10 Bite-Size Ideas for Helping Through Reading

1. Ask your child’s teacher if, during Teacher Appreciation Week, your child and his or her classmates can do one 30-minute to 1-hour long service project for the teacher, whether it be cleaning the classroom windows and desktops, organizing files, or taking out the recycling bin. It is often through bits of service, done as a team, that the kids better understand their teachers and the work they do. Consider reading to the class as they work, or hiding large word strips around the classroom for the kids to find by cleaning/organizing and can put together to read a rewarding message.
2. Contact your schools’ PTA representative and volunteer to help out for an hour or two on Field Day.
3. Find out when and where the next Taste of the Nation Culinary Event is taking place (they take place all over the country), and attend one, making sure to read the menu.
4. Go to Scholastic or Amazon right now, and let each of your kids choose two new books that they’d like to read. Choice is often a strong motivating factor in getting kids to read.
5. Visit your local library with your kids, or if you don’t like your local library, find out if there is a better one from which you can purchase a library card. Consider spicing your families’ visit up by thinking of several book titles beforehand that they can locate, and then solve a puzzle by rearranging the words of the titles or find a few words in each book to put together and make a fun message.
6. Read these tips on how to monitor your teen’s online activities.
7. “Like” your favorite author’s Facebook page.
8. Tweet or write a blog or Facebook post about how reading or literacy has blessed your life.
9. Donate $10 through DonorsChoose.org to help purchase some Sammy Keyes books for Ms. Chamberlain’s fifth-grade Florida classroom, to help them get up to grade-level reading skills.
10. Have every member of your family write up a “job description” listing what they have to do every day. Your tween’s list might have items like: “getting dressed for school on time,” “making my bed,” and “getting my homework done.” Your three-year-old’s might list “going pee on the potty,” and “putting on my shoes.” This is their opportunity to list as much as they want, in either pictures or words. Write up one of your own for yourself if you want to. Then, around the dinner table, have everyone swap and read each other’s lists.

How Will You Give to Others This Week?

• Have you ever done any of these things? How did it go?
• What other acts of service have inspired you?
• How have others given to you this week and what difference has that made in your life?

How Else Can You Make a Difference This Season?

• Commit to do one act of kindness/service based on the week’s challenge.
• Leave a comment with ideas relating to the week’s challenge as well as your experience(s) performing it.

Unfortunately, not knowing your neighbors is common in today’s world. We have kids to run and dinners to make and calendars to fill. Neighbors, shneighbors. Who has time?

Three years ago, a Wisconsin man came up with a great idea: he would build a library. No, not a brick-and-mortar and staffed with employees type of library, but a Little Free Library. Todd Bol’s Little Free Library was a handmade, waterproof box he filled with books, and then placed in his front yard. Todd’s idea was to honor his mother, a former teacher and to encourage his neighbors to take a book and then return a book.

The idea caught on. Big time. Neighbors came filing out of their homes and soon, Todd’s neighbors weren’t the only ones noticing the Little Free Library. In fact, today, there are Little Free Libraries in 40 states and 20 countries. Little Free Libraries can be found in front of homes, offices and even perched at bus stops.

In addition to promoting literacy, these Little Free Libraries build community. People are talking and not just about books, but about life.

Here’s the fun thing about the Free Little Library: you can take part.

On Todd’s website, he gives plans and tips for building your own library or if creating a library isn’t your thing, you can even buy a ready-made library. Don’t have the cash to build or buy? Todd doesn’t want that to be an issue. There are underwriters and Give It Forward team members who will assist with decreasing the financial burden.

So, what are you waiting for? Little Free Libraries are a great way for you to learn the name of the lady with two dogs who always works in her yard, and perfect time to move beyond the smile and wave mentality.

Click here for a video clip about Free Little Libraries.

How do you actively engage your neighbors?

Featured image courtesy of Flickr.

Can one beyond blessed family move from addicted to themselves to devoted to others? The author of this post shares honestly at Amy L. Sullivan about her family’s attempt to become less me, me, me focused and more others centered. Amy writes for print and online publications and is also writing a nonfiction book about serving others.

Suzanne Collins says the inspiration to write The Hunger Games came to her while channel surfing.  She came across one channel with people competing in a reality show, then another channel was footage of the invasion of Iraq.  She says that the two “began to blur in this very unsettling way” and the idea for the book was formed.  Collins said that the Greek myth of Theseus served as the foundation for the story and she feels Katniss, the main character, is a sort of futuristic Theseus. Naturally, Roman gladiatorial games also contributed to the story’s concept.

