How Reading books to your child can be fun for the both of you!

December 23, 2010 by Leave a Comment

In todays tough economy, it can be hard for a working parent to find time to even tuck their children into bed, let alone find the time to read to them. More and more parents are finding it neccesary to go back to work, leaving them little time with their children.

However, setting aside at least ten minuets a day to read to your child can bring not only the two of you closer, it can provide a relaxing diversion from the stress of everyday life. Take into mind these steps, and then you’ll be ready for quality time with your special little one.
1) set aside at least 10-15 minuets every day for “quality time with your children”
Even just knowing that their parent is willing to make time for them helps children feel special and less likely to be so tempramental.

2)Choose a special spot to read with your child, almost like a “reading hideaway” for just you and your child(ren) to enjoy. Suggest putting fluffy pillows in a corner, or offer to make a tent out of kitchen chairs and blankets.
Having a special enviroment to read in offers a sense of excitement for the child(ren) and adds to the feelings of being that much more special.

3)Have your child(ren) help you pick out a book to read together.
Not only does this add to your child feeling important, it also helps them find a book that is well within their reading capabilities, and isn’t too difficult for them to understand, or to enjoy.

4)For older children, or those learning to read, offer to take turns reading a few pages at a time.
This helps them expand their reading and vocabulary skills, and is a fun way for them to show off just what they can do.

5) Enjoy!
Listening to your child read offers you not only quality time together, but also gives you a fun way to de-stress while enjoying a good story in the company of your child(ren)

Filed Under: Book Collections, Books In The News, Reading Tagged With: , , , , ,

Classic Picture books to enjoy with your Children

December 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment

With new books for adults and children being published all the time, it can be a difficult task to find a good picture book to enjoy with your young ones. We all remember favorite picture books from our own childhood, but finding just the right book to spark your child’s interest can be hard. What makes a picture book a “Classic?” Many people today would agree that a good plot, strong illustrations and a fun character to identify with makes a classic picture book.

Some of the best illustrated and most loved Children’s picture books are stories like,”Chica,Chica, Boom Boom”by John Archambault and Bill Martin, Jr. and illustrated by Lois Ehlert. Brightly colored cut outs and fun wording tell a story about the alphabet letters climbing trees and is good for children practicing their letters, or just learning their alphabet.

“Goodnight Moon” By Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd is a well loved classic from the 1940′s about a bunny telling his bedroom and his possessions goodnight.Another well known picture book is “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie” Written by Laura Numeroff and is illustrated by Felicia Bond. A silly story about the consequences of giving a mouse a cookie is beautifully illustrated and a select favorite of many.
“Where The Wild Things Are” written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak was recently turned into a big screen hit. Published in 1963 and put into paperback in 1984, it tells the story of little boy Max, who goes to bed with no supper and dreams of a land filled with wild beasts and monsters,how Max conquers the beasts,and wakes snug and safe in his bed.

These books have been around for years, and are all strong stories with wonderful illustrations and are considered by many to be “Classics”. Introduce your child to the wonder of reading with these well loved stories, and find yourself enjoying them just as much!

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How to make reading fun for your dyslexic child.

December 20, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Learning to read can be a daunting task for anyone, especially for a child who may struggle with dislexia. As parents, you want to ease their way, and make things fun for them so they can enjoy and learn at the same time. Almost 20% of today’s population are dyslexic. Signs of your child being dyslexic are: Difficulting spelling, Confusion between telling apart left and right,Writing letters and numbers backwards,difficulting with math sequences,family history of a reading problem. Dyslexic children may feel angry or sad over how difficult reading comes to them compared to children who are non-dyslexic.Reading to dyslexic children at first may seem like a chore. They may throw fits or show little intrest in reading or learning to read. Take a deep breath, and don’t fret. ways to make reading more fun for your dyslexic child are:

1)Accentuate the possitive. Praise is important for everyone, and even more so for a child with dyslexia. You need to let them know that every small step twoards progress is worth the hard work and that you are proud of them.
2) Be understanding. Dyslexia is difficult for everyone who suffers from it, and you cannot expect them to jump in with both feet right from the start. Be pateient, and start slow, maybe 5 minuets at a time, with practicing, and reward them after each attempt.
3)Communicate with them. Talk to your child about what they think is hardest about reading, and encourage them to tell you exactly what their feeling and how their feeling that day. They will feel more open with you, and more willing to work.
4) Make a goal together. Set a goal with your child, how many books do they think they can read? Make a poster together, and at the end of each day, have them mark down how many sentences they read at first, and progress to how many books. Reward them after they reach their goal.

Filed Under: Book Collections, Books In The News, Reading Tagged With: , , , ,

Encouraging your children to read vs them watching the movie.

December 19, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Cover of "BFG"
Cover of BFG

Today, many books and stories have been rewritten into movie scripts and splashed across the big screen. Encouraging your child to read the original story vs watching the movie can be a difficult task. But Reading not only expands your child’s vocabulary, a lot of the original stories are much better and richer for the imagination than their movie counterparts.

Some of the books that have been turned into movies are, “The BFG” by Roald Dahl was turned into a movie in 1989, “Black Beauty” by Anna Sewell was put into the movies in 1946,1971 and 1994.”Bridge to Terabithia” By Katherine Paterson appeared on the big screen in 1985, and 2007. “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White was in the movies in 1973,and 2006. and a sequal “Charlotte’s Web 2:Wilbur’s great adventure” was also on screen in 2003. One of the most popular children’s books turned into a movie series is the “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling.

While there are benefits to watching the movie counterparts on the big screen, such as actually seeing what your child could only imagine previously, Hollywood edits allot out of script. They have only so much of a time slot to fill, and only so much money to produce the movie. So cuts and edits are made, removing a part of the script that may have been an important filler in the story.
Sometimes, scriptwriters edit out entire chapters and scene’s completely out, because they do not think it’s necessarily important to the plot, or they do not like the way the author ended that particular book. Sequels are also made, even though the book may not have a sequel.

Children may be disappointed when they go to watch the movie, and see several factors of their favorite books edited out of the script. Often times, Children will insist that the book isn’t the same as the movie, and will want the richness of text, and exploring their imaginations.

Filed Under: Book Collections, Books In The News, Children Series, Reading Tagged With: , , ,
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