Parents and Kids Reading Together

Join JUMPSTART This October 6 - My Baby Sister's Birthday!

2011-09-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

What are you doing on 10/6/11?

How does breaking a world reading record while raising awareness about America’s achievement gap?

Join me and TLA, Inc. as we participate in Jumpstart’s Read for the Record® presented in partnership with Pearson Foundation. Its a national campaign that mobilizes adults and children to close the early education achievement gap by setting a reading world record.

This annual campaign allows Americans to demand that all children receive the quality early education they deserve. On October 6, 2011, more than 2 million voices will call for an end to America’s early education achievement gap by reading Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney – setting a world record in the process!

Get involved at www.readfortherecord.org to help Jumpstart close the early education achievement gap:

1. Pledge to Read: Submit your official pledge and help us reach more than 2.1 MILLION children.

2. Spread the Word: Use our simple tools to educate your friends and family about America’s early education achievement gap and invite them to read.

You can even become a partner, a facilitator in your community, calling hundreds of folks to read this delicious book on the same day.

For more information visit www.readfortherecord.org

While you're looking at this terrific children's book, perfect for youngsters with lots of rhythm and rhyme and interesting language, check out the author's website or see her read the book on YouTube.

Enjoy! When you read this book to your little llama or a group of little ones, tell us about the experience. What is your favorite part? What is your favorite word? How many times does the book include the phrase "llama, llama red pajama"? I've chosen a number between 1 and 32 - if you are that number of post on this blog, you'll get a chance to have the Literacy Ambassador call your little one (or come by if you live in North Alabama) and share her special version of this book delivered in Engaged Interactive Read Aloud technique to your chosen group of children. Join in the fun!

HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT SUMMER - HERE'S A GIFT TO SHARE WITH YOUR CHILD'S NEW TEACHER!

2011-08-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

A special quick post to say - hope you and your children have a great start to the new school year! As we are all so busy, I especially appreciate you continuing to follow this blog, even as it is often less frequent and regular than I would like. Hopefully late this fall, I'll have a breather and can set a better habit. Please continue to "tune in".

A few new resources:

check out Wonderpolois, the National Center for Family Literacy's great new conversation starter for parents and kids alike. Each day a new short, fun video is posted with something new and interesting to learn.

next, visit your local United Way to find opportunities for you and your child to get involved in volunteering for literacy. Maybe a book drive, maybe tutoring, maybe replenishing a school library, there's always a lot to do and your children learn the important lesson of sharing through one of the most trusted names in nonprofits today. Also check out your chance to brag on a favorite teacher.

Finally, give that teacher a powerful link to a new community just created for them: The Community at Educationworld.com. They can create a profile, join groups (including mine under subjects, language arts K-12), view resources and videos, download lesson plans, read articles from education experts and more. Thanks for sharing.

I'll be back soon with more resources just for PARENTS AND KIDS READING TOGETHER.

Debunking Three Big Myths about Your Child Learning to Read

2011-05-09T03:40:00.000-07:00

As a parent, in our information-dense society, you may be confused:

How do I know what to trust?
Which is a sales pitch and which is valid?
How do I tell the difference between truth and misinformation, facts and hype?

Nowhere are those questions more important, or more frequently posed, than on the subject of our children learning to read.

Myth #1: Earlier is always better.

We see ads for fix-all programs, computer games that “give your child an advantage”, and even preschools who are sitting three-year children at desks under the guise of “getting them ready for school”.

In contrast, the world of research tells us that there is a developmental spectrum which children need to pass through before they are ready to read. Each child hits her “ready to read moment” at a slightly different time. You child can become a “parrot” before then but, if she is pushed into a part of the spectrum she isn’t ready for (socially, cognitively, emotionally, physically), she won’t learn the concept behind that parroting. More importantly, ignoring parts of the spectrum can later negatively impact your child’s abilities and motivation to read.

Myth #2: But he’s just a baby . . . he’ll get enough learning once he goes to school.

Over the past 10 years particularly, extensive research in the area of neuroscience has given us a clear understanding of the potential for learning during the first 3-5 years of age. It is greater than at any other time. Your child’s developing brain creates strong connections whenever someone plays and interacts with him using language. Those connections make it easier for him to learn to read when the “time is prime”. As you’ll see in Myth #3, that’s not a license to flashcard your child incessantly or drill him on concepts he may not be ready for.

Myth #3: Rigorous, structured lessons are the best way for any child of any age to learn.

The truth is that young children learn differently than their older, more mature counterparts. “Learning happens everywhere in a young child’s life, and play is the optimum learning environment. Learning at this age should not look or feel “academic.” Think about how your baby learned to walk. Did someone just show her pictures of people walking, telling her how to move one foot in front of the other without showing her, or did someone say, “well, it’s time for you to walk so you need to do it”? We laugh because we know that’s certainly not true. Getting reading to read is no different. “Only when proper foundations are established through repeated and varied concrete experiences can we expect young children to grasp higher-level skills.”

There are many other myths out there so be wary. Talk with education professionals about your concerns and questions or tap into parent resources such as the PTA, parent resource centers, and United Way.

I wrote Anytime Reading Readiness to address these very issues and to help every family with a young child find what is just right for your child, in the short and long term. The book contains simple, easy-to-implement concepts from the experienced voices of authentic experts, both in the worlds of research and practical experience.

I hope you find this article and Anytime an asset in your journey with your child.

ATTENTION: Preschool Parents - QUOTES TO PONDER, Getting Ready for Kindergarten!, and MORE!

2011-03-10T04:29:00.000-08:00

First of all, happy birthday to my friend and a wonderful illustrator (who drew my little friends which are the illustrations on this posting) - Pegi Ballenger. You can see more of her beautiful art at her website.

Now, on to the real purpose of these next few posts.

Recently, I've been preparing and revising my workshop on getting ready for Kindergarten from a language and literacy perspective and have two new sets of resources to help you get ready for that big event as a result:. If your child is a younger preschooler, these will help you start to think about this important transitional time; if your child is older, please share this blog with someone you know who has a 4-5 year old.
For the next few posts, I'll be sharing:

1) A series of quotes relating to the foundational skills necessary to be successful in the very structured, rigorous environment that is the modern-day kindergarten.

2) a glossary of terms every parent needs to know before their child enters those school house doors.

Here we go . . .

Without fundamental understandings of the functions and uses of literacy (such as storybook reading, language play, written language use in everyday practices), children may not profit from phonological awareness instruction. . . Sulzby and Teal.

That helps parents see what is important - not flashcards and drills and fancy video games . . . the literacy your child will develop in school is built on his or her ORAL language abilities (speech and processing).

Through introduction to various forms of narrative texts - including nursery rhymes (look for modern ones if you aren't into the old fashioned "Mother Goose") poetry, big books (oversized) and wordless picture books -- in an environment where inherent curiosity is encouraged, a child is able to begin a lifelong love of reading that will continue outside the classroom.

The challenge I find so much of the time is that parents don't see the connection between taking time from a busy schedule to talk and read and a child's ultimate success in school. They are inseparable. Think snippets of time; not big blocks. Think within my real word; not "I have to stop".

The Beginning of Our Glossary of Terms

Teachers live in a world of science and acronyms but don't always have the awareness that families may not be familiar with those terms. Here's the start of a beginning list. If your child's teacher uses an unfamiliar term, don't be upset with yourself because you don't know - ask what it means.

Alliteration: the repetition of a beginning letter sound with several words, Tongue Twisters are alliteration - the bad boy broke the basket - it focuses on the letter "b". (Alliteration is important because it begins children thinking about how words sound in addition to what they mean).

Book Awareness - knowing how books work, that you read them from front to back, left to right and top to bottom on the page, that they have an author, an illustrator and a title (academic terms), that they have a front cover and a title page.

Dialogic Reading: an interactive shared picture book reading practice designed to enhance young children's language and literacy development. During the shared reading practice, the adult and the child switch roles so that the child learns to become a part of the storytelling with the assistance of an adult who listens and poses questions. Even non-readers can still become a part of the storytelling through conversation, looking at the pictures, responding to prompts from the adult reader. This type of reading aloud to children is found to have positive effects on the development of their oral language and phonological awareness (you learn about those terms later).

Finally - a few new books to tell you about:

Just One Bite by Lola Schaefer

and

Snow Day! by Lester Laminack

Stay tuned for more!

On the Independent Reader Channel

2011-03-07T20:55:00.000-08:00

Switching Gears

It seems that this blog recently has gravitated to parents of children who are just beginning to read or who may not yet be readers. That certainly is an important time.

However, this post will be devoted to those readers in 3-4th grade and beyond. One of the most common mistakes I see parents make is, when their child becomes an independent reader at some level, moving away from supporting their child as a reader. Most of the time it's because the parent mistakenly believes that the child can now "do it on his/her own" and doesn't need anything further.

They Aren't Ready to Fly Solo

The truth is that children continue to mature as readers into their adult years. In one manner of speaking, if we keep reading all our lives, we are constantly becoming better, deeper readers and thinkers. That translates into better problem-solvers, more creative individuals and who wouldn't want that for their child?

Unique ways to support your older reader

The same strategies you use to encourage reading with a 5, 6 or 7 year old won't be very effective with a pre-teen or teen. Think "what are they interested in?" and answer that question with a book, a magazine, an online resource.

Think about reading as a tool for life and ask yourself, "how can I help my child use this tool effectively?"

Practice and exposure to what they want to read is always important.

Dr. Steven Layne, one of my favorite researchers, reminds us all that we cannot forget to encourage reading for its pleasure, its interest. Click on his name in the previous sentence to read more.

Lastly, the U.S. Department of Education has some good advise and, although their brochure Helping Your Child Through Early Adolescence isn't exclusively about supporting him/her as a reader, it does give some excellence tips in that area.

Looking for new titles? Try these:

From the New York Times Chapter Books (January, 2011)
Chapter Books for Middle Readers
Random House selections
Want to try something really new? Check out Jon Scieszka's chapter books.
Don't forget to visit my friends at the Reading Tub.

Happy reading!

A final P.S. I'll be traveling next week to Springfield, IL for the Illinois Reading Council Conference. If you know anyone who lives in that central part of Illinois or is planning to attend the convention (mostly educators and librarians), please let them know I'll be presenting 3/17/2011.

As always, comments about content or books are welcome!

I WANT MY CHILD TO READ

2011-02-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was able to talk with a group of teachers (and later a group of parents of preschool children) about an important milestone in children's development: when they first learn to read. What I learned is how many misconceptions there are out there, spurred on perhaps in part by the new hype in the last few years of teaching babies to read.

"I'll just be giving my child a head start, right?"

"The earlier the better."

"I saw it on TV!"

PARENTS ARE WELL-MEANING BUT MAY BE MISINFORMED

These are common comments from well-meaning parents. The problem is that these ideas have no scientific foundation. Just because someone says "there's research", don't believe it. What I alway recommend to educators is to look for three INDEPENDENT studies that confirm the same findings before you believe any of it. The science (and there is a lot of it) tells us a much different story, one of complex connections being built in brains years before a child is ready to learn to "decode" (see the symbols and understand the sounds related to them, blending into words they recognize from their oral vocabulary).

The truth is that most baby's brains at birth have nearly the same number of brain cells, give or take a small number according to genetics (about 100 billion!). Years ago, Piaget confirmed that young children first learn through the concrete, concrete experiences with senses and motion. As they grow, they move into increasingly more abstract thinking (the first hint is when the baby realizes you are still behind the blanket and that you haven't gone away just because he/she cannot see you). That is a good framework from which to think about children learning to read. Understanding a variety of symbols (graphemes) and cognitively recognizing and thinking about the sounds they represent is too abstract for most children until the ages of 4-6. And that doesn't mean that if your child isn't ready to read at 4, you should "make him". Earlier IS NOT always better. For more information about young children's brain growth at ages zero to three, visit Zero to Three's website.

MORE ACCURATE INFORMATION

All the parents I spoke with recently want the best for their child. They had great questions to ask and the answers were able to help them filter out the myth of babies learning to read. I also found few parents who were aware of the importance of oral language (speech and listening) as a foundation for later reading. Dr. Catherine Snow, an incredible, long-time researcher from Harvard says, that before children are ready to read, they must have many, many experiences with language and with print.

Here are a few signals to watch for that might indicate your child is ready for the "reading table":

They ask, "what does that say, Mommie?" or say "I want to learn to read."

They play easily with patterns and sounds in speech (like being able to change around first sounds or last sounds to make new words).

They have learned the corresponding sounds that are associated with certain letters.

Don't rush this stage - surround your child with print experiences that are fun and entertaining, talk using lots of varied words, explain their world to them and take time to talk with them in regular conversations. That as much as anything will move them toward their "right time to read". Most normally developing children will learn to read between 4-6 years of age, and anytime within this range is acceptable. In my own observations I see that children with rich literacy environments (and few if any flashcards) come to reading early at their own instigation and those children, with a continued support system, will often continue to read above their peers. To the contrary, children forced to read before they are ready lose creativity, become frustrated and turned off to learning and who wants that?

Another question to ponder is, do we ask a 3-month old to learn to walk, stand them right up there and why can't they do it? Because they don't have the foundational strength and balance yet. We accept that our children won't all walk at the same time. It is also true that they will not necessarily learn to read at exactly the same time. Throwing a child into reading before he/she is ready is akin to taking them to a swimming pool when they have never been near water and throwing them in the deep end of the pool. Never!

I could go on and on with reasons why it's so important to know how those early years contribute to reading at each child's "prime time". If you have others questions about children learning to read, post them here and I'll answer them as they are posed. You can also learn more in my books on this subject (Anytime Reading Readiness for parents of 3-6 year olds and the partner book, Before They Read, for educators working with children of this age.

Cherish childhood - it is all too fleeting. And take a little time every day to read to your child. It not only brings you close together, it relaxes you and your child in a stress-filled world. It's a "good thing".

P.S. If any of you live in Illinois or know a teacher there, I'll be a featured speaker at the Illinois Reading Council's annual conference in mid-March. Come join in the fun and information; I'd love to meet all of you in person!

After Too Long An Absence . . .

2011-01-30T19:29:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of you who continue to follow this blog. I have been absent, struggling a bit as all of us do from time to time, with squeezing everything we want to do into the time and energy we have. I know that parents can relate to that.

A MEANINGFUL RE-START

With this post, I'd like to draw us back together and begin again the discussions about parents and kids reading together. This post is for parents of 2 year olds and parents of 22 year olds.

Please share this new post with your friends and tap them into an important resource.

GREETINGS FROM TAMPA, FLORIDA!

This is a view out my hotel window tonight. I am in lovely (and warm) Tampa, Florida for the

National Title I Conference and am so excited to tell you that family engagement in children's learning is on the FRONT burner!

Not only does my session, Families and Educators: A Joint Book Club Concept, address this topic but there are at least five other presenters talking about this same issue. With educators talking more about how to involve families (some how to "follow the letter of the federal law in Title I schools but others, happily, who are genuinely interested in partnering with parents).

I'd love to hear the viewpoint from anyone reading this post on the following questions:

Do you feel welcome at your child's school? Why or why not?
Do you see your child's teacher as "friend" or "foe"? Why or why not?
If you could stand in front of the Title I teachers from all other the country this week, what would you say to them?

I look forward to your comments!

P.S. Need some reading for yourself? Check out reviews from me and my fellow book reviewers at http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/reviewer/cathy-puett-miller.

2010-09-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

Books About Fire Safety, Fire Fighters and Fire!

Don't you love that there are books on every subject? And that stories and books and reading and text all relate to things in real life?

A new friend of mine, Stephanie Goodman of Safety Mom Enterprises, is part of the nationwide effort to draw attention to Fire Safety Month (October). Any of you with children should be especially interested since, during the coming month, in most schools, children will be hearing about what to do in case of a fire.

I thought it might be fun to share a few book titles with you on the subject of fire, firefighters (and, in a few cases, fire safety) and then provide some important information from Stephanie to help you make sure you know what to do in your home if a fire breaks out.

