Happy New Year!
Watching the new decade ring in around the world is amazing! The lights, the music, the crowds, the fireworks, it’s absolutely amazing! What will the new decade bring for the world? What will the new decade bring for…
10 Steps to Reading Success Progressive Parents Promoting Literacy?
The Lizzie B. Hayes adventures?
The Literacy Whisperer?
It’s time to take a look back, give thanks, and peek into what’s new.
2019 was a banner year for #literacy whisperer. From the launch of the newest book in the Lizzie B. Hayes series, to re-igniting 10 Steps to Reading Success, to re-charging tutoring services, to re-vitalizing my blog!
I am grateful for the journey. Your support has been phenomenal!
On the horizon…
Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey – Workshop in February 2020
When I was growing up in Newark, NJ, I was a part of an exciting Girl Scout troop. We met every Saturday at Hopewell Baptist Church in Newark, NJ. Dancing, earning badges, forming friendships, and having loads of fun was a part of every Saturday! The second book in my children’s book series, Lizzie B. Hayes and the Great Camp Caper, is based on many of my experiences. The book takes readers on a journey to Camp Chicktawanga. Lovable Lizzie B. Hayes is on another two-week journey to sleep-away camp with the Girl Scouts. She is faced with learning to taking care of herself, dealing with being homesick, and sharing her cabin with the camp bully. To make matters worse, Lizzie and Coco get lost in the woods while on an overnight hike!
10 Steps ….
Parents continue to ask me what they can do to get their child to love reading. One of my first answers is not really an answer. It’s really a question. “Does your child know that reading is important to you, personally?” Then, I point them to 10 Steps to Reading Success Progressive Parents Promoting Literacy. For more than 30 years, I have had the pleasure of working with hundreds of students and parents. The Steps have evolved to meet their needs.
Read, Read, Read! We can all agree that the more children read, their ability to comprehend improves. When children understand how things work, their capacity to think critically is strengthened. Most importantly, parents who model good reading habits create a path to success for their children.
Read to your child every day. Research still supports that when children read for at least 20 minutes at home every day, the possibilities for success are endless. For instance, a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found reading to children of any age sparks a number of regions in the left part of the brain. Regions that involve understanding the meaning of words and concepts tied to memory.
Build stamina. Like training to run a mile in under 8 minutes – or – working out with weights, building reading stamina requires regular practice to increase energy and concentration. As children become proficient at reading for extended periods of time, their vocabulary increase and they are able to successfully navigate challenging texts.
Maintain a print rich environment. A home full of books, magazines, labels, newspapers, access to digital print, is a home that supports the growth and development of language skills.
Visit the library/book store. Free books! That’s right, FREE. The local library is a place to expose your child to the world. Books on every topic under the sun may be borrowed, and the cost? You guessed it! Free! Local and large-scale brick and mortar book stores still permit readers to browse and read books.
Create support nurture safe literacy spaces. Book clubs, conversation, and snacks OH MY! When you have a child that loves to talk and loves to eat, try combining that love with books. Student book clubs can strengthen the 3 c’s communication skills, comprehension, and community.
Motivation/Interests- Discover your child’s interests, provide books and experiences on those topics. Motivate and challenge them to read a certain amount of pages per day. Help your child select grade appropriate books.
Monitor homework – Stay in the loop with your child’s assignments by checking back packs, visiting teacher digital bulletin boards and school websites.
Manage screen time – In this digital age, be careful to manage the time your child spends scrolling through the internet, playing video games, and texting.
Be involved/advocate – Connect with and share ideas with other parents, open and maintain communication with your child’s teachers and school administrators, attend school events and board of education meetings. If you homeschool your child, join parent groups.
For more information about how to book an engaging 10 Steps workshop, the Lizzie B. Hayes series, author visits, and how my literacy tutoring services can help your child become a competent confident reader, please contact me. I would love to hear from you! Until next time, I wish you….
Love
Laughter
Literacy