In order to understand abstract concepts, your child has to abstract the ideas from their physical surroundings and from the objects that are significant to them. After listening to her mom read The Giving Tree, for example, 4-year-old Rose said, “This book is about selfish.” She was able to extend the theme from the story […]
 Imagination goes into overdrive this year.  Remember: Every child develops at her own pace. These guidelines are general. There is a broad range of what is considered “normal.” It’s not unusual for a child to be advanced in one area, lag slightly in another. Check with your doctor if you have any concerns. […]
You’ll be amazed at what your child is learning and how he’s growing during this busy year. Â Remember: Every child develops at her own pace. These guidelines are general. There is a broad range of what is considered “normal.” It’s not unusual for a child to be advanced in one area, and lag slightly […]
Dramatic play is pretend or make believe play where children use objects and roles in imaginative and realistic ways. Children think, speak, and act symbolically and in conjunction with others. Each child takes cues from his partner in sociodramatic play and responds accordingly. It provides children with skills that will be used later in life. […]
 1. Raising a Reader: Read aloud to your children every day. Effective storybook reading is an interactive process. If we wait until after reading to discuss the story, we are missing out on valuable literacy opportunities. When you precede the reading by inviting predictions and personal connections, you are creating context for the reading.  Taking […]
Hundreds of schools across the country celebrate reading by participating in National Young Readers Week each year. This is an annual event that was co-founded in 1989 by Pizza Hut® and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Set aside as a special day to recognize the joys and benefits of reading, […]
1. Read, read, and read to your child for at least 15 minutes every day. Take turns reading with your older child — you read one page, she reads the next — or establish a family reading time when everyone reads her own book.  2. Encourage him to express his opinion, talk about his feelings, and make […]
At school, home, and throughout the community kids are offered food as a reward for “good†behavior. Often these foods have little or no nutritional value but are easy, inexpensive, and can bring about short-term behavior change.  There are many disadvantages to using food as a reward:  § It undermines nutrition education being […]
