Farewell!

I hope you are all enjoying your summer break and are reading every day! The West Allis public library's summer reading program is exciting and full of great activities on a weekly basis to keep you coming to the library frequently. I want to let you all know that in the fall, I will be transferring to Franklin Elementary School in West Allis. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a Jefferson bear for the past 6 years and have enjoyed working with so many of the wonderful families at Jefferson. I wish you all the very best. Keep in touch (and keep reading!) ~Mrs. K

3 Essentials to Get Kids Reading Over the Summer

3 Essentials to Get Kids Reading Over the Summer by Melissa Taylor Summertime is almost upon us. It is important that your child continues to read over the summer-even if it is just for a few minutes each day. I found this article that I hope you find interesting and that gives you some good ideas about how to keep your child reading over the summer. from:(http://imaginationsoup.net/2013/06/3-essentials-to-get-kids-reading-over-the-summer/) “Mom, I don’t have anything to do. I’m bored,” whines my child. Again. (As if anything I’m going to tell her do, she’ll do, ’cause we all know that ain’t happening.) Generally, I tell her the same thing every time she whines: “Read a book. Books beat boredom.” (Yes, I stole it from a Mo Willems book. Do you know which one?) Or, I’ll say, “That’s fantastic news! Boredom is an opportunity for creativity.” Which gets a groan and an eye-rolled, “Mommmmmm” response. Both my kids think I’m nuts. (mwhahahahahaaaa . . . little do they know!) Most summers, it’s my job as mom to turn into an inspired sales genius with one goal in mind – to sell reading so my kids get into good reading habits. Goal: My kids choose a book on their own and sit down to read for hours. Or at least 30 minutes. My “Books Are Cool” Sales Process 1. Book-palooza!! Kids Need to Pick Out Books. Yesterday, we set a new money-spent-record at the bookstore. Gulp. I shouldn’t even tell you but it was well over $300. There’s something magical about mom taking you to the bookstore where you can pick all the books you want to read. (Magically expensive. But worth it.) Of course we do visit the library weekly, and it’s much more economical. 2. Cozy Reading Space. Kids LOVE a Cozy Book Nook. This doesn’t have to be fancy but it does need to involve the kids. Find a corner – those work best. Let your child add pillows, lamps, books, stuffed animals, a headlamp or flashlight, and create a special space. In my next post, I’ll give you more details on how to make an enticing book nook with help from Pottery Barn Kids. 3. Down Time. Kids Need Margins Just Like We Do. We all need unscheduled time to rest and relax. Kids especially. Remember to make time during the day for rest and reading. What If They Don’t Like Any Books? Kids need books they’re interested in. Sometimes it’s a challenge to find one or ten books your kids want to read. Which is why I love reviewing and sharing good books. See if any of these lists will keep you in good books this summer. Time, Space, and Books.

Raise Children Who Read For Fun

With the weather warming up, your child may be hesitant to stay inside and read. However, it is just as important to continue a routine of reading each night even when the school year is winding down so that children can see just how important (and fun!) reading can be, at any time of the year! I found this article from Scholastic that gives you some tips on how to do just that: by: Allison McDonald I love reading. I take books with me everywhere -- in a bath, on the treadmill, and in the car while my kids have sports practices. I am the type of reader I hope my children will grow up to be. Reading doesn't just come easy for me, it is also a refuge. It feeds my curiosity, it lets me escape, and it is a way for me to connect with others. I want all these things for my children and have a 10-part plan to help them develop into readers who read for fun. 1. Make reading a part of their daily routine. Find a time every single day to read to them and stick with it. It will just be something they always do. 2. Fill the home environment with reading. Books, magazines, comics, reference materials… have it available. Watch movies that are based on books, buy toys that are characters from books, tell stories using your favorite characters from books. 3. Make reading an event. Go to the library, go to the bookstore, and make it as exciting as going to the park or zoo. Make it an event, not something you slip in between errands. Make it fun! 4. Let them choose what they read. This one is hard for parents. This isn't the get-out-of-homework-reading pass. This is about letting them choose what they read for fun. Every family will have different books that are and aren't acceptable for them but within those boundaries, however wide they may be, let them choose what they read for fun. 5. Bite your tongue when your child reads things you do not love. There are plenty of books I don't love, but if my children are enjoying themselves reading I will bite my tongue. Be careful when you criticize reading material because what you intend as a criticism of the material a child can hear as a criticism of reading as a whole. 6. Make sure they see you read for fun. Practice what you preach. Make time to read for fun too. It doesn't have to be literature – there's nothing wrong with fluff. The important thing is that they see you getting pleasure from reading. 7. Bend rules when reading is involved. Many voracious readers were created after bedtime. Letting bedtimes slide if and only if they are reading is a great motivator once children are reading independently. When kids are younger the simple act of reading one more chapter with them, or choosing one extra picture book can send a great message. 8. Never force feed reading. Avoid using reading as a punishment. This can make a child who loves reading into a child who associates it with being in trouble. 9. When they find an irresistible book, help them find more just like it! When my son gets into a book series I reserve the next books at the library before he is done with the first. Having that next helping right there is such a great tool for keeping the momentum going. 10. If they are struggling, pay attention and advocate on their behalf. Learning disabilities like dyslexia, behavioral issues, and even emotional upsets can contribute to reluctant or struggling readers. If you think that your child may have more than a lack of interest and be struggling with reading, talk to your child's classroom teacher and/or pediatrician. They will be able to help you find the right interventions and help for your child. After you figure out the issue, you can get back to reading for fun. Not every child will turn into an adult who reads for fun. Parents can follow every step here and still have a child who prefers the outdoors, likes music more than stories, or just doesn't find the act of reading enjoyable. But as a parent, I know that I want to create the strongest foundation for my children and these steps are the foundation for raising readers who will read for fun. (http://www.scholastic.com/parents/blogs/scholastic-parents-raise-reader/raise-children-who-read-fun)