Big Frank's Fire Truck by Leslie McGuire (ages 4-8)

Firefighters A to Z by Chris Demesest (ages 3-6)

I Want to Be A Firefighter by Dan Liebman (ages 4-7)

Fire Drill by Paul DuBois Jacobs (ages 4-8)

Fire Fighters to the Rescue by Bobbie Kalman (ages 4-8)

Even Firefighters Hug Their Moms by Christine McClain (ages 4-8)

The Buddy Files: The Case of the Fire Alarm by Dori Butler and Jeremy Tugeau (ages 8-10)

Fire Horses by Margaret Fetty (ages 9-12)

Wildfire Run by Dee Garrettson (ages 9-12)

Forgotten Fire by Adam Baqdasian (ages 14+)

Fahrenheit 541 by Ray Bradbury (ages teen to adult)

Playing with Fire by Melody Carlson (young adult)

The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America by Timothy Egan (young adult to adult)

TIPS ON FIRE SAFETY - AN EMERGENCY EVALUATION PLAN

October is fire safety month, and most schools will be talking to our kids about what to do in case of a fire. But how many of us really practice this at home? How many of us have taken a few moments to read the instructions on our fire extinguisher? Would you know how to use it in a fire?

Take some time in the coming weeks and put together an emergency evacuation plan and practice it! Here are some additional tips to keep in mind:

Having properly installed smoke alarms cut the chances of dying in a reported fire by half. Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside every sleeping area and on every level of the home. Consider purchasing one with an escape light built in as well. Put a note on the calendar to test the smoke alarm on the first of every month.

Be sure to place specially designed stickers from the fire department on the window of each child’s bedroom which will alert fire fighters that a child could be present in that room.

Keep fire extinguishers in various places around your home including the kitchen, garage, near the furnace and near any fireplace.

If you use a portable space heater, be sure it has built-in safety features, such as automatic shutoffs, anti-tipping devices and heat guards.

When you have small children in the home, install a baby gate around the fireplace to prevent access.

Purchase a 2-Story Emergency Fire Escape Ladder and keep it somewhere in or near your bedroom.

Teach your children never to try and put out a fire themselves but to leave the house immediately and call 911 from a neighbor’s home. Have a fire drill once every few months so that everyone can practice.

You can learn more safety tips and give your kids a chance to ride a fire truck during Safety Saturday at your local Lowe’s store on Saturday, September 25^th from 10AM – 2PM. And, your kids can even build a fire truck for themselves! Visit www.lowesbuildandgrow.com and be one of the first 50 to sign up and reserve your spot. All Build & Grow attendees will receive a free apron and goggles.

To support this important effort and my new friend, Stephanie, I'm donating my Fire Truck Building Kit to a child in my community. Send me an email and you could win a free book (be sure to put "FIRE BOOK" in the subject line and indicate what age child you have.

BE SAFE!

And don't forget . . .

VOTE AT PEPSI REFRESH FOR THE BIG 3 LITERACY PROJECT

2010-09-01T16:51:00.000-07:00

A DREAM

For 6 months now I've been working on a project with the Region IV Head Start Association's Executive Director, Myra Ingram. Talk about inspiring! I've visited Head Start classrooms, talked with parents and teachers and children and today we have a chance to make a bigger dream real.

My company, TLA, Inc., and Region IV Head Start Association are teaming up now for the Pepsi Refresh Project,

Parents everywhere can relate to the idea that moms and dads want the very best for their child. And in Head Starts across the SE, we have a chance to build upon what is already happening with family engagement to bring a new level of partnership between home and school.Learn more by visiting the Pepsi Refresh Pages for this project, watching the video and then voting. Take a few minutes to then help us spread the word as broadly as possible (I'm telling EVERYONE on the earth that I know!)

There are several ways you can participate and make this dream possible:

1) Visit The BIG 3 LITERACY PROJECT
to vote personally for the project (a quick registration is all you need). Then bookmark the site and put a reminder on your phone or calendar to vote daily (30 votes are possible for this one project per person - one a day.

2) Share this blog or the link through social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and others. Your connections plus ours make for great numbers. Encourage as many of your friends as possible to vote daily as well. When you see someone else Tweeting this voting, retweet them too!

3) Offer voting by texting (all regular texting fees apply): Text* 102675 to Pepsi (73774).
Again, daily votes prompted by a calendar reminder are great. If you'd like an email remainder, request same by emailing TLA.

4) Reach your best friends, collagues and the nonprofit agencies (including Head Starts) throughout the SE states of AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN - they'll be learning about this opportunity to impacts them directly soon if they haven't already gotten the word. Let's get everyone on the bandwagon to vote daily.

Together we can do this but we need EVERY vote! Thank you all! Stay tuned for updates. As of this afternoon, we've moved up approximately 40 points in the running but we are still far from our goal of being #1 or #2. I know we can do it with the help from each of you!

Support Region IV!

Preventing the Summer Reading Slump

2010-07-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

WHAT IS THE SUMMER READING SLUMP?

Most of you reading this blog have probably heard of the "summer reading slump". It's simply the idea that when children are away from reading, especially during the years in which their reading skills are developed, they lose ground in their abilities. They read less and their skills grow weaker. This is true for children just finishing kindergarten and first grade but it is equally true for older kids, even those who have been reading for years.

Think about bodybuilders or people who exercise. Once they stop exercising, their muscles quickly deteriorates or weakens because they aren't using them. It's the same with reading. Use it or lose it (I'm realizing that on the physical level more and more with each passing year --- I can barely hold up this stack of books)!

The counterargument I hear from parents and caregivers most often, in response to this idea of children reading in the summer, is, "don't the children deserve a break?"

That's why I advocate summer reading be on a different channel. Reading doesn't have to look or feel like school work. In the summer more than any other time, it should be fun with lots of free choice and lots of opportunities rather than a structured "you've got to read now" approach. Don't confuse academic activities -- something your child only does in a classroom -- with the many purposes for reading and writing. And every book they read during the summer vaccinates them again losing ground they have gained during the year.

READING AND WRITING AREN'T JUST FOR SCHOOL (Think bigger, broader)

Think about how we as adults use reading and writing as tools every day. We read menus, grocery lists and advertisements, articles and emails on the Internet; we do some reading when we are selecting vacation destinations or planning trips. Reading and writing is all around us. And the reality is that often those who are most successful, who deal with the complexities of the modern world more easily, are those who have strong skills in this area. They can quickly scan through a complex advertisement or document and understand what it's about. On the other hand, if someone isn't a very good reader or writer, it can keep him or her from a job he or she would like to have. Minimal skills can prevent anyone from making informed, quick decisions that could impact one's very life or livelihood.

Again, let's go back to other areas in real life: if a child wants to be a star basketball player like Koby Bryant (or if we have dreams of him doing so), practice is part of the equation. I can't think of a skill that's more important to practice than reading.

RADIO SHOW

This very topic was the subject of a recent radio interview I did with host Pat Montgomery of the Parents Rule show on July 8th entitled Are We There Yet? Preventing the Summer Reading Slump. If you weren't able to join us live, you can listen to a podcast of the show (I'll post a permanent link on iTunes as soon as it is available). In that delightful show, we talked about three secrets to preventing the summer slump without turning our homes into academic hothouses and creating a negative feeling about reading:

1. Choice (autonomy). Number one, kids won't want to read something "required". Your child's school may have a summer reading list and he or she certainly needs to complete the assigned reading but sprinkle in between lots of juicy books, magazines, online articles, ebooks, etc. on subjects that are intriguing to your child -- what really turns him on? Save the school reading for the last month of the summer and concentrate on fun, entertaining and engaging reading in the meantime. Or get it out of the way first thing so you can concentrate on what your child wants to read.

What's "the thing" among your child's peers (vampire movies, Hanna Montana, Silly Bandz)? Connect reading to popular fads. And remember that choice happens when reading materials are available (so regular trips to the library, bookmobile or bookstore are in order).

Choice alone may not be enough, especially if your child isn't interested at all with reading. Engage her in reading to see when that summer concert she's been dying to go to will be in town. Give him the chance to research the destination of a trip and choose a few activities do while there. Prompt him that online resources, travel books from the library or even writing a letter to a local chamber of commerce for brochures is a way to make sure he doesn't miss the "best things around". If you are traveling to a national park, where your children will see animals, find books or articles on those critters and read about them together before you go. Don't think "academic"; think "interest".

2. Opportunity (and authentic purposes). If our kids' days are packed full of scheduled activities that, in and of themselves might be terrific (swimming, camp, bike riding, computer games, texting friends, etc.), then there is often no time for reading. There may be too many choices.

Here's where your example and leadership iare so important. Set aside a little time each day or two (before bedtime, in the heat of the day with a cool fan or dish of ice cream, on a quilt under a tree, even family reading time where everyone is reading or being read to as the sun sets).

Consistently offer reading as an option and make it enticing. If you don't know how to do that because perhaps you're not a good reader yourself, talk with friends who are teachers or the neighbor that you always see coming out of the library with a armload of books. Visit my website and, on the home page, scroll down to "Hear the Literacy Ambassador". Click on the second item in the red screen and you'll hear a radio show with Ready to Learn Mom Stacey Kannenberg in which I model just how to read Goodnight Moon with a child.

And remember that great reading isn't restricted to novels - how to articles, three-wheeler magazines, any nonfiction is just as much reading as fiction (made up stories). Reading on the Internet is still reading (that's what you're doing here, right?)

Moms and dads: do a little planning but

NEVER let it look like something planned to your kids.

3. Access (and a chance to journey to mastery through regular practice). If there are no books or reading materials in your home, your child isn't likely to search them out but you don't have to do this on your own:.

     Set up a neighborhood book swap or book drive (if you choose the latter, get the kids involved in previewing all the donated books and writing personal recommendations on post-its taped inside the front cover of each book).

      Have a contest among the children in your extended family to find the coolest website on ________ (whatever topic is a guaranteed "hook" for the kids).

      Even Walmart has a book section. Most public libraries have terrific summer reading programs that go beyond books to include many related activities.

      Include some sort of game in which the kids have to read directions or cards at pool parties, picnics and pajama sleepovers.

Ask if the summer programs your child is scheduled for have

          book stashes that can be loaned,

          RIF/Reading is Fundamental programs (giving away books to those least likely to own them), or

          visiting storytellers, authors, or readers.

Each of these three ideas -- choice, opportunity, and access -- are core to motivating our children to read during the summer.

MORE RESOURCES

Check out these suggested websites for additional information followed by The Literacy Ambassador's list of new HOT SUMMER READS:

A blog from IVillage: 9 Sure Fire Ways to Fight the Summer Reading Slump
An always trusted voice, Scholastic.com
An Educationworld.com article for teachers, packed full of ideas for parents
Casey Study on Current Situation with Readers up to 3rd Grade

Preschool through first grade:

Slow Down for Manatees by Jim Arnosky
Bad Frogs by Thatcher Hurd
A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams

2nd through 5th grade

The Last Polar Bear by Jean Craighead George
Where Should the Turtle Be? by Susan Ring
The Bag of Bones by Vivian French
Spacehead by Jon Scieszka

Middle School

Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi
Countdown by Deborah Wiles
Scat by Carl Hiaason

High School

The Enemy by Charles Higson
Stormchasers by Jenna Blum
Deadline by Chris Crutcher

Teen INK., a magazine with work from teen authors

Adult recommended reading

Summer is the perfect time to dive into Anytime Reading Readiness, a quick pick up and read resource for parents packed full of ideas for helping your 3-6 year old get ready to read.

For a more meaty read, learn more about the surprising truth about what motivates us in Drive by Daniel H. Pink. You can even get a free bookplate for your own copy at Dan's website for a limited period of time.

The best novel I've read this summer: Stormchasers by Jenna Blum.

All of you who are on Facebook, visit The Literacy Ambassador's Summer Challenge. This puts a call to action in front of all of us, whether we are focusing on our own child (or children) or someone else's. Find the book that gets them hooked!

I close this blog with a quote that Pat Montgomery shared during the course of her show today that I believe is a terrific message for families everywhere.

Children who are not spoken to by…responsive adults will not learn to speak properly. Children who are not answered will stop asking questions. They will become incurious.

And children who are not told stories and who are not read to will have few reasons for wanting to learn to read. . . . Gail Haley

As always, I invite you to share your own "outside the box" ideas about what you are doing with reading this summer and forward this blog to someone who has a child. Together, we can make a difference.

Meet Ellen Richard - Teacher, Mom and Creative Resource

2010-07-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

Meet Ellen Richard and her family! Via the Internet, I recently met this amazing teacher and innovative entrepreneur and she's doing something incredible to encourage young children in writing and spelling. I was so impressed that I asked her to post a guest blog for me here so you could gain from some of her ideas. I'm also posting her ideas and comments on my sister blog for educators. The topic is spelling and handwriting. Take it away, Ellen!

Spelling is tough. But,as a teacher from down in the trenches, I can tell parents that demanding kids write the same words over and over again is not the most productive use of your (or your child's) time. Educators, as a whole, have shifted away from rote memorization and endless tracing of inconsequential spelling lists and instead are spending their time figuring out ways to engage kids. It's my experience that kids who truly are excited about the subject matter learn more and learn it faster.

Kids who have issues memorizing (there are many of them out there, not even counting those with identified learning disorders), are in a real pickle. There is not context for the words, and there is not connection made. Now, in all fairness, sometimes the words rhyme but more often than not they are just a group of words that the publishers of the textbook happened to think were appropriate for all the kids in a class. One size doesn't fit all. There are so many kids whose brains just work a little differently and, for those kids, spelling can be a huge problem.

I know, I know -- we have computers who do all our thinking, right? Wrong! Even in the age of SpellCheck and T-9 Alpha, kids need to know how to spell. Why? Because we still need to use a standardized, easily understandable common spelling for ease of communication. That will never change and it applies whether your child is just learning to spell or whether they are an older student.

So what can you do to make spelling easier?
Three words: authentic learning experiences.

Kids need to be engaged in what they are doing. They need to see how and why spelling is so important. Tracing or copying a list of words does not help the kids make essential connections that they need to learn how to spell words, or retain that information. Whether you are thinking young children with growing small motor abilities or older students who've had some experiences with spelling, engagement is key.

I believe it is just fine to have young kids trace words to help them learn how to spell and/or print but here's the catch: the words have to be meaningful to them. A list of random words is not meaningful. A letter to a friend is. A story written by the child himself is also meaningful. An article about the child's favorite sport or musician is too. It's our jobs as educators (and yes, parents are the most important educators in a child's life) to find out what interests our kids and connect writing to it.

Ask questions; dig a little. What is it that makes your child tick? Use that to help her spell (and read and form letters and practice handwriting). Here's the greatest part -- you can do all of this easily at home. With your older students, let them do the writing while you write something together (a story, a book review or editorial, a fan letter, whatever).

If you are working with young children, you don't need fancy fonts on the computer to be able to have kids trace the words and become better spellers. Simply make the dotted font yourself using good old paper and pencil. Ask your child to tell you about his favorite character in his favorite book and jot down what he says in that dotted format. Then, while he's still excited about the story, have him trace over what you just wrote and he just dictated to you. Let him use blue marker if he wants. He'll probably want to read it over and over and over again. Why? Because that story is the most interesting think in the world to him, at that moment in time.

Why Does This Work?

Just by talking to your child and writing down his story in a handmade dotted form, you are:

1. bonding with your child and learning more about her likes and preferences

2. giving her the opportunity to trace over her own story (that you jotted down)

3. allowing her the chance to see the words that are important to her, her story and her vocabulary in the written form, and

4. providing new reading material that is exciting, yet familiar, and fun for her to read.

Many of these ideas from Ellen can also be adapted with your older kids and the bonding is certainly as important as they grow older as it was when they were very young.

Thanks, Ellen! What great ideas she has given you. You're going to have a lot of fun. I really like the way she balances a child writing over someone else's words and writing over her own. Both are important.

Ellen has done more for us and young children. She has taken these simple ideas and made them into a small business. She started Letter Learning while on maternity leave from teaching this past January. She missed teaching students, and had a million thank-you cards to write. Because both of those things were on her mind, the idea for educational greeting cards was born!

She remembered how her own students sturggled often with spelling and handwriting and knew how much they love their family and friends. She also knew that young kids love to "be like Mom" and since 80% of greeting cards are sent by women, it seems that greeting cards that help kids learn to write and spell are a long overdue instrument. Check out the birthday card above; it's an example of Ellen's cards.

Now It's Your Turn

Take time to sit down with your child and really talk with him. Every child has at least one thing that really piques his interest. It is your job to find out what that is. Once you do that, the rest is easy! So, now it's your turn. Tell us what has helped you work with your child on spelling and writing at home. Send a link to this blog to another mom or dad you know. Share the complementary teacher blog with an educator you know who is enjoying a bit of R&R this summer. It's when we take action from the words we read that we make a difference.

