The Reading Railroad is a free newsletter for parents, caregiver's and teachers.
Fun reading ideas & activities for preshool and primary grade children
Learn to Ride a Bike How to teach your child to ride a bike in less then two hours
without getting hurt!
1. How to Avoid Your Child Being Stressed
2. How to Use the Computer as a Learning Tool
3. Why Buy Expensive Toys?
4. Book of the Month
5. Fun Online Safe Sites for Kis
6. March Winner of the Car Train Drawing
HOW TO AVOID YOUR CHILD BEING STRESSED
{!name}, last issue I mentioned the site, Mamasource, where mothers ask questions and share advice with other Moms who live in their area. Over the last month I have been reading the posts and responding to some. There has been a pattern emerging amongst parents' concerns for their kids after they enter kindergarten because their child(red) are showing signs of being stressed - bed wetting, hitting their siblings, unexpected angry outbursts.
Stress has become so prevelant that now there is a name for it, Child Stress
Who is causing the stress? Parents? Teachers? Yes, it is their expectations that put stress on the kids. So how about stepping back and allowing our child to be a child!
Teacher's and parents have high learning expectations for such young children. There just doesn't seem to be a need for children to be made to learn something that they are not ready to learn. Your child has a natural learning internal clock called Developmental Readiness. For instance, some kids teach themselves to read at 3 yrs old while others learn to read at 8 years old. Whenever they begin to read, there is a leveling field by the time the children reach their 9th birthday.
The positive comments that have been privately emailed to me from readers of Mamasource in response to my comments have been astounding. So I would like to take this time to pass on my wisdom and experience here today...
You are your children's advocate. You are the only one on this earth that is there to protect them, to make a stand for their greatness. Don't allow anyone to diminish the best of who they are.
Your job is to be their biggest cheerleader. Put the criticism, judgment and expectations in a box, close the lid, but a lock on it, and throw the box in the garbage. Remember the saying, Garbage in, garbage out!
So what does this have to do with reading? EVERYTHING! The more confidence your child has the more s/he will be able to access their natural intelligence and succeed.
HOW TO USE THE COMPUTER AS A LEARNING TOOL
You can't get away from it, the computer is here to stay, or at least until another invention takes over. So the question is how to turn this new "boob tube" into a learning tool? And once your child begins school, yes even in the kindergarten, they are going to be expected to learn on the computer. There is a name for it, believe it or not... computer literacy. So let's give them a head start.
You can begin with your toddler as soon as they are ready to maneuver the mouse (notice I said when THEY ARE READY) by putting aside very short periods of time to supervise their activities. There are excellent, safe websites where you will find interactive, learning resources.
Online play is a great way for kids to learn how to use the computer and start to learn to read by seeing the letters and sentences along with a visual picture that tells them what to do or a voice over that tells them where to point their mouse and gives directions. Web pages and many games can help kids with pre-reading skills such as letter and number recognition, while Web games can introduce memory skills and spatial concepts like "over" and "under."
Computer tips for helping your child enjoy early learning activities.
First, preview a site and the games that they offer before you and your child use the computer. Names of sites can be deceiving. Play the game 1st or engage in the activity.
Engage in a conversation with your child as s/he manipulates the game. Participating with your child is most important because this helps them to develop communication skills.
Give your child room to explore and learn. You will grasp onto the game immediately, but your child will not. Learning is a process. Success is not always necessary. You be their cheerleader. Let your child figure out what the responses.
Allow your child to go at his/her own pace. What's most important is that your child is enjoying the learning process, feels free to ask questions and has time to figure out what to do.
Limit online time to the most, 15 minutes per session, only twice a day. There are so many other learning experiences that your child can engage in during the day.. like playing outside, looking at ants, seeing the birds, splashing in puddles.
WHY BUY EXPENSIVE TOYS?
This video says it all....Why Buy Expensive Toys. This is one of the most heartfelt, funny videos. I have seen in a long time.
With beautiful oil paintings illustrate young Abraham Lincoln as an aspiring scholar and orator: "Reading took last place in Abraham's day, but it was always first place in his heart." Farnsworth writes of Lincoln's world in sundappled trees that offer shade when he reads his books after a hard-working day.
This is a beautiful book.Children will be able to experience Lincoln as a young man as well as the expressions used during those times. Ages 6-12.
FUN ONLINE SAFE SITES FOR KIDS
Using the mouse and playing games on the computer foster hand-eye coordination and visual acutiry, so don't think that this is a waste of time. I taught my 3-year old grandson to play solataire and that is how he learned to count backwards.
The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis
has science related online games.
Mom and Kids Playground at Fun Brain has easy, mouse-driven games for children under age 6. They foster hand-eye coordination and visual acuity, and some reinforce important concepts such as counting. Other kid-friendly sites include:
PBSkids is one of my favorite sites for kids of all ages. It is supported by the Public Broadcasting Service.
Sesame Street has games plus more from the children's TV show.
MARCH WINNER OF THE CAR TRAIN DRAWING
1. Judy signed up on 12/20/07 at 10:26pm . Lucky #94
It pays to confirm and keep your subscription.
Congratulations Judy!
