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Reading to children has been proven to provide all sorts of wonderful benefits. Not only is reading together a terrific bonding experience, regular practice actually boosts a child's brain development, lowers stress levels, improves vocabulary and logic skills and will increase their ability to empathize. Stories are also a great way to stimulate imagination and creativity. Colorful bedtime stories can pave the way to brand new ideas when they are filtered through your child's mind.
With all those perks, why wouldn't you read to your child? In fact, why not pull all you can out of story time. Rather than simply reading a chapter and putting the book away, take a portion of the story and act it out. Lingering on whimsical details and relating day to day activities to favorite books can be a lot of fun.
Practically any story can be used as a spring board to creative play. Using books for playtime is a great way to build skills without having to spend extra on entertainment.
Make finger puppets of the characters. Simple finger puppets can be made from paper, crayons and tape. Draw the character on a strip of paper and then tape it around your finger. Paper plate or paper bag puppets can also be used or you can simply use dolls and stuffed toys.
Eat what they are eating. Prepare a similar meal or snack as what the characters in the book are eating such as, jam and butter, soup, cookies,
Explore outdoors. Pretend to be in the same setting as the characters in the book. Ham it up for your child until they catch the drama bug.
Specific Stories and Activities
The Princess and the Pea
I don't know if my daughter loved the story, or acting it out more. After reading the story, we would pile up the couch cushions and then she would lie on top. Her "job" was to figure out if I had put a small ball in between the cushions or not. Even if there was a ball hidden every single time, she loved it. Of course, she also loved pretending to be a princess.
Aladdin
The storybook we had for this tale was only a short board book, but that hardly mattered. My kids took the part about the magic carpet and sailed away in their imaginations. Any throw rug will do. A neighbor boy stopped over while they were playing one day and was excellent on narrating the imaginary sights, that gave my kids a real creative boost.
Where the Wild Things Are
This story is fun to act out as you read it. Lots of pictures for inspiration along with the pauses in the story make it a perfect choice for a cranky afternoon. Somehow behaving like Max, or the Wild Things, helps cure the grumps.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Work on your child's memory skills while talking about this book during breakfast one day. Serve oatmeal and ask questions about the story. If your children are anything like mine, they will come up with creative answers and silly solutions to Goldilocks problems.
No Excuses - Help Children Learn to Live BEYOND labels
Recently a boy in my class told me he is ADHD. That information is fine in and of itself, but since he offered it as the reason why he continued to throw pieces of paper across the art room instead of working on the project, I was not as sympathetic. That led me to wonder if all the labels being tossed about are not damaging a child's potential.
It is one thing to give a child coping strategies, for example if they have dyslexia it can be helpful to learn how to handle learning situations. Not telling a child about dyslexia could cause them to feel stupid and not understand why they are struggling when everyone else is moving along fine.
Be careful how you talk about their problem though. I have known parents to completely excuse inappropriate behavior by offering a label as an excuse. Now, I am not expecting my girlfriend's autistic son to join in conversations, but I am talking about the kids who are set loose to wreak havoc under a blanket diagnosis.
Advocate, don't excuse
Sharing information about a learning disability or other problems a child is facing can be used to teach them how to advocate for themselves. If a child cannot focus when sitting in the back of a classroom, they should know to ask to be moved up front rather than telling the teacher they can't pay attention because they are ADHD.
Correct bad attitudes
People across the world deal with difficulties everyday. Come alongside your child to help them see and understand the hurdles they have to face without falling into a victim mentality. If you find your child is succumbing to excuses, work on that even before dealing with the problems at hand.
Unfortunately the mother of the paper throwing boy did not see a problem with his excuse. Instead she suggested I put him near a trash can so he can toss the whole period. If he had a severe problem I could see how this solution might work, but this child plays organized sports and is simply allowed to misbehave when it suits him, using ADHD as an excuse.
Focus on strengths, not weaknesses
Avoid using their weaknesses as the main topic of conversation. Children are much more than their disability. If your child is a very slow reader, introduce books on tape. Help them focus on their own strengths not only so they can navigate through education, but manage socially as well. If they know they come on too strong, talk to close, they can work on positive baby steps.
Stop protecting and start preparing
Protecting a child from every social situation and letting them skip anything remotely difficult in order to keep them happy is not the best strategy in the long run. I do home-school, but not so that I can shield my children from people, but so I can prepare them to handle themselves in a wide variety of situations.
Keep talking, keep learning
Every child is different, not only should you have age-appropriate conversations with your children about their disability but keep it matter of fact. Kids process information differently and may blame themselves for not being perfect. Normalizing differences is better than treating your child as if she is "broken."