But wait! I am getting ahead of myself if you aren’t one of the millions who have read the story.  The Hunger Games was originally published on September 14, 2008, by Scholastic.  Collins wrote it in the first person which draws you into the emotional journey that the main character, sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, takes.

I think part of the appeal of this story is that it is set in a post-apocalyptic world.  This trend of post-apocalyptic worlds continues and can be seen in popular T.V. shows such as The Walking Dead and the movie Take Shelter.

Katniss lives in the country of Panem where the countries of North America once existed.  The Capitol is a highly advanced metropolitan area and holds complete power and control over the rest of the nation.  The Hunger Games are an annual televised event where each of the 12 districts of Panem has to send in one boy and one girl, ages 12 to 18, to compete in a battle to the death with one remaining winner.  The first time you get really emotionally attached to Katniss and her community is when the names are randomly selected in a lottery.

Collins does a wonderful job of drawing you into their world and feel their tension and fear when the names are drawn to fight in The Hunger Games.  This type of page-turning tension is felt throughout the entire story, making it a tough book to put down!  Apparently it has struck a nerve worldwide because The Hunger Games has been translated into 26 different languages since its initial release back in 2008.

The Hunger Games is the first novel in The Hunger Games trilogy and is followed by Catching Fire, published in September 2009, and Mockingjay, published in August 2010.  The Hunger Games movie is coming out March 23, and was written and produced by Collins and directed by Gary Ross.

I highly recommend this page-turning YA novel to anyone who enjoys a good story.  I am very curious to see if they are able to recreate the tension and fear you feel for the characters on the big screen.  Guess we will find out in a few weeks!  Happy reading and movie viewing!

What books do you and your kid like to read together?

Melissa Northway, M.S. Human Nutrition, is a wife and mom to a fiesty redhead who inspired her to write children’s picture books and apps.  Her first storybook app Penelope the Purple Pirate has gone on to be a Top 25 iTunes Book App and chosen as a Top 10 Educational iPad App by Digital Storytime.  You can reach her at mcube@sbcglobal.net and www.melissanorthway.com.  Make sure to stop by Penelope the Purple Pirate’s Facebook Page as she loves to hand out pirate booty!

How to Celebrate Dr. Seuss’ Birthday with Your Kids

Here are four fun ways to throw a Dr. Seuss’ birthday party with your kids:

Watch a Cat in the Hat Marathon

PBS stations nationwide will feature a two-hour marathon of “The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That.” Check here for your local listings. It will feature new episodes about the seasons and problem-solving. My three-year-old and I had the opportunity to preview the marathon, and it doesn’t disappoint. (I was so excited to figure out that the voice of The Cat is Martin Short!)

Have a Family Read-a-thon

On the evening of March 2nd, participate in the national “Read Across America,” sponsored by the National Education Association. Help your kids pick a special spot on the floor of the family room and plop down a bunch of pillows. Provide lots of books, “brainfood,” popcorn, or treats. Challenge them to read for as long as possible, maybe giving prizes for the most pages read. Make sure to log everyone’s minutes.

Have a Seuss party!

There is no shortage of ideas online for decorations and refreshments for a Dr. Seuss themed birthday party for your own kids’ birthdays, but they can easily be adapted to celebrate Dr. Seuss himself. Here are a few posts about games, crafts, and refreshments. We’re going to make birthday cards to Dr. Seuss, thanking him for all of his books.

Display and Discuss a Dr. Seuss Quote

Print or make something that displays one of his great quotes, then read it and talk about it over dinner. For instance, Dr. Seuss once said: “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is you-er than you!” I love that! Pinterest is plastered with tons of creative ways to present that.

What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book?

Photos courtesy of PBS and Pinterest. Feature photo courtesy of Flickr.

10 Ways To Say I Love You

Here are a few fresh ideas for showing your love this Valentine’s Day:

1.) Buy them a new coffee cup and coffee goodies such as a seasonal type of coffee, fancy syrups, and flavored biscotti. Every morning will be extra special and they can think about you with every sip. You can even take your gift giving one step further and purchase a coffee cup with a warmer for an extra special touch. Switch out the coffee goodies for tea if they aren’t into java.

2.) Make them homemade cookies instead of buying candy or sweets. No time for homemade? Buy pre-made dough at the store and bake them yourself. They will be just as tasty and enjoyable as homemade!

3.) Set up a date for a cooking class with your loved one. Better yet, try out a new recipe with your spouse at home and prepare it together. If cooking a full meal with your loved one isn’t an option, try a quick breakfast like these Saturday Morning German Pancakes.