As always, I look forward to your comments.

Real World Issue: The Challenges of Education Across the US and in Our Back Yard

2010-05-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

A Call to Action

This blog is always about celebrating the learner in our children, with a focus on literacy. Now more than ever, that's important as budget cuts on the federal and state (down to the local level) loom everywhere. In my hometown of Huntsville, AL school boards are cutting teacher jobs, limiting resources, at a time when education is more important than ever. I don't often get on the "political channel", especially on the blog, but there are decisions being made in Washington that impact our children, our educational system from top to bottom, the future of this country's role in contributing to society.

As parents and family members, we have a role. Please, while we have a time-sensitive opportunity, take time this week to do two things:

1) Read with your child or a child you know. If we are to support classrooms and teachers, we must be involved in our children's learning. Reading a book together (with little ones) or sharing some form of text (from the virtual or print worlds) with our older, more independent readers is critical. If we all do a bit of that each day, our children receive nurturing layers of literacy. They begin to believe that it is a good thing to be a reader and writer AND a thinker.

2) Let your federal representatives in Congress know that you believe education is a priority. An education amendment has been added to the pending jobs bill which can be a part of the solution. Taking action this week, as they are debating and deciding on this amendment and this bill can make a difference. It's easy to do.

Visit the education jobs bill link on the NEA website to let your voice be heard. This will send a message to your representatives in Washington. If you want to know more about the contents of this bill, visit NEA's Education Votes resource website.

Take it one step further and share this link or forward a link to this blog to friends, family and community members who share your concern and interest. Only five minutes of your time can make a difference!

3) Elections will be here before you know it. Find the resources in your community that will make you an informed voter so you can elect individuals who believe in the importance of education and are willing to stand for it. A little reading ourselves from a variety of sources (so we get the real story, not one invented by a master marketing guru to win votes) is all it takes. Talking with those who are campaigning in your community is another way to get to the truth and identify those who will promote this important agenda. Whether it is individuals running for state superintendent, governor or a local position, vote for people that echo your voice, especially when it comes to children.

Finally, let your children see you in this process. Share books on the political process with your children. Christopher Hitchens wrote an excellent biography of Thomas Jefferson that high school students and young adults will enjoy and The Federalist Papers was recently released on Kindle. Online, there is an excellent short article from the National Academy of Public Administration on the importance of helping our children, especially as they themselves move toward voting age, to understand how the process works.

Thanks for taking time to read and share this blog. I look forward to hearing from you about what you are doing in your own community to draw attention to this important, timely issue.

Grandparents and Kids Reading Together

2010-04-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

Today's Web-Based Radio Show

Today I was privileged to visit with TalkShoe host, Kaye Fontana, on her Grandcoach Radio show. The topics certainly relate to grandparents raising their grandchildren but the concepts are applicable for parents as well. I even found myself saying "parents" instead of "grandparents" a few times in the show.

If you missed us live, you can visit The Grandcoach and hear the podcast. You'll need to scroll down to episode 14. If you joined us, listening live, you can skip right to reading this blog. Otherwise, click on the link, listen in and then come back here to learn more, and add comments and questions (which you can post to this blog and we'll all learn together). I always welcome questions as a way to start a dialogue in the virtual world.

Grandparents Stepping Into A "Familiar" Role

I am thrilled to be talking with people who have taken on what is perhaps the challenge of their life in raising children, long after their original "duty" was finished. It can be a time of anxiety or of joy and reading certainly has a place in crafting a positive, nurturing growing up time for grandchildren being raised by their grandparents.

First, let me suggest a few books to read with young children that are perfect for encouraging word play:

Big and Little by Margaret Miller
Max's Dragon by Kate Banks
One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root
Tanka, Tanka, Skunk by Steve Webb

These are excerpted from my book Anytime Reading Readiness, a perfect guide not only for parents raising 3-6 year olds but grandparents who find themselves in that same role with their grandchildren. You can find recommended books for others ages at a previous blog on this blogspot.

There's Help Out There For You

If you have a limited budget (and who doesn't these days), revive what might seem like an old fashioned idea: head for the public library. It will look quite different than it did in "your day". Now, in addition to books, most libraries have cool teen activities, storytimes for younger children, movies and DVDs for rental, book clubs, game nights and more. Here are examples from Fairhope Public Library in Fairhope, AL and Witchita Public Library. Check out what your local library has to offer to support you!

Helping Young Children Get Ready for School (it's bigger than literacy)

If you are one of those grandparents (or parents) that is confused by a lot of the "educationese" used by educators today, all the unfamiliar language can be intimidating. One of the issues, as we gain more information about the research behind children learning to read, is that the "internal language" educators use can inadvertently turn "lay people"off (grandparents, parents, community helpers, etc.).

To help you understand some of these terms, check out Where The Radio Show Left Off.

Also, if you are confused by information about DIBELS, a major assessment used in K-3rd grade, you can find a family-friendly pamphlet from my alma mater, Florida State University.

You can also just be unsure of what is really required for your grandchild upon entering kindergarten and what they need to be ready for that first big step into school. You can visit Getting Ready, Grandparents Getting Kids Ready for School from the University of Georgia, and a cool checklist from It's A Mom's World that can help you (and the child) stay on track with morning chores and activities in preparation for starting "big school" (I'd recommend you start the morning routine about a month or at least a couple of weeks before the first day of school). Stacey Kannenberg's book Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten! is a good tool to review, first as an adult (because it's contents show at least 80% of what the typical child will learn in kindergarten) and then as a play book with the child (to help you explore together what the child already knows, what he or she is interested in learning, and what he or she will learn once they begin attending school).

Final message:

If you are raising a child OR a grandchild, know that your role in their literacy development is critical. Although you'll be privy to information on the research and best practices behind the science of teaching children the mechanics of reading through your interaction with teachers, know that your role as the nurturer of a reader and the inspiration for choosing to read for a variety of purposes is now more important than ever.

Educators can teach children the best mechanics but, if we do not light the spark, they are not likely to choose reading as a priority. And that responsibility, because of heavy skill-based curricula and tight schedules, may fall mainly to you. Basic reading and writing mechanics won't cut it in the complex world our children will live in just a few years from now. There will be even more challenges to figure out complex information, and to use that information as a tool to solve problems and to improve the world we live in. There is likely to even be a need for escape, which reading certainly provides.

By supporting the child in your life, you are building for the future AND solidifying the relationship with someone who is more important to you than anyone else in the world. My advice, in closing, is to relax. At the same time, stay vigilant in your promotion of reading as a tool for life. Call on me if I can be of assistance (free 15 minutes consultations are available or you can contract for a longer consultation tailored to your needs).

COME CELEBRATE WITH ME!

If you live in the Huntsville, AL or North AL area, let me offer you a personal invitation to join my celebration of early childhood through an Educator's Tea and a follow-up book signing and "meet the author" at Barnes and Nobles at Bridge Street in Huntsville, April 10 from noon until 3PM. There will be door-prizes, a special introduction to Engaged Interactive Read Aloud for teachers of all sorts (and you are a teacher too), and special opportunities to meet and talk with me and other local Alabama authors. Hope to see you there!

Secrets Parents Need to Know About Beginning Reading

2010-03-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

Kathy Stemke, the Educationtipster on Blogspot, recently called for an interview which you'll find posted on her blog. I always appreciate any opportunity to reach out and communicate to parents with children of all ages and certainly do this one.

One of the comments on the blog asked questions that would require too long an answer on the comment segment of Kathy's blog so I'm jumping over here to give it a go. Her questions were:

What are your views on the various techniques for teaching reading?

How have they changed over the years?

What's most effective with children who have reading difficulties?

I certainly won't offer an entirely comprehensive answer here but enough to get you started and heighten understanding.

'
TEACHING READING

One of the wisest people in reading research today (Dr. Richard Allington) tells us that "there are many roads to reading". One size does not fit all. Different individuals come to reading through different mechanics. And reading is a multi-level complex set of skills rather than just one so it takes years to reach true competency. Part of the importance of partnerships between school and home is decyphering those needs and addressing them as needed with each individual youngster.

Children need to understand the alphabetic principal early on (knowledge of letters and shapes, their understanding that print has unique meaning and that letters represent sounds in our spoken language). As they gain the connection between letters and sounds, they now have the beginning tool to figure out the squiggles on the page. There is an excellent explanation of this part of reading on Reading Rockets in their First Year Teacher segment and it's devoid enough of education lingo to be of value to non-educator parents.

It Starts Long Before . . .

The truth is that the strongest readers are created from day one in a cocoon of language and experience with print. As I've often said, that doesn't mean creating a structured academic hothouse at home. It doesn't mean buying workbooks and sitting your 4-7 year old down at the table to work. It means experiencing literacy in all its forms in our world. If we could just get that right at the beginning, are consistent (just as we are in giving our children good nutrition or adequate exercise), and combine it with strong phonics instruction, we would virtually eliminate reading difficulties by first or second grade.

So my message to parents is always, "be the commercial for reading". Show children how interesting, how much fun reading is and, as Bob Keeshan AKA Captain Kangaroo says (I'm showing my age), "They will follow as the night follows the day." Read in front of them (not just novels, cereal boxes, street signs, bill boards). Show them that reading and writing are tools for life and show them that every day.

Again, regardless of the method used to teach reading at the beginning, those with such experiences will have an easier time acquiring beginning skills if they have a strong foundation in oral language and exploration and interaction (not conventional reading) with print.

Having said that, the best scientific research we have in education today says that most children respond most positively to the instructional "learn to read" components of kindergarten and first grade through an method known as phonics (learning the correlation between letter and letter combos and sounds, then applying those in blending those sounds into words that connect to our spoken vocabulary or become a new term we understand). The good news is that virtually every school in the U.S. (public or private) teaches children to read that way.

So phonics instruction is important. With these numbers, that's the first approach to use. But it is important for both parents and educators to look beyond phonics if a child isn't getting it after an adequate period of time. Have a parent-teacher conference to discuss progress, alternatives, and come up with a plan together, teacher and family.

In such occasional instances where phonics truly isn't the best way for your child to learn to read, it's better to encourage alternative approaches (sight word reading or memorizing the "shapes" and "patterns", going back to the foundations needed for phonics, phonological awareness - how the patterns in our oral language work without the connection to print). For a lot of children, those are not as efficient a means so make sure, along with your child's teacher, that phonics really isn't for your child before moving on to alternatives.

That could be a whole other topic and, in fact, I give definitions of some of these terms in an earlier posting on my blog. Listen to the child and find ways that they can be successful at reading, not forcing them into a mold if they are the minority who don't learn to read with phonics. Some children even develop an "organic" sense of how the patterns and sounds in our language work with no formal instruction in phonics, combine it with other strategies (figuring out words from picture clues, recognizing some words on sight, etc.).

BEGINNING READING IS MORE THAN PHONICS

Now for perhaps the most important message in this blog:

phonics or any other beginning reading strategy for "figuring out words" is only a tool.

It is not reading.

And phonics is something that, once learned, should then serve as a tool to successfully decode words enough times that those words then become automatic, almost a sight word - one we recognize on sight rather than having to dissect it each time it is encountered. The mistake too many educators make is an over-focus on phonics. They stay on it too long rather than having the big picture in mind and moving children to that next level. That's when children get the idea that they must decode each word they encounter, even if they already know it on sight and that actually disables reading growth or at least deters it. That's also where you see motivation decline because how much fun is "manipulating phonemes"?

Reading is getting the meaning out of print. So in addition to phonics instruction, children need a steady diet of great stories read aloud to them and shared one on one as well as in small and whole group. Families can have a great influence here, especially if your child is in a school where the phonics is isolated and overemphasized and no read alouds of delicious stories that are not easily decodable occurs. What's the benefit? Children get that big picture: they are exposed to complex sentence structure, new vocabulary, the sound of a fluent reader sounding like he/she is talking when she reads, they get the meaning because 100% of their little brains are freed to understand the story rather than being divided between decoding (which can take up most of the brain power early one) and comprehension. Then they get the idea of what really is (and the motivation to do it themselves).

WHAT ABOUT STRUGGLING READERS?

My advice with struggling readers (my new friend, Donalyn Miller calls them "dormant readers") is always - look for the building blocks they are missing. Just using repetition on too high a level with a child is frustrating for the child and everyone involved.

Good teachers, whether they are parents or professionally-trained educators, recognize such "holes" and step back to more fundamental skills. Here's an example. If a child is having trouble blending sounds, make sure they have a strong, almost automatic recall of letter sounds. If they have to work at blending and at recalling the sound, it may be a brain overload. Think more concrete to less concrete, less abstract to more. Use the concrete to help bridge them to the abstract.

With young children, the emotional support of a positive rather than negative experience, is so critical. Reading researcher, Dorothy Strickland, says, "It is the broader pattern of child-adult activities and interactions that support a child's language and literacy development." If we do not give children mostly positive experinces with books, they will not choose to be readers.

If a struggling child does what seems to them to be nonsensical exercises, how do we think that is going to give them the emotional fortitude they need to practice and become competent? Think games, think tying whatever method you are using to teach to a positive experience, balance that instruction and practice that is necessary in the context of great read aloud experiences so your child sees the end they are working so hard to get to -- being able to read ANYTHING THEY WANT. I have seen it time and time again that reading difficulties, when paired with appropriate balanced instruction, can be overcome.

CLOSING

This ended up being longer than I expected but I hope I answered the questions raised by my visitor on Kathy's blog AND perhaps some of yours. Follow-up questions posted will be addressed (blogging is a great forum for that type of dialogue). I also welcome, as always, your comments.

And today, share this blog with a parent or teacher, just one, that you believe can benefit and we'll spread the revolution! Check out my book, Anytime Reading Readiness, for more ideas about supporting your young readers.

Girls "Smarter" Than Boys?

2010-03-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

I was not happy when I read the news article in my local paper entitled :"State's Girls Beating Boys". This is an issue not only in Alabama but according to the center on Education Policy, one in all public schools in all states.

The first paragraph caught my eye immediately. The reporter made the blanket statement that

“girls . . . are smarter than boys are”.

That is simply inaccurate and irresponsible. Yes, boys may be performing poorly on formal reading assessments, and, yes, reading is the foundation of all learning. However, just because boys don’t do well on state reading assessments shouldn’t delegate them to the “I’m not smart” category.

A comment from Dr. Susan B. Neuman was included and I believe she is spot on:

"Girls tend to read what teachers give them to read. They read a lot of stories early on. They're intrigued with the process of learning to read. With boys you have to motivate them to read with subjects they're interested in. Boys also have more energy which can create classroom management problems for teachers."

Although I agree as far as that goes,

I have a slightly different view. We must give boys genuine connections between practicing reading skills that we test and are required to teach AND finding meaningful experiences with print of all sorts.

Those reasons may be quite different than those that motivate and satisfy girls.

If our teaching was driven by what students need instead of a static curriculum that may not meet their needs, we will see more success.

Years ago educators started talking about “differentiating reading instruction” to meet needs of different types of learners. Reading Rockets has a simple definition of that "education term". Every teacher and parent can make a difference with students by being on that channel, regardless of the child's gender. With boys, it helps to address how boys can best be motivated to read. If acting out the story with a physical activity helps, especially with those younger children, why not incorporate that? The core, whether we are talking about boys or girls, is going beyond the skill-based focus on instruction which have overtaken classrooms (a necessity but not the only important focus).

A truly balanced approach to reading instruction includes addressing not only skills or “mechanics” but also the practice, the habit, the “behavior” of reading. These days, with so much focus on limiting reading to selected titles identified by curriculum and no variation allowed in the classroom, it's a perfect opportunity for families to step up and balance that.

Educators AND parents should be searching out print that mesmerizes, motivates, and gives valuable information, that bridges between the content students need to know and what interests them.

Until we do that, neither boys nor girls will see authentic reasons or have the answer to an important question, “why should I read anyway?”

Parents, I welcome your take on this, your comments, and you sharing this blog with educators and other families. The solution is part of my revolution to bring families and educators together in genuine partnerships that result in the highest achievement possible for every child. Author Jon Scieszka has taken on this challenge through his Guys Read website. You can also read about what girls and boys are reading in an article from Education.com http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_What_Boys_Reading/.

The Reader Who Most Influenced Me

2010-03-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

On this week's Share A Story Shape A Future blogging event sponsored by The Reading Tub, they pose the question:

Who is the person who influenced you most as a reader?

