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Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category.
Bilingual Babies May Be Brainier
New research is showing that babies who grow up in a bilingual household develop more brain power than children who don’t. This short video presents the information and provides suggestions for exposure to an additional language for children who don’t happen to be part of a bilingual family!
Watch the Video Bilingual Babies may be Brainier
Getting Kids to Read
Getting Kids to Read…..Sometimes it seems as easy as finding the Holly Grail. Let me start by saying I am officially a Book Worm. I learned to read when I was 3 years old and since then I have spent my life reading just about everything I can get my hands on. I love books and I am subscribed to a couple dozen magazines from business, to parenting, to light reading. I just crave information.
So when I had kids, I started envisioning lazy days just sitting on the sofa with the whole family reading. Well, that dream didn’t last long. My kids just did not like to read. They would read the minimum required by homework, and that was it. I spent money on books and time at the library picking different types of books and different authors hoping that I would find the “right book” that would just awaken their love of reading. All my efforts failed. That is until we found Rick Riordan. He has written a series called Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Think Harry Potter but instead of the kids being children of Sorcerers and Witches, they are children of the Greek Gods. The books are amazing. The adventures are so much fun, and the kids learn all about greek mythology in such a fun way that they don’t realize they are learning. They are also easy to read. So even young children who have already mastered the reading of chapter books, can easily transition to these books.
My 9 year old son was the first to start reading them. Then, I joined him and we read the first 4 books of the series in a matter of days. Then my 7 year old daughter started browsing one of the books and she also got hooked. I have to say these books changed my children’s lives. They went from thinking reading is boring, to thinking reading is absolutely wonderful, and to understanding that books are the doors to all sort of magical worlds. So if you are looking for a way of getting your kids to read, I would recommend you try these books. And be prepared, because once they start reading these books, they won’t want to do anything else but read. These books are just absolutely engaging. The first 4 books of the series are:
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)
The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2)
The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3)
The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4)
But hurry up because the 5th book is coming out in May. Our dilemma in our house is who will get to read it FIRST!
Spatial
Get Spatial Smart with these Resources
Children’s Art Galleries. This online arts festival includes a list of art galleries online to which kids can contribute their art for display.
Invention Dimension. Invention site for older students sponsored by MIT. Includes links to other invention sites for kids.
People
Get People Smart with these resources
Do Something. Learn how to help others while building relationships with peers.
Music
Get Logic Smart with these Resources
Berklee College of Music. Have you ever wondered about potential careers in Music? This site lists a wide variety of careers in music and sound and has helpful descriptions of the different kinds of jobs.
Logic
Get Logic Smart with these Resources
Lissa explains. Lissa started this site when she was 11 years old to show kids how easy it is to build their own web pages and web sites.
Word
Get Word Smart with these Resources
Arrak Anagrams. Get help if you are stuck solving an anagram or you are trying to create new ones.
Self
Get Self Smart with these Resources
National Network for Child Care. An Internet source of over 1000 publications and resources related to child care with emphasis on Self Esteem.
Body
Get Body Smart with the Resources
Building Big. Activities that let you experiment with building different structures including a dome, tunnel, and bridge.