What to Do When Your Child Can't Remember What He Reads

by Amy Mascott Does the following scenario sound familiar? Your child seems like he's doing fine with reading. Give him a textbook at any level and he can read the words on the page with what sounds like absolute fluency. He follows the marks of punctuation, and reads with enunciation, enthusiasm, even expression. He can read surprisingly difficult words—anything you put in front of him. But ask him a question about what he read, and he has no idea. He cannot remember what he just read. Reading is a lot of work—a lot of continuous work—and sometimes children need reminders of how to make sure their brain is "turned on" for all aspects of reading. Here are some things you can do to help your child remember what he reads. First and foremost, if you notice this is happening with your school-aged child, please talk to his or her teacher. Email, write a note, or schedule a time when you can sit down with the teacher and express your concerns that your child is not remembering what he reads. The teacher should be able to support your child in the classroom while you support him or her at home. Children's success in school is a true team effort. If it seems that your child forgets what he's read only occasionally and you want to help guide him in the right direction for better comprehension, then grab a pack of sticky notes. That's right. Sticky notes. When a child can't remember what he read, he's not truly comprehending what he read. He's not interacting with the text and is instead just moving on through, plowing forward. You want him to interact with the text by stopping every few minutes to "check in." Assign a "job" to each color of the sticky notes. Pink notes will show excitement, yellow will carry a question, and green will mean complete comprehension. Or, if you don't have colors, you can use one-color notes and write an explanation point, a question mark, or a smiley face on them. After every page or two that the child reads, he should "check in" by assessing what he just read. He should ask himself: • Do I understand what I just read? • Am I surprised about something I read? • What questions do I have about what I just read? After he asks himself these questions, he should mark the page with the appropriate sticky note. If he has a specific question, he can write it on the note. That's it. And then he moves on. By giving kids a small focus and a reason to interact with the text, they're more likely to remember what they read because of the continual "check in" of their understanding. Soon the "check in" will become habitual—we hope—and he won't need the sticky notes. Until then, stock up on the sticky notes, parents! (from: http://www.scholastic.com/parents/blogs/scholastic-parents-raise-reader/what-to-do-when-your-child-cant-remember-what-he-reads)

I Hate Reading!

If you hear your child say, "I Hate Reading", what can you do to help? I found this great article by Allison McDonald on the website http://www.scholastic.com/parents/blogs/scholastic-parents-raise-reader/i-hate-reading?cid=PAR/smd/20140724/pinterest/rrblogihatereading//PAR/content/9am that might give you some tips to help you out if you do hear them say this: "No parent wants to hear, "Mom, I hate reading." But in all likelihood, at some point many of us will hear it from one of our children. A few months ago, my son told me, "Reading is just something I am good at, not something I like." I am pretty sure the sound of my heart breaking could have been heard from miles away. What are our kids really saying when they tell us they hate reading? 1. It's hard. Yes, reading is tough. Reading the wrong material is even tougher. As parents, if this is what your child means when he says he hates reading, your job is to find the right level of material for him to read. 2. I'm really struggling. It's hard to ask for help, and children want to please their parents. Reading is something children see adults do easily, and they may feel ashamed to tell their parents they can't do it. It's simpler to refuse to do it because they hate it than to say, "I can't." It may be confidence, it may be some letter sounds that they need to practice, or it may be something much deeper than that. If you suspect your child may have a learning disability that is hampering her reading, talk to your child's teacher or pediatrician who can point you towards the proper local agency to have her tested. 3. It's boring. In college, I had a textbook that was so boring I had to sit on the floor with my back against a cinderblock wall so that when I nodded off I would hit my head against the wall and wake up. Sometimes reading is boring, but it doesn't have to be for our kids...not yet, anyway. Ask him what makes it boring. As a team, take time to find him the right things to read. Maybe you skip the novels and dive into comic books, or forget fiction and read books filled with facts. Make it your mission to find interesting things for him to read. 4. I'd rather be outside/online/at a friend's house. Sometimes it's a matter of shifting schedules to get kids to read for fun. No one thinks that something is fun when they are forced to do it. "Stop bothering your sister, go up to your room, and read!" doesn't sound like a treat. Staying up "past" her bedtime to read is a wonderful way to get reading in without making it compete with other activities. More than one voracious reader was created between being tucked in and lights out. As parents we need to open up our minds to what a child who is reading looks like. Reading for many of us means reading a novel, but children can read so many other things. Before we decide that our kids really do hate reading, take time to see if what they are saying is: It's hard, I'm struggling, I'm bored, or I'd rather be outside. So what was my son saying when he told me he hated reading? "I'm bored of these early chapter book mysteries." I sat back and thought about what I was offering him to read and we switched it up together. Books full of wacky facts, Pokemon reference books, and sports magazines are his favorite things to read now, and I haven't heard a peep about him hating to read since!"

