Nudge a Noodle!: Inspire your child to love learning!

James Patterson says, "Read Kiddo Read!"

Have I mentioned how much I hate reading logs? Give my kids a math facts study log, a music practice log, a "have you straightened you room today?" log and I'm there. But, remembering to fill out reading logs in my house is like asking me to fill out a "chocolate eating" log to convince me to eat chocolate. It's unnecessary for me and having to remember to fill out the darn paper could wind up turning me off chocolate eventually (hmm...there's an idea.) Still, every kid is different and some kids have to be coaxed to read each day and others need to be arm-wrestled, threatened, nagged, reprimanded, given consequences, lectured, and bribed repeatedly in order to study their math facts. Guess which kids I have?

But, back to the reading: Author James Patterson has created a website called, Read Kiddo Read that offers lists of great books broken down by age. His own series for kids, Daniel X, is included and that's how I found his site: Kyle just read one of the books and loved it. The site has a Ning community built around it, too. Plus, Patterson posts interviews with kids' authors and offers lesson plans on specific books.

I hope Patterson's site helps you and your family in some way.

 

Mission: Keep Kids Reading This Summer!

Summer vacation began for my kids this past Thursday and I don't know who was looking forward to it more: them or me. Why am I so excited? First and foremost, rigid schedules are gone! Next, I don't have to make lunches when my eyes are barely open. (And, yes, I have thought about making lunches the night before, but, no, that never happens.) I also love having the kids home--but, almost re-thought that one on their first day off. (One day I need to come up with a list of exactly how many things a pair of siblings can argue about in one given day.)    Photo courtesy Photos8.com

I also love watching them bring home piles of books from the library each time we go. But, it's getting harder these days:  My kids have fallen into a pattern of judging a book by the cover.

Me in the library: "What about this one?"

Kid 1 or Kid 2: "Nah..."

Me in the library: "Did you read the back or the inside jacket?"

Kid 1 or Kid 2: "Nah..."

Me in the library: "Umm...How do you know it won't be interesting."

Kid 1 or Kid 2: "The cover is a yucky color."

Me in the library: "Umm...oh...okay."

So, it occurred to me that if I can get them psyched about some titles before we get to the library, that maybe they'll want to seek out those books. They each got a reading list from school, and that should help, but they've read many of the books on those lists. And, for Kyle, his list involves assigned projects that he'll have to hand in at the start of the school year. So, right off the bat, he wants to find "his own stuff."
There's nothing like telling a kid who loves to read that he HAS to read to make him resist reading. I mean imagine if someone told you that you HAD to eat chocolate...wouldn't you....okay...bad example.

Anyway, in the interest of keeping kids reading this summer--yours and mine--here is a list of links to Summer Reading Resources:

Oprah's Reading List for Kids

Scholastic's Summer Challenge

Surf Net Kids (kids can find places to submit book reviews)

Teen Reads

Summer Releases for Teens and Tweens!

If you find any books that make an impression on your kid this summer, please share it here!

"Gone" by Michael Grant

I never get enough reading time....but, I sure acquire enough titles that I want to read. From time to time I wind up indulging in a Young Adult book. Just finished a good one. Gone by Michael Grant is a great read and apparently Stephen King thinks so, too. I just passed it on to Kyle (age 11) and he seems to be into the first chapter. I'm pretty excited about the prospects of talking with him about the overriding themes of the book: power, survival, loyalty, bullies, fear. All this from a story about what happens when everyone 15 and over suddenly disappears.

The next installment is called Hunger, followed by Liars.

Nuggets of Fun...Shel Silverstein

I've always thought that most people know who Shel Silverstein was. But, I have recently discovered that's not necessarily true. If you haven't shared Shel's work with your kids, it's never too late to start, as his poems crack me up to this day. The author of children's stories such as The Giving Tree and poetry volumes such as Where the Sidewalk Ends was also an illustrator with a very unique style. I have a theory that Shel Silverstein is just who we need at U.N. meetings...you know...to lighten up the mood?

I find Shel's poems to be excellent parenting tools, as well! My kids have gotten used to the fact that if they whine about going to school because they "don't feel well," they are probably in for my rendition of Sick ("I cannot go to school today!" said Little Peggy Ann McKay...."). There are poems I use for too much TV time, leaving food wrappers around and nose picking, too!

