UNLIMITED FREE TRAVEL

The whole world opened up

for me

When I began to read.

Mary McLeod Bethune

Simply stated but oh, so true. Reading takes us everywhere for free. Our minds can travel great distances with books.

Parents, read to and with your children everyday. It makes a huge difference in their lives now and always.

Barney, the White House dog

Kids, did you know a dog lives in the White House with the president and his wife?
To find out about a lucky dog named Barney, click on the dog.
I think you will be surprised to find out that he has been in movies, too!!!

Happy Birthday America

We are almost ready to celebrate the birthday of our country. How much do children know about this celebration?

The White House has a site with quizzes and games concerning the history around the date of July 4th.

There is information and activities for all!!! Click on Happy 4th and enjoy.

Suggestions

Learning begins at birth. Sing songs, tell nursery rhymes and read to your child. Begin as soon as your baby is born.

Set aside special times each day to read to your child, such as naptime, bedtime, or after meals.

Select a place that is cozy, quiet and away from distractions. Then cuddle up together laugh, be silly, relax and enjoy! Read with expression and enthusiasm. What children need most is a feeling of comfort about books and reading.

Read children's favorites as often as they want to hear them! Children are comforted by and learn best from repetition.

Choose books that interest your child or relate to what's happening in the child's life at the time, whether it's a family trip or a new experience such as starting school.

Allow your child to touch books, point to words and pictures and turn the pages.

Read to and with children… don't expect them to read. If they want to chime in on a word now and then, it's a bonus, but don't create any pressure around the time you spend reading together. Read at a leisurely pace with pauses here and there. This gives children time to take in what they hear.

Model all kinds of reading with your children. Let them see you read the newspaper, the TV Guide, recipes etc. Comment on what you are reading so that they see that reading has many purposes.

Children treasure books they own. Affordable books can be found at yard sales, thrift shops, second-hand bookstores, as well as at public library book sales. Provide your child with a bookshelf or drawer for his or her own books. A subscription to a children's magazine would make a wonderful present for a child.

Take advantage of the local library. Find out when story hours are for young children. Build a regular trip to the library into your schedule. A library card is a free way of investing in your child's future.

Reading is Fundamental RIF

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Click and view the many activities that the Reading is Fundamental website has for your children. It includes books, contests, information for parents, kids section, school information for
RIF book distribution.

It's a quick source for fun and information!!!

Special places we love to go

The Pink House is an illustrated story of an extended family's annual vacation to Edisto Beach, SC. The story, told by one of the young cousins, is a warm account of a single day when all the cousins, aunts, uncles, and even Grandma come to the "Pink House." They swim, go fishing with Uncle Jim, hunt for petrified shark's teeth with Aunt Margaret, sing songs with Aunt Kate, read books, eat the fish and crabs caught in the surf, play games...and then go to bed to await whatever surprises will be washed up by the surf the next day. http://www.warbranchpress.com/pink.html

Mrs. Palmer visited our school a few years ago and was delightful. The kids were mesmorized by her pictures of her extended family and how they were really the characters in her book. There really is a pink house at Edisto Beach. On the site above is a comment about someone who stayed there.

The book is delightful and anyone who vacations with their extended family would love the book.

Parents, it is a good book to encourage you children to write about their family or a trip they've taken. Remember, children write best about what they know.

Encourage your child to make their own book about family. What a fun, family activity, also!