First Library Cards for the Girls!

 "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." Walt Disney 

A note from JB:

My daughters both got their first library cards today... and they were excited about it! 

We read in this house.
A lot. 

When I was a kid, I had to leave my bike at the library so that I could walk home with the stack of books I checked out. Then I had to walk back to get my bike. 

Now, when I’m not working nights, I read to my kids a chapter or two almost every evening before bed.

My two 10-year-old boys currently read for about an hour before bed every night, and this is after I read to them. And it looks like my girls are starting to follow in their footsteps.

So happy to be passing on a love for reading!

 

Pre-teen boy books

"You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need it a book." Dr. Seuss

I'll never forget the moment my Sidge, about seven years old, made me know I was doing an okay job at this parent thing. He was reading Suzanne Collins' series The Underland Chronicles. (You may recognize her name because she wrote Hunger Games. He looked up from his book and said, "I finally get why you wanted us to learn to read Mommy. This is so much fun." A few weeks later he finished book five and actually started crying. John talked him through the fact that he was letting go of some friends. "I just wish she could have written more than five books," he said. It was the start of his love of reading. Oh and a sidenote: Isaac didn't like this series.

Both of my boys devoured this series by Kathryn Lasky: Guardians of Ga'Hoole. I'm actually not even sure how many total books are in this series. Fifteen or sixteen I think. John said to warn everyone that the first book started slowly, and he had his doubts, but suddenly they TOOK OFF, and both boys read them with great eagerness.

I'll be honest. Years ago, I tried to get into this series and just couldn't do it. But John absolutely LOVED them, and shared them with the boys. They have both eaten them up. Some they liked more than others, and John slowed them down so that they were reading the scarier books when they were older as he says they get scarier as they go on. Either way, both boys give this one a huge thumbs up.

This is a Sidge favorite. Isaac hasn't gotten into them. It was recommended to me by my friend Aliceson Bales who has a son a little older than my boys. Hank the Cowdog is written by John E. Erickson. These are very fun, light reads that boys and girls would enjoy -- especially if they like animals or farming. They have a bit of the "Amelia Bedilia" spoof where Hank doesn't know the names for certain things. (He calls a car window a neck-cutter-offer or something like that.) There are well over 70 of these books, and we get them at our local library. Very fun and just light reads. Sidge often reads them inbetween some deeper series. Isaac hasn't tried these yet.

A favorite of the Dad and both boys is the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. The boys have actually had fights over this one because they both need the same book at the same time and someone is going too slowly. They love them. (A little mild bad language in this book like hell and damn.) Isaac recommends it for 11 and up.

John reads these to the kids, but then Sidge especially has gone on to read them himself. Thornton Burgess' animal adventures are pure fun for kids of all ages! Isaac says "I'm not really into animals" so he didn't like it as much.

Other books that the boys have loved having read to them include: 

• Hobbit
• Lord of the Rings
• Narnia
• Treasure Island
• Around the World in 80 days
• Journey to the Center of the Earth 
• Calvin and Hobbes (not a book but the boys LOVE them!)

I'd love you to add your own opinions! Add a comment!

Review: Reading Kingdom

I recently had the opportunity to review Reading Kingdom with my six-year-old Kindergarten daughter, Abigail. If you have a child who is learning to read, reading but not solidly, struggling to read, or a reader who is accelerated that can use some reinforcements of concepts, this review is one you will want to read.
What AGE is this program for? Reading Kingdom is for children ages 4-10 years old who are not yet reading and don't know their letters to those who have already started to learn. I actually have four children in this age range, however, it was only Abigail that this program really was a match for. 
Here's why:

• I opted to not start this with my four-year-old daughter, Hannah, as I didn't think she had enough experience with the computer and keyboard to not get frustrated. Truthfully, if I had had more time, I could have sat and worked on it with her as the program even has mouse-learning practice. However, I decided Hannah was a bit too young and her attention span not quite ready for this program.
• Even though my boys are nine-years-old, they are already reading at at least a third-grade level which is the max for the program. I therefore decided this wasn't a fit for them as well.
• However, my daughter Abigail, was the perfect age for this program!

What do I NEED to use this program? A computer with a mouse and an internet connection are the only requirements! Now while that seems like a simple answer, it is important to keep in mind that this is not an app. Therefore, your child needs to be comfortable using the mouse on a desktop computer. If you wanted to use this program with a child who isn't very experienced with a mouse, you could still do that if you are willing to sit and help them through the entirety of their experience. There is even practice sessions and reinforcements for young people not knowledgeable of the mouse. 
What is so special about THIS reading program? Reading Kingdom was designed by Dr. Marion Blank. Dr. Blank is a world renowned expert on literacy. She has developed a six skill model of reading instruction which incorporates elements of phonics and whole language while teaching additional skills required for reading and writing success without requiring kids to learn complicated rules. 
Think about it. In order to overcome the problems inherent in sounding out, phonics relies on children memorizing almost 600 rules. And of course, we all know those rules have a gazillion exceptions. While phonics specializes in sounds, Dr. Blank's technique uses sequencing, motor skills, meaning, grammar, comprehension, AND sounds. 
Does it REALLY customize to your child? It does! As Abigail moved through the program, her path was customized to her particular reading needs based on her previous interactions. I especially loved that the program:

• Skips over words that Abigail can already read and write. This saves time and helps with her motivation!
• Offers tutoring techniques that enable Abigail to end the activity successfully.
• Includes a Progress Check at the end of each of the five levels to assess whether Abigail has mastered that level. If it is on track, the child advances. If it isn't, a new set of review activities is generated. 

Is the program FUN? Yes. Abigail really enjoyed the program and found it fun. It is not recommended that you spend a ton of time on thee program each day. In fact they recommend 10-15 minutes when they first start, four times a week. This is very accurate as Abigail would start getting a bit tired at the 15 minute mark. But as you can see from the sample picture below, it is not all hard work. They make it fun at the same time!

How does the program know where to begin? The first thing Abigail did was to take a reading Skills Survey. This activity began before the actual teaching. It assessed her skills in reading and writing and she was started at a point just right for her reading level which prevented her from wasting time or getting frustrated. 
Is it easy to navigate the website?

As you can see from the screenshot above, the program is set up in a way that is easy to follow and understand (for both the child and the parent!)
How can I learn MORE? The Reading Kingdom website is simply outstanding. It provides SO MUCH information about what this program is and is not. They offer a 30-day FREE trial so you really can't lose in giving this program a try. I personally am planning to use this as my PRIMARY teaching tool for Hannah. It's that good! Check it out. You don't want to miss this outstanding program. You can also visit them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. 
P.S. Reading Kingdom also offers an ASD Reading. This is designed for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Current reading education relies on methods that often don't work for children on the spectrum. However, the innovative content and methods of ASD Reading enable to achieve success, even when they are non-verbal!