Monkey see, monkey do – Model reading!

As the old saying goes, “Monkey see, monkey do. Monkey does the same as you.” To help develop a love of reading in your children, model your own love of reading — even if you don’t really love it. Sit down with a book, a magazine, or the newspaper, and enjoy some reading time on your own. Let your child see this.

Here’s a challenge for today: At some point today, tell your kiddo that it is reading time. Set the timer for 10 minutes and grab something to read – anything! Sit down where your child can see you, and read.  Encourage your child to do the same. Eventually, it will catch on and you’ll really grow to appreciate the quiet time!

Show your child there’s an alternative to TV, video games, and computers that engages your brain!

Getting to know you! Photo albums for kids

If you dig around in those boxes in the back of the closet, you’re almost guaranteed to come across some old 4×6 photo albums and that stack of holiday photo cards (& birth announcements) that you couldn’t bear to throw away. Pull those goodies out and dust them off… I have a project for you! There’s that old saying:  “Out of sight is out of mind.” Well, don’t let those loved ones be out of your child’s mind. Put those photos to good use!

Start by organizing the photo cards into categories — family, playgroup friends, neighborhood friends, friends that live far away, etc.

For your very young child, cut the photo cards so that they’ll fit in the photo album. If your child is 3 or older, I encourage you to draw a line on the card where you’d like your child to cut, and hand the safety scissors over to those little (and likely very eager) hands.

Use blank address labels or small pieces of masking tape to label the FRONT of each photo with the names of everyone in the photo. Use clear, block letters so that your child may (or may someday) read the names.

Slide the photos into the sleeves of the album, maintaining the logical order you’ve established.

Read through the photo album frequently with your child, and encourage him or her to “read” it to you. Keep it somewhere accessible for your little one to browse through whenever he or she desires.

You’ll be amazed how much this book will help your child to be comfortable with your friends and family who live far away when you’re all together for those short, infrequent visits. He or she will also start to recognize names, and you can guide your child in sounding out the names.

So, here’s a way to consider the value of this project:

• That old photo album: $2.99 ten years ago
• Those holiday photo cards everyone else sent to you: free to you, but a lot of $$ to them
• The look on Great Aunt So&so’s face when your child seems genuinely happy to see her in person for the first time: priceless!

Don’t trash those grocery store ads!

If you don’t already, hold on to those grocery store ads that come in the mail and newspaper this week! Enlist your little one to help you plan your grocery shopping. The ads are full of pictures of the items on sale, and each is labeled with the name of the item. This is an instant word book!

Hand your child a washable marker and ask him/her to circle the items you need to buy that week. Working together, you can identify the products by picture and by name, and also work in conversations about decision making. For example, if your kiddo circles something that is laden with unhealthy fats and sugars, you might ask, “Is that nutritious? Does that help our bodies grow? Does it help build bones and muscle?” Then, work together to find a healthier alternative — or maybe you already have a better alternative in your pantry or refrigerator. Also, if your little one suggests something that you already have plenty of at home, you could ask your child if you really need more of it. Get those little gears moving in his/her brain. You’ll be amazed at how smart your child is!

As for building the shopping list you take to the store, consider spending the extra 15 minutes to either help your child write down (by copying) the words from the ad, or perhaps your child could draw the items. If you’ve introduced child-safe scissors already, get them out (and that beloved glue stick too) and ask your child to cut out the items you’ve agreed upon and glue them onto a list.

When you both arrive at the grocery store with your lists — yours with everything included and your child’s with the items from the ad — lay down the ground rules for the expedition… Only buy things that are on the list. Cross off each item as you find it. Stay within arm’s reach of Mom/Dad the entire time. Of course, add in anything else that works for your family!

I find that if I involve my 3.5-yr-old in helping to plan the grocery list based on what’s on sale, he’s much more cooperative at the store. You’ll thank yourself, and the other shoppers will appreciate it too. 

Feed Your Brain! Summer Reading Program

We all know that the more kids are read to, the better readers they will be! Why not make this summer a time to dedicate to reading with your child at least 15 minutes a day? Here’s an extra incentive — Half Price Books’ annual Feed Your Brain Summer Reading Program starts up on June 1, 2009. Download their reading log, and keep track of how many minutes your child reads or is read to each day. Turn in your child’s completed log weekly through July 31, and your child will receive a $3 gift card to Half Price Books each week! If you can convince your little one to save those gift cards, he/she will have quite a stockpile at the end of the summer. If the cards are just burning a hole in his/her pocket, you may want to consider heading toward the kids’ section of the store to see which of the hundreds of books appeal to your child. If you’re new to shopping at Half Price Books, you’ll be amazed at their prices — $3 can go a long way!

To get you started, stop by Half Price Books this long holiday weekend to enjoy an extra 20% off EVERYTHING. Thursday – Monday, May 21 – 25 is a great time to pick up that first book to kick off your summer of reading.

Find a Half Price Books near you.

Writing on the wall

The next time you’re at the store with your little one, have him/her help you find the items on your grocery list by reading the aisle labels — the signs that usually hang from the ceiling with a general listing of what is on each aisle. This is a great chance for him/her to see numbers and letters in action! Ask your child to find aisle 7, or ask your child to find the aisle that has “Baking Goods” on it (or whatever is listed on the aisle label). You might even want to help your child make the connection between what he/she reads on your grocery list and the signs — matching up the words and/or first letters.