New Haven Free Public Library
Submitted by Brooke
Posts from the ‘Reading’ Category
Feb 2
If You Read, They’ll Read.
Written by Beth Clay from Just the Right Book
With the hustle and bustle of the holidays well behind us, it’s time to reclaim “me-time”. Yeah, right. Seems impossible, right? Not so! A few easy tricks can help you find the time you need to pour a cup of tea and relax with a good book. Now I’m not promising that you can take a whole afternoon for yourself, but those few found moments can make each day gloriously relaxing. Aim for an extra half-hour each day. Before you know it, you’ll be glowing from the inside out!
- Trick #1: The Play Date. While it seems overwhelming to invite your child’s friends over to play, the payback is that, every so often, they’ll go to their friend’s house to play, leaving you with some time to yourself. The trick is to use that time for yourself, rather than to run errands or grocery shop. And it needn’t be chaos when you have extra kids in the house. An organized activity like making cookies or a craft activity is usually rewarding for all concerned, rather than letting them run around the house making mayhem.
- Trick #2: The Chore Chart. Even young kids can help you get your chores done and learn valuable lessons at the same time. When you get your kids to pitch in with the laundry, cleaning and meals you can gain a few extra minutes each day. And when they’re helping you get household chores accomplished, they’re not unsupervised making a mess in one place while you’re cleaning another. The trick is to make it fun, and not be too judgmental, especially at first. Give them a star on the chore chart for each task they help with, and reward them for every 10 or 15 stars. Before you know it, they’ll be able to do the laundry themselves, which will save some REAL time down the road.
- Trick #3: The Book Buddy. If you want time to relax and read a book, help your child appreciate the fun of it. Through our partnership with ReadKiddoRead, I’ve come to appreciate that not every kid starts out being a voracious reader. Some are downright reluctant. James Patterson insists that parents take control here, rather than assume that your school will do that job for you. (Read James’ article on this topic here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/28/opinion/patterson-kids-reading/index.html). Find books your child will love. And there’s nothing wrong with comic books or manga. The trick is, if you can gather their favorite reading material in one place and make it available to them, you’ll find some quiet time for yourself while they’re reading quietly; something that can’t happen while the tv is turned on.
Need some suggestions for books your kids will love to read? Start with these ReadKiddoRead Kiddo Award nominees: Read more
Is it stuttering? Is it stuttering?
Written by Alida Engel
“I, I, I, I, I, I, I have a decision,” announced our 3 year old granddaughter. This was not the first time that I’ve heard her stutter. In fact, she was repeating words, part of words, and phrases ever since she started talking at about 18 months. She is now three and a half, and unlike many of the children I work with speaks in long, complicated sentences.
Of course I wanted to know what decision “she had,” but being a speech pathologist who has helped many, many parents and children deal with speech and language issues for over 43 years, I find myself, at times, listening to how she talks rather than to what she is saying.
I know that it is important to hear the content of what a child says, but I also know that ignoring breakdowns in communication until a child is 5 or 6 is misguided. One percent of all children, worldwide, will grow up to be people who stutter. Ignoring the stutter and waiting to see if the child will “outgrow” the behavior is not advisable. Read more
Nov 28
The Search for the Perfect Kindergarten
Written By Aviva Luria
We have begun, in earnest, the search for a kindergarten for Jonah, and I’ve been just a bit overwhelmed. The town in which we live, unfortunately, does not have a good reputation when it comes to schools and didn’t even before they laid off about 50 teachers last year. Stupid decision to buy a house in this town? Why, yes. But to explain ourselves a little, things weren’t looking rosy in the child-bearing department at the time so we didn’t give serious consideration to schools.
So here we are. Fortunately, we can apply to the New Haven magnet schools and plan to; there is one we are particularly interested in. But while I want to support public schools (I believe in public education and both my parents were public-school teachers), I harbor a few worries. First off, as we face more and more cutbacks in these financially treacherous times, will things considered extras, like the arts and recess, be eliminated, or reduced? Will classes become larger, necessitating greater emphasis on keeping kids under control? My little guy is a bright, curious, spirited dude with tremendous energy; he can’t always control it, either. Yes, he needs to learn how to take charge of his energy, but being in an environment in which he’s punished for his physical exuberance doesn’t sound like auspicious beginning to his academic career. Read more
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