tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44627865526682235002024-03-19T05:28:48.292-07:00Parents and Kids Reading TogetherVisit with the Literacy Ambassador® to find practical advice on reading with kids of all ages. Each post, we alternate between the "snuggle and cuddle" years and supporting independent readers.
Learn even more at <a>Reading is for Everyone</a>!Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-91457676398924019062011-09-07T20:07:00.000-07:002011-09-07T20:09:23.522-07:00Join JUMPSTART This October 6 - My Baby Sister's Birthday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFiztM2MWlMAtqLhG5b-PgjMHuzCAfMZM2k1oyo4qNGhCKJ3qNjhe-Cst6JAj1Y7aqmf87_WtqSBwB1d9k8W861RadR-gsi2B6ssx8IDU4Nt1Orjhops9-_cNV6gMUsPuTr_SUIsIzg13/s1600/JRFTR2011_WebAd_250x250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFiztM2MWlMAtqLhG5b-PgjMHuzCAfMZM2k1oyo4qNGhCKJ3qNjhe-Cst6JAj1Y7aqmf87_WtqSBwB1d9k8W861RadR-gsi2B6ssx8IDU4Nt1Orjhops9-_cNV6gMUsPuTr_SUIsIzg13/s320/JRFTR2011_WebAd_250x250.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">What are you doing on 10/6/11?</span><br />
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How does breaking a world reading record while raising awareness about America’s achievement gap? <br />
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Join me and TLA, Inc. as we participate in <span style="color: red;">Jumpstart’s Read for the Record®</span> 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. <br />
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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!<br />
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Get involved at www.readfortherecord.org to help Jumpstart close the early education achievement gap:<br />
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1. Pledge to Read: Submit your official pledge and help us reach more than 2.1 MILLION children.<br />
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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.<br />
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You can even become a partner, a facilitator in your community, calling hundreds of folks to read this delicious book on the same day. <br />
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For more information visit www.readfortherecord.org<br />
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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 <a href="http://www.annadewdney.com/Annas_website/Home.html">author's website</a> or see her read the book on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgdW3rtL_Ds&feature=related">YouTube</a>.<br />
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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!Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-28528124326364899612011-08-17T21:41:00.000-07:002011-08-17T21:41:34.926-07:00HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT SUMMER - HERE'S A GIFT TO SHARE WITH YOUR CHILD'S NEW TEACHER!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".<br />
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A few new resources:<br />
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check out <a href="http://www.wonderopolis.org/">Wonderpolois</a>, 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.<br />
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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 <a href="http://liveunited.org/commongood/teachers/">brag on a favorite teacher</a>.<br />
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Finally, give that teacher a powerful link to a new community just created for them: <a href="http://community.educationworld.com/content/language-arts-group">The Community at Educationworld.com.</a> 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.<br />
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I'll be back soon with more resources just for PARENTS AND KIDS READING TOGETHER.Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-57378927531818799612011-05-09T03:40:00.000-07:002011-05-09T03:40:23.649-07:00Debunking Three Big Myths about Your Child Learning to ReadAs a parent, in our information-dense society, you may be confused: <br />
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<strong>How do I know what to trust?</strong> <br />
<strong>Which is a sales pitch and which is valid?</strong><br />
<strong>How do I tell the difference between truth and misinformation, facts and hype? </strong><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5RjdYTAagD8PR3FfXM91Va46rEPhEL37aNIjKPfAa5AnMGCoXIUlma8HZBy-UUgV7zd8uRWk6V8kBkq2_Q6ca6g5DL6qkIVR0Q5S9zgbDCoFCYdv0Ts2b0PmUQJlKvgSIjEjv-2uk6QS/s1600/la_fluency.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5RjdYTAagD8PR3FfXM91Va46rEPhEL37aNIjKPfAa5AnMGCoXIUlma8HZBy-UUgV7zd8uRWk6V8kBkq2_Q6ca6g5DL6qkIVR0Q5S9zgbDCoFCYdv0Ts2b0PmUQJlKvgSIjEjv-2uk6QS/s200/la_fluency.gif" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Nowhere are those questions more important, or more frequently posed, than on the subject of our children learning to read. </div><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Myth #1: Earlier is always better. </span><br />
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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”. <br />
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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.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Myth #2: But he’s just a baby . . . he’ll get enough learning once he goes to school</span>. <br />
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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.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Myth #3: Rigorous, structured lessons are the best way for any child of any age to learn.</span> <br />
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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.” <br />
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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.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibI2Zt-ebEHMR3N0TaZsX7DyxtXhmD_g5ZOXZN3IqrRLurMDPD2fJhRAS5j5ldP8BuRutPqZhuCB6vIIkIIJ92-dsLb7pyZkt4BUmQUoof9zAPT4cdNi3MgSC_JdiDVo7wsygfruXZXkvx/s1600/anytimecover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibI2Zt-ebEHMR3N0TaZsX7DyxtXhmD_g5ZOXZN3IqrRLurMDPD2fJhRAS5j5ldP8BuRutPqZhuCB6vIIkIIJ92-dsLb7pyZkt4BUmQUoof9zAPT4cdNi3MgSC_JdiDVo7wsygfruXZXkvx/s200/anytimecover.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>I wrote <em>Anytime Reading Readiness</em> 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. <br />
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I hope you find this article and <em>Anytime</em> an asset in <u>your</u> journey with <u>your</u> child.Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-77280103544404676522011-03-10T04:29:00.000-08:002011-03-10T04:30:29.875-08:00ATTENTION: Preschool Parents - QUOTES TO PONDER, Getting Ready for Kindergarten!, and MORE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmCYK9VAEK9xOsJiY9kg05M4fnIGuNa_w6T2CyupkMzjAupFf4NNkq9FTlVgTTXTF2TdNf38wKMexEoQfAsz05Q5Xh3TSuo5aDeTI7-TuDyU1ti-L7fcQ3khGCJqRf4355J-zOiDHj-cm/s1600/ToolBox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmCYK9VAEK9xOsJiY9kg05M4fnIGuNa_w6T2CyupkMzjAupFf4NNkq9FTlVgTTXTF2TdNf38wKMexEoQfAsz05Q5Xh3TSuo5aDeTI7-TuDyU1ti-L7fcQ3khGCJqRf4355J-zOiDHj-cm/s200/ToolBox.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
First of all, <span style="font-size: large;">happy birthday </span>to my friend and a wonderful illustrator (who drew my little friends which are the illustrations on this posting) - <span style="font-size: large;">Pegi Ballenger</span>. You can see more of her beautiful art at her <a href="http://www.pegiballenger.com/">website</a>.<br />
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Now, <b>on to the real purpose of these next few posts</b>. <br />
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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.<br />
For the next few posts, I'll be sharing:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgEoDzktKLWLaGgMjwcKZGMIAaVfqg4F5xICQ0kZInloMJfqvtKvChQsXPp7x7sRRNeiPDP2VNRMnFMo79wA-DIuxIgChH8LDgLDxWfzOhfHFp3V9AEu7fWqlgkQiLcL0aHATPeCoPkR9/s1600/JoeRaeThumbballenger.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgEoDzktKLWLaGgMjwcKZGMIAaVfqg4F5xICQ0kZInloMJfqvtKvChQsXPp7x7sRRNeiPDP2VNRMnFMo79wA-DIuxIgChH8LDgLDxWfzOhfHFp3V9AEu7fWqlgkQiLcL0aHATPeCoPkR9/s200/JoeRaeThumbballenger.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">1) </span>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.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2) </span>a glossary of terms every parent needs to know before their child enters those school house doors.<br />
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Here we go . . .<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">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.</span></span><br />
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That helps parents see what is important - <a href="http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/">not flashcards and drills and fancy video games</a> . . . the literacy your child will develop in school is built on his or her ORAL language abilities (speech and processing).<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Through introduction to various forms of narrative texts - including nursery rhymes (look for <a href="http://www.enchantedlearning.com/rhymes/Teachers.shtml">modern ones</a> 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.</span><br />
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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".<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Beginning of Our Glossary of Terms</b></span><br />
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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.<br />
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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).<br />
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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.<br />
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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).<br />
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Finally - a few new books to tell you about:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYcZtF6J9-TuYalRL45knDwSnu4n9l_We0iBPMus7-dsKoF4hPsgz0-Rl8RWRSI69jf3mG7rcWV6_bn7gSXIzyqvXrUB1t5Ym7DYFZ6z31blG8kN44xlZ8rNQeL8JM9XE7HBleRyrbErx/s1600/justonebite.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYcZtF6J9-TuYalRL45knDwSnu4n9l_We0iBPMus7-dsKoF4hPsgz0-Rl8RWRSI69jf3mG7rcWV6_bn7gSXIzyqvXrUB1t5Ym7DYFZ6z31blG8kN44xlZ8rNQeL8JM9XE7HBleRyrbErx/s200/justonebite.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://www.grandmagazine.com/article.asp?id=373">Just One Bite</a> by Lola Schaefer<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycUaNYkeVUomFAbgUeiT9ER0LClrwWviw5k2VB3wp7_XVvrIkA1iJtUiwFZqo6FbavrOXFmQyRAbq06M0-5RYmklK5Go2oMSKQ2mYPd9I3T-ULFfbJcBbdUxa1zD5iaG9dhDLjg_5S9u9/s1600/snowday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycUaNYkeVUomFAbgUeiT9ER0LClrwWviw5k2VB3wp7_XVvrIkA1iJtUiwFZqo6FbavrOXFmQyRAbq06M0-5RYmklK5Go2oMSKQ2mYPd9I3T-ULFfbJcBbdUxa1zD5iaG9dhDLjg_5S9u9/s200/snowday.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>and <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Day-Lester-L-Laminack/dp/1561454184">Snow Day!</a> by Lester Laminack<br />
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Stay tuned for more!Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-6206502087766439222011-03-07T20:55:00.000-08:002011-03-07T20:55:13.832-08:00On the Independent Reader Channel<b>Switching Gears</b><br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<b>They Aren't Ready to Fly Solo</b><br />
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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?<br />
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<b>Unique ways to support your older reader</b><br />
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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.<br />
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Think about reading as a tool for life and ask yourself, "how can I help my child use this tool effectively?"<br />
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Practice and exposure to what they want to read is always important.<br />
