Ghost Afraid of the Dark by Alex Willmore and Sara Conway

This sweet book is a spooky take on facing your fears. Your kids will love it because not only are the characters cute, but the cover glows in the dark!

Trick or Treat by Roald Dahl

What better way to introduce your kids to the wonderful world of Roald Dahl than with a Halloween themed lift the flap book? This is a great choice for some of our littlest readers. 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s First Fall by Eric Carle

It’s your familiar, favorite character discovering everything that there is to love about fall. With Eric Carle’s beautiful artwork, this is a great one to pick up for the pictures alone. 

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles Shulz

We are big fans of the Peanuts gang and this special has been a staple in our home each October. Being able to pick up a copy of the story in board book form was a great treat because our kids can now enjoy the story any time of year. 

Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago 

In this story Gustavo struggles to make friends and eventually realizes that it’s because no one can see him. We love this story because this is such a relatable experience for a lot of kiddos out there and it shows them that they are not alone. 

The Little Ghost Who was a Quilt by Riel Nason and Byron Eggenschwiler

This is an endearing story about self acceptance. This little ghost isn’t covered in a bedsheet but a quilt instead. All the little ghost sees is what is bad about being covered with a quilt instead of a sheet until one night when the thing that makes him different makes him amazing too. 

The Most Boring Book Ever by Brandon Sanderson and Kazu Kibuishi

If anyone takes a glance at this cover, I think that you can surmise that this picture book is going to be anything but boring. This is a story about an ordinary boy having an ordinary day until an epic adventure finds him waiting. 

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

Mythical creatures, magic, battles and secrets are just a bit of what the first book in this new fantasy series has to offer. Not only is the story fast paced and interesting, but it’s also filled with illustrations of the mythical creatures and places which is sure to keep the reader intrigued. (Ages 10 and up)

Percy Jackson & the Olympians – The Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan

This is the newest book in the Percy Jackson series. In order to obtain his college recommendation letters, he is pet-sitting for the gods during Halloween week. Cue the shenanigans. (Ages 10 and up)

Babysitting Nightmares by Kat Shepherd

The Babysitting Nightmares series tackles a bit of everything that goes bump in the night. Each book tackles a different paranormal event that centers around the babysitting job one of the girls is working. This series feels like Nancy Drew meets The Bailey School kids. (Ages 8 and up)

 

By Emily Widolff,
owner of Never-Ending Stories
Be sure to check out their October Boo Box, now available for preorder.

Click here to visit Never-Ending Stories book store!

The post 10 Books to Fall For This October appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

As an education consultant, I found myself overwhelmed this summer with email after email from parents with a similar request: “My child is struggling with reading. Please help.”

Each plea tugged at my heartstrings. In addition to these clients, my phone buzzed with close friends whom I’d assumed had their children’s literacy skills–reading, writing, speaking, and listening–under control. But their children, like so many others across the country, are experiencing the long-term impacts of COVID-19 that go beyond physical and mental health.

Our nationwide literacy problem is nothing new. For nearly 20 years, student literacy has been an urgent discussion in the education community. The widening learning gaps have been attributed to excessive absences among teachers and students and the emotional trauma brought on by the stress and anxiety of going to school during the pandemic.

Multi-state licensed therapist and clinical social worker Alexis Young says that while schools sought to use technology to bridge the educational gap during the pandemic, there has been a drastic increase in anxiety and inability to focus because of overexposure to online programming and social media.

When I first meet with new clients, I always remind them: “You are the first teacher your child ever had. Let’s talk about how you can teach literacy at home.”

While many parents are open to working with their children, they are unsure how to begin. They also wonder how to fit teaching literacy into their already busy schedules. As a single mother, I can relate. I spent several years figuring out how to navigate my role as a parent, high school teacher, and business owner. To my delight, my young son played a vital role in helping me develop a plan that strengthened our family and jump-started his literacy.

