Imagine this: Dinner and bath time are finished. Teeth are brushed. Your 2-year-old—all warm and clean-smelling, in footie jammies—toddles over with her favorite book in her hand. You settle into a comfy rocker with your little one on your lap to read a bedtime story. You know how rewarding it can … [Read more...]
Reading Milestones: What Your Preschooler Should Know
Preschoolers are busy learning and growing at an incredible pace every day. You’re probably noticing big changes in your little one’s speech—kids this age often have a deeper understanding of their world than we think. (And, of course, at other times they make hilarious mistakes with words and … [Read more...]
Sunday’s Story Surprise
As a parent, you want only the best for your children, and in this mom's opinion, reading to your children is one of the most important things you can do from an early age. It's right up there with keeping them safe from harm and providing for their basic needs such as food and water, clothing and … [Read more...]
Use your words!
My brother recently e-mailed me a story about his six-year-old daughter: Claire: Daddy, I really regret going on our trip to Canada and Niagara Falls. Daddy: Claire, you're too young to have regrets, but why do you regret it? Claire: Because on Webkins, if I don't work on my garden every day, it … [Read more...]
The Read-Aloud Handbook
Long before I became a parent, I read The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. It planted a little seed about the importance of reading aloud that has influenced my parenting since my daughter was born. Oops! scratch that, since before my daughter was born. I read her Harry Potter in utero to help … [Read more...]