Help Your Child Learn To Read

 

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Our Mission is to provide parents of busy grade schoolers with one stop full of information about developmental and educational issues, ideas for diversions when you need them most, and reviews to guide your reading and web surfing. Our goal is to help parents become aware of the vast array of choices, sift through them, and distill the best of the best to benefit their family.

Kicks for Kids - Catalogs and Magazines for the Young at Heart! 

Spring Writing Fun
By Sandy Fleming

This would be a great Spring story, but the author ran out of ideas after the first few sentences! Finish this story, please! We're all interested in seeing what happens next. Once you are done, you can e-mail your ending to us. Full Story
Try this fun challenge. Ask your child to write directions to a simple, everyday activity, such as making a peanut butter sandwich or putting on a coat. Now, follow the directions EXACTLY AS WRITTEN! Do not add or take away anything. Be prepared for messes and funny situations. Chances are very good that your child will begin to see the importance of clarity and accuracy in writing!

Winning the Seatbelt Wars
By Sandy Fleming
Every child goes through it at one time or another, and it can be enough to spoil a fun trip: The Great Seatbelt Fight is on! Whether your child is a car seat passenger, a booster seat user, or a seatbelt wearer, sooner or later you will be faced with a battle to wear the safety restraint. Full article

Sharpen your preschooler's auditory discrimination skills with this fun game. Get an even number of baby food jars with lids. Place small items, such as rice, sand, beans, tacks, or whatever into the jars. Make two of each kind. Close and cover the jars completely with opaque tape. Number or letter the lids and make an answer key for yourself, telling what each jar contains. Have the children try to find the matching jars by listening to the rattle!

Marvelous May
By Sandy Fleming
Welcome to May! Spring is now firmly in our grasp, and the weather is finally beginning to become warmer. The end of the school year is in sight, and with it, vacations and summer fun. Brighten up your May with these activities and create your own Marvelous May Moments! Full Story

Use one inch graph paper. Make a colorful pattern with three or more segments (depending on age and ability) and have your child try to repeat your pattern over the paper. Vary the activity by asking your child to create his or her own pattern with a specific number of elements. Understanding, repeating and creating patterns are important skills for early reading.
It's Time to Camp
By Sandra Fleming

May often marks the beginning of the camping season in many families. Whether you are a tent-camping crew, an RV group, or a backyard camp family, here are some fun activities and recipes to liven up any camp-out. Full Story

Choose a Word of the Day that will be new to your child but useful in writing or conversation (try a thesaurus for ideas). Challenge your student to look the word up in the dictionary to discover its meaning, then be the first in the family to work it into conversation.

Thinking Big!
By Sandra Fleming
Magnifying glasses can be fascinating. They afford your children a unique opportunity to peer at details that would otherwise escape notice and learn about the intricacies of our world. If possible, you'll want each child to have access to his or her own magnifying glass or perhaps have enough to work in pairs. Full Story

Ask your child to give you directions for cooking his/her favorite dish. See how many steps s/he knows, whether they're in the right order, and what ingredients can be listed. If you followed the directions, would you have a culinary delight or a catastrophe?


BPO section editor, Sandy Fleming is giving you the best there is for kids ages 4-12.
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