Reading With Your Kids

One sociologist, looking over 8,000 years of human history, writes that the measure of wealth is the ability to own a book and be able to read it. Literacy is the ultimate luxury. And yet, in that regard, our country is becoming poorer and poorer.

Instill a love of reading into your children by reading books with them and discussing them as you go along. This could include novels they’re reading in school or supplementary reading. Make your children truly rich in spirit – read with them!

Warmly,

Mark Brandenburg

Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
mark@eqnow.org
www.markbrandenburg.com
www.eqnow.org
Phone (+1) 651-766-9976
"Helping Men Succeed"

Use writing for 'righting'

Are your kids at an age where they can read and write complete sentences? Rather than just giving them time-out when they misbehave, why not have them put together an essay on what they did wrong and how they will abstain from it in the future?

Writing a paper not only will force your kids to think about their indiscretion, but will enhance their literary skill as well. You may even ask them to do a little research to boot. Make sure the essay is done to the best of their ability. And let them know they are forgiven and loved.

For a free article on how to have your kids write an essay, click here.

Posted with permission from www.allprodad.com

Survey finds that moms are more likely to read to their kids than dads - let's change that!

A survey commissioned by The Pearson Foundation and Penguin Group, shows a disparity in how much fathers read to their children daily compared to mothers. The survey found that moms (65%) are 1.4 times more likely than dads (47%) to read to their children every day. Interestingly, 12% of dads aged 18-34 read to their kids daily compared to 52% of dads between ages 35-54.

Of course we all know that us dads care about reading to our kids (79% of dads know that reading will help their kids succeed in school). So what's happening - why are dads less likely to read to kids? Perhaps it's to do with care arrangements or ability to spend time with children at the time when reading is a feasible activity.

Read books for free

As we all know, reading books to our children is one of the best ways we can spend time with them. Children love to be read to, it fuels their imagination and helps them develop language and comprehension skills. And of course it's lots of fun! What with all the reading kids books to your children you may feel like you are missing out. Or perhaps you've spent your entire book budget on children's books ... well there is a way to read books for free. We've just come across a site that offers free books and even better free book for dads: libertary.com. Check out "Best Things Fathers Do", or you may find other books on there that you like. It's all free. Cool.

Enjoy,

Stef

Things my daughter teaches me every day

Looking back over the last few months I think as parents we stop and forget that – whilst we are trying to teach our children how to be good little people and install good morals into them, they are actually teaching us something!

If I think back to all the things that Pyper has taught me I am eternally grateful to her for the following:

• She has taught me how to love her unconditionally no matter what happens
• She has taught me how to laugh at myself – as she laughs at me no matter how stupid I look!!
• She has taught me not to stress on the little things – clothes will get dirty again tomorrow, and the next day!!
• She has taught me that I need to have a plan and be organised otherwise “I’m not eating any old tea you dish up”!
• She has taught me that you can have a smile on your face all the time and run around aimlessly

Tips from dads: Whole Language approach to reading

While I was getting my degree in Music Education one of the classes I took was titled "Reading - A whole language approach". I had never heard of the "Whole Language" concept before, but throughout the 3 months of the class the method seemed to have merit and provided a more creative and fun approach to learning to read compared to the way I had learned to read which was a phonics based approach.

Whole language learning stresses the flow and meaning of the text, emphasizing reading for meaning and using language in ways that relate to the child's own life, cultures, and interests. Whole language classrooms tend to teach the process of reading, while the final product becomes secondary. The "sounding out" of words so central to phonics is not used in whole language learning. Instead, children are encouraged to decode each word through its larger context.

Story time with Zoë - Volume 4

It's been a few weeks, so I thought I would revive a fledgling feature on my blog, Story Time with Zoë. It's not that we haven't been reading much lately. Quite the contrary. Zoë has moved on to some very interesting chapter books and has thoroughly enjoyed the adventures she is able to take in her mind with these new gems. Even Zane is stepping up his game. He just doesn't realize that maybe he's not supposed to be reading as well as he is and although he will struggle with new words and how to pronounce them, he has yet to become frustrated in any endeavor. His latest undertaking is the Book the First Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events. Although he needs help with many of the words he has yet to indicate frustration and plows ahead.

Story time with Zoë - Volume 3

I remember the first time Zoë read Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman on her own. It seemed to take an eternity, each turn of the page leaving her stumbling over and phonetically attempting to sound out words. I would start a word giving her the sounds and she would finish it. We repeated the process page after page my frustration level rising though not in proportion to her excitement level as the end of the book neared. "Look how much I've read, Daddy," she would exclaim after every couple of pages. She refused every offer and attempt of mine to take over the reading and let her just listen to the story. She was on a mission. By the time she had finished I was completely spent. She was totally stoked. "How many pages was that? Did you see me? Daddy, look. I just read this whole book!" Pride transformed my weariness and my frustration dissipated.

All Pro Dad - #8 Read to your Children

Welcome to All Pro Dad's 10 Ways to be a Better Dad online courses.
Continuing with number Eight:

"Read to your Children"

Click on above link to view a video clip that, once viewed, will provide you a basic outline on how to be a better father.

Thanks for participating and please share your success stories with us as you put these 10 Ways to be a Better Dad principles to work in your family.

Keyword: "Future"

Read a book
Read a magazine
Read from the internet

Posted with permission from www.allprodad.com

Story Time with Zoë - Volume 2

Last week's initial offering of Story Time with Zoë was a resounding success. Dr. Seuss is an all-time favorite of mine and Green Eggs and Ham still ranks as one of my top choices. All of my kids seem to like his works and I find that the rhyming and meter of his stories lends itself to not only an engaging active listen but also encouraging early reading. It helps that the stories are fun, timeless and bring to mind some of my most fond childhood memories. We could read a Seuss book every day and scarcely grow tired of the story. It is pure joy to be able to pass that on to my children.

This week's story also reminds me of my youth, of times when what was going on in the world around me didn't matter because there was a little place nothing short of utopia deep within the heart of the city. A place where I could lose myself and become a part of someone else's wonderful world learning to read, count and bang a drum like an animal. Wait, animal was a Muppet. Anyway, I'm talking about Sesame Street. Good times!