One of the greatest misconceptions is that literacy has to look a certain way–specific terminology, well-structured lessons, and rigid thinking processes. Literacy should and can fit into our normal lifestyle with ease. Here are a few ways to integrate literacy into your daily family life.

First, know your child’s reading level–often available through standardized and other reading tests given at school–so you can provide the best literacy support possible. If your child’s school does not provide such information, community-based literacy centers may be able to provide assessments.

Start a Family Book Club

When people think of book clubs, Oprah Winfrey’s famous book picks or a group of older women sipping wine and reading the latest popular novel may come to mind. However, book clubs are a growing trend that can benefit everybody, including parents and their children.

I’ve encouraged many parents to start a book club in their homes. It is one of the easiest ways to identify your children’s literacy problems and create a literacy culture in the home. If your children are around the same age, have them vote on one book each week or month for the entire family to read. If there is a wider age gap, select a theme or holiday within the month and choose books based on that theme for each age and reading level. Then, select a day for the family to discuss the books. To get the discussion rolling, try writing questions on slips of paper and placing them in an empty fishbowl or other container.

In addition to cultivating a culture of literacy at home, books offer a great way for parents to talk about subjects that affect children without the discussion feeling too uncomfortable. Want to talk about bullying and self-confidence? Consider the children’s book Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell. Looking for a way to discuss depression and peer pressure with your teens? Check out Holly Bourne’s The Manifesto on How to be Interesting.

Cook New Recipes As a Family

When I was still teaching full time, I used to come home exhausted in the evenings. I had three missions: spend quality time with my son, prepare dinner, and get ready for bed. The “quality time” goal always seemed to slip just out of reach. As I cooked, my son watched television, played learning games on his tablet, or scribbled in a coloring book at the table. After dinner, bath time and preparing for bed zapped what little energy I had left.

But this cycle shifted when my son was two. One evening, he pulled his step stool up to the counter next to me and asked if he could help cook dinner. His inquiry had me so befuddled that I stumbled around trying to figure out what a toddler could do in the kitchen. That first night, we experimented with stirring, grabbing ingredients from the refrigerator, and looking at recipes together.

I soon realized that making cooking a family experience encouraged vocabulary enhancement and comprehension–two essential literacy components. My son responded well to identifying objects, learning to read easy labels on food, and using cooking language. I used index cards to label different objects in the kitchen. Each evening, I would take a few minutes to review the labels before we cooked dinner. Eventually, he practiced the words on his own and used them in conversations.

This kind of labeling does not have to be relegated to the kitchen. Try labeling toy boxes and other items in all of your rooms. The extra benefit of this tactic is that it does not require constant direct engagement to be effective. Children connect words with items through repetitive exposure, sound, and phonetic recognition.

Our fun and success with family nights in the kitchen inspired my son and me to write a cookbook entitled Cooking with Mom to encourage other families to spend time together. Our book shares tips for parents to engage their children in cooking and teach kitchen safety. My son, now seven, has enjoyed his learning experience so much that our book has led to speaking engagements and a YouTube channel called Cooking with Fam.

Make Libraries Great Again

Libraries are one of the most underused places for free literacy resources and activities, yet they are the foundation of literacy and intellectual stimulation for learners of all ages. In a world of social media and apps, libraries have sought to regain the attention of the crowd that used to pack their building for computer use, free magazine reading, story times, and other literacy-based activities.

While the internet is a hard market to compete with, the public library isn’t giving up–especially during a time when literacy support is needed more than ever. Reach out to your local library to discover all of the resources they provide, and discover what additional literacy assistance resources exist. Many community-based programs focus on literacy, parent engagement, and classroom intervention.