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Dr. <a href="http://www.stevelayne.com/webdata/resources/Handouts/What_Parents_Can_Do_To_Nurture_Lifetime_Readers.pdf">Steven Layne</a>, 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.<br />
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Lastly, the U.S. Department of Education has some good advise and, although their brochure <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/adolescence/brochure.pdf"><i>Helping Your Child Through Early Adolescence</i></a> isn't exclusively about supporting him/her as a reader, it does give some excellence tips in that area.<br />
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Looking for new titles? Try these:<br />
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From the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2011-01-30/chapter-books/list.html">New York Times </a>Chapter Books (January, 2011)<br />
<a href="http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/012011/art_772826665.shtml">Chapter Books for Middle Readers</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/results.pperl?cat_id_ex=Juvenile%20Fiction%20-%20Readers%20-%20Chapter%20Books:4443">Random House </a>selections<br />
Want to try something really new? Check out <a href="http://www.webfamilyny.com/stories/2011/1/bf_spaceheadz_2011_1.html">Jon Scieszka's chapter books</a>. <br />
Don't forget to visit my friends at the <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=200">Reading Tub</a>.<br />
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Happy reading!<br />
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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.<br />
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As always, comments about content or books are welcome!Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-18598235570297352252011-02-22T20:17:00.000-08:002011-02-22T20:17:56.035-08:00I WANT MY CHILD TO READ<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6C9WKTSziOq8LLRYh8YEO5LPhsndSeio5MaZYw2IIO3hO0R6MVXGB0LM3vTV6gFDdVmqsww32EmBPywhuyHQvaomWf3dG9iajrhBVobGML8VMnwrDhkgJbg4uYY9UQYTm_s3JDE5YRYz/s1600/CPM+northwest+shoals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6C9WKTSziOq8LLRYh8YEO5LPhsndSeio5MaZYw2IIO3hO0R6MVXGB0LM3vTV6gFDdVmqsww32EmBPywhuyHQvaomWf3dG9iajrhBVobGML8VMnwrDhkgJbg4uYY9UQYTm_s3JDE5YRYz/s200/CPM+northwest+shoals.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>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.<br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"I'll just be giving my child a head start, right?"</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"The earlier the better."</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> "I saw it on TV!"</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">PARENTS ARE WELL-MEANING BUT MAY BE MISINFORMED</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">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).</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">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, <a href="http://nawu.blogspot.com/2006/03/piaget-new-research-on-human-early.html">Piaget</a> confirmed that young children first learn through the concrete</span>, <span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">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 <a href="http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_key_brainFAQ&JServSessionIdr009=ei0w5pblp3.app2a">Zero to Three's</a> website.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">MORE ACCURATE INFORMATION</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">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. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here are a few signals to watch for that might indicate your child is ready for the "reading table":</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">They ask, "what does that say, Mommie?" or say "I want to learn to read."</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">They play easily with patterns and sounds in speech (like being able to change around first sounds or last sounds to make new words).</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">They have learned the corresponding sounds that are associated with certain letters.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">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 <i>anytime</i> 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?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> 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!</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRjz7R3RW3lvk0XssExc1jlu8IzAf35gajHf0dcHPUyVIYmOAJqfcZrzCLMgMtjVll82AKrnk_jN6TSvwegyragOVs14TIGTaXJonbaIfMKPVegejYf84wFFlMoOSTRQKLXCsQrkDR86O/s1600/Pegiballengerreadingphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRjz7R3RW3lvk0XssExc1jlu8IzAf35gajHf0dcHPUyVIYmOAJqfcZrzCLMgMtjVll82AKrnk_jN6TSvwegyragOVs14TIGTaXJonbaIfMKPVegejYf84wFFlMoOSTRQKLXCsQrkDR86O/s320/Pegiballengerreadingphoto.jpg" width="239" /></a><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">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 (<a href="http://maupinhouse.com/index.php/authors/cathy-puett-miller/anytime-reading-readiness.html">Anytime Reading Readiness</a> for parents of 3-6 year olds and the partner book, <a href="http://maupinhouse.com/index.php/authors/cathy-puett-miller/before-they-read.html">Before They Read</a>, for educators working with children of this age.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">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".</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">P.S. If any of you live in Illinois or know a teacher there, I'll be a featured speaker at the <a href="http://www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org/conference.html">Illinois Reading Council's annual conference</a> in mid-March. Come join in the fun and information; I'd love to meet all of you in person! </span></b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </div>Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-38363450043505326602011-01-30T19:29:00.000-08:002011-01-30T19:29:39.794-08:00After Too Long An Absence . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKx0k1CUU3MGSKbjRJ5wp44jDU-qYIbIeEs2ICM9a3ivwl-NObGaKg6oElQVzh0Mvano__T1NrXL9MsiUlW2g6CjCligOBYtm9hlTUqJy3KkwmXm1GbQN1ZmHOpBiMuAEyG71A5V2HkBdd/s1600/heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKx0k1CUU3MGSKbjRJ5wp44jDU-qYIbIeEs2ICM9a3ivwl-NObGaKg6oElQVzh0Mvano__T1NrXL9MsiUlW2g6CjCligOBYtm9hlTUqJy3KkwmXm1GbQN1ZmHOpBiMuAEyG71A5V2HkBdd/s320/heart.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Thank you</span></strong> 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. <br />
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<strong>A MEANINGFUL RE-START</strong><br />
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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. <br />
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Please share this new post with your friends and tap them into an important resource.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">GREETINGS FROM TAMPA, FLORIDA!</span></strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRkk3GIPY_605X7RCkTDFKwYDntKityPprmkkBj7Sdatps3AO3v7Y68YopU42IgfT69nkS6yq3T0oZ_iqGvbc_mXOyuOWcMRn51y-S3yZ31DPsWeXLEz1VfqT3HGveMfkcC2cu8XJ8yWS/s1600/utatnight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRkk3GIPY_605X7RCkTDFKwYDntKityPprmkkBj7Sdatps3AO3v7Y68YopU42IgfT69nkS6yq3T0oZ_iqGvbc_mXOyuOWcMRn51y-S3yZ31DPsWeXLEz1VfqT3HGveMfkcC2cu8XJ8yWS/s320/utatnight.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a view out my hotel window tonight. I am in lovely (and <span style="color: orange;">warm</span>) Tampa, Florida for the </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">National Title I Conference and am so excited to tell you that <strong>family engagement in children's learning</strong> is on the FRONT burner! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not only does my session, <em>Families and Educators: A Joint Book Club Concept</em>, 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).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>I'd love to hear the viewpoint from anyone reading this post on the following questions:</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><ol><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Do you feel welcome at your child's school? Why or why not? </div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Do you see your child's teacher as "friend" or "foe"? Why or why not?</div></li>
<li>If you could stand in front of the Title I teachers from all other the country this week, what would you say to them?</li>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>I look forward to your comments!</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>P.S. </strong>Need some reading for yourself? Check out reviews from me and my fellow book reviewers at <a href="http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/reviewer/cathy-puett-miller">http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/reviewer/cathy-puett-miller</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left"></div>Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-46573732289833175642010-09-23T20:38:00.000-07:002010-09-23T20:38:18.898-07:00<div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Books About Fire Safety, Fire Fighters and Fire! </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">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?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A new friend of mine, Stephanie Goodman of <a href="http://www.safetymom.com/"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';">Safety Mom Enterprises</span></a>, 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.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">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.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Big Frank's Fire Truck</i> by Leslie McGuire (ages 4-8)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Firefighters A to Z</i> by Chris Demesest (ages 3-6)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>I Want to Be A Firefighter</i> by Dan Liebman (ages 4-7)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Fire Drill by Paul DuBois Jacobs (ages 4-8)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Fire Fighters to the Rescue </i>by Bobbie Kalman<i> </i>(ages 4-8)<i><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Even Firefighters Hug Their Moms</i> by Christine McClain (ages 4-8) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>The Buddy Files: The Case of the Fire Alarm</i> by Dori Butler and Jeremy Tugeau (ages 8-10)</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Fire Horses </i>by Margaret Fetty (ages 9-12)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Wildfire Run</i> by Dee Garrettson (ages 9-12)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Forgotten Fire </i>by Adam Baqdasian (ages 14+)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Fahrenheit 541</i> by Ray Bradbury (ages teen to adult)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Playing with Fire</i> by Melody Carlson (young adult)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America</i> by Timothy Egan (young adult to adult)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b> TIPS ON FIRE SAFETY - AN EMERGENCY EVALUATION PLAN</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">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? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Take some time in the coming weeks and put together an emergency evacuation plan and <b><i>practice </i></b>it! Here are some additional tips to keep in mind:<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>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.</li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span>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.</li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span>Keep fire extinguishers in various places around your home including the kitchen, garage, near the furnace and near any fireplace.</li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"></span>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.</li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span>When you have small children in the home, install a baby gate around the fireplace to prevent access.