Slow Reading

Generally, when I talk about reading, I’m talking about children and the importance of each child developing strong reading skills, which includes an adequate fluency rate.  So, when I saw a few articles about a relatively new movement called Slow Reading, I had to see what it’s all about.

The Pew Research Center surveyed Americans age 18 and older, and discovered that 1 in 4 have not read even one book in the past year.  We talk about how important it is for children to read 20-30 minutes every day, yet we, perhaps, forget that it’s important for us as well.  But exactly what DO adults gain from a regular reading habit?

• Enriched vocabulary
• Slowed memory loss in later years
• Deepened empathy from reading about people who are unlike you or in circumstances that are different than yours
• Increased concentration
• Enhanced comprehension
• Reduced stress
• And, if for no other reason…it can bring you pleasure

Since time is often a premium for adults, here are some tips to help encourage you to set aside that time for yourself; kind of like setting aside time to exercise.

• Go out somewhere to avoid distractions—local coffee shop, library, park, book store, etc. If necessary, set a regular time to meet with a group of friends to read.
• Turn off your phone.
• Select a printed book rather than an e-book so you will see it lying around and be reminded that you need to read it.
• Give yourself at least 30-45 minutes of uninterrupted reading time so that you can really immerse yourself in the book.  Hence, the term, Slow Reading.

So, set aside some regular time for reading.  It’s good for you!

Misty

Enterovirus 68

We're used to our children getting sick in the Fall as they head back to school and the weather cools.  But, every once in a while, we are thrown a curve.  That’s what’s happening right now. 

As cold and flu season gets going, we now have Enterovirus 68 thrown into the mix.  You’ve probably seen it on television as it seems to be raging throughout the country right now with infections reported in 45 states.  Enterovirus 68 is a respiratory virus that is very similar to a common cold.  Mild symptoms may include fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough, and body and muscle aches. 

Children are most at-risk of becoming infected with this virus and the age group most commonly infected are children between the ages of 4 and 5.  The biggest problem with Enterovirus 68 is that it can quickly become quite serious, especially for children with asthma.  If you have a child with asthma, make sure that you have an appropriate care plans in place and share that plan with your child's school and child care providers.

Signs of distress in a child, such as difficulty talking, audible wheezing or bluish lip color call for immediate medical intervention. 

Since Enterovirus 68  is a respiratory virus, it is found in secretions such as saliva, nasal mucus, or sputum.  Other than watching for signs of illness in children, the best way to protect your children is to:

• Wash hands frequently using soap and water.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs.
• Avoid contact with people who are sick (keep your child home when he/she is sick).

With conscientious care, you can help keep your children healthy.  And, if your child becomes ill, you know how to identify when it may be becoming more serious and when to seek medical assistance.

Misty

And, yes, the CDC is now investigating whether there is a link between Enterovirus 68 and the unexplained symptoms of paralysis that some children have experienced in the past several months.  Keep your eyes open for more information on that possible link.

International Mud Day 2014

Mud Day.  I’m not sure many people realize it exists.  But it does and it sounds like fun.  I spent my childhood puddle jumping, tree climbing, and playing in mud.  It seems like a lot of children today do not have that opportunity.  And, I must admit, that as I looked through suggestions for mud day, I was concerned about the dangers associated with some of the ideas.  Some of the mud puddles that I saw looked deep enough to be drowning hazards and, of course, mud is dirty.  But, with appropriate care and supervision, mud activities can be safe and fun.

Here are some possibilities for celebrating International Mud Day on June 29th (and perhaps all week).

• Make muddy footprints.  Put a large piece of paper on the ground, get mud on the feet of plastic animals and ‘walk’ them across the paper, leaving a trail of footprints.
• Make mud bricks in ice cube trays or muffin tins.  Bake in a 250 oven for about 15 minutes to dry the bricks (if you don’t want to wait for them to air dry).  Use additional mud or plaster of paris as mortar to build with the bricks.
• Create mud sculptures.  Add sticks, leaves, rocks, etc.
• Paint with mud.  Paintbrushes or fingers on canvas, cardboard, wood, or the side of your building or fence.
• Build a mud puddle for some free play (make sure it’s not too deep and that children are well supervised).  If, like me, your local soil is clay, bring in a few bags of topsoil to make the mud.  If a full-on mud puddle is too much, you can do your mud play in a dishpan.

Have a hose ready for rinse-off, some clean clothes ready for the little adventurers, and enjoy your muddy day!

Misty

Summer Learning

Summer break!!  I think I was almost as excited as my sons were once school was finally out for the summer.  No more rushing them out the door every morning, no more struggling to get hours of homework done, and just being able to spend more time doing what we wanted to do instead of what we had to do.

For other parents, summer break is a new kind of struggle in figuring out how to keep their children properly cared for over the summer.  Regardless of what summer break means to you, one thing is a given.  Classroom teachers often spend the first month of each new school year reviewing information learned in the previous school year.  Summer “brain drain” or “summer slide” are real and happen every year.  Children lose, on average, 2 - 2 ½ months of grade equivalency in math reading during those 3 months or so of summer break. 

The good news is that it doesn’t take a lot to stop this drain from happening.  Regardless of whether parents are home with their children for the summer or working full-time throughout, they can set a plan to keep their children learning.