Here she is with her first grandson (someone she also influenced as a reader):

My mom

She's gone now from this earth but she sits on my shoulder every day. I see her putting a bowl on her head and prancing around the kitchen, reciting Robert Louis Stevenson's poem, The Land of Counterpane. I expect it was a meaningful poem since my brother and I both had times of extended illness in which we were confined to bed. It made us giggle and we loved the rhythm and rhyme of the poetry.

I see her pouring over a book, occasionally with those silly black framed glasses from the 1950's on her nose - do you know the ones with the wings? Her two most favorite authors were Phyllis Whitney and Eugenia Price (Momma loved historical fiction). As soon as I was in 5th or 6th grade and was a strong enough reader to attack these novels, she began sharing them with me and we'd have play fights over who would get the newest title first.

Although I cannot remember the first time I heard this phrase, I can still see that dreamy look in her eyes when she would tell me "you can go anywhere in a book" I believed her and I still do.

All her children believed her and their children (Nana's grandchildren) do too. What an incredible legacy this little feisty woman from the coal-mining country of Virginia has passed along, simply because she loved reading and books.

Today, she remains an influence not only in my personal reading (I have a good book or three or four on my bedside stand all the time) but also in my work as The Literacy Ambassador. Her passion for reading and stories and talking and sharing inspire me to this day. They are the reason I am an enthusiastic and passionate speaker, writer and advocate for the fact that "there is a book for every child". I know that without the indelible impression she left, I would not be doing what I am today. She, in fact, is the core of the revolution I am starting with my two new books, Anytime Reading Readiness and Before They Read. To learn more about that revolution, visit Reading is For Everyone
You can also stay in touch on Twitter and Facebook where you'll find me as litambassador and on Linkedin

Engaging Older Readers (3rd grade and up) With Personel Connections To What They Read

2010-03-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

Personal connections aid in understanding a story, whether your child is the reader or the writer (a composer like these two fellows in the picture to the right). I encourage families to find great books that connect to your child's a passion so they will show more interest in reading. I know you've heard that from me before but it is worth repeating.

When a reader makes personal connections to text, he then becomes part of the story, adding his or her own memories, ideas, experiences to that of the author. He moves from reading on the surface into deeper connection and the understanding (what teachers call "comprehension") goes through the roof.

So How Do You Get Your Kids to Respond That Way To Reading?

Good authors like Willie Morris (author of My Dog Skip) give us a large hook to connect with. Nearly everyone has experienced a pet and/or the loss of that friend sometime in our lives like he tells about in his book. If your young person is more into baseball, skateboarding or jazz, try Under the Baseball Moon by John H. Ritter. Have a youngster who likes history? A Wish After Midnight is a combo historical fiction and time travel adventure that will hold them til the very end. Relationships and self-image important? Try Nothing But The Truth by Avi. If you want to share an adult book with your teen, feel free. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba is an incredible real life story of inspiration. Sharing books you are enjoying (as long as you are comfortable with the content) is a terrific way to connect. The key is that

if we are going to expect our young people to be readers in the midst of all the possible distractions in this modern world, then we must give them an authentic, meaningful-to-them reason to do so.

Carve Out A Little Reading Time

Once you have a good selection for your child to choose from (and have involved him/or her in the selection process, pick one time a week (protected from interruptions and outside distractions) in which the whole family will spend time reading. I've got news for you; it may not be easy at first, especially if this isn't already a habit with your family. However, it can start with as little as this once a week, 15 minute time slot, but think of ways to expand it into travel time in the car on the way to soccer, or home from school, time just before "lights out". It may be easier for you to start on the weekends.

Set a goal

Your goal over the course of the next 6 months is to move from one such time a week to two and then to three. Don't try to jump in all at once, especially if your family isn't used to this dose of reading. Find the balance for you but know that consistence is very important. Also, pay attention to your family schedule, your children's extra-curricular activities and school homework level, etc. when considering that is reasonable for your family.

W\hat you will often find is that your children will actually enjoy themselves, the adults will feel the benefit of a little down "doing something all together" time, and you'll be fostering a habit for reading. In the meantime, you'll also be giving your child a dose of practice (something we all need to do if we are to improve our skills whether it is in reading, exercising, riding a bike or playing a video game).

Of course, the earlier you begin this in terms of the ages of your children, the more they will value reading as a habit and valuable use of time so my advice to those of you with younger children is to start early. Don't believe the myth that some children just won't be readers. Every child needs to read and read strongly for information, pleasure and, yes, even escape.

If your family can only manage 15 minutes to start with, begin at that level. The goal is for everyone to be reading something during that time.

Give Them Control

As you allow your children to make choices - sometimes assigned materials from school, but other times magazines, ebooks, Wii manuals on the latest interactive games, a novel or a "fact" (nonfiction) book -- anything as long as it is reading, you will all be gaining benefits. If you and your family have invested in an IPOD Touch, a Kindle or a even laptop, the novelty of reading "online" might appeal to your children more than holding a traditional book.

Especially if you haven't done this a lot in your household before and regular reading together wasn't a part of your earlier lives together, this can be a challenge to get started. However, I assure you, with the proper approach, even those who are at first reluctant will come "on board".

Need a little jumpstart? Maybe some of the reading is tandem (you and your young child read a book together while Dad and Junior are pouring over an article in the lates Sports Illustrated. Your example of being interested and excited is essential here: any child will see through you if you are just biding time and not invested in the experience. Yet, on the other hand, if you are involved and getting something out of the reading, your child will feed off that too.

A few more ideas for this "everyone is reading" time:

1. Give your children cool, colorful post its or sticky arrows (or even colorful strips from junk mail or old funny paper panels with a dab of rubber cement on the edge - did you know that its temporary if you only put it on one paper surface?). When they run across a word they don't know, can flag it, then skip over it, if they can get the meaning from the rest of the sentence. Later, you can spend a few minutes exploring the definition and pronunciation of the word together.

2. Everyone has one "pass" to interrupt and share about something they are reading (a particularly juicy description that makes pictures in your head, reminds you of something that happened last week, or was just fall out funny. Print a paper ticket or coupon to hand out at the beginning of the reading time if you like (click here for a template "Polar Express" train ticket). As an extra incentive for your kids to do this, they can also earn points toward freedom from a chore for a day, a small monetary reward (a quarter or dollar), or a special trip to the ballpark with a parent. Again, choose those rewards based on what is meaningful and desirable for YOUR kids.

3. At the end, with five minutes to go, you can also do something teachers call, "turn and talk". Pairing again two family members together, you "turn and talk", telling each other about the best part of what you read. If you run over (and you just might), don't announce "time's up". Let the conversations go on as long as they will.

Don't turn your family reading time into a quiz, drill and skill, where you are pummeling your child with questions, just to see if he or she understands what she read. What a turn-off and they get enough of those at school. Instead, pose questions like these in conversation so your children see that talking about books is a natural activity. Let your child's answers and reactions lead you to the next question:

What is your phrase or word you related to most in the book you read?

Have you ever experienced the feeling those words described?

When and how?

Can you imagine what it would be like to .....

Why do you think he/she reacted that way? How could he have reacted differently to the situation? What would have to be different in the relationship between Willie and his dog (or family member or whomever the interaction or emotion is shared with) to change his reaction.'

So what? What is the significance, the importance, of his reaction, interaction, response?

I am taking this from knowledge (what I call regurgitation of fact) up through Bloom's to analysis, synthesis, etc.

You and your family will be practicing higher level thinking skills without turning your home into a academic "hothouse".

Share, Share, Share

Come back to this blog after you try this experiment and post your results. Share what you are already doing with your children in this regard and how you squeeze reading into busy lifestyles and schedules. We'll all benefit when we learn from one another.

A last tidbit: You don't have to do this "encouraging your child to be a reader" alone. All this week, my friends at the Reading Tub and many of their friends are blogging about reading and children in their Share A Story: Shape A Future Event. You will also find fun giveaways. I'm going over there right now to jump in; won't you join me?

Happy Reading!

Author Showcase: The Literacy Ambassador in the Reading Tub

2010-02-23T13:16:00.000-08:00

A Snapshot of an Author

Many of you have read in my posts about the Reading Tub. I'm honored to be in their author spotlight this month so encourage you to visit their blog as well as the author showcase page itself.

In addition to the interview with me for this month, you'll also find book lists and reviews, articles of interest to educators and teachers, archives of past authors (can you find your favorites and a few new ones?) and even learn how to be in the showcase yourself if you are a author of children's books.

Need a presenter, trainer, speaker?

Some of you may know that I travel around the country to speak to parent groups and conferences as well as conduct educator training and you won't find a stronger advocate for children and books than me. Feel free to visit TLA's website to find topics thatmeet your needs.

Next post will be for our parents promoting reading with older students . . . stay tuned!

Focus on Early Childhood (Do You Have A Infant, Toddler or Preschooler)?

2010-02-18T09:14:00.000-08:00

A GLIMPSE INTO THIS WEEK'S WORLD
OF THE LITERACY AMBASSADOR

Tomorrow I'm attending a wonderful north AL institution: the NW Alabama Childcare Conference. I always get excited because I get to see all my friends in the early childhood world (teachers and directors) from across the northern part of our state. And this year, we have a keynote speaker I know will be incredible: Steven Layne. I wish those of you who are parents could be here to hear him.

I met Steven at a conference several years ago and so applauded his message: we need to spread a PASSION for reading! Check out his books, Love the Baby and My Brother Dan's Delicious, now available on audio too!. What I like most about Steven is that he isn't your typical stuffy researcher from the university environment. He indeed has a passion that is contagious and we need that kind of epidemic. Don't be afraid to catch this bug!

RESOURCES FOR BUSY FAMILIES
(and teachers)

I also want to share with you parents of 3-6 year olds a new video from TLA, Inc. that teaches you how to play a game, Rhymin' Simon, with your young children. It's drawn from my new book, Anytime Reading Readiness, and its partner for educators, Before They Read, and is a quick easy way to build early skills while having a great deal of fun.

Rhyming is the doorway into the world of thinking about words for the sounds within them (apart from their meaning). The ability to recognize and even generate (eventually) rhymes comes as early as age 2.5 or 3 but it starts with simply playing with the language. As you talk daily with your child, you have given him many great tools in the language he uses; this activity and others like it are the way to effectively build on those experiences as he/she moves on the road toward getting ready to read.

My last gifts to you:

1) a list of books to support rhyming and other early childhood literacy skills. Enjoy!

2) a chance to win a copy of Anytime Reading Readiness! Just cut and paste this email address with the words ANYTIME CONTEST in the subject line and you'll automatically be entered. Contest runs through the end of February.

A Few Tidbits - A Little Off the Channel But Always Returning to Children and Families and Books

2010-02-18T08:43:00.000-08:00

Over the last few days and week, I found a few resources sure to help you in your busy days with children of all ages (and in your own life). This seems a hodge-podge to me' just consider it a smorgasbord!

All these topics connect to parents (or any other adult) and kids and learning and reach across the spectrum of beginning and pre-readers into the world of older more independent readers (my two alternating focuses in this blog).

You know, reading with your children is really bigger than the book. It's about developing a relationship and learning to share and listen, it's about playing and all the terrific tidbits you learn when you take those few minutes out of your busy day to connect with your child, it's about identifying everyday learning experiences and encouraging that nature "investigator" in our children to shine. In the real world, it's difficult to separate out literacy from any other type of learning; it often happens at the same time, overlapping and intersecting.

1) Work of Childhood. This blog is for home schooling families but it's actually a great resource for anyone who has children (I always said when people asked me if we homeschooled our son, "Yes, but he goes to public school too - after all, there should be no lines where learning happens).

2) Although I'm not into pushing products, I have found two new friends who often search out the very best for young families and share them. Here are links if you'd like to check them out to My Wee View and Mom Audience. If you are a mom who is in business for yourself, Mom Audience also gives you a chance to list your great idea and business for free!

Now back to the business of literacy. Every month this year, my friend, Anastasia Suen, is hosting a Carnival of Children's Literature! I made a note on my electronic calendar to "buzz" me as a reminder to visit each month for terrific information about reading and children of all ages. This month it is hosted by Jenny's Wonderland of Books and next month it will be Sally Apopkadek, a blogger on publishing and published children's literature.

Do you know that my friends at the The Reading Tub have a blog? Terry and her friends always put together terrific resources for families AND educators so share this one! In fact, they've also listed the Carnival in their February 17th post!

Look for The Literacy Ambassador to be featured in their Author Showcase soon; we'll give you a heads up when that's available. In the meantime, you can find a few young adult books that are in need of reviews, listed to the right of the February 17th blog! If you're looking for great books for your children to read, why not get them involved?

Last but not least, my new friend, Hester Bass, has been visiting all over the country to celebrate and share her book, The Secret World of Walter Anderson. Learn more at Hester's website. Here's a picture of her beautiful book at an artist we all need to know (I almost feel when I look at this illustration as though I'm out there on the water).

Playing with Sounds and Patterns/Engaged Interactive Read Alouds

2010-01-27T09:37:00.000-08:00

Today I was so excited to talk with my friend and colleague, Stacey Kannenberg on her radio show "The Ready to Learn Mom". As you can see from the title of this blog, our topic was again for parents of younger readers. Although the focus will be on preschool - 1st grade, many of the ideas discussed can be used with children throughout elementary school.

As usual, we had a great time sharing ideas with parents and others loving and interacting with children. If you didn't hear the show live, you can listen to the podcast from Stacey's website. The date of the show is 1/27/10. If you were able to join us, there are many resources listed here that we referred to in the show.

Playing with sounds and patterns of sound in our language is especially important for children as they are learning how to spell and how to decode words. Besides, it's fun. Think about silly rhymes and rhyming songs you love (I was listening to country music this morning before the show and heard lots of rhymes). Don't forget tongue-twisters. When writing my new book Anytime Reading Readiness, I collected a tongue-twister for every letter of the alphabet and listed them. Here's the one for X:

The excited experts explained that the extra X-rays were excellent (remember that we're playing with sound, not letters so the fact that many of these words start with -ex but are the "cksssss" sound you get when you say the letter "x" is OK).

Dr. Seuss always played with silly animals and names in his books so anytime you pick up one of his titles (like Cat in the Hat or Hop on Pop) you are playing with those sounds integral to our language.

Here's a list of five other books with terrific rhymes and beginning sound emphasis. Stop from time to time as you read and point out the sounds that are same and different within the words you are reading. Talking about words gives your child a new level of awareness.

A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes by Liz Scanlon
Jazz Baby by Liz Wheeler
Baby Bear, Baby Bear What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.
Bear Hugs: Romatically Ridiculous Animal Rhymes by Karma Wilson
My First Action Rhymes by Lynne Cravath (complete with actions - you and your child don't have to sit still when you read!)

The Library Lady shares practical ways to play as well on her website in an article about how young children learn. Scholastic points out that playing with poetry is another good way to pay attention to those patterns.
Check out Anytime Reading Readiness (for parents of 3-6 year olds) and Before They Read (for teachers) for even more ideas!

A Primer for Engaged Interactive Read Aloud

Introduce the book with a prediction (try to figure out by the title and the illustrations on the cover what the book will be about - don't just guess, put some thought and exploration into it). HINT: Predictions don't have to be correct to be a good one.

Interruptions by the reader or the listener are always allowed!

Changing your voice, pausing, being intense and slowing down all add to the drama of the story (after all, we're competing with TV and videos)

Thinking, wondering and pondering with your child as you read

Posing "how" and "why" questions at times.

Enjoying the text together.

For more on all of these topics, visit TLA's website and check out Anytime Reading Readiness (for parents) and Before They Read (for educators)- two brand new titles from Maupin House for partnering between families and educators of children ages 3-6. They've even combined these two titles into a Home/School Literacy Partnership Set of 2 teacher books and 20 parent books for classroom collaborations.

Have fun!

Starting your Tween's and Teen's New Year with Reading

2010-01-27T07:19:00.000-08:00

Dropping in quickly to with a few tidbits for those with older, independent readers (ages 6-18). The new Kindles, MP3 players and other devises make having books more affordable (under $10 most of the time) and portable. Not able to afford a book reader? Try audio downloads available as well. Take advantage of the fact that your young person loves technology and consider one for them sometime this year.

The local Huntsville/Madison County Public Library in my home of Huntsville, AL is loaning downloads of ebooks (a great idea). Visit their site to see how they do it and share the idea with your local library too.