Send your kid into Shel's world at www.shelsilverstein.com and you'll find games, animated poems read by the author, printables, and a complete guide to his work. (I really love the printable bookmark.) Shel's work is an excellent intro to poems. They work for toddlers all the way on up!

Familiar with Shel's Poems? Please comment to share your favorite!

Shakespearian Source

Amanda has been asking me about Shakespeare lately. Since she's 8, I didn't think giving her my huge volume of the Complete Works of Shakespeare would do much for her. I began searching for some kid resources. Well, I didn't need to go far. A whiz of a homeschooling mom named "Jimmie" has compiled an amazing list of resources on Shakespeare For Children as a Squidoo lens. Please check it out! And visit her many other lenses as well. Very inspiring. And for me, exhausting, because I now have so many ideas running through my head and so little time on my hands that I'm getting flustered!

Enjoy!

 

KEEP THIS IN MIND...

Found a great site today...All Kinds of Minds.org. The research section is rather fascinating if you have kids who either have a learning disability, or who just have a tough time with a particular concept such as getting their thoughts down on paper.

I often wonder what formalized education will be like in another generation or two. Will someone come up with a way to truly take individual learning styles into cosideration?

Reading Resource

Want to find the best kids' booksite? Look no further than http://thebestkidsbooksite.com . It's a multimedia resource that a kid with a topic in mind can devour. Find a topic, and this website will list pertinent kids fiction and non-fiction titles, websites, podcasts, DVDs, and even craft projects!

Bookstore Date

I went to the bookstore last night with my 6-year-old daughter and we had so much fun (despite the disgusting sandwiches at the store cafe) that the only thing stopping me from taking her there again tonight is my lack of control over how many books I buy! We went there to buy ONE book for her--a big girl book. She's an excellent reader and while she's reading on a fifth/sixth grade level, the content of books on that level can be a problem. Adding to that, she has decided she wants to read an adult fiction book! (If anyone knows any adult fiction they can think of that doesn't delve into "adult situations" please let me know!)

Anyway, we explored the nature and animals section--and left that section with a book about pugs. She's into pugs lately and has two Webkinz pugs named "Macaroni" and "Cheese." So, she's going to read all about caring for them (with the fore-knowledge that she won't be getting a real one any time soon!)

We explored the science section and Mandy asked a bunch of questions regarding the titles she saw. While I wasn't qualified to explain the theory of relativity to myself, let alone Mandy, we did talk about Einstein, Stephen Hawkins, what physics is, and what kinds of scientists there are in the world.

Ultimately, between the children's department, the bargain department and the nature department, we left with about 10 books. Really, I'm not a shopaholic...just in bookstores. The funniest part for Mandy was when I told her she had to drag me toward the cash register and not let me stop along the way. That's usually my job!

For her big girl fiction book, she chose Little Fur Book One by Isobelle Carmody. She is really digging into it! You might want to check it out for your daughter!

My son was less thrilled when I came home with a spelling workbook for him. My defense? You can't go into the 4th grade spelling "would" as "wold" and "went" as "whent." By the way, this morning, I came across a website from an english teacher that has free worksheets and tips for helping your kids with spelling. I haven't tried it yet, but I plan on it. Check this out:

http://www.spelling.hemscott.net/

Probably not the best way to inspire my son to love spelling, but everybody has difficulties for which they sometimes just need to buckle down and work harder!

IT'S SUMMER AND THE READING IS GOOD!

Just signed up the kids for the library's yearly summer reading program. The theme this year is bugs...which suits my son just fine. Whether you're tickled pink that the kids are out of school, or already pink in the face and edging ever-closer to red, you'll probably want to inspire them to do some reading this summer.

Reading Is Fundamental has a cool website full of reading-related activities for younger kids: http://www.rif.org/readingplanet/

Have you been wanting to read to your little baby or toddler, but it just doesn't come natural to you? Try the ideas in an article I researched and wrote a few years ago for Living Light News, a Christian newspaper based in Alberta, Canada. http://www.livinglightnews.org/vreading.htm

Book Adventure (http://www.bookadventure.com)

is a free opportunity for kids ages K-8 to find books that sound intriguing. Find them at your library, then return to the site for a questionnaire about the book. Kids can win prizes, too. Definitely worth checking out.

Maybe your child would like to start a book club? Visit http://www.kidsbookclubbook.com/ for ideas. Get their book KIds Book Club Book for great ideas on how to celebrate particular books at a book club meeting.