Start the New Year Off Right: Resolve to Raise a Reader!

Start the New Year Off Right: Resolve to Raise a Reader!

Start the New Year Off Right: Resolve to Raise a Reader!

Adapted from Reading Rockets

Raise a ReaderMany New Year’s resolutions focus on developing healthy habits. Here’s one that is important to make and keep: provide a regular diet of books and reading for your preschooler.

You feed and care for your child every day so that he will grow into a healthy, happy preschooler. Similarly, you also need to provide experiences that will enhance language development and stimulate learning skills, thereby doing your part to raise a reader.

Raise a Reader – try this menu of reading activities:

  • READ EVERY DAY

A daily reading routine will give all the readers in your family a chance to read with your preschooler. Dads, moms, siblings, caregivers, and friends can allRaise a Reader be a part of ensuring your preschooler gets 20 minutes of being read to each day.

  • DO THINGS AND THEN TALK ABOUT IT

It’s great to offer new experiences to your preschooler, such as a visit to the zoo or museum, but a trip to the grocery store or a neighborhood park can be just as educational. Talk about what you are seeing and ask your preschooler what he thinks of it. When possible, use interesting words to describe what you’re seeing.

  • READ EVERYWHERE YOU GO

You can find reading on the road, at the bus stop, in the store, and at the restaurant. Play a game to find words when you are out and about or look at home for words on everyday items like cereal boxes, toothpaste, and household appliances.

  • BE A READING MODEL

What better way to raise a reader then by reading yourself! Your child wants to imitate you and be like you. Have plenty of reading material for yourself as well as for your child. Tell your child how much you enjoy reading. 

  • KEEP YOUR PULSE ON PROGRESS                                                                                                                                                                                                          Raise a Reader

Please be sure to see your child’s pediatrician or teacher as soon as possible if you have concerns about your child’s language development, hearing, or sight.

Read the original article here 

Enjoy “Books Books Books!” a video of your children loving books!

4 Ways to Make Holidays Better for Kids

4 Ways to Make Holidays Better for Kids

4 Ways to Make Holidays Better for Kids

Tips for keeping kids happy and able to enjoy the fun

Rachel Ehmke; Adapted from Child Mind Institute

4 Ways to Make Holidays Better for KidsIt’s easy for children to be smitten with the magic of the holidays. Fun presents. Extra sweets. A vacation from school—there’s a lot to like. But with the freedom and excess of the season, sometimes kids can get a little carried away. For most families, there will be a point when the kids get overtired and cranky, or greedy about presents. Or would rather play a video game than talk to Grandma. Here are some tips to keep kids happy and ready to enjoy whatever the season brings.

1. Gifts, gifts, gifts: Getting presents is a high point of the holidays for any kid, but they shouldn’t be the only focus. As adults we know that 4 Ways to Make Holidays Better for Kidsgiving presents can be just as rewarding as getting them. We shouldn’t wait to teach that lesson to our children. Even when kids are too young to buy a present, they can still make one. Or help you pick out something. Some of my best holiday memories are of helping my father look for the perfect gift for Mom. Also, combing the mall to look for presents with my siblings as we got older.

Volunteering, participating in a local toy drive, or giving each of your kids a little money to give to a charity of their choice. These are all great ideas for getting children in a more generous mood. Also, remember that the best gifts that you give your children probably won’t be the material ones. Take time for the whole family to get together to play a game, watch a movie, or decorate sugar cookies. These are the things that kids remember as they get older.

2. Let them help: There’s a lot of extra work to do around the holidays like putting up decorations, cooking big dinners, throwing parties. The Martha Stewart in all of us can take over, but it’s important to take a step back and make sure our kids are included.

Children can help set the table, decorate the house, and wrap presents. If they’re too young to wrap, they can help by holding down the paper or getting the tape ready. There’s always something kids can do. And at holiday time, the preparations are often as fun and as meaningful as the end product. Plus, this way kids won’t feel left out or be glued to the iPad for hours.

3. Keep routines: We love the holidays because they give us a break from the everyday. However, that can also make them stressful, especially for kids who find routine comforting. Try to keep some things constant. Kids still need snack time. They still need special attention from you. They still need a chance to unwind before bedtime.

4 Ways to Make Holidays Better for Kids At family gatherings when they notice the kids are “getting antsy,” psychologist Rachel Busman says she and her sister did the following. They would give them their baths, get them into pajamas, and turn on a movie. “We know when they need to wind down, we won’t be judged for excusing ourselves from the table to do these things,” she says.

4. Remember they’re kids: Some holiday traditions depend on kids being on their best behavior. For example, lengthy services, parties with lots of strangers, elaborate meals. These meals may not appeal to picky eaters. Try to keep those to a minimum and customize festivities for your kids’ frustration level. Don’t schedule more than one demanding event in a day. Make sure to include physical activity and plenty of downtime. Your kids will be grateful — and so will you.

Click here to read the original article.

Click here  to watch Dr. Deborah Gilboa give advice on how to make your child happy during the holidays without spoiling them too much.

Toddler Lunch Ideas

Toddler Lunch Ideas

New ideas for sandwiches, wraps, mini-pizzas and more tasty lunch recipes for kids

Adapted from Parenting.com by Jennifer Saltiel, Stephanie Eckelkamp and Kelly Ladd Sanchez

Enjoy these yummy and simple lunch recipes!