</li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Purchase a 2-Story Emergency Fire Escape Ladder and keep it somewhere in or near your bedroom.</li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>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.</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal">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<sup>th</sup> from 10AM – 2PM. And, your kids can even build a fire truck for themselves! Visit <a href="http://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/">www.lowesbuildandgrow.com</a> 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. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">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.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">BE SAFE!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And don't forget . . .</div><iframe frameborder="0" height="255" scrolling="no" src="http://www.refresheverything.com/widget/?i=dcd2cb9c-535d-102d-ab84-0019b9b9e205&w=300" width="300"></iframe>Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-37397808952071405432010-09-01T16:51:00.000-07:002010-09-01T16:51:41.805-07:00VOTE AT PEPSI REFRESH FOR THE BIG 3 LITERACY PROJECT<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A DREAM</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>For <span style="font-size: small;">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.</span></b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_qizdnO4zoI_yNz2s5WYGAjxbypKpxmwmRdJ7sdiwwyS0ne1xA7HeSldtemuPipIDJGNyvOpj8ydR5RV-iDdFaeka1EWPV29EvcryHN3qMVgiV1FGxw5irc7ooTVV_NwvERRwGeEDa3d/s1600/myraandchildren%233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_qizdnO4zoI_yNz2s5WYGAjxbypKpxmwmRdJ7sdiwwyS0ne1xA7HeSldtemuPipIDJGNyvOpj8ydR5RV-iDdFaeka1EWPV29EvcryHN3qMVgiV1FGxw5irc7ooTVV_NwvERRwGeEDa3d/s200/myraandchildren%233.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6Rbi2Cxzo3jmwa97guJuEAWl5hjOQKl00p9UPr2L2wZJA4x3Eddhx1Fd6yVHb8tJEpzvs90mNkCPiSRgsxaDs5xCZnvcIsRk0YAHqtPU8CAhRmjPTjXWmd8Aki0IZt3yEZiT3r8lYgfa/s1600/cathyandchildren%234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6Rbi2Cxzo3jmwa97guJuEAWl5hjOQKl00p9UPr2L2wZJA4x3Eddhx1Fd6yVHb8tJEpzvs90mNkCPiSRgsxaDs5xCZnvcIsRk0YAHqtPU8CAhRmjPTjXWmd8Aki0IZt3yEZiT3r8lYgfa/s200/cathyandchildren%234.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">My company, TLA, Inc., and Region IV Head Start Association are teaming up now for the Pepsi Refresh Project, </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">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 <a href="http://www.refresheverything.com/thebig3literacyproject">Pepsi Refresh Pages</a> 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!)</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">There are several ways you can participate and make this dream possible:</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">1) Visit <a href="http://www.refresheverything.com/thebig3literacyproject">The BIG 3 LITERACY PROJECT</a></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">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. </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">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!</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">3) Offer voting by texting (all regular texting fees apply): Text* 102675 to Pepsi (73774).</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> Again, daily votes prompted by a calendar reminder are great. If you'd like an email remainder, request same by emailing <a href="mailto:tla@readingisforeveryone.org">TLA</a>. </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">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. </span></b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dykKFFI32drN9_xWg6XTGB3YXMkb10FOfK76vNzfIkBFx89glZHeCLY4jNdLjABrgRL-fbVjRihWL-P5AF0ew' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">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!</span></b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8n_5aLdSLnn52dGoAXQxH1Zk35xaayEsnaqS5otusOCzoo9HzTYu_R9LSoNg14B-jwDSMv9QnIeFldByt2w_Vp8j5ET7MSdydGw_o5flJXS0tVv4Sx7BNQZD-JqqtBqpphyphenhyphenq0ZBojHnJg/s1600/R4HSA+LOGO-GIF.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8n_5aLdSLnn52dGoAXQxH1Zk35xaayEsnaqS5otusOCzoo9HzTYu_R9LSoNg14B-jwDSMv9QnIeFldByt2w_Vp8j5ET7MSdydGw_o5flJXS0tVv4Sx7BNQZD-JqqtBqpphyphenhyphenq0ZBojHnJg/s200/R4HSA+LOGO-GIF.gif" width="189" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Support Region IV! </span> </b></span>Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-61953711854629812412010-07-08T13:10:00.000-07:002010-07-08T19:49:10.991-07:00Preventing the Summer Reading Slump<b>WHAT IS THE SUMMER READING SLUMP?</b><br />
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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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKc1kAWP3BKcs0-NhNDlWH6Eo6uRibGuHZgYJbRTxQgypqbvAANmUoeWdHw1RMoJpmRvD8zWQ_hMCuDP9tEJzsy9xdMXWCK4y7sCgFxQukaOtsanqjC8lfNNIUcxtpsvcI-JuXm8SXDqe/s1600/stacksobooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKc1kAWP3BKcs0-NhNDlWH6Eo6uRibGuHZgYJbRTxQgypqbvAANmUoeWdHw1RMoJpmRvD8zWQ_hMCuDP9tEJzsy9xdMXWCK4y7sCgFxQukaOtsanqjC8lfNNIUcxtpsvcI-JuXm8SXDqe/s200/stacksobooks.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>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)!<br />
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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?"<br />
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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.<br />
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<b>READING AND WRITING AREN'T JUST FOR SCHOOL</b> (Think bigger, broader)<br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxczRiIijq7OHO5I9_RVaoNh_RDfCTtOvfB69C07DlGAE6Esd9dtCIxb29wHhN-2b8z2CrCeB21QhCT2mpYD62OpYMbM3muTvR6GSLlTeFk_YHChzOOtl26AfOeGUKTuAPAvAPfuHtuI3i/s1600/parentrulelogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxczRiIijq7OHO5I9_RVaoNh_RDfCTtOvfB69C07DlGAE6Esd9dtCIxb29wHhN-2b8z2CrCeB21QhCT2mpYD62OpYMbM3muTvR6GSLlTeFk_YHChzOOtl26AfOeGUKTuAPAvAPfuHtuI3i/s200/parentrulelogo.png" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>RADIO SHOW</b></span><br />
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This very topic was the subject of a recent radio interview I did with host Pat Montgomery of the<i> Parents Rule</i> show on July 8th entitled <a href="http://www.parentsrulewithpat.com/radio_show_info_and_schedule">Are We There Yet? Preventing the Summer Reading Slump. </a>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 <i>three secrets</i> to preventing the summer slump without turning our homes into academic hothouses and creating a negative feeling about reading:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Choice (autonomy). </span></b> 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 <i>wants</i> to read.<br />
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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).<br />
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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".<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Opportunity (and authentic purposes). </b></span> 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.<br />
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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).<br />
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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 <a href="http://readingisforeveryone.org/">my website</a> 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 <i>Goodnight Moon</i> with a child.<br />
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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?)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Moms and dads: do a little planning but </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>NEVER let it look like something planned to your kids.</i></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCa83Plx7OiUdSIUx09T0evR6wstIrgKu5cyZo4kImsJseSmoc4C0Netg7d90NMoT_Z1MnCmmxJT4CaN6CX4MRpa9ysn01D2f6FwTNJHEY1K8kRskXX-jJzCXrkkuYpP0tTkhPkzzpBzsR/s1600/06Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCa83Plx7OiUdSIUx09T0evR6wstIrgKu5cyZo4kImsJseSmoc4C0Netg7d90NMoT_Z1MnCmmxJT4CaN6CX4MRpa9ysn01D2f6FwTNJHEY1K8kRskXX-jJzCXrkkuYpP0tTkhPkzzpBzsR/s200/06Books.jpg" width="153" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Access (and a chance to journey to mastery through regular practice). </b> <span style="font-size: small;">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:. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> 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). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> 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).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Even Walmart has a book section. Most public libraries have terrific summer reading programs that go beyond books to include many related activities.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Include some sort of game in which the kids have to read directions or cards at pool parties, picnics and pajama sleepovers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Ask</b> if the summer programs your child is scheduled for have </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> book stashes that can be loaned, </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> RIF/Reading is Fundamental programs (giving away books to those least likely to own them), or </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> visiting storytellers, authors, or readers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Each of these three ideas -- <i>choice, opportunity</i>, and <i>access</i> -- are core to motivating our children to read during the summer. </span></span><br />
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<b>MORE RESOURCES</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Check out these suggested websites for additional information followed by The Literacy Ambassador's list of new HOT SUMMER READS:</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/">A blog from IVillage: 9 Sure Fire Ways to Fight the Summer Reading Slump </a></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3754150">An always trusted voice, Scholastic.com</a> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/miller/miller016.shtml">An Educationworld.com article for teachers, packed full of ideas for parents</a></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.aecf.org/%7E/media/Pubs/Initiatives/KIDS%20COUNT/123/2010KCSpecReport/Special%20Report%20Executive%20Summary.pdf">Casey Study on Current Situation with Readers up to 3rd Grade </a></span></b></span><br />
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<div style="background-color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Preschool through first grade: </span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"></span><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"></span></span></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Slow Down for Manatees by Jim Arnosky</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Bad Frogs by Thatcher Hurd </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams</span></b></span><br />
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<div style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">2nd through 5th grade</span></b></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The Last Polar Bear by Jean Craighead George</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Where Should the Turtle Be? by Susan Ring </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The Bag of Bones by Vivian French</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Spacehead by Jon Scieszka </span></b></span><br />
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<div style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Middle School</span></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Countdown by Deborah Wiles</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Scat by Carl Hiaason</span></b></span><br />
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<div style="background-color: #ead1dc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">High School</span></b></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The Enemy by Charles Higson </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Stormchasers by Jenna Blum </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Deadline by Chris Crutcher</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.teenink.com/">Teen INK.</a>, a magazine with work from teen authors</span></b></span><br />
