Sunday, December 20, 2015

Best Ways to Improve Your Child's Reading Fluency


Like most parents, you’re probably want to make sure your child becomes a fluent reader, as this vital skill is the building block for so much of his education. By surrounding your child with reading opportunities of all sorts as well as letting him see you enjoy spending time reading, you can certainly set him off in the right direction. However, not all kids learn at the same pace, and some have specific problems that can be addressed with the right help and encouragement. Here are some pointers on how to encourage a love of reading and how to address any potential stumbling blocks.
Let’s Go to the Library
Public libraries are an amazing resource for parents who want to instill a love of literature in their children. The more kids read, the better their skills, and libraries offer loads of book-based programs for children from babies to teens. Sign your preschooler up for a fun-filled story hour combining reading and crafts, be sure your school-age child keeps up skills by participating in a summer reading program, and get your teen involved in special library activities for older kids. Of course, the library is always a great place to find the best books!
Books of Their Own
Kids’ reading scores have been found to be higher among youngsters who are growing up in a home surrounded by reading material. Make sure there are plenty of books and magazines at your child’s level around the house from cool bug books to fantastical novels and colorful kids’ magazines. Every room in the house can be a place to dive into a book. Youngsters can relax on the couch with a favorite mystery, read recipes while helping with dinner in the kitchen or snuggle up in bed at the end of the day with a beloved novel.
Reading, Reading Everywhere
Children can practice reading anywhere, anytime, not just when they’re engrossed in a novel. Find fun ways to help your child improve skills. Let him read roadside signs, weather reports, game directions, food labels, billboards and restaurant menus. Good old-fashioned board games are a super and fun way to boost reading skills and have quality time with family. Reading is so much a part of everyday life that you don’t have to wait until your child is sitting down with a book to help her with reading skills.
Make Family Reading Time a Tradition
Once kids are older and can read on their own schedule family reading time into the evening’s activities. Just 15 to 30 minutes of everyone in the family reading silently lets kids see you enjoy reading and also gets them in the habit of finding some time each day to escape into a book.
Keep Up to Date
Be pro-active in tracking your youngster’s reading progress. Find out from the school what the expectations are for each grade level, and then track your child’s basic reading skills on report cards and standardized test results. Due to the size of today’s classes and the increased demands on instructors, your child’s teacher may not notice a problem until it’s become serious, so sit with your child and make sure she can sound out words, has good comprehension, knows sight words and can use the context of a sentence to figure out the meaning of unknown words.
Hire a Tutor
For kids who are really struggling, the best option may be hiring a tutor, and the sooner your child gets the help she needs, the more likely she’ll be to develop into a good and confident reader. Teachers don’t always have the time to give kids necessary individualized help, while a tutor can work one-on-one with your child or a small group of kids. Many schools or after-school programs have certified teachers and reading specialists available to help your young reader improve reading skills and comprehension, gaining confidence and hopefully becoming an enthusiastic reader.

Boost up your kid’s reading fluency by signing them up at Maplewood Summer Day Camp. Experienced staff will keep your child both safe and busy with arts and crafts, games, water sports, gymnastics and more. Visit the site at http://www.maplewoodyearround.com to see the fun your child will have at Maplewood Summer Day Camp.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Why Preschool is No Longer Optional


Schools Will Not Admit Students who are Not Prepared
In today’s modern world, a child must attend preschool in order to prepare for kindergarten at either a public or private school. The administrators of schools require that students pass an admission test before they can enroll in kindergarten. Failure to pass this test leads to a student attending a remedial program before progressing to a kindergarten curriculum. Most parents do not have the materials to teach their child all of the information and skills required to pass a kindergarten admission test. Teachers also want their students to have certain social skills in order to fit into a classroom environment.
Preschoolers Learn to Cope with a Structured Environment Similar to Kindergarten
Preschool age children typically do not have a structured environment at home with a daily schedule of learning. In a preschool, the teachers create a schedule of activities to help students develop a variety of skills. Instead of getting to do whatever they want at any time of the day, a preschooler must adjust to following a teacher’s guidelines. In most cases, the lessons taught in a preschool last for a maximum of 20 minutes because the students have short attention spans. However, the lessons are designed cohesively to permit children to learn about different subjects.
Children Learn the Alphabet and Basic Numbers
In Sharon preschool, the students begin to learn about the letters of the alphabet in simple ways such as coloring a picture of an animal that begins with the letter. A preschooler has an opportunity to touch shapes of letters in order to learn the alphabet with a different part of the brain. Instead of only learning numbers by recognizing the figure on paper, preschoolers use manipulatives such as sticks to visualize a particular number. A teacher gives each preschooler an opportunity to learn with kinesthetic, auditory and visual methods.
Preschool Helps with a Child’s Cognitive Development
Cognitive development begins at birth and increases rapidly as a child grows. In a preschool environment, a child is exposed to an assortment of learning materials that are not available in most homes. The lesson plans created by teachers in preschools are designed to address a variety of skills that increase a child’s cognition to prepare them for more intense training in an elementary school setting. Not only do preschoolers learn from their teachers, but they also learn from the other students in a social environment of teamwork and free play.
Children in Preschools Develop their Fine and Large Motor Skills
Preschool is an excellent place for children to develop their large and fine motor skills. Fine motor skills involve tasks such as cutting on the lines of a paper or printing letters in a first name. Large motor skills are also important, and preschool students get an opportunity to learn these skills as they engage in playground activities such as jumping rope or throwing balls into hoops. It isn’t necessary for a child to spend an entire day in a preschool to reap wonderful benefits. Most preschools offer programs that are three days a week instead of five, or students can attend half-day sessions.

Let your kids enjoy the rock climbing experience at Maplewood Summer Day Camp. Experienced staff will keep your child both safe and busy with arts and crafts, games, water sports, gymnastics and more. Visit the site at http://www.maplewoodyearround.com to see the fun your child will have at Maplewood Summer Day Camp.