For many years, I believed children lacked interest in reading because other things were more appealing to them. But my philosophy on student literacy and learning evolved during my 13 years as a classroom teacher. I realized that the culture I established around reading, the patience I demonstrated, and how I implemented literacy strategies in my classroom, influenced my students. We discussed the meanings behind song lyrics, shared personal stories related to our school-selected texts and, most importantly, I showed my students how excited I was about reading. As a parent, I try to maintain the same passion for literacy with my son. Each night, we set aside time to read, and we like to watch movies that correlate with our books’ themes. It’s been amazing to listen to him make connections between the books we read and movies we watch.

Literacy is ingrained into everything we do–from learning how to use the latest social media platform to learning how to perform life-saving surgeries. My hope is that we continue to search for fun ways to shift literacy from strictly a school concern to a part of our daily family lifestyle.

The post Beyond ABCs at Home: Making Literacy Part of Your Family’s Lifestyle appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

In fact, Never–Ending Stories has rounded up some great books to help your little one ease back into school with some of their favorite characters and sweet stories. The following list contains some of our favorites for our Pre-K to Kindergarten groups and beyond. 

The Crayons Go Back to School
Drew Daywalt
This book is part of The Day the Crayons Quit series. Each crayon is excited about a different subject on their first day, but they all agree that they love art class! It explores the concept that school has a little something for everyone.

Here I Come Series
D.J. Steinberg
The ‘Here I Come’ series offers books for many different events in your child’s life. We particularly love the four books focused on starting a new school year. Each book features poems about the grade your child is going into (grades Preschool – Second grade) along with a page of stickers. Who doesn’t love stickers?

The Day You Begin
Jacqueline Woodson
This is a sweet story that tackles topics of diversity, inclusion and compassion. The author discusses how no two of us are exactly the same and there may be days where we feel different, but not to get discouraged. Through beautiful artwork the book encourages children to share what makes them unique and stay true to themselves.

A Letter From Your Teacher: On the First Day of School
Shannon Olsen
This heartwarming book is told through the form a letter from a teacher to their students on the first day of school. This letter (book) discusses all of the ways their teacher is there to help and support them academically and otherwise.

The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer (A Funny Thing Happened)
Davide Cali
Part of the ‘I Didn’t Do My Homework Because’ …. series, this book is one fun tall tale of a boy’s summer vacation that starts at the beach but quickly finds him globe-trotting,  treasure hunting and more. 

KINDERGARTEN: Where Kindness Matters Every Day
Vera Ahiyya
Designed to ease the nerves of new kindergarteners, this book is about a boy who is nervous to start school. His concerns are eased by a teacher that encourages their students to work together to create a kindness pledge to become the kindest classroom they can be. 

Never–Ending Stories is a local pop-up book shop owned by local momma Emily Widolff. She has two daughters, one of which is starting Kindergarten this fall. Find out more here.{nestoriescincy.com} }

The post Back-to-School Book Roundup appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

Click on the expand button at the far right in the video control bar to view the guide full screen.

The post Big Book of Schools, Winter 2024 appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

Click the full screen view icon in the lower right corner to view the guide in a larger view.

The post Big Book of Schools Fall 2023 appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

Your Kids’ Whole Success

Research shows that success is measured in more than just academics or your Intelligence Quotient (IQ). Your Emotional Quotient (EQ) also plays a factor in your success. This research has led to the push to support the whole child versus just academics. In fact, the state of Ohio created a Whole Child Framework stating, “Unless the whole child is considered and supported, the conditions for learning are less than optimal.” The Department of Education also recognizes the importance of the whole child and created Social Emotional Learning Standards. These standards were built following the CASEL model on social emotional learning that includes self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making.

SOCIALIZING AN ELEMENTARY CHILD

Extra-curricular activities provide a great way to socialize your child. They provide kids with an opportunity to work with others, follow directions from a coach, (with sports, for instance), problem solve when necessary and cope with loss.

• After-School Interests: Continue to follow your kids’ lead. Many high schools and local places such as West Chester Academy offer camps to try out different activities and sports. Also ask the parents of your kids’ peers what their kids are doing. Your child may enjoy trying out an activity with a friend.