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Adult recommended reading<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Summer is the perfect time to dive into <a href="http://maupinhouse.com/index.php/anytime-reading-readiness.html">Anytime Reading Readiness</a>, a quick pick up and read resource for parents packed full of ideas for helping your 3-6 year old get ready to read. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">For a more meaty read, learn more about the surprising truth about what motivates us in <a href="http://www.danpink.com/">Drive by Daniel H. Pink</a>. You can even get a free bookplate for your own copy at <a href="http://www.danpink.com/bp">Dan's website</a> for a limited period of time. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The best novel I've read this summer: <a href="http://www.jennablum.com/blum-stormchasers-synopsis.htm">Stormchasers </a>by Jenna Blum. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">All of you who are on Facebook, visit <a href="http://zh-hk.facebook.com/pages/The-Literacy-Ambassadors-K-6-Summer-Book-Challenge/128939577129958?filter=2">The Literacy Ambassador's Summer Challenge</a>. 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! </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">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. </span></b></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">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. </span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">And children who are not told stories and who are not read to will have few reasons for wanting to learn to read. . . .</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> Gail Haley<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">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.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></span>Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-43722938630605448162010-07-01T20:18:00.000-07:002010-07-01T20:18:28.139-07:00Meet Ellen Richard - Teacher, Mom and Creative Resource<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDMtlGeiuP3sQV1tMtBv7EzG7ajopOApnlsj2aftiQ3VOPlA5qW2qP-pI4-ExvjBEyrGu1Hovdgltf7O6rUHAq1KNQYr3X2A2ko8OG3vGuD7XkGFjJBcfx2KYSubnEbNbCTUFOgvQ7hIO/s1600/ellenrichardphoto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDMtlGeiuP3sQV1tMtBv7EzG7ajopOApnlsj2aftiQ3VOPlA5qW2qP-pI4-ExvjBEyrGu1Hovdgltf7O6rUHAq1KNQYr3X2A2ko8OG3vGuD7XkGFjJBcfx2KYSubnEbNbCTUFOgvQ7hIO/s320/ellenrichardphoto.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>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 <a href="http://litghtthesparkofliteracy.blogspot.com/">my sister blog for educators.</a> The topic is <i>spelling</i> and <i>handwriting</i>. Take it away, Ellen!<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>So what can you do to make spelling easier</b>?</span><br />
Three words: <i><b>authentic learning experiences</b></i>.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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).<br />
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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. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Why Does This Work?</b></span><br />
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Just by talking to your child and writing down his story in a handmade dotted form, you are:<br />
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1. bonding with your child and learning more about her likes and preferences<br />
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2. giving her the opportunity to trace over her own story (that you jotted down)<br />
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3. allowing her the chance to see the words that are important to her, her story and her vocabulary in the written form, and<br />
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4. providing new reading material that is exciting, yet familiar, and fun for her to read.<br />
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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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqlhhLvhaQhzHVrOSOOrMCHU3v3K5LCku6VR2F_ol6FCP9iWpPfDUocJyKR12dm2otFo4lWaZS9WWuSyQWAHaTyDtn6Ap4ae68vWTGDW31eX-TUpgwyh4gHXiLWSp4EbHQKl95x1wxQ6K/s1600/LetterLearning2+061_GoofyMonsterellenrichard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqlhhLvhaQhzHVrOSOOrMCHU3v3K5LCku6VR2F_ol6FCP9iWpPfDUocJyKR12dm2otFo4lWaZS9WWuSyQWAHaTyDtn6Ap4ae68vWTGDW31eX-TUpgwyh4gHXiLWSp4EbHQKl95x1wxQ6K/s320/LetterLearning2+061_GoofyMonsterellenrichard.JPG" /></a></div>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.<br />
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Ellen has done more for us and young children. She has taken these simple ideas and made them into a small business. She started <a href="http://www.letterlearning.com/">Letter Learning</a> 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!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2iWIS3fd3yxwb7sF3yH59E-Nd-btPkI3TuUD8nlf4I2tL4CqkVldJNyrijdW_1VxsjltdiGz4wDjaRu1n_kvem42zUBBcDurP7Nu-2NTwk7dXQgdYQrwz23Vqly2iLqAJ5LoojEdgxkG/s1600/200Inside_ThankYouellenrichard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2iWIS3fd3yxwb7sF3yH59E-Nd-btPkI3TuUD8nlf4I2tL4CqkVldJNyrijdW_1VxsjltdiGz4wDjaRu1n_kvem42zUBBcDurP7Nu-2NTwk7dXQgdYQrwz23Vqly2iLqAJ5LoojEdgxkG/s320/200Inside_ThankYouellenrichard.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>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.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Now It's Your Turn</b></span><br />
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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 <a href="http://www.lightthesparkofliteracy.blogspot.com/">complementary teacher blog</a> 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.<br />
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As always, I look forward to your comments.Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-12507906004564137402010-05-20T06:24:00.000-07:002010-05-20T06:24:54.855-07:00Real World Issue: The Challenges of Education Across the US and in Our Back Yard<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Call to Action</b></span><br />
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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.<br />
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As parents and family members, we have a role. Please, while we have a <span style="color: purple;">time-sensitive opportunity</span>, take time <span style="color: purple;">this week</span> to do <b>two</b> things:<br />
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1)<b> Read with your child or a child you know. </b> 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.<br />
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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. <b>Taking action <span style="font-size: large;">this week</span>, as they are debating and deciding on this amendment and this bill can make a difference.</b> It's easy to do. <br />
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Visit the education<a href="http://www.capwiz.com/nea/issues/alert/?alertid=15045411&type=co%20"> jobs bill link</a> 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 <a href="http://www.educationvotes.nea.org/">Education Votes</a> resource website.<br />
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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. <b><i> Only five minutes of your time can make a difference!</i></b><br />
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3) Elections will be here before you know it. <b>Find the resources in your community that will make you an informed voter </b>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. <br />
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<b>Finally, let your children see you in this process</b>. Share <a href="http://childrensbooks.about.com/od/elections/tp/elections.htm">books </a>on the political process with your children. Christopher Hitchens wrote an excellent biography of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Jefferson-Author-America-Eminent/dp/0060598964">Thomas Jefferson</a> that high school students and young adults will enjoy and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Federalist-Papers-ebook/dp/B003L77IVS/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1274361060&sr=1-13">The Federalist Papers</a> was recently released on Kindle. Online, there is an excellent short article from the <a href="http://opengov.ideascale.com/a/dtd/8559-4049">National Academy of Public Administration</a> on the importance of helping our children, especially as they themselves move toward voting age, to understand how the process works.<br />
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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.Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-55792785010850324952010-04-07T12:24:00.000-07:002010-04-07T12:24:49.804-07:00Grandparents and Kids Reading Together<b>Today's Web-Based Radio Show</b><br />
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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.<br />
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If you missed us live, you can visit <a href="http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/68906">The Grandcoach</a> 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.<br />
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<b>Grandparents Stepping Into A "Familiar" Role</b><br />
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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.<br />
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First, let me suggest a few books to read with young children that are perfect for encouraging word play:<br />
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Big and Little by Margaret Miller <br />
Max's Dragon by Kate Banks<br />
One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root<br />
Tanka, Tanka, Skunk by Steve Webb<br />
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These are excerpted from my book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Anytime-Reading-Readiness-Activities-Prepare/dp/1934338745">Anytime Reading Readiness</a>, 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 <a href="http://parentsandkidsreadingtogether.blogspot.com/2009/10/webinar-just-right-books-sponsored-by.html">previous blog</a> on this blogspot. <br />
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<b>There's Help Out There For You</b><br />
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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 <a href="http://www.fairhopelibrary.org/activities.htm">Fairhope Public Library </a>in Fairhope, AL and <a href="http://www.wichita.lib.ks.us/Programs/Kids.htm">Witchita Public Library</a>. Check out what your local library has to offer to support you!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6bzimmHvlQodQsn4Dj_JyC7L3jSV9yanQElz2t3XxAxATk4bG4K13hxAWU2bz5LDaGTBh3hOcOs_xHd0_I1arfm6_t1LS0iZB-zLS-p_W2a7xd-Jj0j_AD8LRUV8Wab976HUjU9JW3Sr/s1600/look---.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6bzimmHvlQodQsn4Dj_JyC7L3jSV9yanQElz2t3XxAxATk4bG4K13hxAWU2bz5LDaGTBh3hOcOs_xHd0_I1arfm6_t1LS0iZB-zLS-p_W2a7xd-Jj0j_AD8LRUV8Wab976HUjU9JW3Sr/s200/look---.gif" width="200" /></a><b>Helping Young Children Get Ready for School (it's bigger than literacy)</b><br />
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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.).<br />
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To help you understand some of these terms, check out <a href="http://parentsandkidsreadingtogether.blogspot.com/search/label/DIBELS">Where The Radio Show Left Off</a>. <br />