Children with disabilities of all kinds should not be limited by their labels. Learn all you can about the problem at hand, but do not let that stop you from encouraging your child to go above and beyond "the label."
Get fit, Stay Safe: Tips to keep your workout uneventful
Now that the weather is taking a turn for the better, you may be more inclined to jump on your bike, or lace up your running shoes. While it is important to stay active, staying safe is an even bigger priority. Wearing a bike helmet is not the only safety gear an outdoor exerciser needs to consider.
Get fit, and stay safe by being aware and knowing what to do in case of emergency. Consider the following tips before hitting the road.
Plan a route - Know where the path you are on leads. It should go without saying that you should avoid deserted areas, dark alleys or other dangerous locations, but I have found myself in some not so nice areas simply because I didn't plan ahead. If you do wind up in an unfamiliar area, stay in more populated, well lit areas and make note of street names and landmarks.
More tips here ...Keep your workout uneventful
Use the buddy system - A great way to increase your safety quotient is to bring a friend along. Make plans to meet regularly at the same time for a bike ride or run. If you would rather go by yourself, at least tell someone where you are planning on going.
Dress to stay visible - Black may be slimming, but if you are headed out for an early morning run, add colors and reflective gear to your outfit. Blinking lights, headlights for your bike, neon jacket or other items will make you more visible to drivers.
Wear safety gear - Make wearing a bike helmet as much as a habit as putting on your seat belt. Distracted drivers are everywhere, even in your own neighborhood. I'll admit to balking at the idea of wearing a helmet, but after shopping around found one I not only like, but will wear!
Go the right direction - In general you should jog against traffic so you can keep an eye on the oncoming traffic. On the other hand, follow the flow of traffic if you are riding a bike.
Pay attention - Stay alert throughout your ride or run. If you like to run with music, only use one ear bud. The more aware you are the less vulnerable you are.
If you see the same vehicle pass by more than once, make note of the license plate and description of the vehicle. Start considering an escape route for a worst case scenario.
Take note of the people around you. Don't be afraid to turn and look so that they know you are aware of their presence. No need to be overly social or even friendly.
Keep a safe distance from thick bushes, parked cars and buildings when running, especially if you are out at dusk or night.
Do not stop to give directions, tell someone the time, or answer any questions. Use your discretion of course, but you are safer while moving.
Trust your gut - I have been in situations where every alarm in my body starts going off. When that happens, your best bet is to move quickly. Remove yourself from whatever danger, even if it is unknown, immediately.
These tips are not meant to discourage you from exercising outdoors, only give you food for thought while planning your runs or bike rides. Simply prepare and take necessary precautions in order to stay safe while getting fit.
Lightening Fast Japanese by Carolyn Woods
I have always wanted to learn a new language....well, not always - Spanish class in high school did not bring out the best in me - I was more concerned about watching certain someone ..  I passed, two years of Spanish and very little to show for it
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Anyone with a job, or who wants a job, knows that learning does not stop when you graduate. Staying on top of changing industries, legal requirements and new products is a continual process that is handled most efficiently via online learning courses.
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Bright colors are a hot trend for summer. Wearing bold hues will give you a visual lift. Choose your favorite skittle color and catch the rainbow
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I am in the middle of an excellent new book on the brain of all things. The Braverman Brain Advantage by Dr. Eric Braverman.
The Director of the PATH Medical Center and bestselling health author is Dr. Eric Braverman. He is known as "America's Brain Doctor" and has dedicated his life to helping his patients get their life back by reversing the aging process as the years pass by. He does this through a variety of ways, including hormone replacement therapy, supplementation, and changes in diet
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Easter is a fun holiday for little ones. Not only is the weather typically warming up around this time of year; people hide colorful plastic eggs full of candy! The annual egg hunt can lead to a variety of interesting learning games. If you do not want to wait, simply gather your collection of plastic eggs and get started today!
Reinforce skills with plastic eggs for preschoolers
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Whether you are a life long athlete, or a complete newbie to exercise adding one more stop to your routine can make a big difference. A NYC chiropractor can be the perfect partner in your quest to a fitter, healthier you.
Benefits of Chiropractic care
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Suppose, just suppose, one hundred elephants come to tea and you discover you don't have any tea bags.
Uh, oh. What will you do with a herd of thirsty elephants?
Now that's a worry!
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Comment by Sylvie
on F is for Free
Always Learning
Body Mad
Sylvie a la mode
Theresa...that is funny! Yay FREE!