• Supporting Success in School: Keep an open line of communication with your child’s teacher. King recommends doing activities such as cooking/baking with parents, sorting clothes, playing board games, etc. All of these activities at home can help build skills they can use at school. Another way to support your child is to check their grades together. If your child has an issue with an assignment or a question about an assignment, have them help you reach out to their teacher. You can initiate and model the contact, but let them be a part of it.

• Building and Maintaining Relationships: Build kids’ emotional skills and understand that sometimes kids have to feel their feelings for a bit and experience the discomfort, according to Russell.

“As parents, we want to fix everything and not watch our child go through this pain,” she continues.

Allowing your child to feel some of the discomfort will help them learn to process emotions that they may face in their relation- ships with peers.

SOCIALIZING OLDER KIDS

As your big kids prepare for their first job, you can review the important skills they will need to be successful at that job. You can begin by helping them practice these skills at home. Sports or other extracurricular activities are a great way for your kid to continue to build the social skills they will need post high school.

• After-School Interests: Kids are never too old to try something new! If your kid decides that they want to give a new sport or activity a try, sign them up.

• Supporting Success in School: Keep an open line of communication with your child and support them in navigating their education. Set up a time each week to sit down together and check their grades. If they have a question or concern, support them as they reach out to their teacher to ask their questions. Give your child the responsibility of contacting their teacher with your support so by the time they are off to post secondary school or work, they are confident to do it on their own.

• Building and Maintaining Relationships: The skills that your child is working on at this age are preparing them for their next step of entering the workforce or going to college. Before stepping in to solve or fix their relationship problems, push pause and ask yourself, “How can I provide support without taking over the situation?”

Keep in mind that every child reaches mile-stones at different rates and that includes skills in these areas. Continue to communicate with your child regardless of their age and ask them how you can support them – this just models maintaining a healthy relationship!

Resources:

Ohio’s Whole Child Framework; bit.ly/3QRxP42

Ohio Department of Education SEL Standards; bit.ly/3Ppdp1m

The post How to Support Your Whole Child appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

KINDERGARTEN

This year, your child will begin to develop a sense of independence and self-confidence. To ensure long-term academic success, foster resilience and a growth mindset.
    “Allow them to make mistakes, to keep trying and reward the effort not the action,” says Tara Walrod, a school counselor.
    For example, instead of telling your child how smart they are, you might say: “You worked so hard and did it by yourself!” 

Tips for success 

— Let your child practice buckling and unbuckling their seatbelt

— Have your child practice independently taking her jacket on and off

— Practice removing a backpack & unzipping it, too 

— Help your child recognize their name in writing

— Continue reading daily with your child

— Attend school orientation events like kindergarten round-up and sneak-a-peeks

— Foster fair play, winning and losing grace fully, and flexibility (like using colors that aren’t their first choice)

— By the second week of school, let your child walk into the school building on their own

— Encourage eating school lunch the first week to help them learn the ropes

— Each evening: Ask your child questions about his day. Ask, “What did you talk about during sharing time today?” and “Who did you eat lunch with?” 

— If you sense your child seems unhappy, check in with the teacher.

— Be sure your child has plenty of preschool prep

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Middle school can be challenging as kids adjust to multiple teachers, a larger school environment … and hormonal changes, too. For the most part, Dr. Jim McMullen —  a former middle school principal — says kids often manage the transition better than their parents expect. They go best especially when families take advantage of orientations to reduce apprehension.
    “Be there to support them and process with them at night and give advice. Kids pretty quickly become acclimated with the school and do really well,” McMullen says. 

Tips for success:

— Go over a map of the school 

— Practice unlocking locker combinations prior to school starting

— If your child will ride the bus, go over the schedule, rules and expectations 

— Encourage involvement in clubs and activities from arts to sports

— Prioritize reading and academics

— Check in daily with questions like: “Who is your favorite teacher?” “What are you working on in math?” “ What are the top three things you enjoyed at school today?”