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Also, if you are confused by information about DIBELS, a major assessment used in K-3rd grade, you can find a <a href="http://www.fcrr.org/assessment/PDFfiles/ParentBrochure.pdf">family-friendly pamphlet </a>from my alma mater, Florida State University. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcWz4Bl5aWVwiz6eQb9v8oVI29Bi6oJdBeik5e1vLsK4FkwgTRFzaj5O6cVmdlkJnU2s5twAdq-u1hQ7WBllKilTx875BHPjnCmy2fyuIVs4aYTCOueBc-xlVdaWnVHGRhQnvD80vmW8H/s1600/kinder_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcWz4Bl5aWVwiz6eQb9v8oVI29Bi6oJdBeik5e1vLsK4FkwgTRFzaj5O6cVmdlkJnU2s5twAdq-u1hQ7WBllKilTx875BHPjnCmy2fyuIVs4aYTCOueBc-xlVdaWnVHGRhQnvD80vmW8H/s320/kinder_thumb.jpg" /></a></div>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 <a href="http://www.gettingready.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_318_A_PageName_E_NationalSchoolReadinessIndicat">Getting Ready</a>, <a href="http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/PDF/CHFD-E-59-10.pdf">Grandparents Getting Kids Ready for School</a> from the University of Georgia, and a <a href="http://www.itsamomsworld.com/schoolage_ready_for_school.html">cool checklist</a> 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 <a href="http://www.cedarvalleypublishing.com/view_books.html">Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten! </a>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).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJcsFkaM17KxCvGDJ-QwvSpdHlz9YQXCt9UlI3_194QT-TRolWqnGzh2d_PKLdMf-XmQSzZw25Z4vgUHg4eb5bo913AKgTgaK-R92oMAkFW-8MJ7LTC113qWwYYcuv_-hXfmveKPbi7NH/s1600/reading+to+two+girls.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJcsFkaM17KxCvGDJ-QwvSpdHlz9YQXCt9UlI3_194QT-TRolWqnGzh2d_PKLdMf-XmQSzZw25Z4vgUHg4eb5bo913AKgTgaK-R92oMAkFW-8MJ7LTC113qWwYYcuv_-hXfmveKPbi7NH/s200/reading+to+two+girls.png" width="200" /></a><b>Final message: </b><br />
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FJzWEi5y89gcTax0OMx60v37iV8SeoHFv92XuCqo955KdLuAeBMKt1NJnLCK55Lb4yqIxJ2QvyqBw_GTO-qz2M0kUwiqrr7FY0jtKS9c7W-QQc7UWgzJ7zSPZB9TWJ3zrA-3ZGQnmjhc/s1600/InnovativeIdea2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FJzWEi5y89gcTax0OMx60v37iV8SeoHFv92XuCqo955KdLuAeBMKt1NJnLCK55Lb4yqIxJ2QvyqBw_GTO-qz2M0kUwiqrr7FY0jtKS9c7W-QQc7UWgzJ7zSPZB9TWJ3zrA-3ZGQnmjhc/s200/InnovativeIdea2.jpg" width="188" /></a></div><b>COME CELEBRATE WITH ME!</b><br />
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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 <a href="http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/3029993">Barnes and Nobles</a> 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!Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-28504003077836545602010-03-26T06:52:00.000-07:002010-03-26T06:52:56.510-07:00Secrets Parents Need to Know About Beginning Reading<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxpowfYPuFmyKuvAJRDKl2RRefk6sBKj-L_TjRXJSMEivGNFaI2JwgyImIq0MflQM5m22jbl3JonjDeUDN92W-bueMjO-Zfyn7i87qzWeb1p_5XjF2UNXUexPsdera96y95dvSs3aNMDl/s1600/kathy5stemkephoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxpowfYPuFmyKuvAJRDKl2RRefk6sBKj-L_TjRXJSMEivGNFaI2JwgyImIq0MflQM5m22jbl3JonjDeUDN92W-bueMjO-Zfyn7i87qzWeb1p_5XjF2UNXUexPsdera96y95dvSs3aNMDl/s200/kathy5stemkephoto.jpg" width="163" /></a>Kathy Stemke, the Educationtipster on Blogspot, recently called for an interview which you'll find posted <a href="http://educationtipster.blogspot.com/2010/03/meet-author-reading-specialist-cathy.html">on her blog</a>. I always appreciate any opportunity to reach out and communicate to parents with children of all ages and certainly do this one.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUjFMg_ls_ibguNK95FExElrcZPyV3EN9VeZxPfjVtJwE6qz6HEEmhkucWvdPtRWGOlywHngi3kni9hKJNiqe07P5xDCZzPtBTvrfGoFbwF7fzSLSPYdOK8Ch27ozRDIA78x0kw4N1E8H/s1600/LookElsewhere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUjFMg_ls_ibguNK95FExElrcZPyV3EN9VeZxPfjVtJwE6qz6HEEmhkucWvdPtRWGOlywHngi3kni9hKJNiqe07P5xDCZzPtBTvrfGoFbwF7fzSLSPYdOK8Ch27ozRDIA78x0kw4N1E8H/s200/LookElsewhere.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>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:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">What are your views on the various techniques for teaching reading?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">How have they changed over the years?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">What's most effective with children who have reading difficulties? </div><br />
I certainly won't offer an entirely comprehensive answer here but enough to get you started and heighten understanding.<br />
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<b>TEACHING READING</b><br />
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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. <br />
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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 <a href="http://www.readingrockets.org/firstyear/fyt.php?SUB=32">First Year Teacher segment</a> and it's devoid enough of education lingo to be of value to non-educator parents.<br />
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<b>It Starts Long Before . . . </b><br />
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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That could be a whole other topic and, in fact, I give definitions of some of these terms in an<a href="http://parentsandkidsreadingtogether.blogspot.com/2009/09/where-radio-shows-left-off.html"> earlier posting on my blog</a>. Listen to the child and find ways that they can be successful at reading, not forcing them into a mold if <i>they are</i> 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.).<br />
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<b>BEGINNING READING IS MORE THAN PHONICS</b><br />
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Now for perhaps <i><b>the most important message </b></i>in this blog: <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>phonics or any other beginning reading strategy for "figuring out words" is only a tool. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>It is not reading. </i></div><br />
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"?<br />
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<b>Reading is getting the meaning out of print. </b>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). <br />
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<b>WHAT ABOUT STRUGGLING READERS?</b><br />
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My advice with struggling readers (my new friend, <a href="http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/2010/03/book-whisperer-awakening-inner-reader.html#linkshttp://www.nyjournalofbooks.com_____________________/">Donalyn Miller</a> 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. <br />
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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<i> and</i> 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.<br />
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With young children, the emotional support of a positive rather than negative experience, is so critical. Reading researcher, <a href="http://www.readingrockets.org/article/11375">Dorothy Strickland</a>, 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. <br />
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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.<br />
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<b>CLOSING</b><br />
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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.<br />
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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, <a href="http://maupinhouse.com/index.php/featured-products/anytime-reading-readiness.html">Anytime Reading Readiness</a>, for more ideas about supporting your young readers.Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-64699872048971943012010-03-18T10:17:00.000-07:002010-03-18T10:17:56.568-07:00Girls "Smarter" Than Boys?I was not happy when I read the news article in my local paper entitled :"<a href="http://blog.al.com/live/2010/03/alabama_girls_do_better_in_sch.html">State's Girls Beating Boys"</a>. This is an issue not only in Alabama but according to the center on Education Policy, one in all public schools in all states.<br />
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The first paragraph caught my eye immediately. The reporter made the blanket statement that<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">“girls . . . are smarter than boys are”. </span></div><br />
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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivaLtXRSS2xOT5DJyG1nyNzs881Crx5Na9dGZ7O0TdeyzK_Ec3Dm5Xx4QZ0ISxOf5-ahOVvGlV0v7AjMvrdhYjBdtfMcK_mzd_YxbcH9D4JRxb647FKlbBJoZuQ94shS_lSokIbtheEgBG/s1600-h/neumansusanB89.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivaLtXRSS2xOT5DJyG1nyNzs881Crx5Na9dGZ7O0TdeyzK_Ec3Dm5Xx4QZ0ISxOf5-ahOVvGlV0v7AjMvrdhYjBdtfMcK_mzd_YxbcH9D4JRxb647FKlbBJoZuQ94shS_lSokIbtheEgBG/s320/neumansusanB89.jpg" /></a></div>A comment from Dr. Susan B. Neuman was included and I believe she is spot on:<br />
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"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."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEjzqVVOzJjpgYS8eApi7zZ7_mbsjpmBrKi51XfbpPBcJSmGWDYJfO9WPirocRESg3LNPL05mh-wJuG4LBPsMQeYStlVFsMvBHfb2-0LyqMaB1HVPHkaIHm81tPao-rsc5r1-vDA131W8/s1600-h/LookElsewhere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEjzqVVOzJjpgYS8eApi7zZ7_mbsjpmBrKi51XfbpPBcJSmGWDYJfO9WPirocRESg3LNPL05mh-wJuG4LBPsMQeYStlVFsMvBHfb2-0LyqMaB1HVPHkaIHm81tPao-rsc5r1-vDA131W8/s200/LookElsewhere.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Although I agree as far as that goes, </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">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. </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Those reasons may be quite different than those that motivate and satisfy girls. </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">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. </span></i></div><br />
Years ago educators started talking about “differentiating reading instruction” to meet needs of different types of learners. Reading Rockets has <a href="http://www.readingrockets.org/article/263">a simple definition</a> of that "education term". Every teacher <i>and parent</i> 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 (<i>a necessity but not the only important focu</i>s).<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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?”<br />
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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 <a href="http://www.guysread.com/">Guys Read website</a>. You can also read about what girls and boys are reading in an article from <a href="http://education.com/">Education.com</a><a href="http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_What_Boys_Reading/"> http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_What_Boys_Reading/</a>. Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-31676310701384071442010-03-09T14:18:00.000-08:002010-03-09T14:20:29.045-08:00The Reader Who Most Influenced MeOn this week's <a href="http://shareastory-shapeafuture.blogspot.com/">Share A Story Shape A Future</a> blogging event sponsored by <a href="http://thereadingtub.com/">The Reading Tub</a>, they pose the question:<br />
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Who is the person who influenced you most as a reader?<br />
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Here she is with her first grandson (someone she also influenced as a reader):<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKvxqIJcTrGkKzobtdjmCNYm0BRJRYMwX4Q3UwaibPC2Tx0LuyeTib0DHE5xm0z7AjVjD2_IrL0VaAyOZYUqsPDWOS2ArufiXEgDWZUrrXUULv6c0BhheWZ3poreulIqZwBwTnaDm6JWm/s1600-h/nanaandnewborncharlie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKvxqIJcTrGkKzobtdjmCNYm0BRJRYMwX4Q3UwaibPC2Tx0LuyeTib0DHE5xm0z7AjVjD2_IrL0VaAyOZYUqsPDWOS2ArufiXEgDWZUrrXUULv6c0BhheWZ3poreulIqZwBwTnaDm6JWm/s320/nanaandnewborncharlie.JPG" /></a><br />
My mom<br />
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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, <a href="http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-land-of-counterpane/"><i>The Land of Counterpane.</i></a> 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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, <i>Anytime Reading Readiness</i> and <i>Before They Read</i>. To learn more about that revolution, visit <a href="http://readingisforeveryone.org/">Reading is For Everyone</a><br />
