First of all: What is Red Nose Day? You might vaguely recall seeing people wearing silly, red clown noses in the name of raising money for children in poverty? That's Red Nose Day! Red Nose Day really makes a difference in children's lives. And what's the Red Nose Day Joke-Ha-Thon? The Joke-Ha-Thon gives students the chance to tell—and sell—their best jokes in their classrooms, schools and communities to spread some much-needed joy and raise some life-changing cash. Why am I … [Read more...]
how to get kids to talk about school: what every parent must know
School's in full swing here, and if your house is anything like mine, getting kids to talk about their day is sometimes difficult. I want to know everything: Who did they sit with at lunch? Who did they play with at recess? How do they like their tablemates? What book did they start in Guided Reading? Who hosted the morning tv show? But it's hard. The kids are tired at 3pm, they're even more tired at 7pm, and the last thing they want to do is talk to boring old Mom about … [Read more...]
use family photos to develop oral language skills: reading tip 12 #raiseareader
Friends, one of the tips that Allie McDonald and I share when speaking or presenting that usually yields the most nods of approval is what I'm sharing here, via video, with you today. It may seem super-simple to you, but this tip is M-O-N-E-Y. It really is. Totally worth your time for so many reasons. So go ahead. Skim the post quickly, click 'play' on the video below, and you'll be in the 'know' too. And the cool thing is that the only thing you'll need is the one object you most … [Read more...]
chat and learn: NEW on teachmama.com — Office Hours!
Every day, all day. Each week. Each month, all year long, I am asked all kinds of reading questions. So I'm officially opening up teachmama office hours! That way, we can chat--even for a quick five minutes!--and I can help you support your children. The awesome thing is that there's a free, new platform called SpareMin that allows us to chat when we can find time. During our 'spare' minutes of the day. I love it. I'm just planning ahead a bit and telling you when I'll make … [Read more...]
play with syllables so kids hear sounds in words | reading tip 10 #raiseareader
One of my earliest memories of feeling confused in school was the day my teacher tried to teach us about syllables. She had us put our hands on our chin and then feel our chin move up and down as we opened our mouths, vocalizing each syllable of a word. Yep. Except that because we were so young--and so many of us were confused--our chins were all moving at different times. There was no synchronous counting of syllables. Just a whole bunch of confused Kindergartners or first … [Read more...]
how to support your child through difficult texts
Okay, so you’re all into reading aloud with your kids, right? You’ve got a great bunch of books to read, but your child insists on reading one that’s a notch (or two or three!) above her reading level? It happens more often than not, so don’t be alarmed. If your child’s friends are all reading Harry Potter and she’s still at the Cam Jansen or Amelia Bedilia stage? She’s going to want to read what her buddies are reading. And that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with striving high … [Read more...]
3 ways to stay connected with long-distance family and friends
I've shared time and time again how hard it is for me to live hours from my parents and sisters, even if it's only a three and a half hour drive. Sure, it's a short enough distance that we can make it there and back in a day if need be, but it's too long to make a quick stop for a Sunday dinner. Or to grab a last-minute babysitter. Or to have a desperately-needed girls' night out with sisters or mom. Luckily, though, my kids have a great relationship with their … [Read more...]
how to have a family meeting: what works for us
Oh, friends. How things change as our kids get older, right? After years of doing what we can to give our kids choices, listening to them, doing all we can but ultimately having the final say--our kids have expressed to us that they want more of a voice in our family. I get it. So we've been having Family Meetings. We have only recently begun to have regular Family Meetings, and though they are not perfect, I do think they help.' We're still learning. Aren't we … [Read more...]
read across america day EVERY day of the year
This post was originally published on March 1, 2013 but we're republishing because it's that important. It's Read Across America Day! Only something that everyone's been talking about for days and days and days and days now, but don't worry if you're already in your pj's or missed the boat altogether. Don't worry if this is the very first time you're hearing about it and now you feel like you're the only kid not invited to the party. TO-tally not so! Everyone's … [Read more...]
something has to change and it must start here–with you and with me
I rarely write posts like this. And this one took me much longer than I'd like to admit. But yesterday I realized something. Something big. It's this: if I want change to happen, it has to start here. I'm a mother of three kids, 10, 9, and 7 years old, and if I want change to happen, it must. Start. Here. With me. With my family. Because I know that though I am only one person, my voice makes a difference. And so does yours. Yes, you. No matter whether you are … [Read more...]
noticing your kids: little observations mean a lot from parents
originally published 9/17/09 but republishing now because it's worth it-- Lately, I've felt overwhelmed by Cora's 'two-year-old-ness'. Her fiery temper; her constant movement; her unceasing energy; her smiles, hugs, songs, and cuddles; her high high's, and her low low's. Some days we enjoy this roller coaster ride, and others, we all want off. But what I've also realized is that as a parent, I'm more experienced than I was when Maddy was two, but I'm not in the fog of fatigue … [Read more...]
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