Reading Between the Lines

Reading Between the Lines

Making inferences with your child is one reading strategy that carries into all subject areas and other areas of life in general. It is very powerful and yet easy to find opportunities to do it throughout your day. With regards to reading, making an inference is also...
Check this out!

Check this out!

I have been a literacy coach. I can talk to you about reading, writing, and everything in between. I recently found a website for a parenting coach. What a great idea! There have been many-a-time where I needed a little input on my parenting practice. So, this week I...
The Dreaded ‘Summer Slump’

The Dreaded ‘Summer Slump’

There is a lot of research that highlights the fact that during the summer students quite often regress in reading skills. Our schedules change, kids are more active, stay up later and spend a larger portion of their day outside. At least that is how it happens in...
Summertime for Building Background Knowledge

Summertime for Building Background Knowledge

“Background knowledge is like VELCRO! It helps new knowledge adhere.  The more background knowledge you develop and use, the more you can make sense of and remember new information.”                                                                                      ...
Banana Splits and Books

Banana Splits and Books

Ice cream, check. Sprinkles, check. Bananas, check. Candy toppings, check. Today is the last day of school for my girls so we are 
celebrating!  I borrowed this idea from my mom.  Growing up, the last day of 
school for my siblings and I included the same celebration....
I Predict You Will Like This One!

I Predict You Will Like This One!

We received a Be There Bedtime Story from Aunt Ali last night.  She read a book called Meet the Planets by John McGranaghan.  After her cheery greeting she asked the girls “What do you think this story will be about?”.   This one simple question immediately engaged my...
Grow a Reader!

Grow a Reader!

It is springtime! We are thawing out from a cold winter here in the midwest. We are approaching our frost-free date which is May 15th. This is the day we wait for before planting any annuals or vegetable gardens. It is advised to hold off on planting anything outdoors...

Reading is Math?

Recently, I learned that the brain is more of a ‘pattern identifier’ and not so much a ‘rule follower’.  It made me think of how my daughters come home with math homework at the beginning of the year dealing with identifying patterns. This pattern identification work...

More on reading motivation…

One way to help engage intermediate readers (usually 4th grade and up) is to help them develop preferences and tastes as a reader. Ask them if they have thought about what their favorite type of literature is and what their least favorite one is. Some options may be...

Building (or finding) Motivation

Building (or finding) Motivation When my girls are faced with either going to bed or going to bed they will reach for books, most likely because it prolongs the inevitable…bedtime.  And that is more than okay with me. Whether it is recently checked-out library books...