You can also stay in touch on Twitter and Facebook where you'll find me as litambassador and on <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=3615865&locale=en_US&trk=tab_pro">Linkedin</a>Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-37630019138931979112010-03-09T13:38:00.000-08:002010-03-09T13:40:58.704-08:00Engaging Older Readers (3rd grade and up) With Personel Connections To What They Read<style>
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<div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">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. </span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">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. </span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><b>So How Do You Get Your Kids to Respond That Way To Reading</b>?</span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Good authors like Willie Morris (author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Dog-Skip-Willie-Morris/dp/0679767223">My Dog Skip</a>) 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 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Under-Baseball-Moon-John-Ritter/dp/014241090X/ref=sr_1_28?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268167223&sr=1-28">Under the Baseball Moon</a> by John H. Ritter. Have a youngster who likes history? <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wish-After-Midnight-Zetta-Elliott/dp/0982555059/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268167331&sr=1-2">A Wish After Midnight</a> is a combo historical fiction and time travel adventure that will hold them til the very end. Relationships and self-image important? Try <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-But-Truth-Avi/dp/0545174155?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261320965&sr=1-8">Nothing But The Truth</a> by Avi. If you want to share an adult book with your teen, feel free. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Harnessed-Wind-Electricity/dp/0061730327/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268170122&sr=1-1">The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind</a> 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</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">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.</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Carve Out A Little Reading Time</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">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.</span></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6Kmm5w079Sb-nDuWdAAH-m5uA_4cX0y_w0d_Kj1izok4rdivtaNGR1LAmRMyIDM9_9FFmQ-finDkH9DQNMTxELsVKaOBxm4Dq1VBGEINTNYTm1OQXH5z_8UeNZXhZN_FzhHUxvgsli_K/s1600-h/layingbooks.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="38" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6Kmm5w079Sb-nDuWdAAH-m5uA_4cX0y_w0d_Kj1izok4rdivtaNGR1LAmRMyIDM9_9FFmQ-finDkH9DQNMTxELsVKaOBxm4Dq1VBGEINTNYTm1OQXH5z_8UeNZXhZN_FzhHUxvgsli_K/s320/layingbooks.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><b>Set a goal </b></span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">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.</span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">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).</span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">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. </span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">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.</span></div><div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Give Them Control</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">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. </span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">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".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">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 <i>Sports Illustrated</i>. 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. </span></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSf_5D1sqPxRIqvNe0mG4SozV-JRrxPjR7B3mHse2Xh7TcnoqzZ_qFKe8iMwDmqcwenc-hVzlCI-J4eOcr0BsRazAYZpT05QtIXXaB6DaOejHVMi2Jx_ZUFSOBhpk-wCtcdDjzArhontUh/s1600-h/InnovativeIdea2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSf_5D1sqPxRIqvNe0mG4SozV-JRrxPjR7B3mHse2Xh7TcnoqzZ_qFKe8iMwDmqcwenc-hVzlCI-J4eOcr0BsRazAYZpT05QtIXXaB6DaOejHVMi2Jx_ZUFSOBhpk-wCtcdDjzArhontUh/s200/InnovativeIdea2.jpg" width="188" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">A few more ideas for this "everyone is reading" time:</span></div><div></div><div>1.<b> Give your children cool, colorful post its</b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="background-color: blue;"> </span></b>o<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">r s</span>ticky 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. </span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">2. </span><b> Everyone has one "pass" to interrupt</b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> 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 (<a href="http://www.marcias-lesson-links.com/polar%20express%20ticket.pdf">click here </a>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.</span></div><div></div><div><style>
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<div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">3. At the end, with five minutes to go, you can also do something teachers call,<b> "turn and talk". </b>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.</span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">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:</span></div><div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">What is your phrase or word you related to most in the book you read?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Have you ever experienced the feeling those words described?</span></div><div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">When and how?</span></div><div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Can you imagine what it would be like to .....</span></div><div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">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.'</span></div><div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlnEPxdrDnRyxaJped_4r8deKBd-FUouvNe2dYTVE3cOinFz1xMSoUrkekPeEEQ0wZnQqZu-zIfh2xrcVBEOxVTGB5i3zb4G1Qs1rFmTsLv7xV-atUCwbihKHxJNeWvLcbPRvz7gEHfoW/s1600-h/stockobooksstock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlnEPxdrDnRyxaJped_4r8deKBd-FUouvNe2dYTVE3cOinFz1xMSoUrkekPeEEQ0wZnQqZu-zIfh2xrcVBEOxVTGB5i3zb4G1Qs1rFmTsLv7xV-atUCwbihKHxJNeWvLcbPRvz7gEHfoW/s200/stockobooksstock.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">So what? What is the significance, the importance, of his reaction, interaction, response?</span> <br />
<div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">I am taking this from knowledge (what I call regurgitation of fact) up through Bloom's to analysis, synthesis, etc.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">You and your family will be practicing higher level thinking skills without turning your home into a academic "hothouse".</span></div><div></div><div></div><div><b>Share, Share, Share</b></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">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.</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CigElEaqB8O8dJUs9Zwa-vWomJoYYgx4jcrJYmBymAy57nOW4JuQn952Vh3SDIbp08XUk9Yoe_xe3jWljRUjMb9PdMBUfdu6eFCE0DX3V25eZQn7dyGzucGGIjiHgZKNg-0aKwj9naVS/s1600-h/125badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CigElEaqB8O8dJUs9Zwa-vWomJoYYgx4jcrJYmBymAy57nOW4JuQn952Vh3SDIbp08XUk9Yoe_xe3jWljRUjMb9PdMBUfdu6eFCE0DX3V25eZQn7dyGzucGGIjiHgZKNg-0aKwj9naVS/s320/125badge.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">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 <a href="http://shareastory-shapeafuture.blogspot.com/">Share A Story: Shape A Future Event. </a>You will also find fun giveaways. I'm going over there right now to jump in; won't you join me?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Happy Reading!</span><br />
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</span></div></div>Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-88849460535716875492010-02-23T13:16:00.000-08:002010-02-23T13:18:40.624-08:00Author Showcase: The Literacy Ambassador in the Reading Tub<b>A Snapshot of an Author</b><br />
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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 <a href="http://childrens-literacy.com/2010/02/23/author-interview-anytime-reading-readiness-by-cathy-puett-miller/comment-page-1/#comment-1774">blog</a> as well as the <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/children_author_showcase.asp">author showcase</a> page itself.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4MBNfWHqX9_Pj_CSI7tIuMw7R2ZgaM-zLLjWDyIDTvbffON1SvtTSF-GfXxl67TCDwdZpyBxzqMH6WXT9qTVSbNL5V1Dvvq6JuxCphxbOeV6nh_ZKsSirLHGdzXPANrNiV3VmTEBz9_G/s1600-h/CPM+northwest+shoals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4MBNfWHqX9_Pj_CSI7tIuMw7R2ZgaM-zLLjWDyIDTvbffON1SvtTSF-GfXxl67TCDwdZpyBxzqMH6WXT9qTVSbNL5V1Dvvq6JuxCphxbOeV6nh_ZKsSirLHGdzXPANrNiV3VmTEBz9_G/s200/CPM+northwest+shoals.jpg" width="200" /></a> <b>Need a presenter, trainer, speaker?</b><br />
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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 <a href="http://www.readingisforeveryone.org/">TLA's website</a> to find topics thatmeet your needs.<br />
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Next post will be for our parents promoting reading with older students . . . stay tuned!Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-85804916982996217962010-02-18T09:14:00.000-08:002010-02-22T12:36:55.470-08:00Focus on Early Childhood (Do You Have A Infant, Toddler or Preschooler)?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKDJRxXVVrv3-taDbVjDjvW03mHXXj6kE8XTHqJ6mRkpy9a_Jm9yTqRkuUK5iBsyZYIX-atES8X9QHOrTGuVF670sIUg4706ndmqgB4ZgwdOBysQVcSRfon6zHniqU2g1mPVZxsn9FckC/s1600-h/publicity_photostevenlayne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKDJRxXVVrv3-taDbVjDjvW03mHXXj6kE8XTHqJ6mRkpy9a_Jm9yTqRkuUK5iBsyZYIX-atES8X9QHOrTGuVF670sIUg4706ndmqgB4ZgwdOBysQVcSRfon6zHniqU2g1mPVZxsn9FckC/s200/publicity_photostevenlayne.jpg" width="165" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A GLIMPSE INTO THIS WEEK'S WORLD </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>OF THE LITERACY AMBASSADOR </b></span><br />
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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: <a href="http://www.stevelayne.com/">Steven Layne</a>. I wish those of you who are parents could be here to hear him. <br />
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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, <a href="http://www.stevelayne.com/go.jsp?t=author&g=audiobook#mbdd">Love the Baby and My Brother Dan's Delicious</a>, 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!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cUUOr1wRVCsWzxhvyfv-ejxDzEVpUbuDIS1IQfI7rHBm8mQ5OyFGZV4ONoKXHw8s5qcZLqJ44sFg0GOl52bi3P28DDuvGZCwgPtCk4A4QLk16YQnSt57E2eVJwOItv0HwlZf-U6iA-J2/s1600-h/homeschoolbundle_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cUUOr1wRVCsWzxhvyfv-ejxDzEVpUbuDIS1IQfI7rHBm8mQ5OyFGZV4ONoKXHw8s5qcZLqJ44sFg0GOl52bi3P28DDuvGZCwgPtCk4A4QLk16YQnSt57E2eVJwOItv0HwlZf-U6iA-J2/s200/homeschoolbundle_1.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>RESOURCES FOR BUSY FAMILIES </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>(and teachers)</b></span><br />
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I also want to share with you parents of 3-6 year olds <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAgInVLMeBY">a new video from TLA, Inc. that teaches you how to play a game, Rhymin' Simon</a>, with your young children. It's drawn from my new book, <a href="http://maupinhouse.com/index.php/authors/cathy-puett-miller/anytime-reading-readiness.html">Anytime Reading Readiness</a>, 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. <br />
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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. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>My last gifts to you: </b></span><br />
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1) a<a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/pdfs/literacy+ambassador+great+reads.pdf"> list of books to support rhyming and other early childhood literacy skills</a>. Enjoy!<br />
