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. A Personal Message from Madeline
2. 3 Reading Tips for Parents
3. Kids Book Ideas for the Holidays
4. Free Road Trip Games
5. September, October, November Winners of the Car Train Drawing
6. Backissues of the Reading Railroad
Happy Holidays
It has not been 5 yrs since the 1st Reading Railroad was published. I honor you for your commitment to making a positive difference in childrens, grandchildrens and students lives. That is the greatest gift you can give to a child.
During the holiday season we seem to get wrapped up in giving physical presents instead of realizing that the most precious gift we give to young minds occurs daily with our listening, communication and loving care.
And that is what I have attempted to accomplish with this free ezine... imparting the learnings and wisdom that has been past on to me thru my parents, teachers and mentors. Thank you for making it possible.
Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, joyous, healthy holiday and New Year.
Madeline Binder
3 Reading Tips for Parents
When a child is learning to read, it is important to focus on his or her successes. A study showed that when you compliment the success the areas that give a child challenges will decrease. So compliment the behavior. Be very specific, and ignore the mistakes. I strongly urge you to NOT correct your child or make him or her wrong.
That was a great attempt at figuring out that word. Yes, the word you said does make sense in the sentence.
You are very clever to look at the picture to figure out what the author wrote in the sentence. And you did it! You figured out the word from the picture. Give me 5. (Hold out your hand and give a one hand light slap to your child's hand.)
I am sooo proud of you!
Kids Book Ideas for the Holidays
Books are my favorite gift to give to kids and adults because they become treasured gifts that are passed on from generation to generation. Here are a couple of favorites.
Once there was a The Little Fir Tree
growing all alone in an open field. He was lonely being far away from the other trees of the forest. But one day, a gentle man dug him up and brought him home to his little son, who could not walk. After Christmas the father returned the tree to the forest, but one day he did not come and dig up the tree because... 3 - 6 yrs old.
You are probably familiar with the author, Margaret Wise Brown, who wrote Goodnight Moon.
Letter on the Wind: A Chanukah Tale is a beautiful retelling a Jewish folktale is a story about faith. The illustrations are formatted in a palette of exquisite blues, purples and black with spashes of color.
This small gem will be an excellent addition to holiday collections.
The Seven Days Of Kwanzaa
is a fun introduction for young children to the celebration of Kwanzaa. Complete with vibrant illustrations and simple facts that tell the history and importance of this original African-American holiday, shows a happy family members and friends enjoying the holiday.
Free Road Trip Games
Many of you will be going to visit family and friends over the holidays. For some of you that means a long car trip. Here are some great ideas that will entertain and keep your chidren busy.
An idea you can use all year long: Create individual Mad Money Jars (decorate them as an inexpenisve holiday gift) and have your children collect loose change that they find around the house or money that they receive for their birthday. When you travel they can use their "madness money" to pay for their souveniers or whatever their heart desires. What a great way to learn about the concept of money management.
You can take this idea a step further and create a Good Deed Bank before an upcoming trip. The kids can decorate their own coffee can that will serve as a bank. Every time your child does something helpful around the house one of the parents contributes a coin to the "bank". The good deeds earn each child a heft chunk of change to spend on the family vacation or road trip.
Set a budget in advance for souvenirs and put each child in charge of their own spending. This strategy certainly teaches children how to manage their finances and adds a healthy respect for what they purchase. Also, hold off on souvenir shopping until the end of the day. It cuts down on impulse buys and helps kids to mull over what they really want.
Make a custom activity binder for each child. Before leaving home, go online and print out puzzles, games and activity pages. Here is a great site for printables: http://www.FamilyFun.com/printables
SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER WINNERS OF THE CAR TRAIN DRAWING
There wasn't a newsletter in the past couple of months, so we are catching up. Looks like letter "J"
is a lucky letter this month!
December's winner: Dorothy = signed up 11/06/08 7:47am = Lucky # 440
It pays to confirm and keep your subscription.
Congratulations!
, this charming book, 
is about 7 children
who face real-life dilemmas and choose to make a difference in their world. Children and adults will be enchanted by the spirited message and lively art that make this book a must-read for all!
growing all alone in an open field. He was lonely being far away from the other trees of the forest. But one day, a gentle man dug him up and brought him home to his little son, who could not walk. After Christmas the father returned the tree to the forest, but one day he did not come and dig up the tree because...
is a beautiful retelling a Jewish folktale is a story about faith. The illustrations are formatted in a palette of exquisite blues, purples and black with spashes of color.
This small gem will be an excellent addition to holiday collections.
is a fun introduction for young children to the celebration of Kwanzaa. Complete with vibrant illustrations and simple facts that tell the history and importance of this original African-American holiday, shows a happy family members and friends enjoying the holiday.