I WANT MY CHILD TO READ

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.

"I'll just be giving my child a head start, right?"

"The earlier the better."

 "I saw it on TV!"

PARENTS ARE WELL-MEANING BUT MAY BE MISINFORMED

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).

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, Piaget confirmed that young children first learn through the concrete, 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 Zero to Three's website.

MORE ACCURATE INFORMATION

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.  

Here are a few signals to watch for that might indicate your child is ready for the "reading table":

They ask, "what does that say, Mommie?" or say "I want to learn to read."

They play easily with patterns and sounds in speech (like being able to change around first sounds or last sounds to make new words).

They have learned the corresponding sounds that are associated with certain letters.

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 anytime 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?

 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!

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 (Anytime Reading Readiness for parents of 3-6 year olds and the partner book, Before They Read, for educators working with children of this age.

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".

P.S.  If any of you live in Illinois or know a teacher there, I'll be a featured speaker at the Illinois Reading Council's annual conference in mid-March.  Come join in the fun and information; I'd love to meet all of you in person!

  

After Too Long An Absence . . .

Thank you 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. 

A MEANINGFUL RE-START

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.

Please share this new post with your friends and tap them into an important resource.

GREETINGS FROM TAMPA, FLORIDA!

This is a view out my hotel window tonight.  I am in lovely (and warm) Tampa, Florida for the

National Title I Conference and am so excited to tell you that family engagement in children's learning is on the FRONT burner!  

Not only does my session, Families and Educators: A Joint Book Club Concept, 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).

I'd love to hear the viewpoint from anyone reading this post on the following questions:

1. Do you feel welcome at your child's school?  Why or why not? 
2. Do you see your child's teacher as "friend" or "foe"?  Why or why not?
3. If you could stand in front of the Title I teachers from all other the country this week, what would you say to them?

I look forward to your comments!

P.S.  Need some reading for yourself?  Check out reviews from me and my fellow book reviewers at http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/reviewer/cathy-puett-miller.



Books About Fire Safety, Fire Fighters and Fire!

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?

A new friend of mine, Stephanie Goodman of Safety Mom Enterprises, 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.

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.

Big Frank's Fire Truck by Leslie McGuire (ages 4-8)

Firefighters A to Z by Chris Demesest (ages 3-6)

I Want to Be A Firefighter by Dan Liebman (ages 4-7)

Fire Drill by Paul DuBois Jacobs (ages 4-8)

Fire Fighters to the Rescue by  Bobbie Kalman (ages 4-8)

Even Firefighters Hug Their Moms by Christine McClain (ages 4-8)

The Buddy Files: The Case of the Fire Alarm by Dori Butler and Jeremy Tugeau  (ages 8-10)

Fire Horses by Margaret Fetty (ages 9-12)

Wildfire Run by Dee Garrettson (ages 9-12)

Forgotten Fire by Adam Baqdasian (ages 14+)

Fahrenheit 541 by Ray Bradbury (ages teen to adult)

Playing with Fire by Melody Carlson (young adult)

The Big Burn:  Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America by Timothy Egan (young adult to adult)

 TIPS ON FIRE SAFETY - AN EMERGENCY EVALUATION PLAN

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?  

Take some time in the coming weeks and put together an emergency evacuation plan and practice it! Here are some additional tips to keep in mind: 

• 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.

• 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.

• Keep fire extinguishers in various places around your home including the kitchen, garage, near the furnace and near any fireplace.

• 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.

• When you have small children in the home, install a baby gate around the fireplace to prevent access.

•  Purchase a 2-Story Emergency Fire Escape Ladder and keep it somewhere in or near your bedroom.

•  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.

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^th from 10AM – 2PM.  And, your kids can even build a fire truck for themselves!  Visit www.lowesbuildandgrow.com  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.  

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.

BE SAFE!

And don't forget . . .

VOTE AT PEPSI REFRESH FOR THE BIG 3 LITERACY PROJECT

A DREAM

For 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.

My company, TLA, Inc., and Region IV Head Start Association are teaming up now for the Pepsi Refresh Project,  

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 Pepsi Refresh Pages 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!)

There are several ways you can participate and make this dream possible:

1) Visit  The BIG 3 LITERACY PROJECT
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.  

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!

3) Offer voting by texting  (all regular texting fees apply):  Text* 102675 to Pepsi (73774).
 Again, daily votes prompted by a calendar reminder are great.  If you'd like an email remainder, request same by emailing TLA. 

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.  

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!

Support Region IV! 

Preventing the Summer Reading Slump

WHAT IS THE SUMMER READING SLUMP?

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.

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)!

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?"

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.


READING AND WRITING AREN'T JUST FOR SCHOOL (Think bigger, broader)

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.