 

Honey, Almond Butter & BananaToddler Lunch Ideas
Spread 2 slices of whole-wheat bread with almond butter or peanut butter.  Top 1 bread slice with a drizzle of honey (for kids 1 and up) and a layer of banana slices. Cover with the other slice, butter side down.

 

 

Toddler Lunch Ideas

Pear & Avocado
Mash 1/2 ripe avocado in a bowl. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the avocado evenly on 2 slices of sourdough bread. Add a layer of thinly sliced Bosc or Asian pear to 1 bread slice. Cover with the other slice and press gently to adhere. Swap in pomegranate seeds for the pear, if you like.

 

   

                               Tuna Pasta Salad

Toddler Lunch IdeasMix whatever shaped cooked pasta you like with some mixed veggies. Once it’s cooked mix in some tinned tuna or other fish, a drizzle of olive oil and some dried oregano – serve it hot or cold. Delicious and so simple!

 

 

 

Toddler Lunch IdeasStrawberry & Goat Cheese
Split an English muffin and lightly toast the halves. Spread each half with softened goat cheese or plain whipped cream cheese. Top with a thin layer of strawberry jam, followed by a layer of thin strawberry slices. Place the top half of the muffin over the bottom half and press gently.

 

 

Toddler Lunch IdeasSlice It Right
If it seems like that sandwich you packed in the morning makes a soggy return uneaten in the afternoon, swap in Pepperidge Farm Goldfish—shaped bread. It’ll remind him of a familiar snack and get him to eat up. $3 to $4; grocery stores.

 

 

Toddler Lunch IdeasTurkey Pinwheels 
Spread dollop of store-bought hummus on whole-wheat tortilla, then layer a slice of turkey and some spinach leaves. Roll up and cut.

 

 

Toddler Lunch IdeasPita-Butter and Jelly
If your child’s main food staple is PB&J, but peanut butter is a no-no at her school, here’s a peanut-free option. Substitute butter or cream cheese in for peanut butter and spread on whole-wheat pita bread. Top with jelly, or if she loves apple pie, try cinnamony apple butter.

 

 

Toddler Lunch IdeasI Heart Turkey
A plain ol’ turkey sandwich gets a little love with this Thanksgiving-inspired, heart-shaped version. (Kid not a heart-lover? Stars or dinosaur shapes work, too.) Spread a thin layer of cranberry sauce on two pieces of whole wheat bread. Layer two slices of roasted turkey breast and sliced cheese. Use a cookie cutter to cut the sandwich into the shape of a heart.

 

 

Toddler Lunch IdeasMini Pizzas
This kid-favorite gets a healthy makeover to fuel your child’s busy body all day long. Make these the night before to save time in the morning. Top English muffin halves with jarred marinara sauce (if your child won’t object, add chopped steamed broccoli or spinach to the sauce.) Sprinkle pre-shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Let cool, then wrap up.

 

 

Toddler Lunch IdeasBrunch for Lunch
Who says French toast and eggs are just for breakfast? This traditional morning meal makes a power-packed lunch. Feel free to make these the night before. French toast cinnamon sticks: Add pureed squash or sweet potatoes to egg-milk batter for an extra boost of beta-carotene. Cook French toast and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Let cool and slice into sticks for an easy-to-eat fork-free option.

 

Click here to read the original article.

Preschooler Reading Milestones

Preschooler Reading Milestones

Daily reading for preschoolers is a critical part of their long-term reading success!

Adapted from PBS Family

Preschooler ReadingDuring the preschool years, many young children will be able to recite or sing the alphabet. They may begin to recognize familiar letters, especially letters in their own names. Children who have been read to frequently pretend to read books to themselves or to their toy dolls and animals. They use their own words or phrases from the story.       Preschooler Reading

Here are some tips for helping younger children become readers for life.

  • Read and reread your young child’s favorite books every day. Reading books with rhymes helps develop a child’s awareness of the sounds in our language. This ability is associated with reading success in the early grades. An example is in the book “Green Eggs and Ham ”. The repetitive refrain, “I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam I am.” is memorable. Young children also delight in predictable books with memorable refrains.
  • Read books with a variety of characters. All children should have the opportunity to read books with characters that look and speak like them. At the same time, children also enjoy reading stories about fantastic characters, such as talking animals. These will stimulate their imagination and build on their love of pretend play.
  • Enjoy rhyming books together. Children enjoy books with rhyming patterns. Young children find the use of nonsense rhymes playful and fun. As you read, invite your child to fill in some of the rhyming words.
  • Point out the important features of a book as you read. Before you start reading, show your child the title and author on the front of the book. For example, you might say, “The title of this book is ‘Amazing Grace’. Then say, “It is written by Mary Hoffman and the pictures are by Caroline Birch.”
  • Point to each word with your finger as you read.  This demonstrates to your child that there is a one-to-one match between the spoken and written word. Also, it also draws your child’s attention to the link between the words you say and the words on the page. Therefore, pointing as you read also reinforces the concept that we read from top to bottom and from the left to the right.
  • Use stories to introduce your child to new words. Focusing on new vocabulary words increases reading comprehension. Thereby, promoting your child’s vocabulary development by drawing his attention to new or unusual words in the story. Most importantly, just have fun with these new words and help your child use them in real-life situations. An example of this would be, after learning “capsize” in a story, you can point out that the toy boat in your child’s bath has capsized and the animals are now in the water. Preschooler Reading

Click here  to read the original article and learn more about how preschoolers develop into readers through writing

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