Remember when helping choose titles (really let the kids do the choosing) to gravitate to high interest and light topics for the everyday "recreational" reading you want to encourage. Starting in middle school, kids get a lot of reading assignments at school but you want them to stay connected to the fun, the wonder, the draw of books that are "off that official list" and are chosen specifically by the end reader. In fact, a friend of mine, Jim Cope of Kennesaw State University did a study several years ago in Georgia that revealed that choice was the major factor in whether older students continued to read past the "snuggle and cuddle stage" of reading with their families.

Here are just a few titles to consider:

Young Adult: Fang by James Patterson
                     Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
                     Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope by Jenna Bush

Tweens:         Long Shadows by Erin Hunter
                      So B. It by Sarah Weeks
                      Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli

Don't forget the importance of talking with your child about what they are reading - no drills, just good conversation.

Three Secrets to Helping Kids Read

2009-12-03T09:57:00.000-08:00

Today I visited with Pat Montgomery of ParentsRule radio and we talked specifically about helping young children come to the reading table "at their prime time". This post will serve as an additional resource to that interview (which you can hear via podcast anytime this week if you missed the live show). Pat also has a blog with more information from her shows so you can find even more important information there.

Did you know . . .

Children begin to read normally between the ages of 4-6 (a few exceptions on either end of that spectrum) and it is important to know that each child comes to the reading table at a different time (and reading later than 4 doesn't mean your child is "behind").

Did you know that the vocabulary level of children by 1st grade can predict at least 30% of their success in comprehending what they read when they are 16 or 17? The details are included in a longitudinal research study summarized in the book Beginning Literacy with Language.

THREE BIG IDEAS

Conversations are important.
Exploring print and books together is important.
Playing with the Language is important.

All of these work when they are consistently applied. More details on all three of these concepts are covered in detail in my new book Anytime Reading Readiness (for parents) which makes a great holiday gift for a young family (or a stocking stuffer for yourself!) Easy, fun activities that can be slipped into busy days, without too much "academic" pressure (which can be counterproductive) are what you will find in this family-friendly handbook. It's also designed so you can find just the areas you need more information and ideas on or, if you want an overview, you can read from front cover to back.

If you are looking for a great gift for the preschool or kindergarten teacher in your life, you can choose the companion book to Anytime Reading Readiness, called Before They Read. Covering the same three big ideas mentioned above, this takes a more academic focus for easy application in the classroom while retaining the important essential elements of reading readiness and emergent literacy. A plus is that this book's margins are full of teacher tips and more ideas for involving families in complementing what is happening at school. I purposely wrote both these books at the same time to give families and schools a target for working together because that is the way children learn to read most easily.

Here are a few of the resources mentioned on Pat's program today:

Indistructibles, great wordless books for "reading" and exploring with young children

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton, one of Cathy's early favorite books

Singing (which we didn't get to) is always great - check out Fran Avni's CDs for great songs that are fun (and foster learning).

Join my revolution to draw families and schools together without an "academic hothouse" approach. Reading and writing are tools for life, not just something that happens as an assignment or work in the classroom. The most important part of reading, talking, and playing with language at home is that it gives time for a strong relationship between adult and child to grow. That is the best part of literacy, combined with the fact that literacy is the doorway to all learning. As a parent, don't worry if you're not a bookworm: think - "It's bigger than the book" because it is. The interaction you have with your child will grow literacy skills but it also helps the two of you grow closer. It helps you understand your child more deeply; it helps your child connect with you.

You can also be a part of the revolution by sharing the resources from TLA's website with schools, parent-teacher organizations, community family-friendly groups because literacy is everyone's business and children's literacy is our future. TLA is currently booking me for events and conferences for 2010 and 2011.

Post questions you have in response to the radio show or to this blog and The Literacy Ambassador will be happy to respond!

Keeper of Your Children's Dreams: Celebrating Literacy is A Key

2009-11-16T11:02:00.000-08:00

SWEET REFLECTIONS

Today's blog is a time for reflection - take a deep breath, listen carefully and you can feel that same emotion, that same pride you first felt on that first day you met your new little one. Whether you are a parent (or a grandparent or other relative), I believe every one present at the first moments of life has this great rush of dreams and love for that baby. The start of a new life is inspiring to us all. But sometimes the whirlwind of life, the pressures and worries, can drive that feeling away or at least bury it a bit.

SNUGGLE AND CUDDLE TIME

Reading with your child can help you recapture that understanding that every possibility is open; every life a new chance for the world to be a better place. I love the words from Nancy Tillman's On The Night You Were Born, "So whenever you doubt just how special you are and you wonder who loves you, how much and how far, listen for geese honking high in the sky (they're singing a song to remember you by): . . . They take us back to those singular, life-affirming moments that are the core of our relationship with our child.

Whether you have a newborn, a toddler or a preschool child, think back to that time and those feelings and use them as motivational fuel. One of the truest, most satisfying ways we as parents (grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, etc.) can keep those dreams alive is by creating a rich literacy environment for that young child.

IT'S SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE AND PAVES THE PATH TO READING

Have that feeling close to your heart? Here's the next step (no academic hothouse). Learning how our language works can be a natural, relationship-enriching experience for both child and family. Sitting down for just two or three minutes can rekindle that connection we had from the very beginning and remind us of what is most important in life. Look at the outside of a book together. See if you can guess together what it might be about. It's that simple to begin.

A CHAT WITH TUMBLON'S GRAHAM SCHARF

I was personally reminded of just those connections when I spoke last week with Graham Scharf, father, educator, entrepenuer and co-founder of Tumblon.com , a great place for parents to find resources for understanding and nurturing their child's growth, an inspirational place to connect with the joys of parenting.

Graham and I were talking about how easy and rewarding it is to create a literacy-rich home environment for your child. To the left you'll see he and his lovely wife with their two little "readers". We talked about finding the most delicious books for sharing like Mem Fox's Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes and The Little Red Caboose, books with my three R's of books for young children

Rhythm,
Rhyme and
Repetition.

These kinds of books are easy to find in your local library or at the bookstore down the street or at the mall.

We also talked about how important it is for children to hear lots of conversations (not only for their language development but also for their emotional and social development). It is so empowering to a child when they know they are loved and when several someones in their life often say that to them and show them their care with a listening ear. My mom loved to talk with our son when he was small (here's one of my favorite pictures of them talking about a single thing, a toy squirrel)

CONSISTENCY

One of the last highlights of the conversation with Graham last week was the idea of consistency. I don't want any parent to think that you have to be the Martha Stewart of mothers or the Mr. Rogers of dads. I do want you to know that you are the single most important influence in your child's life and that you are the most powerful, natural teacher you child will ever have. Learning doesn't just happen at school. Think about what you have already taught your child to do (sit up, make raspberries with their lips, walk, talk, hug, empathize).

If you don't read with your children now, just try doing it once a week to begin with. Set aside a few minutes before you tuck your child in for a quick read. Remember, at this age, it doesn't have to be more than 2-3 minutes long. You have time for that; it's less than a coffeebreak and you know (when you think back to those early emotions) that your child is worth the effort to give that little bit of time wholeheartedly to him.

Once you begin to enjoy the story with your child (no correcting and directing), you'll want to add more reading times and you'll be motivated to carve out those times because you see how much it means to your child and to you. Reading aloud with your child is also a "destressor " for you both when you simply enjoy it together rather than making it an academic exercise.

BUILD ON POSITIVE EXPERIENCES AND GROW THE HABIT

Once you've broken the ice with the routine, try adding just one more night - go for a few weeks at that level and don't beat yourself up if you miss one as you are setting the new habit. Stay on target and try again. If you read twice a week, aim for three times (researchers tell us that at least three times a week is the minimum we eventually need to make a consistent impact).

READY FOR MORE?

Listen to more tips and ideas from the conversation between Graham and me at his podcast of the event on Tumblon.com. You can also learn more about the power of conversation, reading with your child and playing with the language through my new book, Anytime Reading Readiness, available now through Maupin House Publishing.

Hope For Young Adult Readers - But We Adults Have to Be The Models

2009-11-12T21:39:00.000-08:00

Since the last few posts on the blog have related to the younger set (and their families), it's time to go back to our more independent readers. I just saw some terrific news from Publisher's Weekly:

While adult trade sales are expected to fall 4% this year, juvenile and young adult sales are expected to increase 5.1%, according to the PW/IPR Book Sales Index. Although it's impossible to completely break out juvenile from young adult (YA), it is possible to look at expected growth rates for different categories. In the fiction/fantasy/sci-fi segment, where most sales in the YA category fall, we expect nearly 13% growth in 2009, reaching $744 million. By 2013, sales in this segment are anticipated to hit $861 million, a 30.6% increase over 2008.

Wow! In part, we have the growing popularity of Kindles and Ipods for reading books. But families also play a particularly important role in whether children continue to read after the "snuggle and cuddle stage".

One of the big questions is: what do teens and tweens want to read? The Young Adult Library Association (part of the American Library Association) just this fall published a booklist made by teens. Paper Towns by John Green tops the list. It is the story of a bright, quiet kid and how he cares for a neighborhood girl. Kirkus Reviews calls it, "genuine and genuinely funny". Alicia Afterimage by Lulu Delacre is another great example of a book teens will want to read, this one dealing with grief.

What is most important for students once they leave the elementary school years is to have steady, open choices as to what they read. The difference between students who read beyond what is required in the classroom and those who just read to "get by" is staggering. One of the best ways to prepare your student for college (or life) is to encourage him to be a reader.

The reality is that parents can't control what your teen reads, so read a few books with controversial topics at the same time and discuss it with them. Parents will find a ready (and surprisingly open) approach to talking about decision making and careful choices if they start by listening with an open mind. And we all know how important communication and staying in touch with our growingly-independent man-child and woman-child is in these complex times.

Helping students carve out time to read what they are interested in and to grab it online or in print ideally starts with habits when they are young. However, as children move into reading mostly as an independent person rather than reading together with an adult, often families stop supporting their child's reading. They aren't sure what to do. That's where the decline often begins. It is important to remember that no reader is mature at third grade and that supporting them as a reader no longer means "having them practice for you". There are many more layers of understanding and depth to be developed and encouraged. Continuing to provide a variety of reading opportunities in the home, thinking "quick reads" for those busy teens (including magazines, internet articles, links sent via email, Facebook, IM, etc.) is essential.

I believe that one reason the types of stories mentioned earlier are so powerful for teens to read is because they connect to what they are experiencing, what they are learning about life at a time when they are learning so much. And that connection is critical, rather than a "you should read this" approach.

So do something different. Ask your teen or tween what their latest passion is, what they are interesting in knowing more about. You are sure to uncover a topic that you can support them reading about (or help them find a fascinating story with which to escape the challenges of the teen years if just for a little while).

Nurture their inner reader.

Calling All Parents: Practical Reading Ideas for Gifted Kids

2009-11-08T08:09:00.000-08:00

If you missed the live show with host Audrey Borden and literacy expert, Cathy Puett Miller, now is your chance to hear a podcast of that event. Lots of practical ideas to match up with our recent post. You may need to listen to the hookup intro for a few seconds before the show actually starts so settle back, be ready to be inspired about reading with your child and finding the perfect book to share with your gifted child.

This podcast isn't just for parents of gifted children. It has excellent tips for anyone interested in promoting their child's literacy. Focusing on helping your child have positive experiences with reading, tons of references to great books and solutions to finding time to encourage reading and writing at home are all included.

P.S. Be on the lookout for a revolution starting in just a few weeks with the release of Cathy Puett Miller's two new books - Anytime Reading Readiness and Before They Read. Never before have two books been so relationship-building between the teacher of 3-6 year olds and the parents of that same age group. With these tools, parents will learn the three big essentials to getting their children ready to read and preschool and Kindergarten teachers will find fun skill-building activities to integrate into your curriculum with great results. Stay tuned!

Webinar - Just Right Books - Sponsored by Mygiftedgirl.com

2009-10-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

This blog serves as a follow-up and a place to share extra resources after the webinar held the evening of October 29, 2009. It was hosted by Mygiftedgirl.com's founder Audrey Borden, and presented by literacy expert, Cathy Puett Miller. Although the focus of this webinar was gifted children, many of the resources here will also be terrific for all families, with children of all ages so read on and see what you can find that works for your child.

Selecting books for any child, but especially those who may read several months or years above children the same age, is a challenge. Remember to:

Let your child be part of the process and help them find time to read.

Look for books that tap into your child's passion and interests (don't forget nonfiction like books listed on the I.N.K. database (a free resource). Visit I.N.K.'s blog for a special (and very timely) article on What Does Age Appropriate Mean Anyway?

Rely on experts like media specialists, librarians and family-friendly resources like The Reading Tub to help you find great books for your child.

Send the message to your child, "You can read ANYTHING". Of course, if you have materials inappropriate for the social and emotional age of your child, my advice is to keep it in a place your child has no access to. Save leveled reading for "required reading from school" and classroom instruction.

Help your child learn to cope with the limitations and restrictions he or she may feel from school by encouraging a passion for learning and a love of reading at home. Give your child positive reading experiences in a wide variety of circumstances, but never overwhelm your child with more "academic" work. The best learning, at home or school, happens when the activity is integrated and interwoven into a child's nature experiences. Remember that you are the commercial for reading and that motivation is an important indirect component.

Remember your child is a whole person. He or she very well may be socially and emotionally closer to their chronological age, even if academically or in special areas, they are much advanced. Celebrate your child's age where they are and help him or her find the balance between stimulation and

age-appropriate development. Talk with early childhood and childhood experts to learn what is "normal" for your child.

LET'S FIND THE JUST RIGHT BOOK TOGETHER

I believe there is a book for every child. If you have a child that isn't excited about reading, maybe it's just that he or she hasn't found the book to "turn him on". Commit yourself to helping her find that book (the journey and the search will be almost as much fun as finding it when you do it together).

Here are great books for your child to read on his/her own or with you (based on average grade level reading). If your child reads above or below grade level, adjust accordingly. I purposefully listed books under the 9-12 year area that are "safe" content for younger children.

Ages 4-8
On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman
Oops by Arthur Geisert - a wordless book with a great story YOU can tell
The Let's Get Ready Series
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson (and the rest of the "Bear" series
Morris and Boris by Bernard Wiseman
Dewey: There's A Cat in the Library by Vicki Myrion
Dandelions by Eve Bunting
Special Goin’ Someplace by Patricia McKissack
Help, I’m A Prisoner in the Library! By Eth Clifford
Big Words for Little People by Jamie Lee Curtis
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Sieszka
The Van Gogh Café by Cynthia Rylant
Time Warp Trio Series by Jon Sieszka
When Jesse Came Across the Sea by Ann Hest
Baa-Choo by Sarah Weeks
Saving Lilly by Peg Kehret
Our Library by Eve Bunting
White Star: A Dog on the Titanic by Marty Crisp

Ages 9-12
Marie Curie by Vicki Cobb
Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
The Number Devil by Hans Mangus Enzensberge
In English, of Course by Josephine Nobisso
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster
Over the Wall (and the Desperado Who Saved Baseball) by John H. Ritter
Poppy by Avi
Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr
Be A Perfect Person in Three Days by Stephen Manes
What Darwin Saw: The Journey That Changed The World by Rosalyn Schanzer
Adventures & Challenges: Real Life Stories by Girls & Young Women by Suzanne Beam
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
Fever 1793
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick
The Tale of Despereaux: Being A Story of A Mouse, A Princess, Some Soup and A Spool of Thread by Kate DeCamillo
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White (author of Charlotte's Web)
Hachet by Gary Paulson
The Eye, The Ear and the Arm by Nancy Farmer
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli,
Millicent Min, Girl Geniuis by Lisa Yee
January's Sparrow (a picture book but high level content) - by Patricia Polacco

Ages 13-15
Adventures and Challenges: Real Life Stories by Girls and Young Women by Frances A. Karnes and Suzanne M. Bean
Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diane Wynne Jones
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Waiting for Normal by Leslie Conner
The Island of the Blessed by Nancy Farmer
A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Straton Porter

Ages 16-18
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
The Gifted Kids's Survival Guide: A Teen Handbook by Judy Galbraith
Hercule Poirot series by Agatha Christy
Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
More Than A Test Score by Dr. Robert Schultz
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

Links to help families of gifted children

Parents' Books

Some of My Best Friends Are Books: A guide for parents of preschool through high school gifted children.