— “What was one thing you didn’t enjoy?”

— What to watch for: Tune into your child’s social media use. 

“Parents have to know what their child is looking at and posting — and not gaining self-esteem from ‘Likes,’ but instead from moments at school,” Walrod says. 

HIGH SCHOOL 

As your child enters high school, they’ll begin to face more pressures related to time management, academics, extracurriculars and their social life. An active school life and a healthy support system is critical to your high schooler’s well-being.
    “Through high school, kids should love going to school, whether their connection is with their friends, teachers, athletic team, band or theater,” McMullen says. “Kids who are engaged do really well academically and socially.”

Tips for success:

— Attend tours, orientations and school events; engage with other parents

— Get involved at the school

— Prioritize reading and academics

— Encourage your teen to get involved by following their interests

— What to watch for: “We know that high school is a super stressful time for kids, so make sure they have strategies in place to calm anxieties and stress,” Walrod says.

— Begin researching higher education options between your child’s sophomore and junior year of high school 

Continue nurturing your relationship with your teen through conversation. Model and encourage stress management skills like deep breathing exercises. In addition, teach your kids to take quiet breaks and to disengage from social media from time to time.

COLLEGE

Plan visits to colleges or technical schools either the summer before the junior year of high school or during the junior year.
    “These visits are your first opportunity to get to know the school and see if it might be a good fit, and this will help narrow down the options,” says Alice Arredondo, Ed.D., director of admissions, University of Missouri Kansas City.
    The transition into college life can take about a year, as your student learns to live independently while managing their time between school work, their social life and other interests. 

Tips for success:

— During their senior year of high school, in exchange for responsible decision-making, remove their curfew

— Let them live independently at home

— Discuss how to manage money and the pros and cons of credit cards, which is one of the first ways college freshmen get into financial trouble

— Remind your child their family is available whenever they need support or feel overwhelmed

— Create expectations about how often you will touch base with each other

— Foster a sense of openness to all types of conversations, no matter how difficult 

— Check in with your child every few days

— Text supportive messages 

— Understand that they may not return your call right away

— What to watch for: “If you notice that your child isn’t responding to any messages, seems depressed or anxious when you call, experiences significant weight changes or seems overly stressed,  take the
time to see them in-person to better assess the situation,” Arredondo says. “A small dose of these
things may be normal during the college transition, but excessive deviations from who you know your child to be should be concerning.”

   If your student hasn’t signed a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html (FERPA) waiver, you won’t be able to access his grades or finances. In addition, you can ask academic advisers or campus health offices to check on your young adult, but they won’t be able to provide information back without a waiver.
    “This is why it’s important to establish an open line of communication with your child before they leave for college,” Arredondo says.

READ MORE ABOUT EDUCATION IN THE 2023 BIG BOOK OF SCHOOLS

The post Managing School Transitions from K – College appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

Click the full screen view icon in the lower right corner to view the guide in a larger view.

The post Big Book of Schools, Spring 2023 edition appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

Volunteering for ‘Tweens and Teens

Hundreds of youth volunteer opportunities exist all around us. As with adults, what kids get out of the experience depends largely on the time, effort and commitment they make. Choosing commitments wisely will increase the chances of a positive experience both for the kids and the people they serve.

Generally, the older the child, the more options that are open to her. Few organizations use children younger than 13. Parents of younger children who want them to experience the benefits of volunteering should look for situations where they can volunteer with the child or for special family day projects.

Before rushing to the internet to start emailing organizations, you and your teen should discuss what it means to volunteer. “A teen’s commitment to volunteer is also a commitment for the parent,” says Nicole Ozer, a youth volunteer director. “If they are going to depend on you for transportation, their volunteering is going to impact your time.” Plus for school credit, they will need to log their time served.

Help your son or daughter determine a realistic number of hours that he can serve. “The number of hours is less important than following through on the commitment, showing up on time when you are expected and having a good attitude,” says Susie Hodges, a youth program manager. Planned absences for family vacations usually aren’t a problem, but the agency needs to know about them in advance.

