifer Campbell, ago
Celebrate Back-to-School

Celebrate Back-to-School!

Who doesn’t enjoy a good party? Throughout the year we celebrate birthdays, promotions, anniversaries, weddings, and other countless events. Celebrations are particularly great for marking the start of something new. Since the new school season is just around the corner, why not get the year off to a great start with a fun party? A back-to-school party can be a great way to get our kiddos excited about the upcoming school year. Red Apple Reading has some fun party suggestions to help kick off the start of an exciting school year!

By Jennifer Campbell, ago
Summer Enrichment - Red Apple Reading Express

Summer Enrichment

By now, most children are fully into their summer breaks. While taking a vacation from the daily grind of class work and homework is important for our kids, we don’t want them to lose momentum and become complacent. It is possible to strike a balance between discipline and relaxation; and summer enrichment can play an important role in achieving this equilibrium. Today we will explore some ways parents can enhance their kiddos’ education during summer vacation.

By Jennifer Campbell, ago
Summer Field Trips - RAR

Summer Field Trips

Now that summer is in full swing, you will want to have some fun excursions up your sleeve. Hopefully your kids haven’t complained about being bored yet; but we know as parents that as the summer progresses we are more likely to hear that moan of despair! We would like to help you prepare this summer with some fun excursion ideas for your kiddos. Just because school is out doesn’t mean that field trips are suspended. Here’s a few fun field trip ideas for your little ones.

By Jennifer Campbell, ago
Summer Fun on a Budget - Red Apple Reading Express

Summer Fun on a Budget

It’s hard to believe that summer is here! Many of us are wondering how to entertain the children for the next two to three months now that school is over. If you’re like me, this prospect can seem overwhelming – especially when your family is on a tight budget. However, it is possible to have summertime fun on the cheap! Today we will look at how you and your family can have some good cheap fun!

By Jennifer Campbell, ago
Super Summer Reading Resources

Summer Reading: Keeping Kids Interested

It’s hard to believe summer is already here! Most of our kiddos have wrapped up the school year and are ready for summer break. What is your family’s summer plans? Many of us have already started planning family vacations, summer camp, and other seasonal activities, but how many of us have considered summer reading? While summer is a time when most of our kids get a vacation from school, this need not mean they have a vacation from reading. How can you help your child avoid the summer reading slump? Red Apple Reading has a few suggestions!

By Jennifer Campbell, ago
10-fun-educational-toys-RAR

10 Fun Educational Toys

One of the things I appreciate about summer break is that it gives my children some extra unstructured time during the day. Don’t misunderstand me, I am a huge fan of structure and schedules; in fact, my kids’ summer vacation is probably a bit more structured than most. However, included in our schedule is free play. This can look just about anyway the kids want it to – providing it doesn’t involve electronics. There is something wonderful about being able to play and use one’s imagination in anyway one chooses. Of course, this doesn’t mean that parents can’t have options available for their child to choose from. Which brings us to the topic of today’s post: Fun Educational Toys! There are literally thousands of great learning toys available to purchase and enjoy. Today we will look at 10.

By Jennifer Campbell, ago
Creative Ways to Practice Sight Words - Red Apple Reading Express

Creative Ways to Practice Sight Words

If you have younger elementary school students in your home, you are probably familiar with the term “sight words”. Sight words are words that our children need to be extra familiar with and know how to read without doing so phonetically. In other words, they need to know them by sight. These words appear frequently throughout most texts we read each day. Therefore, it is important for us to help our children practice these words and become comfortable reading them. Today we will look at some creative ways we can help our little ones learn their sight words!

By Jennifer Campbell, ago