4.) Clean the house, do laundry, and any other tedious household task that could give your loved one a boost for the day or week.

5.) Purchase a photo session gift certificate. Photos of your kids, family members, and loved ones are a timeless work of art that can be treasured for a lifetime and beyond. Many photographers offer gift certificates and seasonal specials for sessions.

6.) Buy a favorite book or magazine. Don’t know which one to buy? Get a gift card and stick it in a new pair of house shoes.

7.) Surprise your love with new pajamas. This could be added to number seven for a super Valentine’s Day gift.

8.) Have their car washed and detailed, or save a few bucks and do it yourself.

9.) Write them a love letter. With everything including books digitized now days, the handwritten letter has become more and more scarce. Taking time to pen a letter expressing your deepest love and why you are grateful for that love will send your loved one over the moon with appreciation and gratitude.

10.) Make homemade Valentine cards and/or decorations with your kids. Grab crayons, paints, pencils, and paper and let your kids create their own Valentine’s Day masterpieces for loved ones. Download a copy of this Love printable by clicking here.

 What are some creative ways you can say, “I love You”?

Tiffany is a mamma, photographer, blogger and writer. She has worked in the publishing industry and as a high school art and English teacher. She’s currently working on a Master’s degree in English in between playing Hot Wheels and craft time with her toddler son. Her blog Easie Peasie features crafts, photography tips and ideas, recipes and anything she likes, adores or finds interesting or inspiring.

Mom It Forward Online Book Club

With all of this reading going on, I’m surprised that it’s taken 2 1/2 years to start a Mom It Forward Book Club, but the good news is that the first one will take place tomorrow in the Mom It Forward Forum. Here’s the Skinny:

• Topic: Improving Your Relationships
• Book: The 5 Love Languages by Gary
• Time: 9 a.m. (8 CT, 7 MT, 6 PT a.m.) to 6 p.m ET (5 CT, 4 MT, 3 PT p.m.)—one question will be fired off each hour. Come any time throughout the day and chit chat about the book.
• Place: Mom It Forward Forum: http://momitforward.com/forums in the Book Club thread.
• Moderator: Angie Lee of Seven Clown Circus.
• Requirements: Nada! You don’t even have to have read the book.

Photo used with permission from Shutterhacks.

The story, written by Seumas MacManus, came from Vol. I of The New Junior Classics and kept me spellbound time and time, and time again as my mother read it to me.

Now that I’m a mother, I’ve found that although my children don’t necessarily love the same books I loved as a child, they are drawn to the same basic elements.

3 Tips to Teaching Kids to Love Reading

1. Repetition. From toddlers to tween, repetition is an element that stands the test of time. Beginning stories like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? eventually make way for more complex stories that can be enjoyed again, and again. Like the Harry Potter Series for my tween, or Little Women for me.
   X
2. Scheduled Time for Reading. For me, there is nothing quite like watching my children stop wiggling, talking, jumping and moving in order to be read to aloud, to do the reading aloud or just spend some quiet time reading silently something that captivates them.
   X
3. Variety. They love it when I substitute silly words for the real words or read with extra gusto. In return they mix things up for me, which is always an adventure.

I’ve been trying hour upon joyful hour to make the sort of memories for my children that my mother made with me. I’ve also been attempting to make my children bookworms.

Just like me.

I think it’s working.

And I couldn’t be happier.

Thanks to Kabongo for bringing reading games to 4-7 year olds and for sponsoring this post.

Angie is a word loving, sunshine hoarding, book devouring, organizationally devout mama to a lot. When she’s not juggling the tasks requisite of a mother of 5, you will probably find her trying to steal time for her not-so-guilty pleasure of reading and writing, or promoting literacy within her home, community and on-line. She originated and hosts the meme Wordful Wednesday and
shares her “Tales From Under the Big Top”, on her blog, Seven Clown Circus.

The push for parents to read to their children is increasing. Why? Is it really worth taking the time to read to your child? Is it really worth the effort of stopping their play or TV watching? Is it really worth repeatedly trying to keep your 4 year-old on the couch so he’ll listen? Yes! Study after study shows that reading is one of the best ways to increase a child’s attention span, improve parent-child relationships, and increase the odds of success in a child’s life (again, see Jim Trelease’s The Read-Aloud Handbook).

So how can you make reading to your child easier and funner? I suggest the following:

• Buy a Hallmark recordable book. This product enables parents to read to their children, even if they can’t be right there with them, due to work or deployment or other factors. It’s a recordable storybook. You record yourself reading the book, into the book, then lock in your recording, and when your child opens the book, your voice is played back, reading each page as it is turned. It’s available in five titles: Frosty the Snowman, The Night Before Christmas, The Very First Christmas, All the Ways I Love You, and My Little Princess. The instructions provided are clear, and the process of recording is intuitive and easy. Check out Hallmark.com for more information.