Making the Call

Some prime volunteer internships such as those at the zoo or  fill up fast. Students interested in these opportunities should start calling about them early on. Less exotic opportunities in libraries, hospitals, nursing homes, tutoring programs and day camps fill more slowly, but by May kids should be on their way to exploring the possibilities.

The initial call to an agency can make or break your child’s chance to volunteer there. “I know programs where they automatically eliminate the child if the parent calls,” says Susie Hodges. “They figure if the kid isn’t mature enough to call herself, then she isn’t mature enough for their program.” Starting the conversation with, “My school says I have to do [some number] hours of community service to graduate” is another turn off.

Agencies are concerned that they will spend time to train students only to have them quit as soon as they fulfill the requirement. “The world is a lot nicer in nonprofit organizations than it is in junior high and high school,” says Nicole Ozer. “Kids who volunteer are more accepting, and volunteering is a good way to meet new people who go to different schools and to get a feel for what the adult world is like.”

Tish Davidson is a freelance writer.

Volunteering for ‘Tweens and Teens

Matthew 25 Ministries 

11060 Kenwood Rd., Blue Ash, Ohio 45242 (513) 793-6256

Matthew 25 is an international humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization. Volunteers can sort and package donated goods. Kids 16 and under are welcome as long as they have an adult to child ratio match.

Ronald McDonald House Charities 

350 Erkenbrecher Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229 (513) 636-7642

The Ronald McDonald House houses families of children receiving life-saving medical care in Cincinnati. Families can help prepare and serve a meal or help with day to day operations.

Hope’s Closet 

332 Dayton St., Hamilton, OH 45011 (513) 7733-4018

Help organize the clothing closet, sort and inventory donations.

Hands Against Hunger 

A Child’s Hope International, 2430 E. Kemper Rd., Cincinnati OH 45241 (513) 771-2244 

Saturday “packing sessions” are a great way to get the whole family involved in this worthwhile service organization.

Habitat for Humanity Cincinnati

4910 Para Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45237 (513) 721-4483 x2

Numerous opportunities for teens include helping with store and construction.

Cincinnati Nature Center 

4949 Tealtown Rd, Milford, OH 45150 (513) 831-1711

Teens age 13-17 can participate in helping with a river clean up, all while learning about conservation.

The American Red Cross 

2111 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45207 (513) 579-3000

The Red Cross equips volunteers with materials, training, and support.  Youth will need to fill out an application and then will be paired will local volunteer opportunities.

Local Assisted Living Facilities

‘Tweens and Teens your time reading to seniors, playing board games,  create crafts, painting nails, etc.  When my daughter was younger, she loved to go to our local senior center and performing magic tricks and playing musical instruments for the residents.

Your Local Animal Shelter

Bake homemade dog treats to donate to the shelter, make and donate dog or cat toys, or volunteer to walk dogs alongside a responsible adult.

It’s a good idea to contact the organizations before planning to volunteer to verify age requirements, complete paperwork, and get days/times approved.

The post Volunteering for ‘Tweens and Teens appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

WHAT IS READING LOSS?

Reading loss happens easily as texts get more difficult. Kids can easily get behind if they are not reading during long summer months, or they are learning at home and not matching up with curriculum taught at school. It takes extra effort to get back on track. 

“Reading truly does affect all academic areas of a child’s education,” says Maria Balfour, a reading specialist in Fairfield, Ohio. “Reading is required to perform well in other content areas such as math, science and social studies.”

Getting behind in reading can suddenly lead to a snowball effect as it continues to get harder and harder every year, becoming more demanding as the school year progresses.

“From year to year, reading materials will increase in difficulty across subject areas, so it is very important to meet benchmarks each year,” says Balfour.”

