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Children are born storytellers and authors. Did you know that even the scribbles and drawings of a child count as writing? Yes! In fact, you’re seeing a writer grow before your very eyes because these are important pre-writing skills. A Scribble a Day Make scribbling and drawing part of every day. In an easily accessible […]

Let your creativity shine! Work with your child to make a name sign for his or her bedroom door or make one for the door to your house with your last name! Find 10 blue things in your house or outside and have your child count them aloud.  Separate eight pairs of socks and mix […]

I love babies. Babies do a lot of adorable things – cooing, smiling, laughing, and snuggling. But there’s something babies can’t do – read. But you’d never know it. We’re surrounded by messages that make us think babies are supposed to be doing “academic” work younger and younger. And that worries us. Are our babies […]

To “Create A Great Plate,” try these tips from the USDA: Make half the plate fruits and vegetables. Serve plenty of brightly colored fruits and vegetables at meals and snacks. Choose whole fruits (fresh, frozen, canned or dried) more often than juice — whole fruits have more nutrients and less sugar. Offer water instead of […]

Is Literacy More Than Just Reading to My Child? YES! Let’s look at different age groups to see how oral language, reading and writing all add up to create a “literate” home: Infants: Oral Language: Have conversations with your baby! After you say something, pause and give your baby time to respond. Reading: Read to […]

Activities for Tutor Times-March 2012 Infants – Sit with baby between your legs. Hold a mirror so that the baby can see herself. Talk about the baby she sees in the mirror. Point out the various parts of her face as you both look in the mirror. Young Toddlers – Cut doors and windows out […]

How to Help Your Children Learn Strategies for Successful Learning This is the third and final installment in a three-part series that looks at the learning process. Previous features included “Part One: Create a Safe and Nurturing Environment” and “Part Two: Enable Children to Lead Lessons.” Part Three: Monitoring Your Child’s Progress During each stage […]

It’s Important to Find the Time to Go Outside Dear friends and families: When you arrive home today, please do an experiment. Stand outside in front of your home and listen. What do you hear? Do you hear children playing? Unfortunately, the answer is probably no. The fact is that children are not playing outside […]

Our third-born started Kindergarten this year. I figured I’d be a pro by now, after surviving the big day twice before. Kid #3 should be easy. Right? Wrong. On the first day of school, our sweet, soulful 5-year-old hung up his backpack, found his desk and solemnly said good-bye to us as if he were […]

Will your child be one of the youngest in her Kindergarten class this fall? Or will he be one of the oldest? Whether your child is “early born,” “late born,” or somewhere in between, parents are worrying about finding the “perfect” age to start Kindergarten. The media is full of alarming statistics about supposed benefits […]

I couldn’t help noticing Mattie and Sophie, adorable 4-year-old twin girls at our preschool. Obviously fraternal, Mattie had stick-straight hair bejeweled with sparkly clips (and the occasional tiara). She wore her tutu to school daily in hopes of an afternoon ballet lesson. Mattie leapt into action with her friends in the classroom without so much […]

In parenting, many decisions are easy: Don’t run into the street. Take turns with your friends. But many of the most important decisions AREN’T easy, including when to start Kindergarten. Will she be ready? Or is it best to wait? When it comes to tricky parenting dilemmas, there usually isn’t a “perfect” decision. Starting Kindergarten […]