Ask yourselves, "Who is better at this???"
Before my husband and I got married, we went through a trial of premarital counseling. One thing that we learned was figuring out who was good at what so that we were at a better understanding of our...
View ArticleWhen Do You Need a Break???
So... you are reading with your child and you just don't have it today. Just admit it, you're grumpy. Your boss has annoyed you, you have a deadline to meet, dinner is still not prepared, and your...
View Article"If you're a slacker, you're just going to get slacker results." -Serena...
Are you honest with your child? Would you tell your child that they didn't do so well? Are you willing to be the bearer of bad news? You should be. You should never allow your baby to settle for...
View ArticleLET THEM STRUGGLE!!!
Any parent watching their child struggle would naturally help, right? WRONG! Not with reading. A child must figure things out on their own when learning this skill. It is important to know what...
View ArticleLook at the Pictures!!!
Okay, so... have you been reading with your child, and you are SO READY for it all to be over, but they are taking their precious little time looking at every single detail of the pictures on the page!...
View ArticleStay Engaged
Hmmm... What do I mean when I use the word engaged? Engaged has two meanings. The first meaning is to be busy or occupied. And of course, the other meaning is to formally agree to become married to...
View ArticleTrust
Why Your Child Needs to Trust You Your child needs to trust that you will be patient with them. Learning to read can be a bumpy journey. Adding impatience to this journey can be toxic. Your child...
View ArticleChange Positions
So, you're reading with your child and they begin to move. I don't mean fidget, I mean full on upright standing position. What do you do?!?!?!!? Easy. Let them do it. It is okay if your child...
View ArticleBlends and Digraphs
"You teach your students that?" said a lovely woman that I met at a bridal shower. Sadly, I don't remember her name. But, I most definitely remember my response. "Well...isn't that a part of...
View ArticleBe Spontaneous!
As we all know, children need consistency. It is the natural order of things. Without consistency and daily norms, your child will probably be harder to discipline, tame, and teach. Regardless of...
View Article"Patience, Grasshopper..."
Anybody know where that phrase comes from? A 70's TV show called, "Kung Fu!" I chose this quote to be the title of today's post, but I wanted to know where it came from so... I surfed the Net to...
View ArticleWait for it...Wait for it...Yaaaaaaaay!
In teaching, we have something called, "Wait Time." This is the allotted time that you give your students to think about something before they answer a question. For example, if I pose a question to...
View ArticleThe Power of Touch...
What does a hug, kiss on the forehead, high fives, a simple stroke of the hair, rubs on the back, and taking your child's hand and guiding it as they read have in common? They are all little pieces of...
View Article"By any means necessary..." -Malcolm X
If you don’t know who Malcolm X is…Google him. So… last summer I was talking to my sister about my nephew, Bradley, learning the alphabet. Bradley was 3 at the time. Although he was able to recognize...
View ArticleHelp Them Out a Little!
Blends, digraphs, blah… blah… blah… So, I know that I already wrote a post on blends and digraphs, right? I don’t really remember. I actually wrote most of these posts over the summer of 2015, so I...
View ArticleWhat a Smile of Reassurance Can Do
Why do we smile? We smile when we are happy. We smile when we are nervous. We smile when we are embarrassed. Honestly, sometimes I smile when I'm sad. Is that weird? Something that you should...
View ArticleWhen is it Time to Move On?
So… I know it’s been a while, but I recently started a new gig at an amazing school and I have been making my new placement a priority. BUT… since I have the time (It’s Fall Recess), I want to touch...
View ArticleIT'S A LETTER HUNT!
Working in my new position as a Transitional Kindergarten teacher, I think of new ways to keep the kiddos engaged with books despite their inability to read or recognize letters. Remember, literacy...
View ArticleCRACKING THE CODE
The ability to “decode” means that a child knows how to say the letter sounds while reading. The thought of this is exciting, right? Yes! Of course, it is. BUT, you must understand something…...
View ArticleMAKE THE TIME!!
First of all, I’m not even supposed to be posting on The Blog until later on this month. But, I was surprisingly inspired to write from a topic that came out of nowhere. So… I’m watching NBA Gametime...
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