LOVING TO READ

So how can you realistically help your kids squeeze in reading day-to-day? We’ve heard it all: read to them every night. Set an alarm for 20 minutes of reading per day. Read before breakfast, etc. Unfortunately, this isn’t always realistic for every family, if you put forth all of your effort, it can be done.

“There is definitely a shortage of time for many families,” says Balfour. “I think it’s about finding little spaces to incorporate reading, whether it’s having your child read to you in the car on the way to practice or reading together as you wait for an appointment.”

And when you can, blocking out that time to read together is good not only for learning, but for bonding time, too. Of course, blocking out time to read with your child is always great. You can take turns reading to each other or even read out loud together, for example.

“When my children were younger, they always wanted to stay up past their bedtime. I would tell them that as long as they were reading, they could have 15 extra minutes,” Balfour says. 

ASSESSING YOUR KIDS

So is your child behind and how do you know? Evidence of background knowledge is a good place to begin, according to Karen Clemons, K – 6 curriculum manager at Cincinnati Public Schools.

“Look at what background knowledge the child has and make sure that they are able to produce simple sounds,” Clemons explains. “And if they are able to do those two things – that will increase their vocabulary and for them to be able to read and understand more complex words depending on their grade level.”

Also, communicate with your child’s teacher to know what is expected of him at school, and from there, you can work at home.

THE HOME ENVIRONMENT

According to Clemons, most materials you need are already where you live.

Embedding learning into the home as early as age 3 or 4 can help your child become a good reader. Spend a little time each day with your kids and work with their letters and sounds. This “simple” task may seem daunting at first, but if you think about it as a “To Do” on your weekly calendar and add it to your daily routine, it will become something that doesn’t feel like a chore to do.

“The more you can find time to read with your child or encourage your child to read at home, the faster gaps will close,” suggests Balfour.

STAY INFORMED

It’s important for parents to stay informed with what is going on in their kids’ school and whether or not they are meeting their benchmarks. Check with your district and communicate with your kids’ teacher as often as possible to see where your kid is. Students are assessed in phonics and fluency through standardized tests for reading comprehension beginning in second grade. Other activities and assessments will occur throughout the year to help measure your kids’ progression.

“This tells us where students fall compared to their peers with reading skills,” says Balfour.  “Scores from all of these assessments are shared with parents, as well as the benchmarks for these assessments.”

GETTING BACK ON TRACK

The good news is, getting back on track is doable. With accelerated learning in the classrooms and a little push and shove at home, your child can start right where they left off and excel. Normalize reading by making it a priority to model it yourself.

 “I had to calendar it as a meeting and I had to take it seriously,” Clemons says. “A lot of times with parents working full-time, it’s more than a notion to say that I’m going to go home, I have a family, I have dinner to prepare, the kids might have sports and now I’m going to go read a book at 10 o’clock at night – it’s just not realistic.”

BRING IN IMAGINATION

This is where creativity comes into play. Have a book on-hand at all times – anytime you have that “in between” time during your kids’ practice, for example, squeeze in some reading time. Once you model that to your children, they will see that you too have time to read. Even swapping out TV time for reading time is another trick which also models a balance between tech (social media) and reading. Time spent on tech can easily take away independent reading time for you and for you to be reading to your kids. However, if you must, there are great reading apps and programs that can work to you and your kids’ benefit. Keeping the balance is key.

“You can also use that time on their devices for their reading,” says Clemons. “There are different tech pieces that incorporate reading. There are a lot of learning games they can use that are structured and are aligned with Ohio Curriculum standards that can also be used as a tech tool and a reading tool as well.”

READ ON!

According to educators virtually everywhere, helping your kids love to read is one of the most important things you can do. Here’s how:

MAKE IT FUN!

• Read with a snack

• Read in bed

• Have them read to a sibling

• Record your child reading, then have him listen in!

• Find a series of books they’ll love (let your child choose)

• Talk about what you’re reading

• Read outloud to them from infancy on

• Be patient and persistent

The post Win the Reading Battle appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.