When Gifted Kids Don't have All the Answers

Online Resources for Parents

An extensive booklist for families from Duke University's TIP program website.

Dr. Katherine Bolman's Art and Architecture website with photographs and information to explore.

National Association for Gifted Children

Dr. Linda Silverman's resources on Gifted Development.

Article on the balance between structure of school and freedom of home – reading for points, leveled readers, etc. – by the way, be an advocate for your child.

Info on the Javits Grant and a way to contact your representative or senator about this important issue

Want to get gifted kids involved in an incredible, creative project involving people from all over the world? Check out The Dream Rocket.

A special offer just for you . . .
purchase any of Cathy Puett Miller's books (see below for availability), send a copy of your receipt/confirmation for that order to tla@readingisforeveryone.org , and you'll receive a free customized 10-title book list for your gifted child. Requests must be received by December 31, 2009 to qualify. Book purchases which qualify are:

Powerful Picture Books: 180 Ideas for Promoting Content Learning (an annotated list of over 180 picture books all that connect to content area (subject matter) learning. In eBook format, this title is an excellent resource for parents, librarians and teachers. Available through Inspiring Teachers.

Anytime Reading Readiness: Fun and Easy Family Activities That Prepare Your Child to Read
for parents of 2-5 year old children.

Before They Read: Teaching Language and Literacy Development through Conversations, Interactive Read Alouds and Listening Games - a must-have pick up resource for preschool and kindergarten teachers.

SPECIAL REQUEST:

What questions do you have about reading (and writing) and gifted children? Post them here or on MyGiftedGirl's forum and we'll be happy to respond to as many as we are able.

"What we teach children to love and desire will ALWAYS outweigh what we teach them to do." Jim Trelease, author of The Read Aloud Handbook

Supporting Families In the Search for Just Right Books and more

2009-10-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

This Thursday, October 29, join Cathy Puett Miller and her co-host Audrey Borden of My Gifted Girl, Inc. in a special collaborative FREE Webinar. We'll be discussing choosing the best books for your child (gifted or not)and promoting a love of reading. How important is that!

You can sign up for this FREE event at Audrey's FACEBOOK page. We have limited slots so we hope you'll join early. After the event, we'll be posting more resources on this page.

We can start an incredible wave of influence if you'll share a link to this blog or to Audrey's Facebook signup page with families (and educators) you know.

Don't forget to look for Cathy's new books out in November. These focus on the 3-6 year old and represent a unique collaborative opportunity to promote three big ideas (great conversations/oral language development, reading aloud with children, and playing with the sounds and patterns in our language) with both educators and families. You can preview and pre-order them at Maupin's website.

We are starting a revolution -- outside the ideas of those who know reading is important. This provides an opportunity for any family in America (or the world) to promote literacy learning with their child! Be a part of it!

Helping Independent Readers Think About What They Read

2009-10-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

I think this time we are on the "older reader" channel. Those of you with young children, read this too because you'll be here before you know it. I was reading a message from the President of the International Reading Association in Reading Today and was impressed with her comments about comprehension -- understanding what we read in more than just a "can I regurgitate simple facts" approach. She emphasized in her comments that it is most important that our children learn to think logically and deeply about what they read. Elizabeth Drew, an author who has written about Washington personalities in politics, says, "The true test of literature is, I suppose, whether we live more intently for the reading of it."

When was the last time your independent reader was moved by something he or she read? Certainly we don't need to be pressing "heavy-duty classics" on them all the time but reading text that makes us think is important. We need to exercise that "muscle" power in our brains to help our brains reach their potential. That's true for us as adults just as well as children.

How can you help your child learn to think about what he or she reads?

First, be interested. That may mean reading or re-reading the same novel they are in class and talking about it. I remember that when my son was reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, I re-read it myself. In turn, it made me want to read more written related to Harper Lee and Truman Capote (they were neighbors as children), especially since I had just seen a movie about Capote's life. I read his novel, In Cold Blood, for the first time and then Harper Lee's autobiography. All those three books together were a great study for me and I learned a lot about these authors and the period of time in which they wrote.

If you can't take time to read an entire novel, read a little at the first and ask your student to keep you up-to-date on what is going on with the story (a TV guide version, if you will, of each chapter). Don't make this a drill or lesson; just have a conversation about an interesting story.

When your student has trouble understanding assigned reading, there are two things you can do: first, read segments with him, stopping every couple of paragraphs or so to talk about the meaning behind the words (that's helpful sometimes with the antiquated language of Shakespeare). Secondly, find other, easier reading materials that help your student build some background knowledge for understanding the story. Sometimes there are simpler versions of Shakespeare's plays that use modern English. Reading it along with the original text can help. Both of these options mean that you have to make some commitment of time. Believe you me, it will be worth it for your student immediately (and it will be good for your brain too!). Beyond these immediate rewards, it will solidify your relationship with your child, something that is important to every parent. They see you investing time with them and it is meaningful.

Be a poser of questions - why is my favorite. If a simple statement is made, ask "why is that true?" or "why did that happen?" or "why did she do that"? Follow up with "would you have done the same?" Great readers are thinking, active, engaged individuals, experiencing the author's intent and drawing from it ideas that can appeal to, enhance and improve our own lives. Questions help us think about what we read.

And that's the true power behind reading, not what is on the page alone but what we take away from the page.

Words of Wisdom About Reading with Your Child

2009-10-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

In my travels in the reading world, I often have an opportunity to meet incredible people. Conversations with Mem Fox, Dr. Catherine Snow, John H. Ritter, Carmen Agra Deedy, and Aliki Brandenberg are at the top of my list. I have many more friends out there (just too many to name) but they are are devoted to one thing in common: helping families understand the power and magic of reading with your children.

I keep in touch and Aliki in the midst of her travels was kind enough to share the following words of wisdom with me for you. They apply whether you have a child who is 5 or 15.

Reading to Your Child

Dear Friends,

I hope you know the joys and benefits of reading to your child. My greatest pleasure was reading to my own two children, Jason and Alexa. We would pile on the bed an hour before bedtime with our chosen books, snuggle close, and spend as much of that precious time as possible in this magical state. When I sometimes hear “I’m too busy”, I wonder what is more important? The dishes?

The statistics are clear, and there for all to see. They tell us that Books=Literacy. To read is to absorb words, grammar, sentence structure, the comprehension of ideas, and insights into the world around us.

But beyond those many benefits is the soul. In the warmth from that nearness of reading a book together, we share any emotion the words and pictures inspire: joy, laughter, fear, sadness, excitement, awe. We share conversation, and communicate the wonder, questions, and understanding the story generates.

A love of reading is one of the most life-fulfilling habits children can develop - AND IT IS FREE! It is a precious gift for which they will one day thank you. Your reward will be to see your own children read to their own children. Believe me. Those who live this, know. Just as teachers often beget teachers, readers beget readers.

Happy reading together!

Aliki

Do you have wonderful mentors and inspirations you want to share? Can you be an inspiration to someone who doesn't read with their children? Absolutely, you can!

How Do I Find The Time To Read With My Young Child?

2009-10-04T17:36:00.000-07:00

Are you frustrated because you have great intentions but just can't seem to find time to read regularly with your child? You know it is important but it just seems to get squeezed out. You aren't alone.

Here are a few secrets to finding that time and making it rewarding for both you and your child:

1) think about the importance of reading with your children. It is when we reflect on where our time is going that we as adults most often get our priorities back on track. Reading aloud with children is the "single most important activity" to eventually build the skills necessary to be a good reader. It isn't worksheets; it isn't flashcards (who remembers favorites of those - do you?).

2) carve out time in 10-20 minute increments. Your schedule may not allow more or your child may need small doses so that he leaves with a pleasant taste in his mouth about the experience instead of a negative one because he was asked to sit still for too long.

If you don't read regularly with your child now, don't try to make it a daily thing right away. It's kind of like eating a healthier diet. Very few of us will completely change what we eat at one time. We work on it gradually, with goals, and slowly we change. That kind of change is more likely to become habit. Parents are the best ones to set this example, according to Johnny Appleseed.

If you read with your child, once or twice a week, add one day. Wherever you are, if you aren't reading every day with your children, bump it up a day.

3) recognize the reality that, with your schedule, you may not be able to have a story-time or reading time together every single night, especially during the weekedays with homework, extra activities, baths, dinner, etc. I'll share a secret with you. Research seems to indicate that families who read at least three times a week MINIMUM with their children have a greater impact than those that read less frequently. Am I telling you that so you will not try to read with them every day? No. But I am saying use that framework as a minimum goal. Look at #4 to see what to do on the days you legitimately can't find time.

4) When you cannot read with your child, read the world. While running errands in the car, there is always an opportunity to read. Our world is full of text - signs, billboards, maps, restaurant take-out menus, business banners or signs. At home there is junk mail, laundry labels on clothing, soccer schedules, notes and reminders on the refrigerator or calendar. Think about the grocery store and how much there is to read there (your list, labels and nutritional information, advertisements, etc.) Reading is Fundamental shares more ideas in their summer article but you can use these tips anytime to remind you . Show your child that reading is truly a tool for life.

These ideas ensure your child gets a daily dose of practice with reading but it fits into today's family schedules. The key is consistency.

5) Last, but not least: If your child is a beginning reader, that doesn't mean that your time together should always be your child practicing reading to you. There are two reasons to flip it around and read to him or her sometimes:

first, the books your child can read on his own with little or no help from you often contain "controlled vocabulary". That simply means that these books have been specifically written so that your child will mainly see words that she already knows. That's important for her practice so she becomes fluent (starts to put words into phrases and sentences rather than reading one word at a time). However, if you limit your child's reading to these controlled vocabulary (or leveled) books, you also limit his exposure to new vocabulary, which if that is all the diet of reading he has, can stunt his reading growth. Some of my favorite books about words (that will help you introduce your children to new words in a fun way are Maisey's Amazing Big Book of Words, Big, Bigger, Biggest, and any of Karma Wilson's picture books.

Secondly, if you are the one doing the reading, you can read books with higher levels of vocabulary (which will grow your child's listening vocabulary - the words she knows and understands when she hears them). That will connect later to his reading vocabulary (he'll recognize words more easily when he has them in his listening vocabulary already). Try sharing the chapter book, Charlotte's Web, a chapter or a partial chapter at a time. Give your child a crayon or pencil and a piece of paper and suggest that he draw a picture about the story since there are few pictures in this book.

You can also share books with more complex ideas and have great discussions over what is happening (or will happen) in the book. Even among picture books, there are many that are written beyond a beginning reading level such as Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words, The New Way Things Work, or The Librarian Who Measured the Earth. Reading these types of books with your child helps him/her with his understanding (comprehension). That can happen even before the child is a reader in the conventional sense. Don't fall into the trap of limiting what your child is exposed to or what you choose to read together. Let your child's interest be your guide.

Talk with your spouse, your best friend, your mom or dad about how you can find time in your busy day for reading with your child. Even a fellow co-worker may be struggling with the same challenges in this area as you. Reading together, sharing a book, can even be a stress-reliever for you and your child.

Please take a few minutes to share. Send a link to this blog along to a friend. Share with us in a comment how you make time for reading in your busy schedule in a comment on this blog. I'm sure others would benefit greatly from your additions to this post ( and I know I would love to hear from you!)

Literary versus Literacy

2009-09-28T07:25:00.001-07:00

Whether you have children in middle or high school, you know there is a lot of reading they have to do to be successful in school. Some of it can be complex and "high brow" literature, introductions to the literary world. Although that certainly has value, many kids today have trouble relating to that sort of reading and it may turn them away from the reading that will help them be successful, happy and productive in our world. I can't tell you how many parents have said to me: "My child loved to read as a small child but now he hates it. What happened?"

It could be that your child has lost an important support system when he moved from the "snuggle and cuddle" stage to being mostly an independent reader. He may have begun to think about reading as "all that school required reading" instead of as a tool for life.

Certainly you can't expect that 13 or 15 year old to want to sit with you and read like they did when they were small. But you can keep whetting his/her appetite for reading by exposing your young person to reading materials (books, magazines, Internet sites, how-to manuals, vacation brochures, etc.) that connect to his interests. Here are five tips on transitioning into supporting your teen's reading habits.

1) Make sure you have plenty of reading materials (from a variety of sources) in your home. You don't have to spend a lot of money. If you have Internet access, and a nearby library, much of your reading materials can come from those sources. Teen Ink is an Internet site where real kids are posting their own writing. It just might be the hook your child needs.

Share what you are reading with your young person and talk a little about what you are getting out of it. If you aren't reading something (it doesn't have to be a 300 page novel) and sharing your responses to that reading, you are missing a great chance to send the message "reading is important". Think back to all the things you've had to read today - here's my list from just this morning: emails, grocery ads, phone book, online ads for alternatives to our current telephone service, directions on weed killer, my favorite blogs, the local newspaper (and it's only 9:30AM). I just finished reading a fascinating novel (historical fiction) about the mother of Leonardo de Vinci entitled Senora da Vinci.

2) Respect your child and listen to his ideas. Those are the tips which tell you exactly what your child might be interested in reading about, on his own, away from school "stuff". They need an escape, an outlet just as we do. And books and reading can be a healthy option. For some teens, that is reading about kids their age in social situations, struggling with some of the same things they are; for others, the topic might be another part of the world or another time, space exploration, animals, or cooking. There are books about popular guys and girls, about kids struggling with divorce in their families, ADHD, making smart choices. Chris Crutcher's Anger Management and Laurie Halls Anderson's Fever 1793 are great examples. Magazine subscriptions that relate to his/her interests are also a great way to keep that fuel coming. Visit World Newspapers.com for a wide list to choose from.

3) Continue to give your teen books during the holidays and birthdays you celebrate. Don't choose the boxed set of classics (unless your child has voiced an interest in those). Think about a novel their favorite movie is based upon. What about a hiking manual for your area f that is an interest for your son or daughter? A book on young self-made business people (Conversations with Teen Entrepreneurs). Don't select the book you think they "should" read; pick one they will want to. It doesn't have to be the only gift, but make sure you include one.

4) Don't stress if sometimes your teen has so much reading to do for school that he/she doesn't seem to have as much time for "outside school" reading. There will be times when that takes priority. But know that, if you are protecting and encouraging your young person's love of learning, he or she will want to read(on a subject of their choice) or read more deeply on a subject just touched upon in a class.

5) Last but not least, help your teen see that reading is a tool for life. Everyday we use reading of some sort (even text messages or Facebook profiles) to connect with our world. Acknowledge those activities we don't usually think of as reading, talk about what you (or they) are taking away from those experiences with text and explicitly relate that sort of reading as an application of what they are studying in school.

Follow this blog and share it with families who have children first breath to twelfth-grade. We'll continue to alternate the postings between parents of young children and those who are parenting independent readers. They both need lots of support!

Visit Reading is for Everyone for even more resources for parents of all ages!

Where the Radio Shows Left Off

2009-09-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

We're breaking the pattern from alternating between the "snuggle and cuddle" stage and older, independent readers. I am visiting a couple of radio shows this week on reading, families and young children and there's just so much to share that we never have time to talk about everything. One is with my friend, Stacey Kannenberg, the Ready to Learn mom.

If you get to this blog tonight (9/22) or in the morning of 9/23, you may be able to listen in live at 11EST at The Get Ready to Learn Mom Radio Show. Otherwise you'll be able to find a podcast after the fact at this same website.

FAMILY FRIENDLY DEFINITIONS OF A FEW TERMS

COMPREHENSION - understanding what you read (and the real reason we read).

DECODING - refers to the various skills we use to decipher text into understandable words. It has more specifically been used to talk about the phonics approach of breaking apart words into different single sounds, then calling those sounds and blending them together to figure out a word. No all words can be decoded strictly in this way, only those that follow regular phonics rules.

DIBELS - a screening used by many schools to determine whether a child has competency in several key early literacy skills including at the beginning of Kindergarten alphabetic knowledge, an ability to attend to single sounds in words and break words apart into single sounds (orally, not by reading). This same screening later (up to 3rd grade usually) is used to evaluate fluency (whether a child sounds like they are talking when they read), comprehension, and decoding abilities.

FLUENCY - as readers move beyond calling out one word at a time and having to decode, sound by sound, most words, they begin to sound more like natural speech when they read aloud. Not only is the pace regular and smooth, but the reader adds expression and phrasing and recognizes most words in that given text easily.