20 minutes of reading

Research shows that when children read or are read to at least 20 minutes per day, their oral and written vocabulary increases along with their knowledge of different topics. As busy parents, I know that it is hard to find times to fit these 20 minutes into our day. The list below shares ideas on how you can find time for those 20 minutes of important reading time! How Do I Get My 20 Minutes? • Read during snack time • Keep a few books in the car • Make a set time to read aloud to your child􀂊 even if its for 5 minutes! • Add reading into transitions􀂊reading while you clean up lunch or finish getting ready to leave • Read everything! Signs, food boxes, magazines, etc. • Keep books by their bed • Have a set time for your child to read quietly to themselves • Play reading games􀂊hangman, Brain Quest, etc. • Read while you wait at a restaurant or doctor’s office. • Listen to stories online. Try Storyline Online! • Read activity books, such as cookbooks for kids or Klutz books. ©Lindy Cranfill

Keep reading!

With spring break right around the corner, I wanted to encourage all of our hard working Jefferson bears to continue reading each night...and even over school breaks! I often tell the students that, just like baseball and basketball players have to practice every day to get better, in order to become a better reader, the students need to practice every single day! As a parent with a busy household, I understand how difficult it can be to fit reading into an already jam-packed day...even during school breaks. The following article from www.rif.org gives some great ideas on how for reading into your family's day: Advice & Tips: Incorporating Reading Into Everyday Life It’s hard to find time as a family to sit down and read. Just dealing with every day life — school, work, sports and activities, chores, and friends — can leave barely enough time to get everything done, let alone read a book. However, a busy schedule can include time to read, even if there isn't time to read an entire book. Read on for some tips on sneaking reading into your daily routine. Morning If your family eats breakfast at the table, divide up the newspaper so everyone can read their favorite section. If your children are young or find it hard to eat and read, read aloud headlines and stories to them as they munch. Many families eat breakfast on the go. If this sounds familiar, then encourage your children to read the back of the cereal box as they pour or the packaging on their food wrappers. No matter how your children get to school — on foot, on the bus, or in a car — there are ways to get some quick reading in. Walkers can listen to a chapter of an audio book on a Walkman. Kids who ride the bus or are driven can read a magazine or comic book. This reading can be quick and fun, since kids have little time and a school day to face. Afternoon Serve your children their after-school snacks in a space that’s designated just for reading. Let them choose a light-hearted book, magazine, comic book, or catalogue as they eat and unwind from the school day. On the way to sports practice or other after-school activities, read out street signs, billboards, or storefront signs. Or have your child read aloud to you in the car as you drive. While cooking dinner, read aloud the recipe. Have your child read a story to you, including ones that he or she has written. As dinner cooks, sit down and read a chapter of a book together. While you’re adding ingredients or setting the table, begin telling a story together, taking turns adding the next part. Movies and TV time Before turning on the TV or a video game, spend 15 minutes reading together. This could be something short or a chapter of a longer book that you read everyday. Continuing stories could keep kids interested day-to-day. Mute the TV during commercials and read short snippets of articles or comic books until the show comes back on. Buy or borrow books on video games tips or tricks. Have your child read it for 10 minutes before starting a video game. If your TV allows for closed-captioning, turn it on and encourage your children to read along with the text. When you get a movie a few minutes early, read aloud the ads that show up on the screen before the previews. Have your child read to you as much of the ad as possible before the next one shows up. Evening/Bedtime After dinner, take your dessert into another room and read aloud. This can become an after-dinner ritual for the family. Too tired to read aloud? Then get the family together in the living room and put on a book-on-tape for 15 minutes. After an intense homework session, take 10 minutes to read a silly humor book or comic book. Read aloud in the bath — either you or your children can do the reading. Turn off the TV a half-hour early and read one chapter of a book.