Celebrate Independence With Words!

Many families gather with friends or other relatives on the 4^th of July. Your preschooler is likely to enjoy the get-togethers and traditions, which may include watching fireworks and grilling a meal. Holidays and other family times are important to him. Encourage him to talk about and describe what he experiences. Better yet, have him dictate his impressions while you record them and perhaps suggest that he draw  pictures of the festivities. Encourage him to recall the sounds, sights, and tastes—the boom, boom, boom of the fireworks, the bright and fleeting explosions of colors in the sky, the cold and creamy ice cream treat. You are helping your young child find the words to describe the exciting world he inhabits.

Read Aloud Through Daily Activities

Use every opportunity point out to your preschooler how often you read—and how much it is part of getting through your day. If you are in a supermarket, read aloud a product's name, the ingredients it contains, and even suggested recipe ideas. Show your preschooler the work you are doing from home —maybe pointing our your name on a memo. Cooking together? Show your preschooler the recipe you are following, reading aloud the ingredients and amounts. Show him the sports scores from last night’s game as you search on your screen or in the sports section of a newspaper. By reading aloud these pieces of information you are reinforcing the message that reading is the key to navigating the world.

L is for Library

If you haven't introduced your preschooler to your local library, this is a wonderful time to do that. Many libraries have special children's programs on the summer, including storytellers and activities planned around selected books. Some libraries are fortunate enough to have librarians who are dedicated to the children who visit--and are knowledgeable about children's literature. They can help  you and your child navigate the shelves for books that might be appealing. Many libraries have comfortable spaces made for reading and enjoying books in a relaxed fashion. And libraries are free. What an easy and inexpensive way to get out of the house and spend a pleasant morning or afternoon.

Read this Book!

Parents, here is a book that will rock your world--and that of your children.

Mike Lanza, father of there young boys, realized something was very different about children's lives today compared with the way he grew up.  He recalled unstructured play time--making up games and rules, building tree houses and forts, playing pick-up ball. Naturally, Lanza realized that things have changed. Today's parents are concerned about dangers of abduction; children are shuttled to organized activities, such as sports, dance, karate; homework is onerous. And of course, the screens of television, computers, and game players are enticing and addictive.

However, Mike Lanza wanted more for his children. He realized the value of unstructured  play in his own life and in children's development. Children need to engage in unstructured play to develop leadership skills, learn to negotiate with others, and experience physical and emotional freedom. So he took action. He figured out how to carve out the play space needed for his family and neighborhood. And in Playborhood:Turn Your Neighborhood Into a Place for Play, Mike Lanza tells what he did, and how he did it. In addition,  he offers a range of case studies from different settings--urban, rural, and suburban. Step by step, in his very readable style, he gives the information and inspiration parents need to create safe play spaces in their neighborhoods.

With Playborhood as your guide, you can provide your children and your neighborhood with an environment that will offer a safe place for unstructured play. That is truly a gift that all children deserve  . . . and need.

http://www.amazon.com/Playborhood-Turn-Your-Neighborhood-Place/dp/0984929819

http://playborhood.com/

Read This Piece!

I want to share a link with you. This link will take you to a Q & A is written by Pam Allyn, Executive Director and founder of LitWorld. Pam talks about the reasons it is so important to read aloud to your child. From helping your child appreciate and enjoy language to building reading skills to simply enjoying the closeness of sharing a story, the reasons are clear. Please take a look. If you need that little push or reminder about why reading aloud is so important, here it is.

http://www.pbs.org/parents/experts/archive/2012/05/raise-a-lifelong-reader-by-rea.html

Your Turn!

It is time to turn the table. Have your preschooler tell the story. Pull out a familiar storybook. Instead of reading to your preschooler, try something different. Ask her to read to you. She might retell the story, echoing the words she has heard you read aloud in the past. You  might even recognize your own intonation or deliberate pauses, informal asides. Or she might tell a completely different story, embellishing the plot with her own imagination. No matter how she chooses to handle this situation, you are empowering her to be a storyteller. She is driving the narrative. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Take a Picture Walk

When you introduce a new story book try going through the book page by page with your preschooler, just looking at the pictures. Early childhood educators call this a picture walk, and it is something your preschooler will probably do in school. Ask him to tell you what he thinks is happening on each page. You are helping him develop important reading skills as he interprets the rich information that illustrations offer. Then go back and read the book. See how his ideas match up with the story that is actually told.