GUIDED READING - in simplest terms, that is the time in class when children read text that is fairly easy for them to "decode", concentrating on understanding and being fluid in what they read (sounding like they are talking). Guided reading or leveled books have a limited number of words in them and the vocabulary is more "controlled".

HIGH FREQUENCY WORDS - these are words that appear most often in real reading text. Drs. Dolch and Frye created age level lists of these words, from the simplest in Kindergarten to higher levels in the upper grades and, if our children practice with reading that contains those (mostly sight words, see definition below) and maybe practice reading them off a list as well, our child will be able to automatically read those words with little mental effort. Knowing the high frequency words helps a child become a more fluent reader who understands more of what he/she reads.

LEVELED Readers - Books that have been carefully written to include a limited number of words (and words from a certain Dolch/Frye grade level list). Teachers carefully select these books for each child so that individual child has a chance to read something that contains lots of words they are already familiar with. If a child can easily read about 95% of the words in a book, they can put more mental power toward understanding what they read and less on recognizing and decoding words.

METACOGNITION - thinking about how you think

ORAL LANGUAGE - This is more than just speaking. It is the complex system that we humans use to relate sounds to meanings. It has three parts: the phonological (how we combine sounds in words to translate/transfer meaning in speech -- not reading, just speaking and listening); semantic (understanding that the smallest units of meaning, whether those be words, prefixes, or suffixes, can be joined together. We deal with semantics when we make single words plural for example) and syntactic (rules that enable us to combine those smallest units of meaning into sentences so meaning is communicated - in the beginning, humans use short syntactic phrases to communicate like "more cookie" which are later expanded as our abilities with language grow to "I would like another cookie, please.") Who knew speaking and listening was so complex. It is amazing that our children develop all this without direct instruction!

SIGHT WORDS - those are words that don't follow the phonics rules so we have to know them "by sight" as soon as we see them. Learning sight words takes seeing them over and over until you immediately recognize them. Think of the word "give". It breaks the rule that when you have two consonants and two vowels, the first vowel most of the time says its name (is a long sound) and the second vowel is silent/quiet. In the word "give" the first vowel is short and the second one silent.

If there are other terms that you need a translation for, add a comment and I'll edit this blog to include them.

Some of my favorite quotes for parents on reading:

If we do not give our children mostly positive reading experiences, they will not choose to be readers . . . Dr. Michael Pressley

If you are reading regularly -- every day -- to your children, taking a reading time of fifteen or twenty minutes, whenever it can occur, before bed or whatever, that shows a respect for books. It shows that you have a reverence for books. That's the only way to reallky get kids interested in reading. Show how interesting it is and how much fun it is. If you read, your child will follow your example, as the night follows the day . . . Bob Keeshan AKA Captain Kangaroo

What we teach our children to love and desire will always outweigh what we teach them to do . . . Jim Trelease, author of The Read Aloud Handbook.

FIVE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES ON THE WEB
FOR PARENTS READING WITH CHILDREN

Reading Rockets and Colorin' Colorado - sponsored by PBS
Just One More Book, a podcast about children's books we love
The Reading Tub, a source for great book reviews for parents
Planet Esme, a website full of great resources about reading with your children
Stories for Children Magazine, an ezine for children ages 3-12, with a great interview with Stacey, complete with stories and advice

News flash - I just saw that Jamie Lee Curtis (one of the few "celebrities" writing quality children's books) has a new book out in October called Jamie Lee Curtis's Books to Grow By Treasury. I can's wait to read it!

That's all for now. Stay tuned next time for answers to the question: My child is beyond the "snuggle and cuddle" stage - what do I do?

Remember, if you have questions or want to share what works in reading with your kids, feel free to add your gems of wisdom.

Delicious, Delightful Read Alouds

2009-09-21T02:47:00.000-07:00

Occasionally, I still long for the days when our son, Charlie, was small. He'd come from preschool, snuggle close beside me and we'd dive into a book. Now I get my "little kid fix" from preschoolers in centers where I consult and train teachers and families.

What made those times long ago so special? It is the fact that the reading experience was bigger than the book. It's no different today. There is a danger that, with all the focus on reading skills in school (which is important but not the whole picture), we as parents may forget to tap into the pure joy, suspense, delight and fun of reading aloud with our children.

When you do that, not only is it a relationship-building experience with your child, but it is a guaranteed stress reliever for you (and who doesn't need that in today's face-paced world). It's more positive than forcing your child to practice with the focus on correcting and directing. Besides, the message behind picture books can be meaningful to you, not just your child.

So remind yourself that these sweet days are passing, kick off your shoes, snuggle close, and dive into a book together. Here are a few of my favorites.

I have to squeeze in this tidbit: keep your eyes open for Jane Yolen's latest book due out in October, How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?.

For more tips on making reading with your child an incredible experience every time, visit The Diva Toolbox. For an extra dose of practice advice, a conversation between two passionate professionals and moms, tune in to Stacey Kannenberg's "Ready to Learn Mom" show at

11AM EST on 9/23.

Cathy and host, Stacey Kannenberg, will be discussing

Parents in the Literacy Loop: Why Families Are The Key To Children's Reading Abilities and Success.

If you can't tune in live tomorrow, there will be a podcast available after the fact that the same website. Be sure to listen!

Last gift today for you . . . take one idea you learn from this blog and share it with one other person (your spouse, your neighbor, the person you want to get to know in your child's class or play group, Grandma or Grandpa). It could start a revolution!

Picture Books Are For Everyone

2009-09-10T05:55:00.001-07:00

Has your child ever come home from school, frustrated because he or she feels lost in a class? We've probably all been there at one time or another. You feel for them but when you read the content with them or ask them questions, you just get a blank stare. Most often, the real reason behind that is that the student has no place to begin, no frame of reference to connect to. Educators call that foundational understanding, "background knowledge" or "schema". Without a place to start ("oh, I know this information already, so I can understand the new information better"), students may not be able to make sense of it.

Think of what would happen if you had never learned to read and you were suddenly given text. You wouldn't be able to understand, no matter how hard you tried. Or maybe you were thrown into the middle of an engineering project with no training in that area. It would be impossible to be successful or to learn more without a foundation. It's the same when it comes to understanding writing, historical events and times, science, math, music, art, most anything -- we all need a starting place.

To find that starting place, enter the world of today's picture books. They are more colorful than ever with exquisite art created by true talents such as Jerry Pinkney and Jan Brett. They sometimes contain complex ideas in a simple format (like Patricia McKissack's Goin' Someplace Special).

Want to find more treasures to help your children learn content-related facts and information? Visit my Amazon List to find more suggested titles on the subject of music (all the way from Native American and African roots to classical and jazz legends).

Because I recognize this is an issue and that parents want to help, I've created a new environmentally friendly resource to help you find even more fantastic subject-matter picture books (the new e-book is entitled Powerful Picture Books: 180 Ideas for Promoting Content Learning available at Inspiring Teachers. Powerful Picture Books will soon be featured at Cool Book of the Day where you can find a new cool book for you posted there every day.

One last resource: my friend, Vicki Cobb and a group of over 25 of her fellow nonfiction writers have started a new blog at I.N.K.. It highlights interesting Non-fiction for Kids and is a fantastic source for finding even more great non-fiction books for kids of all ages. Non-fiction is the heart of fact-finding and most reading beyond 3rd grade is content area or nonfiction reading. Whether you are looking for science books, books about famous people, language, painting or whatever, you're likely to find a sampling there.

With these tools, you have an easy way to support your child's learning. Find out what your student's subjects (outside of reading)will be this year. Tap into the world of picture books (fiction and non-fiction) to use as a fun, interactive way to help your child gain the basics. You'll help them gain a position where they can soar.

Even if you have a child who is doing well in school, search out a picture book or two that relates to a time in history or a subject that they may not study very much in school. Parents, after all, are first and forever teachers and the more your child knows, the better prepared he/she will be to succeed in school, on standardized tests and in life.

Happy Reading!

MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME-Readers 10+ Years Old

2009-08-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

Some families, in the midst of their whirlwind of life, never really got into the reading together habit when your children were young. It's so easy to become distracted and deal with what is most urgent rather than what might be more important. I often hear families say, "we just don't have time".

First of all, let me tell you -- it's not too late. Make a conscious decision that this is a forever gift you can give your child. If your child doesn't "love" reading, my first advice is never force a "sit down, you must read now" time. You can to enforce a regular homework schedule but put reading on a different page. Especially as our children grow into young adults, such pressure to read often simply backfires. So what do you do instead?

1) Start being a reading model yourself. Order a magazine subscription (usually only $15-25 for a whole year) that you both can enjoy. Check out a few books from the library or at the bookstore that you would like to read or revisit (and they don't have to be classics - think "what will I enjoy?" A mechanic's how-to, a cheater's manual for the latest video game, a cookbook, anything. Find out what books are on the reading list for your child's English class and determine that you'll read (or maybe) struggle through one just so you can relate to what your child is experiencing.

2) If your child says, "I hate reading", it may simply mean that she/he is embarrassed because reading skills are weak. Have a heart to heart, not about reading at first, just about what your child wants to do with his/her life. Share what you know about the importance of reading for that profession and offer to help your youngster get where he wants to be, do what he wants to do. Even professional ball players have to read large play books. Think of reading more as a tool for life than an academic exercise. Solicit help from your child's favorite teacher.

3) Involve your child in reading and writing activities that serve your family every day. Making out grocery lists, searching for coupons, reading labels when doing the family shopping -- all of that is literacy. Get your child involved in paying bills, doing laundry, and look for ways to incorporate a little reading and writing into those experiences. But make the reading the tool, not the focus.

As our readership of this grows (and I hope all of you will share this blog with at least one friend), I'd love to see you adding your own comments, suggestions, frustrations. Together we can help every child discover the power and privileges that come with reading, writing, listening, communicating and viewing.

Don't forget that TLA, Inc. specializes in helping families find time and motivation for reading and writing. Check out our website at www.readingisforeveryone.org for ideas for PTA/PTO meetings, community events, etc.

A New Year for Reading

2009-07-30T08:15:00.001-07:00

Families are busy this time of year, starting to think about getting the kids back to school, supplies, clothes, even a bit more peace and quiet. Put reading on your channel. I'm going to speak this week to those of you who have preschool children or children who start school this year. These early ages are most important for developing a love of reading (which is just as critical as getting the "skills" right). Also, setting regular times for sharing stories together helps build a "behavior" approach to reading. That's the greatest gift you can give your youngsters because it will lead them to be a life-long learner. No matter where their life's road takes them, reading and writing are essential tools.

As you move toward the routine of "school days", don't get too caught up in the academics of reading. Yes, children need to learn certain skills like decoding to become readers. However, if we don't give children mostly positive experiences with reading, they will come to the reading table reluctantly and only practice it when forced. Forcing, as Jim Trelease says, is rarely effective.

Get to know your child's teacher early in the year (preschool or K) and communicate with him or her about your child's development and their needs. Be their greatest cheerleader but don't have too perfect a view of where they are. That only builds barriers between home and school.

A few new titles I want to share with you:

The Trucktown Series by Jon Sciezska (a raucous, rambling series that's fun and fast). Jon is known as the National Ambassador for Young Children's literature

Think happy by Nancy Carleson - Nancy's books are always simple and fun. This one is no different and we all need to be thinking happy thoughts at the start of school.

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, winner of the 2009 Caldecott Metal for Children's Picture Books

A few closing words: find a friend who doesn't read with their child or is expecting a new baby. Plan some playdates in which your children can socialize, and play. When they've run to you, with flushed cheeks and ready to wind down, have a big comfortable quilt or chair and a cool drink, plus a new book to share. You just may become a Literacy Ambassador, to influence your friend in a way that will reward them and their child, strengthen their understanding of their own child and the relationship between the two of them. Great way to start the school year, don't you think?

Wiping Out Illiteracy - One Child At A Time

2009-07-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about something author, Mem Fox, said in her book, Reading Magic (If you haven't read it, EVERYONE needs to). She says that, if everyone whose live touches a child read three books a day with them, we would wipe out illiteracy in a generation and a half. There's a lot in those simple words.

Certainly, just the volume of exposure of reading is important. But it goes deeper. Dr. Michael Pressley, a reading researcher, says if we do not give children mostly positive experiences with books, they will not choose to be readers. Not only must be get in the "quota", but the experiences must be rich and rewarding. How do we do that? By making sure that:

1) we turn off distractions and give 100% of ourselves to our children when we read with them. After all, we are the commercial for reading.

2) we read, at least some of the time, things they want to read.

What about those children that don't have someone to read with them at home? Those children are the ones that don't benefit from the literacy-rich environment many of you reading promote. Someone - a tutor, a neighbor, a teacher, a librarian - has to make sure that a team of supporters works with that child to get the minimum of 3 a day in. If you have a lot of players on the team, and you count engaging read alouds, it's possible.

Why all this focus on reading? Without reading in this information-rich society, we fall short. We cannot comprehend the complexities the modern world throws at us and make thoughtful decisions. An inspirational fellow I met several years ago in Walker Co., AL (learning to read at the age of 73) said to me, "When I was coming up, you could get by. I certainly did and ended up running a $100,000 a year trucking company with a lot of help. Kids today can't do that. You let me talk to any of them and I'll tell them how important reading is."

I'd like to challenge those of you following and visiting this post to do two things: first, read regularly with your own child. Make it a priority this year and beyond. Secondly, find a child you can read to, maybe not every single day but frequently and build a team of supporters around that child. It can be done! Feel free to post updates on your "experiment" here.

Sharing A Few Good Books

2009-06-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

Whether your children are 5 or 15, summer is a great time to read. Less structure and "required" reading from school can leave time to investigate whatever it is that your child is interested in.

Try these:

Can You See What I See? Nature - Read and Seek Book (for early readers)

The Last Golddiggers by Harry Horse (a funny, down under adventure)

The Amazing Flight of Darius Frobisher, by Bill Harley (flying on a bicycle?)

Firefly Mountain by Patricia Thomas (I love the pictures; it reminds me of hunting fireflies in North Carolina when I was a child)

Rocket Man by Ruth Ashby - a biography about a key player in the space race.

The Desperado Who Stole Baseball by John H. Ritter (for upper elementary and middle school kids). I'm in the middle of this one myself and the story is terrific. Set in the wild west (with an unlikely subject matter of baseball - did you know they played baseball in the wild west?)

Gabriel's Horses by Alison Hart (the first in a Civil War trilogy for middle grade kids.

Pepperland by Mark Delaney - a tragic story with a soul that helps understand how to deal with grief and move on.

One for parents of young children,

Einstein Never Used Flash Cards by Drs. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta M. Golinkoff

and just for fun, Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild! by Mem Fox (ever feel that way?) This book is one of Mem's lesser known books but still delicious!

A NEW ADDITION TO THE POST: I have a new friend who is a member of the National Council of Teachers of English and mom of a son with LD (7th grade). She shared a ton of titles with me and I wanted to pass along a few for you (from lower to higher levels of readability):

King of Shadows by Susan Cooper (anything Susan writes is good)
Gym Candy by Carl Deuker (deals with steroids);
Tangerine by Edward Bloor (harder, and my son says that some kids didn't like it, but we both loved it)
The Wednesday Wars, Gary D. Schmidt (harder, absolutely fantastic)

For even more ideas, check out the summer reading lists below:

The International Reading Association's Reader's Choice Award books (chosen by kids!):http://www.reading.org/General/Default.aspx?page=/resources/tools/choices.html&mode=redirect

The Reading Tub's great book reviews - age specific (the reviews have the voices of the authentic readers who wrote them)

Til next week, happy reading! Stop by my website to read about how to help your children with their reading without creating an academic hothouse environment at home: http://www.readingisforeveryone.org/articles.html (scroll down to the Reading Tub to access this article).

Check Out Activities At Your Local Public Library

2009-06-16T06:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was in the tiny town of New Hope, AL and was privileged to see about 85 upper elementary school kids and their parents coming to the library! It was great! They were there as part of the summer reading program and they had dogs at the library!

If you haven't visited a library with your kids recently, you are in for a treat. There are still lots of wonderful books (I'll list a few in a minute) but there are also TONS of activities, morning, noon and night. This year's summer reading theme is "Be Creative @ Your Library". If you are looking for ideas on engaging your children in reading this summer, the librarians are also a great source.

While at the library, let your children see you checking out a book as well. Your example is so strong, even though you might not realize it. You send one of two messages: reading is important and will be a regular part of our lives OR it's not really that important anyway. Which do you want to send?