• Make home-made “flash-pages.” When my oldest was learning to read, I printed out simple pictures on 8 ½ x 11 white cardstock, with each letter of their three-letter word spread across the bottom of the page. I would cut the picture into 3 different puzzle pieces, each piece containing a letter. He would put the puzzle pieces together, and in so doing, would put the letters together. That was his first real reading. Later, we would tape the puzzle pieces together, and I would read a simple story with, say, a dog in it, if that was the picture/word, and every time I read the word “dog,” he would hold up the picture and laugh.

• Buy Jim Trelease’s The Read-Aloud Handbook (Penguin Books, 2001). This invaluable resource contains everything you need: lists of good titles, suggestions on how to get your husband to read to your child, and all sorts of data confirming the need to read to your child.

These are not techniques for teaching your child to read, that is the subject of many other posts, websites, books, and products.  These are a few suggestions to help you make reading to your child an enjoyable habit, one with which positive memories are associated and one that will help him or her for many years to come.

What tips do you have for reading aloud to your children?

Happily Ever After…

Encourage your child to write an alternate ending to a favorite story. Was she hoping for her favorite character to say something different? Does she have creative ideas for how a problem could have been solved? Perhaps she might add a humorous plot twist. Provide pencil and paper and be sure to be present for the reading of the new, final chapter!

Lights, Camera, Action!

When I overheard my daughters parroting popular television commercials while in the bathtub, it gave me the idea to have them come up with advertisements for their favorite books. I let each of them choose their favorite kid’s story and challenged them to come up with an original ad campaign to “sell” the book to their friends. They had a blast with the project and it was reassuring to see how well they were comprehending character and plot as they “sold” both to their mock audience! I daresay their commercials were more convincing than most of what I watch on TV!

Try This Jacket on for Size

When my younger daughter picked a library book with a torn cover, my first thought was, “Uh-oh…we’re going to get the blame for this when we try to return this book.” My second thought was far less paranoid and a whole lot more fun! I asked my four-year old if she might like to design her own book jacket. After looking at me, puzzled, and asking why I called the paper cover a “jacket,” she got the idea of what I was going for and set off to work. Using simple paper and markers, she created a colorful and creative depiction of her favorite scene in the book. She even shared it with the Librarian, who ended up using the idea during the weekly Children’s Story Time.

Even children who love to read can find their reading time at home gobbled up by school work, extra curricular activities, and time outside. All those things are crucial, but making sure our kids enjoy reading—reading for fun at home and not just at or for school— is a goal we, as parents, should work toward with them and can achieve.

Four Tips to Helping Your Kids Learn to Love Reading

Here are some tips and great fall books to get your kids reading for leisure this fall.

X
1. Get squishy with bedtime. I know bedtime is sacred in my house too but … by just adding 15 extra light on minutes a day with the rule that it must be spent reading will make a world of difference. If your child isn’t a reader yet you can still do this just cuddle up next to your child and read to them.

2. Get familiar with your public library. It’s free and it’s full of awesome books. Talk to your child about what sort of books they want to check out, help them find a stack ( not one or two… more like 5 or 10) and get excited about what they found. Repeat every 2-3 weeks. Also, sign up for email reminders for late books if you can, it saves us a lot of money!

3. Get them into a series. Books with sequels naturally offer a continuation of reading and you get a child excited about the next one.

4. Have a family book club. If your children are reading independently make deadlines, plan a family evening with treats and talk about the book. A quick internet search will usually produce book club questions. Make it fun.

Recommended Fall Books for Kids of All Ages

Baby and Toddler

Fall by Roger Priddy is a perfect book for your youngest readers. This board book will keep your little one’s hands busy exploring fall textures as you read, something many wiggly toddlers need.

Preschoolers

When Autumn Falls by Kelli Nidey is a stunning look at all the things that fall this time of year not just leaves from the trees.

Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington is such a great book for preschoolers. I can’t recomend it enough, especially this time of year!

School Age Series

Eric Wilson Mysteries. This author was a favorite of mine growing up and his very readable but also very age appropriate mysteries will keep your 3rd-6th graders reading and wanting more.

Harry Potterwith the final movies about to be released parents can leverage excitement about reading too!

Hunger Games. Have you read these yet? The final book in the trilogy Mockingjay  has just been released and getting rave reviews from kids, teens and adults a like!