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2) a chance to win a copy of Anytime Reading Readiness! Just cut and paste this <a href="mailto:tla@readingisforeveryone.org">email address</a> with the words ANYTIME CONTEST in the subject line and you'll automatically be entered. Contest runs through the end of February.Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-57144119504681108102010-02-18T08:43:00.000-08:002010-02-18T10:39:17.128-08:00A Few Tidbits - A Little Off the Channel But Always Returning to Children and Families and BooksOver 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! <br />
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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).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlEb0X6WrCqW92eObwkusJHjKty0M7EoSUvm4fwYK18Rx3YAssdpz0iHgR2TMFxlmWmpjqHxvA3zUfhFcCuUsIQHYYZGMDvqfppQONnjr_esHeT9Pw17wgxaatpmPHY3fMMZ2EUSBynaI/s1600-h/AllthebooksIcanreadorlando.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlEb0X6WrCqW92eObwkusJHjKty0M7EoSUvm4fwYK18Rx3YAssdpz0iHgR2TMFxlmWmpjqHxvA3zUfhFcCuUsIQHYYZGMDvqfppQONnjr_esHeT9Pw17wgxaatpmPHY3fMMZ2EUSBynaI/s200/AllthebooksIcanreadorlando.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>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.<br />
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<a href="http://www.workofchildhood.com/2010/02/anytime-reading-readiness-review.html#comment-form">1) Work of Childhood</a>. 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). <br />
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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 <a href="http://myweeview.com/about/">My Wee View</a> and <a href="http://www.momaudience.com/"><i>Mom Audience</i></a>. 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!<br />
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Now back to the business of literacy. Every month this year, my friend, Anastasia Suen, is hosting a <a href="http://www.asuen.com/blog/blog.carnival.shtml">Carnival of Children's Literature!</a> 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<a href="http://wonderlandofbooks.blogspot.com/2010/01/january-2010-carnival-of-childrens.html"> Jenny's Wonderland of Books</a> and next month it will be S<a href="http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/">ally Apopkadek</a>, a blogger on publishing and published children's literature.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vXR2DITpRwpcYNkYO-YKT30dyYT0oswdEjVQClWRgYtv-ccdnkywhSZaJZ-p4x15WsiJgO9esNKGDMEPWTaSuIOdFCFG9bvTF-x-AnR6DD3RTOPKCl0aSrJZVWopyXT5GJeGpcZzajTG/s1600-h/reading_tub_reviews.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vXR2DITpRwpcYNkYO-YKT30dyYT0oswdEjVQClWRgYtv-ccdnkywhSZaJZ-p4x15WsiJgO9esNKGDMEPWTaSuIOdFCFG9bvTF-x-AnR6DD3RTOPKCl0aSrJZVWopyXT5GJeGpcZzajTG/s200/reading_tub_reviews.jpg" width="163" /></a></div>Do you know that my friends at the The Reading Tub have a<a href="http://childrens-literacy.com/"> blog</a>? 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!<br />
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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?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaD5hz05GK3T2epWC3JLN3THe8d0m9HPvnpIt_9T8ZJkw6StHpa3rzOEOBe67SE0e85Cy9rDSvigaX3831gpFQ1BUq2MqxxhMjblTosB9Q4tvhEFNbqz-Dvr_GJ5CkVg6iVEMhIp2zjaf/s1600-h/Secret_world-210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaD5hz05GK3T2epWC3JLN3THe8d0m9HPvnpIt_9T8ZJkw6StHpa3rzOEOBe67SE0e85Cy9rDSvigaX3831gpFQ1BUq2MqxxhMjblTosB9Q4tvhEFNbqz-Dvr_GJ5CkVg6iVEMhIp2zjaf/s200/Secret_world-210.jpg" width="181" /></a><br />
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 <a href="http://www.hesterbass.com/">Hester's website</a>. 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).<br />
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</script>Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-37487954990519296142010-01-27T09:37:00.000-08:002010-01-29T14:51:16.773-08:00Playing with Sounds and Patterns/Engaged Interactive Read Alouds<span style="font-size: large;">Today I was so excited to talk with my friend and colleague, Stacey Kannenberg on her radio show <a href="http://toginet.com/shows/getreadytolearnmom">"The Ready to Learn Mom"</a>. </span>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.<br />
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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 <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://toginet.com/shows/getreadytolearnmom">Stacey's website</a>. 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.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Playing with sounds and patterns of sound in our language</span> 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:<br />
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T<i>he excited experts explained that the extra X-rays were excellent</i> (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).<br />
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Dr. Seuss always played with silly animals and names in his books so anytime you pick up one of his titles (like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cat-Hat-Dr-Seuss/dp/039480001X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264606171&sr=1-1">Cat in the Hat</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hop-Pop-Beginner-Books-R/dp/039480029X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264606197&sr=1-1">Hop on Pop</a>) you are playing with those sounds integral to our language. <br />
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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.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sock-Pocket-Your-Toes-Book/dp/0060295260/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264606303&sr=1-1">A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes</a> by Liz Scanlon<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Baby-Lisa-Wheeler/dp/0152025227/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264606336&sr=1-1">Jazz Baby </a>by Liz Wheeler<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Bear-What-Brown-Friends/dp/B002VPEA0S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264606430&sr=1-1">Baby Bear, Baby Bear What Do You See?</a> by Bill Martin, Jr. <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Hugs-Romantically-Ridiculous-Animal/dp/1416994270/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264606462&sr=1-3">Bear Hugs: Romatically Ridiculous Animal Rhymes</a> by Karma Wilson<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/First-Action-Rhymes-Growing-Tree/dp/0694014184/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264606373&sr=1-1">My First Action Rhymes </a>by Lynne Cravath (complete with actions - you and your child don't have to sit still when you read!)<br />
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The Library Lady shares practical ways to play as well on her <a href="http://thelibrarylady.net/Literacy%20Education/how_young_children_learn.htm">website</a> in an article about how young children learn. Scholastic points out that <a href="http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=1558">playing with poetry</a> is another good way to pay attention to those patterns.<br />
Check out <a href="http://maupinhouse.com/index.php/authors/cathy-puett-miller.html">Anytime Reading Readiness (for parents of 3-6 year olds) and Before They Read (for teachers) </a>for even more ideas!<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/First-Action-Rhymes-Growing-Tree/dp/0694014184/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264606373&sr=1-1"></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A Primer for Engaged Interactive Read Aloud</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Op5qP3gJWpD8JUt4vfASvY9jbuLqt1f95q36dRYdECn-H0U39P0Nee-_n0XwFX_3iS8XSfSDJ4EYmNOXeHebdssuyJUhOa5vVMwBXWJS5UyilugThyphenhyphenDz7VHaRRN2NlQAHNSy98-AKQvH/s1600-h/layingbooks.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="38" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Op5qP3gJWpD8JUt4vfASvY9jbuLqt1f95q36dRYdECn-H0U39P0Nee-_n0XwFX_3iS8XSfSDJ4EYmNOXeHebdssuyJUhOa5vVMwBXWJS5UyilugThyphenhyphenDz7VHaRRN2NlQAHNSy98-AKQvH/s320/layingbooks.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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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.<br />
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Interruptions by the reader or the listener are always allowed!<br />
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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)<br />
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Thinking, wondering and pondering with your child as you read<br />
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Posing "how" and "why" questions at times.<br />
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Enjoying the text together.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQInWKZp1y3UeFa5frWg6C_rGcll67Fewe-RRcpONRwO4iKKXdAEpCqqRUZEshM8f8Ic3eBlU_6tlK1j7kfId03Hrd6f5S08YM8Cq195NgxR_JwvV79cB9xByrvteCxHUGPnoPLB9q3XZs/s1600-h/homeschoolbundle_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQInWKZp1y3UeFa5frWg6C_rGcll67Fewe-RRcpONRwO4iKKXdAEpCqqRUZEshM8f8Ic3eBlU_6tlK1j7kfId03Hrd6f5S08YM8Cq195NgxR_JwvV79cB9xByrvteCxHUGPnoPLB9q3XZs/s320/homeschoolbundle_1.jpg" /></a></div>For more on all of these topics, visit <a href="http://www.readingisforeveryone.org/">TLA's website</a> and check out Anytime Reading Readiness (for parents) and Before They Read (for educators)- two brand new titles from <a href="http://maupinhouse.com/index.php/authors/cathy-puett-miller.html">Maupin House</a> for partnering between families and educators of children ages 3-6. They've even combined these two titles into a <a href="http://maupinhouse.com/index.php/authors/cathy-puett-miller/home-school-literacy-partnership-set.html">Home/School Literacy Partnership Set</a> of 2 teacher books and 20 parent books for classroom collaborations.<br />
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Have fun!Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-6296732923713986732010-01-27T07:19:00.000-08:002010-01-27T07:19:59.988-08:00Starting your Tween's and Teen's New Year with ReadingDropping 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. <br />
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The local <a href="http://hpl.lib.al.us/ibistro/ebooks">Huntsville/Madison County Public Library</a> 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.<br />
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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, <a href="http://ksuweb.kennesaw.edu/%7Ejcope/">Jim Cope</a> 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. <br />
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Here are just a few titles to consider:<br />
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Young Adult: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fang-ebook/dp/B0035IIBUK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264604909&sr=1-3">Fang</a> by James Patterson<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Athletic-Shorts-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B0035DVAIA/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264605098&sr=1-25">Athletic Short</a>s by Chris Crutcher<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Anas-Story-Journey-Hope-ebook/dp/B0035D9S0W/ref=sr_1_27?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264605098&sr=1-27">Ana's Story</a>: A Journey of Hope by Jenna Bush<br />
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Tweens: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Long-Shadows-ebook/dp/B0035J5DS2/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264605310&sr=1-14">Long Shadows</a> by Erin Hunter <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/So-B-It-ebook/dp/B0035K77SA/ref=sr_1_38?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264605392&sr=1-38">So B. It</a> by Sarah Weeks<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Smiles-To-Go-ebook/dp/B0035C0KJQ/ref=sr_1_51?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264605443&sr=1-51">Smiles to Go</a> by Jerry Spinelli<br />