If your child isn't too excited (YET) about reading, find videos or CDs at the library for them to listen to. Look for themes or corresponding books to read before or after. Talk about the differences between what you saw in the movie and what was in the book. If you read the book first, ask your child to "make a movie in their heads". Teachers call that visualization and it's an important tool for understanding what you read. Try this:

1) Have your child close their eyes while you read a particularly descriptive section or paragraph.

2) Ask them to think about what the room or the scene might look like. What do they smell, hear, think, wonder?

3) If they have trouble with this, do it together. Think out loud and describe beyond the author's words. You'll find that your image and that of your child might be different. That's because each person has unique experiences and "background knowledge" that he or she brings to the "reading table". That colors what we get out of the text.

Keep practicing this. It will engage your child in the reading experience. They can even draw what the words tell them as they listen.

Now, the list I promised - great reads from the public library -- but instead of listing titles, I'm giving you links to my library's suggested reads and those across the country. Enjoy!

http://hpl.lib.al.us/read/ (pick a few for yourself at the top and then scroll down to see the children's books)

http://www.plcmc.org/Bookhive/ - from my home state of North Carolina

http://kids.nypl.org/ - from the New York Public Library

http://www.lapl.org/kidspath/ - LA Public Library

http://www.atyourlibrary.org/familylife - ideas for incorporating reading into family life from the American Library Association.

Until next time, happy reading!

Reading Beyond the Snuggle and Cuddle Stage

2009-06-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

Those of us who have older sons or daughters know that there is a transition, a growth in relationship after our children reach the stage where they don't want to cuddle close and feel "too old" to have stories read to them. A part of me misses that with my 19 year old.

But for parents of kids 3rd grade through high school. here are surefire tips to keep reading on the front burner:

1) Know your child's passion and make sure there is plenty of stuff (books, magazines, internet, anything) to read on that subject available in or around your home.

2) Understand that if your child says "I don't like to read" it is a signal that the reading animal within them needs some feeding. It can also be an admission (hidden in a defense mechanism) that they recognize they aren't very good at it. If your child is a good reader, then it's a flag to find that book that will turn him/her on. Pay attention to those signals.

3) Be an example. If your child never sees you using reading "as a tool for life", then why should he want to spend any time doing it? It must not be very important.

4) Get them hooked! Do whatever it takes (manuals for Nintendo games, fake fingernail "how to"s, sports or speciality magazines, the Internet) to keep your kids reading regularly. They need a dose every day outside of what they must read for attempt to read for school.

Resources to help keep your older kids reading:

http://www.Teenread.org

http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/2722 - Improving Older Kids Speed and Comprehension

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/guide-for-dads-reading-aloud-to-older-kids.html - great ideas for Dads (yes, Dads) reading aloud with older offspring

http://www.abffe.com/bbw-booklist-detailed.htm - Forbid your teen to do something and he/she is likely to want to. Reading "the forbidden" can give you and your child a unique opportunity to talk about choices and lifestyles. It's better than limiting them.

http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/hilobib.html - lower reading level books with high interest for older kids (from the Monroe County (IN) Public Library).

http://www.stonearchbooks.com/ - I've reviewed several of this publisher's books and find them all very engaging for good and struggling older readers.

http://www.plcmc.org/bookhive/ - one of the best public library sites for young and older kids in Charlotte, NC

http://www.thereadingtub.com - great book reviews for kids, has areas devoted to middle and upper elementary. My article "Guided Reading At Home (Part II is best for parents of older readers) is available at http://www.thereadingtub.com/pdfs/our_guided_reading_set.pdf.

Don't forget to check out these great books for kids aged 10 and older:

The Desperado Who Stole Baseball by John H. Ritter
Deadline by Chris Crutcher
Jefficoe Road - by Melina Marchetta
Three Cups of Tea by Gre Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Last ideas:

Pack books when you go to the beach, when you are traveling to the mountains, there is always down time. Substitute some TV time (not your child's favorite shows) with reading. One friend of mine had her kids "earn" TV or computer time by reading, but they could read ANYTHING they wanted. They had to show not only how many pages or minutes were read but give evidence that they did read (what was it about, details, what did you think, what did you learn, etc.) Great dinner conversation, especially if the parents have to follow the same rule!

Enjoy reading and discussing reading with your older children. It is guaranteed to keep you close! If you missed my interview with Allen Cardoza of Answers4theFamily.com (LATalkRadio.com), you can listen to the podcast by the same name as this post at http://latalkradio.com/Allen.php. Just scroll down in the archive until you find the June 8th show.

NEWS FLASH!

2009-05-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

This has been a big week so I'm doing two postings. This one relates to new resources for families and for educators and librarians.

1) Visit my new website: www.readingisforeveryone.org for the latest links to The Literacy Ambassador®'s many appearances on internet websites devoted to reading and writing and to parent involvement. You'll also find the latest in special event presentations as well as trainings for educators and for families, useful tips for anyone reading or writing with children and much, much more! Come visit us at the Home of the Literacy Ambassador®

2) My new e Book is out! You can learn about and purchase it at http://www.inspiringteachers.com/catalog/ebooks/index.html.

Powerful Picture Books: 180 Ideas for Promoting Content Learning gives teachers, librarians and/or families a fat list of picture books (one for each day of the school year or three for every day of the summer). With each book listing, you also get plenty of ideas on how to use the picture books to build background knowledge in an area new to students/children and to spark conversations about such important issues as the civil rights movement, music, art, biographies, etc. It has embedded links to Amazon so, if you don't have a book in your collection, you can easily order it. But the best part is that the e Book includes an interactive (bookmark) index. Click on subject area or age level and you immediately get a list of all the books that fit that criteria. Click on the book title in that index and it takes you right to the page that contains that book.

I worked hard to make this an easy-to-use tool. At least 34 of the 180 books relate to music and many more to the arts because I see that sometimes these subjects get "squeezed out" in busy school days. Feel free to share the link to this resource!

It's Summertime!

2009-05-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

School is out! Time for families to transition to the summer schedule. In the midst of all this change, don't forget that reading with kids in the summer is as important, if not more so, than reading with them during the school year. Why?

In the school year, your children are gaining daily exposure to reading at school so they are practicing there as well as at home with you. When summer comes, kids can lose reading skills, if they don't keep practicing.

Never make it a chore! The secret to reading with your kids in the summer is to make it fun. Think outside the box! Read about your vacation destination or have your kids help research local "mini-vacation" spots right in your backyard. Check out new releases like John H. Ritter's The Desperado Who Saved Baseball for your 5-7th graders, Jon Scieszka's new picture books on trucks for the little ones, Judy Blundell's What I Saw and How I Lied (don't be put off by the title - it's a great opportunity to talk with your young adult about truth and consequences). ALA (the American Library Association) has great suggestions for reading lists: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/09bbya.cfm, http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal.cfm, and http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/540000654/post/1530039953.html.

Set up special "quiet reading spots" around your home. A bathtub full of pillows, a quilt in the backyard, a hammock in the shade and keep plenty of magazines, graphic novels, books in print and e Books, a laptop computer handy. Don't forget to stash books or other reading material in the luggage, carry-ons (if you're flying), and in the pockets on the back of the car's front seat. If the stuff to read isn't there, the kids won't even have a chance to read.

Take a break yourself and find a quick read. The power of your example will have an impact on your children. Tell each other about what you are reading. Run to your kids with the latest copy of Sports Illustrated and talk about the NBA finals. Our world is full of opportunities for everyone to read.

Visit http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewArticle.asp?id=42250 to hear the voice of someone else who believes reading is important. Alvin Romer speaks from the heart and tells us how important reading must be in our information-dense society. Also read about Dr. Ben Carson's story at http://carsonscholars.org/.

Keep reading!

Networking with People Who Love Reading

2009-05-03T16:11:00.000-07:00

I love talking with all kinds of people that have an appreciation for reading as a tool for life and those who are interested in getting kids and families excited about reading, writing, listening and communicating! Today I just had to share my enthusiasm for an event sponsored in beautiful Minneapolis, MN by the International Reading Association (IRA) - their annual conference! I'm already there!

IRA is a place to me where all those interested in children's and family literacy can come together. I noticed in the program that tomorrow is actually considered a Special Teacher Professional Development AND Parent Day. What a great combination!

Why is that partnership so important?

Neither teachers nor parents can be as effective in influencing the children in their lives alone as they can be when they work as partners.

There are plenty of misunderstandings, mistrust and perhaps even potential hostility between families and educators but it doesn't have to be that way if both of you are focusing on the child AND recognize and celebrate each of the strengths you bring to the reading table.

Partnering over a common goal like building enthusiasm and interest in reading lowers so many of the barriers we inadventently put up between teacher and family.

Teachers: don't use that "eudcationese" when talking with families. Understand their family literacy and search for ways to connect that to the academic literacy you teach.

Parents: respect teachers for the things they know that you don't but ask that they give you meaningful ideas for promoting reading when the kids are out of school (without turning the home into an academic hothouse).

When more than one person is involved in promoting literacy with kids, they get the idea that "hey, maybe this is important".

How do you do it?

Teachers, focus on teaching the skills but never forget to let your students in on the secret of what reading is really all about (and adding motivation when you can).

Parents, focus on helping your child see reading and writing as tools for life. Integrate what you do and say about reading into everyday life (writing grocery lists, reading instructional manuals, sharing the reading you have to do with your children and asking for their help in understanding what you have to read if you need that, sharing the latest sports or celebrity article, etc.

I challenge everyone who reads this blog today to share it with one teacher and one family member who has a child who is reading (or getting ready to read). Together we can make a big difference, one child at a time, one book at a time, one experience, one conversation at a time.

Look for my new website, coming live in the next few days!

Enjoying Reading Without It Becoming A Chore

2009-04-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

In the past week, I have had so many families talk with me about "making sure their child" reads before the son or daughter goes to kindergarten. When I ask them "why", the response is usually "I want them to be ahead of everyone else". Again, I ask "why"?

Research from early childhood, pediatrics, psychology all agree that pushing children too soon can backfire. I strongly believe that if you are enjoying and exploring read alouds with your child, playing with the language (banana fana fo fana kind of stuff), and talking (not just at your child but with them), using lots of varied language, you child WILL read when he/she is physiologically and emotionally and mentally ready. My son who read early never had one phonics lesson, never did I flash card him, never did he have anything but the most delicious experiences with books being read to him. He simply started reading when he was ready.

PLEASE consider that with your child. If you press your child to read too soon, he/she is likely to lose any temporary benefit gained by the time 3rd grade is reached. If, instead, the child is given the opportunity to start reading at his or her "optimal time", it is likely that child will excel.

Dr. Michael Pressley once said, "If we give do not give children mostly positive experiences with reading, they will not choose to be readers." That is so true. Jim Trelease echoes that idea when he says, "What we teach children to love and desire will always outweigh what we teach them to do."

Have fun, relax, enjoy your child and his/her interaction with you and the book. Make it fun. Be silly, act out voices, compete with the TV and computer for your child's reading soul!

How Does Today's Busy Scheduling Affect Reading with Children?

2009-04-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

It's so hard today to find time to do anything but run from one activity to another. The days of snuggling together for long, slow, dreamy moments together is long gone. And yet the literacy demands of our children today are even greater than they were just a few years ago. What's a parent to do?

Make it a priority. Carve out time as part of your "get ready for bed" routine. If your children are too old for "read together time" (you'd be surprised how long they will cling to it if your choice of books is engaging enough), make sure they have at least 15-20 minutes of down time before they go to sleep. Don't forget that reading on the Internet is still reading for those who like to "surf" late at night. Texting with friends is OK but doesn't really add to the academic vocabulary environment we want them to spend some time in.

Know your child's passion. I say this all the time but it is so true. Match the perfect book to your child's interests (soccer, airplanes, female role models, rock and roll, whatever). Help your child find reading materials that feed that passion. I remember that my son was fascinated with gorillas when he was young. I think we read every book about those creatures we could find.

When you can't read for 15-20 minutes, think about reading your environment (road signs, maps, menus, billboards). You'll be amazed at the conversations that come out of those readings. Ask them to read aloud to you an engaging book while you are driving to the baseball field, the doctor's office or on errands.

Don't forget to include at least one book (carefully selected to match your child) as a gift for holidays and birthdays.

It takes thousands of hours of practice for us to get good at anything. We must give our children a chance to get good at reading because, as Dr. Marilyn Adams says, "in our society, their life depends upon it." There is no better gift you can give your child than the time you spend reading together.

What's Up with the Literacy Ambassador®

2009-03-31T12:47:00.000-07:00

I'm starting this blog just as my new website is nearing completion. Today has been a wonderful day, talking with volunteers and early childhood experts about an initiative I'm working on for United Way. You never know where the Literacy Ambassador® will be going next but you can be sure she will be lighting the spark and fanning the flame of literacy at every turn.

Who is the Literacy Ambassador®? Visit my website at www.readingisforeveryone.org to find out! You can also get to know me by reading my tidbits, posted each week:

We've said "read with your child" so much that it has almost lost meaning. Those parents who already do so will continue to respond positively. What about those who don't know how to (but are embarrassed to admit it) or those who have never been read to in their lives?

Instead talk with those families about relationships with their children - that's meaningful to them.

Sitting down with a book and talking together about it (children birth through around age 8 or so) is a great way to start. Once a child is an "independent reader" or too old for the "snuggle and cuddle thing", it has to be about reading something meaningful to that child and that may be instructions on the latest video game, a soccer manual, IM from their friends.

Becoming a competent reader takes time and practice, an over and over again thing so the more we can get kids motivated to read ANYTHING, the better reader they are going to be. I love what Marilyn J. Adams, a reading expert says, "... in our society, their life will depend upon it [meaning reading].

A generation or so ago, reading at a lower level wasn't a big deal. Now, the literacy challenges are more complex, greater than even the adult population today experienced. Kids will be lost without those skills. We've got to make reading a tool for life!

READING WITH CHILDREN: IT'S NOT JUST BOOKS

2008-04-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

Sometimes parents get deadened to that prompt we hear so often, "READ WITH YOUR CHILD". In our busy lives, it's a bit difficult to do that and what difference does it make anyway? The answer is, especially in today's educational hothouses, an incredible difference. More than ever, children need to understand that reading isn't about test taking or how fast they can say the words. It's not just something you have to practice at school and forget about otherwise. The amount of interaction each person needs with text in order to become a competent reader varies but it definitely takes practice. Think about playing the piano or learning to ride a bike or playing soccer. All of that takes practice and daily practice routines lead to mastery. In today's word, our children don't just need to "kinda know how to read"; they need to be masters at it.

Whether you grew up yourself with someone reading to you or you don't have a clue about what to do, it's actually the perfect venue for connecting with your child. Sometimes, try it this way:

Start by finding out what your child's passion is (what does he or she LOVE, how does that person focus his/her time, if you ask, "if you could do anything, what would it be?", a passion is the answer).

Next, think about finding not only books but magazines, internet sites and blogs, letters from "experts" that address that passion. You're doing two things: first you are acknowledging that your child's interests are important to you. Secondly, you are tapping into his/her intrinsic motivation, the personal drive to know about a subject or a person or a place. Find those resources and SHARE. Read a little, talk about it, read a little more. Whether your child is 6 or 16, that works!

Sprinkle reading into everyday life and share with your child how you use reading. Think about it: we read in the grocery store, when we drive on errands, in our homes when we make decisions or figure out how to fix or hook up a new appliance or toy. One of the strongest messages we can send is that reading is a tool for life. It's not some artificial thing we do in school to see how many words we can say fast or whether we know how to decode with no errors. Reading is about squeezing the juice of meaning from whatever text we are exploring. Show your child how to do that!

THINKING, WONDERING AND PONDERING over every piece you read helps whether it's a newspaper article or editorial or a picture book. Leave plenty of time for interruptions and conversations. As you and your child interact, you'll both learn about each other and the topic at hand. You'll be surprised, you might even disagree but you are interacting and using oral language to connect to the written word.

The bottom line is that reading can happen anywhere. You don't have to set aside a long time to be quiet with a book with your child. That's certainly a great thing to do and we'll talk more about that later but you can also show your child everyday that reading is an everyday event, not just an academic exercise. And these everyday interactions with words will help pack in the number of practices your child needs at seeing and figuring out words and meaning in order to build competency. No matter what you are reading with your child, remember that main idea is meaning. Squeeze that juice!