Suggestions for summer learning:

• If a vacation is in your plan for the summer, see what kind of learning activities you can build into it.  Going to Boston…walk the Freedom Trail.  Going to San Francisco…check out the Exploratorium. 
• If you can’t get away for a full vacation, how about a day-trip to a local attraction?  Check out a local zoo, aquarium, museum, or other fun place.
• If your child doesn’t already have a library card, this is the time to get one and use it.  Many libraries have free summer reading programs.  (Make sure you have lots of reading materials available at home.)
• Heading to a ball game?  Find a book about that sport or an athlete that plays it or help your child keep stats during the game.
• Write notes to family and friends.  If you can get away, send a postcard from your destination.  If you are staying home, just a note about what fun things you are doing will be enjoyed by the grandparents or a pen pal. 
• Let your child help you in the kitchen.  Shopping and cooking provides a ton of learning activities, and can be a lot of fun.
• Plant a garden…even if it’s just a window box with a couple of plants.  Your child can help select what to plant and care for the garden.

Have a great summer finding fun ways to learn!

Misty

Reading for a Better Vocabulary

Vocabulary development is huge for young children.    Low vocabulary is one leading indicator of children who are at-risk for reading difficulties.  And the problem starts very early.  Researchers have found that children from low-income families may start Kindergarten with 10,000 fewer words in their vocabularies than their classmates.   

One great, simple way of increasing the vocabulary of children, even very young children, is to read with or to them.  Most teachers recommend reading at least 20 minutes each day.  A few years ago I ran across a chart that really brought the importance of that reading time home to me.  I’ve shared it our parents every summer since then and wanted to share it with you today.

It’s hard for me to look at this graphic and not be astounded each time.  The difference between reading about 5 minutes a day and 20 minutes a day is 1.5 million more words per year.  The value of that increase and practice with vocabulary cannot be overstated.

Misty

Beating H1N1 and Norovirus

Yup, it’s that time of year again.  Teachers and students are starting to drop like flies from the flu and, from what I’m hearing from colleagues, from norovirus as well.  While this is never a good time of year for trying to stay healthy, this year seems particularly bad with the H1N1 strain of the flu being a seriously unpleasant version and norovirus being even worse.  Not only do I want to keep the children in my care and my staff healthy, but quite frankly, I don’t want to bring either of these illnesses home to my family either.  

That said, how do we keep everyone healthy?  It boils down to two main strategies; cleanliness and avoiding infecting others by staying home if you do get sick.  

Earlier today, I was reading an interesting article about a potential norovirus outbreak in an elder care facility.  One of the administrators observed that, while staff are diligent about handwashing, the residents are not always able to maintain the same level of attentiveness.  I see that problem as being extremely pertinent to us.  We can have the best  hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting, but if we don’t spend just as much time ensuring that the children wash their hands, it could all be for naught.  Not only do we need to make sure that they wash their hands at the appropriate times, we need to make sure that they wash them correctly.  (a friend used to threaten to record me saying “with soap” so that we could just play it back for my sons instead of me saying it over and over)

Good handwashing practices, properly covering coughs and sneezes, and diligent cleaning and sanitizing will go a long way in keeping everyone healthy this year.  And, if you have chosen to not use bleach as a disinfectant, make sure that you check the FDA’s list of disinfectants that kill the norovirus. This is one tough, nasty bug. 

Misty

Dialogic Reading

We’ve known for a long time that reading to children is critical in their language development.  However, we now know that the way in which we read to children is important also.  Dialogic reading can be described as a conversation between an adult and a child (or children) about a book.  It is a very powerful tool in language development, particularly vocabulary development.  The goal in dialogic reading is for the child to move from being an active listener to a storyteller.  

As with reading any book, start by having the child look at the cover and tell you what he thinks the book is about.  Then read the book normally so that the child can become familiar with the story.  In subsequent readings of the book, you can use dialogic reading.  (Children enjoy repetition; repeated reading is another great technique to improve language skills.)

The method used in dialogic reading is known by the acronym PEER. 

• Prompt—ask the child a “what” question about the book.  What did you see on that page? 
• Evaluate—either reinforce the child’s correct answer or guide the child to the correct answer.  Yes, you saw a man on that page.
• Expand—expand the child’s answer with additional details.  (You can provide the details right away or ask the child to provide more details before you expand the answer even more.)  That man is a fireman, standing next to his fire truck. 
• Repeat—have the child repeat your phrase or part of your phrase.  Can you say “fireman”?

Try to ask a variety of questions instead of just asking “what happened” over and over again.  The acronym CROWD provides suggestions for types of questions to ask.

• Completion—have the child complete your sentence about the story.  The fireman is standing next to his _________.  (truck)
• Recall—ask the child to recall a detail from the story.  What did the fireman do when he heard the alarm?
• Open-ended—ask the child a question without a specific answer.  What do you think the fireman is going to do next?
• WH questions—who, what, where, when, why (and how).  Where did the fireman go in his truck?
• Distancing—ask the child to relate the story to something in his own life.  Have you seen a fire truck?  Where did you see it?  What was it like?

And, of course, after reading and discussing the story, have the child give you an overview of it.  This will help you to make sure that the child is comprehending what you are reading.  Most importantly, read, read, read (and have fun with it).

Misty