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.

RADIO SHOW



This very topic was the subject of a recent radio interview I did with host Pat Montgomery of the Parents Rule show on July 8th entitled Are We There Yet?  Preventing the Summer Reading Slump.  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 three secrets to preventing the summer slump without turning our homes into academic hothouses and creating a negative feeling about reading:

1.  Choice (autonomy).  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 wants to read.

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).

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".


2.  Opportunity (and authentic purposes).  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.

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).

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 my website 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 Goodnight Moon with a child.

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?)

Moms and dads: do a little planning but 

NEVER let it look like something planned to your kids.

3.  Access (and a chance to journey to mastery through regular practice).  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:.  
 
     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). 


      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).

      Even Walmart has a book section.  Most public libraries have terrific summer reading programs that go beyond books to include many related activities.

      Include some sort of game in which the kids have to read directions or cards at pool parties, picnics and pajama sleepovers.


Ask if the summer programs your child is scheduled for have 

          book stashes that can be loaned, 

          RIF/Reading is Fundamental programs (giving away books to those least likely to own them), or 

          visiting storytellers, authors, or readers.

Each of these three ideas -- choice, opportunity, and access -- are core to motivating our children to read during the summer.  

MORE RESOURCES

Check out these suggested websites for additional information followed by The Literacy Ambassador's list of new HOT SUMMER READS:

A blog from IVillage:  9 Sure Fire Ways to Fight the Summer Reading Slump 
An always trusted voice, Scholastic.com  
An Educationworld.com article for teachers, packed full of ideas for parents
Casey Study on Current Situation with Readers up to 3rd Grade

Preschool through first grade:   

Slow Down for Manatees by Jim Arnosky
Bad Frogs by Thatcher Hurd
A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams

2nd through 5th grade

The Last Polar Bear by Jean Craighead George
Where Should the Turtle Be? by Susan Ring
The Bag of Bones by Vivian French
Spacehead by Jon Scieszka

Middle School

Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi
Countdown by Deborah Wiles
Scat by Carl Hiaason

High School

The Enemy by Charles Higson 
Stormchasers by Jenna Blum
Deadline by Chris Crutcher


Teen INK., a magazine with work from teen authors

Adult recommended reading

Summer is the perfect time to dive into Anytime Reading Readiness, a quick pick up and read resource for parents packed full of ideas for helping your 3-6 year old get ready to read.  

For a more meaty read, learn more about the surprising truth about what motivates us in Drive by Daniel H. Pink. You can even get a free bookplate for your own copy at Dan's website for a limited period of time.   

The best novel I've read this summer:  Stormchasers by Jenna Blum. 

All of you who are on Facebook, visit The Literacy Ambassador's Summer Challenge.  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!  

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. 

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.  

And children who are not told stories and who are not read to will have few reasons for wanting to learn to read. . . . Gail Haley

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.

 

Meet Ellen Richard - Teacher, Mom and Creative Resource

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 my sister blog for educators. The topic is spelling and handwriting.  Take it away, Ellen!

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.

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.

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.

So what can you do to make spelling easier?
Three words:  authentic learning experiences.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Why Does This Work?

Just by talking to your child and writing down his story in a handmade dotted form, you are:

1.  bonding with your child and learning more about her likes and preferences

2.  giving her the opportunity to trace over her own story (that you jotted down)

3.  allowing her the chance to see the words that are important to her, her story and her vocabulary in the written form, and

4.  providing new reading material that is exciting, yet familiar, and fun for her to read.

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.

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.

Ellen has done more for us and young children.  She has taken these simple ideas and made them into a small business.  She started Letter Learning 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!

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.

Now It's Your Turn

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 complementary teacher blog 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.

As always, I look forward to your comments.

Real World Issue: The Challenges of Education Across the US and in Our Back Yard

A Call to Action

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.

As parents and family members, we have a role.  Please, while we have a time-sensitive opportunity, take time this week to do two things:

1) Read with your child or a child you know.  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.

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.  Taking action this week, as they are debating and deciding on this amendment and this bill can make a difference.  It's easy to do. 

Visit the education jobs bill link 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 Education Votes resource website.

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.  Only five minutes of your time can make a difference!

3) Elections will be here before you know it.  Find the resources in your community that will make you an informed voter 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. 

Finally, let your children see you in this process.  Share books on the political process with your children.  Christopher Hitchens wrote an excellent biography of Thomas Jefferson that high school students and young adults will enjoy  and The Federalist Papers  was recently released on Kindle.  Online, there is an excellent short article from the National Academy of Public Administration on the importance of helping our children, especially as they themselves move toward voting age, to understand how the process works.

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.