Search Results for: blog 15 minute reading activities

Baby Blog Month in Review: July 2008

Two of my three children are summer babies. That is, they were born in the summer and had their first months surrounded by sunshine streaming in the windows, the sound of birds chirping, and days spent wearing nothing but a diaper and a “onsie.” I made sure that they had Fourth of July outfits ready, even though one of them arrived a week after the holiday. I guess he just wasn’t interested in the parade. Do you have a summer baby, too? We had a lot of new information to share this past month, such as recall notices and new … Continue reading →

Summer Reading Programs

Kids are out of school and getting them to read is a challenge every parent struggles with. Studies have shown that they can lose two months of knowledge over the summer if they don’t engage their brains in something other than fun. Parents don’t have to fight this battle alone. Several businesses and websites have stepped up to offer summer reading programs to kids where they can earn cool prizes and rewards. If you haven’t read Valorie Delp’s Blog, All About BookAdventure.org., you should check it out. She discusses the advantages of using this website to encourage homeschooled children to … Continue reading →

15-Minute Reading Activities

We all know how important it is to read to our kids. I generally spend about an hour a night reading to Tyler, and he reads one book to me most days, usually right after he finishes his homework. Worried that you’re not spending enough time reading to your child? The good news is you don’t have to carve out a large block of time to read to your kids. You can “sneak” reading activities into your child’s day. Here are a few ways to add 15-minute reading activities, according to the latest issue of Family Education Network newsletter: (1) … Continue reading →

What a Good Reading Classroom Looks Like

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Now that school is started back up for most of us, have you checked out your child’s classroom? Does it look like a classroom that promotes and encourages reading? Are you unsure just what that would look like? What should a classroom have, especially those elementary classrooms, that would encourage young readers to read while at school? First, classrooms won’t be reading if the teacher doesn’t promote it, does your child’s teacher encourage a reading time daily? If so, great! A classroom that encourages reading may have some of the following incorporated into the classroom itself or into the daily … Continue reading →

Ways to Embrace the Ordinary

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All of us spend our free time doing little things that we find amusing. We take a break and watch a funny video on YouTube. Or we spend time browsing through Facebook or Twitter and passing along whatever caught our attention. At the end of the day, this often leaves people feeling unfulfilled. One way to bring meaning to your life is to find ways to embrace the ordinary. You’ve got five minutes left on your break. Which would you rather do: watch a funny video, or read about a random conversation you had a month ago? Amie M. Gordon, … Continue reading →

Toddlers and Holidays

Sometimes, it is interesting to think about how and when children come to understand the meanings of the various holidays that their families celebrate. Of course, much of the understanding (or lack thereof) comes from how “into” each particular holiday a child’s parents are. For example, I am not sure whether Dylan understands a whole lot about Christmas because my husband and I have not been overly focused on teaching him about it. He understands Thanksgiving more, because that is our favorite holiday. St. Patrick’s Day is this weekend, and at not quite two and a half years old, Dylan … Continue reading →

Something Is Better Than Nothing

We sometimes receive conflicting information when it comes to exercise and physical activity. We are told that a little bit is better than nothing. But then we are also told that if you aren’t engaging in a certain amount of exercise or physical activity every week, there is no benefit to your body. So which is it? If I don’t spend 5 to 6 days a week, 30 minutes a day in some form of exercise, is it pointless to do anything? According to new guidelines issued by the “American College of Sports Medicine,” although they recommend at least 150 … Continue reading →

Jurassic Jamboree

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School ended last week. We’ve been taking it easy at home and trying to stay cool. We have some activities planned, but haven’t gone yet. On Monday the Rockwall public library kicked off its summer reading program with a party for the children. The party was called Jurassic Jamboree and was a dinosaur theme. We had not been to the Rockwall library yet even though we knew it had been through a remodel and the children’s story time was supposed to be a lot of fun. The Jurassic Jamboree started at 1:30 and lasted until 3:30. We skipped nap so … Continue reading →

What Happens When You Read To Your Child

One of the greatest things to experience is watching a child develop. To see them grow from this little tiny infant to a child and then on to their teenage years is a miraculous event. One of the most important things that you can do with your child is to read to them. Not only does reading to them plant the seed for their continued interest in the written language it also is a special bonding time between parent and child. Reading aloud to your child has been known to have a calming effect on them. The next time that … Continue reading →

My Homeschool Schedule

I am often asked how I schedule my homeschool day. When I mention all my children will be studying and how many books they read a year, many think my kids must have a very long school day. On average our school day is five hours long. Here is a skeleton outline of my school schedule so you can see how to incorporate a variety of subjects and plenty of books into one school year. My year is divided into two semesters which are then divided into two quarters per semester for a total of 28 weeks. Daily: copywork (15 … Continue reading →