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Don't forget the importance of talking with your child about what they are reading - no drills, just good conversation.Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-82291347689064203922009-12-03T09:57:00.000-08:002009-12-03T12:02:10.797-08:00Three Secrets to Helping Kids Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6n-yOIRw-gOwsHwOH3qGt3kpCp28VRkUFli32iLf3hpti9dbI7Sbx_X7t4cIcs105F2vY4es_-95DREl_wThuYe0Qnvd29hQeOb33JY7hyphenhyphenaDfudrP2ceV2LI-T5035o8jLOb-K8nX9COw/s1600-h/parentrulelogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6n-yOIRw-gOwsHwOH3qGt3kpCp28VRkUFli32iLf3hpti9dbI7Sbx_X7t4cIcs105F2vY4es_-95DREl_wThuYe0Qnvd29hQeOb33JY7hyphenhyphenaDfudrP2ceV2LI-T5035o8jLOb-K8nX9COw/s200/parentrulelogo.png" /></a><br />
</div>Today I visited with Pat Montgomery of <a href="http://www.parentsrulewithpat.com/">ParentsRule</a> 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 <a href="http://www.radiosandysprings.com%20/">podcast</a> anytime this week if you missed the live show). Pat also has a <a href="http://www.parentsrulewithpat.blogspot.com/">blog </a>with more information from her shows so you can find even more important information there.<br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Did you know . . .</span><br />
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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").<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Did you know </span>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 <a href="http://brookespublishing.com/store/books/dickinson-479x/index.htm">Beginning Literacy with Language</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">THREE</span> BIG <span style="font-size: small;">IDEAS</span></b></span><br />
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Conversations are important.<br />
Exploring print and books together is important.<br />
Playing with the Language is important.<br />
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</div>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 <a href="http://maupinhouse.com/index.php/authors/cathy-puett-miller.html?SID=89cb396cf0c3c3aaa1676ee6bf7931ff">Anytime Reading Readiness</a> (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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLYc1Z8hQANANovWjhal2mcv8VwLBdGjm78NqkTfqOj4li758IqmPaw4X8GxxPmIIV3Sj_0NCffTdz56qQKQ1wPgYxYJqn0G_qfO9JDqubq8epfJEnm_O3YT7xrqAxJ0mb2VGO6xCUvFW/s1600-h/beforetheyreadcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLYc1Z8hQANANovWjhal2mcv8VwLBdGjm78NqkTfqOj4li758IqmPaw4X8GxxPmIIV3Sj_0NCffTdz56qQKQ1wPgYxYJqn0G_qfO9JDqubq8epfJEnm_O3YT7xrqAxJ0mb2VGO6xCUvFW/s200/beforetheyreadcover.jpg" /></a>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 <a href="http://maupinhouse.com/index.php/authors/cathy-puett-miller/before-they-read.html">Before They Read</a>. 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.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are a few of the resources mentioned on Pat's program today:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.indestructiblesinc.com/">Indistructibles</a>, great wordless books for "reading" and exploring with young children<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/mike_mulligan/">Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel </a>by Virginia Lee Burton, one of Cathy's early favorite books <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Singing (which we didn't get to) is always great - check out <a href="http://www.franavni.com/">Fran Avni's CDs </a>for great songs that are fun (and foster learning).<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">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.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can also be a part of the revolution by sharing the resources from <a href="http://www.readingisforeveryone.org/">TLA's website</a> 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.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Post questions you have in response to the radio show or to this blog and The Literacy Ambassador will be happy to respond!<br />
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</div>Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-47819504429494433702009-11-16T11:02:00.000-08:002009-11-22T14:42:44.948-08:00Keeper of Your Children's Dreams: Celebrating Literacy is A Key<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cHes-QJHJ9lfBIxXcJYH7NZRWAyUaS05sH5xWCLpEvDc1XWkbIDWI6K_bJxQo1FcHN_Tt3ufZiMCHiscRKauKRAtBb2UnJZlYZE4JuYGi6mZz6mG2FVikE62-g_qJRTaLV8ALOCC2ud9/s1600/nanaandnewborncharlie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cHes-QJHJ9lfBIxXcJYH7NZRWAyUaS05sH5xWCLpEvDc1XWkbIDWI6K_bJxQo1FcHN_Tt3ufZiMCHiscRKauKRAtBb2UnJZlYZE4JuYGi6mZz6mG2FVikE62-g_qJRTaLV8ALOCC2ud9/s200/nanaandnewborncharlie.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><b>SWEET REFLECTIONS</b><br />
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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. <br />
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<b>SNUGGLE AND CUDDLE TIME</b><br />
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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 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Night-You-Were-Born/dp/0976576104">On The Night You Were Born</a>, "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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkyZ40X4jm8yougnrfOIbEPdQIvylWJdpp4VEC1TNzk64rle79Xe5SEfQVEw1Mx8sMcA45NnNsbVcs4KDdoBP14zt7q0Z1OG195c4SiJedbe3pHcuYrAGiQvoc2fAySzfll-It-lLNqHu/s1600/Pegiballengerreadingphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkyZ40X4jm8yougnrfOIbEPdQIvylWJdpp4VEC1TNzk64rle79Xe5SEfQVEw1Mx8sMcA45NnNsbVcs4KDdoBP14zt7q0Z1OG195c4SiJedbe3pHcuYrAGiQvoc2fAySzfll-It-lLNqHu/s200/Pegiballengerreadingphoto.jpg" /></a><b>IT'S SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE AND PAVES THE PATH TO READING</b><br />
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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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Cl93HjAFH5OC85Obe3457uU0nmr_DIZOKOYB-jQnlDmmbd70S6fvxHoFD2mkFGuYTYudDejKLtEi9iDA9WXqHx48bKmP1VML_Ib6EjZN1Aadcypcrgnvza8ESwl4dZaDSAybOPNew-4X/s1600/Tumblon+Logo+web-72dpi-250pixels.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Cl93HjAFH5OC85Obe3457uU0nmr_DIZOKOYB-jQnlDmmbd70S6fvxHoFD2mkFGuYTYudDejKLtEi9iDA9WXqHx48bKmP1VML_Ib6EjZN1Aadcypcrgnvza8ESwl4dZaDSAybOPNew-4X/s200/Tumblon+Logo+web-72dpi-250pixels.gif" /></a><br />
</div><b>A CHAT WITH TUMBLON'S GRAHAM SCHARF</b><br />
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I was personally reminded of just those connections when I spoke last week with Graham Scharf, father, educator, entrepenuer and co-founder of <a href="http://tumblon.com/">Tumblon.com</a><a href="http://tumblon.com/"></a>, 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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit55m425dZIOnTvHuylr05d5v6XUvL7ALojjrZL9O0FUOdeQpRnkAKtU_EzLBnT_GILsWqh2413vMX9MMWBPzGP3K2k3P-uyVKLJoF-0GDIuzjGzOUb1QSh8e4MfeK5_fm0qlcSTD_ifcJ/s1600/DSC04198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit55m425dZIOnTvHuylr05d5v6XUvL7ALojjrZL9O0FUOdeQpRnkAKtU_EzLBnT_GILsWqh2413vMX9MMWBPzGP3K2k3P-uyVKLJoF-0GDIuzjGzOUb1QSh8e4MfeK5_fm0qlcSTD_ifcJ/s200/DSC04198.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>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 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Little-Fingers-Toes/dp/015206057X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258395167&sr=1-1">Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes</a> and<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Red-Caboose-Golden-Book/dp/0307021521/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1258395266&sr=1-3-fkmr0"> The Little Red Caboose</a>, books with my three R's of books for young children<br />
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<b>R</b>hythm, <br />
<b>R</b>hyme and<br />
<b>R</b>epetition.<br />
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These kinds of books are easy to find in your local library or at the bookstore down the street or at the mall.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfgmZSce1_Qu-lCtCc42TC59toOznOTJ1RMM9Nk9arvbP46GEw70ZWwvxNq8NKohHc5CCqBH3pIO9xUriLJqWeP0tHvifg4XoH_r98xsj10VLOA-CrkXjiI-8BUko7fVzV3OgER3lGYcz/s1600/nanaandcharlie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfgmZSce1_Qu-lCtCc42TC59toOznOTJ1RMM9Nk9arvbP46GEw70ZWwvxNq8NKohHc5CCqBH3pIO9xUriLJqWeP0tHvifg4XoH_r98xsj10VLOA-CrkXjiI-8BUko7fVzV3OgER3lGYcz/s320/nanaandcharlie.JPG" /></a>We also talked about how important it is for children to hear<a href="http://www.returnplaytokids.com/2009/10/lets-have-a-chat%E2%80%A8%E2%80%A8/#more-1351"> lots of conversations </a>(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)<br />
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<b>CONSISTENCY</b><br />
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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).<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<b>BUILD ON POSITIVE EXPERIENCES AND GROW THE HABIT</b><br />
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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 (<a href="http://www.americanreadingforum.org/Yearbooks/88_yearbook/pdf/15_Rasinski.pdf">researchers</a> tell us that at least three times a week is the minimum we eventually need to make a consistent impact). <br />
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<b>READY FOR MORE?</b><br />
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Listen to more tips and ideas from the conversation between Graham and me at his <a href="http://blog.tumblon.com/?p=503">podcast</a> of the event on <a href="http://tumblon.com/">Tumblon.com</a>. You can also learn more about the power of conversation, reading with your child and playing with the language through my new book, <a href="http://maupinhouse.com/index.php/authors/cathy-puett-miller.html?SID=31610942213ed582af9978b42001599a">Anytime Reading Readiness</a>, available now through Maupin House Publishing.Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462786552668223500.post-40030550147082243942009-11-12T21:39:00.000-08:002009-11-12T21:39:12.585-08:00Hope For Young Adult Readers - But We Adults Have to Be The ModelsSince the last few posts on the blog have related to the younger set (and their families), it's time to go <b>back to our more independent readers.</b> I just saw some terrific news from <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6703770.html">Publisher's Weekly</a>:<br />
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<span>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 <em>PW</em>/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.</span><br />
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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".<br />
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<b>One of the big questions is: what do teens and tweens <i>want </i>to read? </b> The Young Adult Library Association (part of the American Library Association) just this fall published a<a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teenreading/teenstopten/ttt09.cfm"> booklist made by teens</a>. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/014241493X/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books">Paper Towns</a> 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". <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1600602428/readingrocket-20">Alicia Afterimage</a> by Lulu Delacre is another great example of a book teens will want to read, this one dealing with grief.<br />
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<b>What is most important for students once they leave the elementary school years is to have steady, open choices as to what they read. </b>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.<br />
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<b>The reality is that parents can't control what your teen reads,</b> 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.<br />
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<b>Helping students carve out time to read </b>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.<br />
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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 <i>should</i> read this" approach. <br />
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<b>So do something different. </b>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).<br />
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Nurture their inner reader.Cathy Puett Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06359939210231329861noreply@blogger.com0