More reason to read to your kids.

We all know how valuable story-telling sessions are. Reading to your young child is not just good for bonding and fun, it is also linked to better academic performance down the road. Now, researchers say reading is important for mastering language — particularly the English language.

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Banging on that glockenspiel can sharpen your child’s reading skills.

Cost-cutting school districts are making a mistake when they cut music from the kindergarten to 12 curriculum. Learning to play an instrument may actually help hone reading skills, more than kindergarten worksheets. So, if your child is a natural music lover, take advantage. Music is not only fun, it’s good for her brain development too.

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Nurturing environments also nurture good readers.

Once upon a time, a controversial claim was made that you can read to your kids all you want but that won’t guarantee they will be good readers. That claim was made in 2005 in the book Freakonomics by authors Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt. The authors said, having wealthy and educated parents is a better gauge for high literacy. Well, there’s a new study out that claims that’s only partly true.

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Enrich your child’s language development.

Your toddler has gone from coos and giggles to actual attempts at words. So give him a rich broth for simmering his alphabet soup of verbal exercises. Many of us know it’s good to read a lot of books to them to stimulate language. But giving him experiences — like taking him outdoors or simple play — are wonderful ways to encourage his budding language abilities.

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Everything they need to learn, they’ll learn in a good kindergarten.

I know… every parent seems to love the preschool their kids are in. Of course, it validates a decision they made! But if you’re shopping around for schools, maybe my personal reasons for choosing my kids’ preschool may resonate with your own parenting philosophy.

Recently, I was interviewed by a fellow writer for an article she’s doing on why parents choose to send kids to progressive schools.  Had to put some thought to it so, might as well share them with you! Maybe you’ll get some ideas on choosing the right preschool for your child.

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Help your child learn to write.

Workbooks where kids have to sit quietly and trace letters repeatedly can be tedious and uninspiring for young kids. There should be no pressure to get them started to write — this could be counterproductive and make them dislike writing even more. We can encourage them to practice penmanship, but the key is to make it fun and engaging. We have some ideas you can try.

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Encourage your toddler to play alone.

Toddlers will always want mommy or daddy to play with, and we should oblige. Playing with your child is great for fun, bonding and learning. But we should also encourage solo play.

For a few minutes every day, children should be able to play as they please, left to their own imagination. And this isn’t good just so you can fix dinner. Independent play builds well… independence, along with creativity and self-confidence.

I would often catch my daughter talking to herself and her dolls, when engaged in solo play. Sometimes she is mimicking lines from her favorite books. Many times she is creating her own scenarios. Experts tell us, this kind of symbolic play boosts a child’s language skills. Read more for advice on how to tap into the power of independent play.

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Good books, good night, good dreams.

During the day, everyone is off doing their own thing. Mom is busy writing and Dad is at work. Kids are in school then playground dates or after-school activities. So one of the best parts of our 24-hour cycle is spending some quality time with my toddler and preschooler, curled up in bed for their night time stories. It’s a great ritual for bonding, learning and winding down for the day. The ritual would not be complete without a few good books.

Yesterday, I shared books that my toddler especially loves. Today, we feature my preschooler’s favorites.

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Good books for a good night’s rest… and good dreams.

Every night, after dinner and a bath, my kids have to wind-down with a good book. Actually, most often it would be at least two, three, four or more books – depending on that night’s negotiations. I’ve noticed, not all books are made… to create the same effect. Some books are good for getting the kids all excited, even getting them to move around. Some are perfect for getting them to think about letters and numbers and school stuff. What we’re sharing here are our kid-certified favorites that go well with those night-time cuddles, that are just right for settling down.

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Is my child ready for preschool? Am I?

I like to do my homework and put in my fair share of research, so when my first child was about to reach his second birthday, I already started looking around for a preschool. My intention was to get him in at age 3. My plan was to try out two schools that came highly recommended. Both had toddler programs that kids could enroll in on a month by month basis.

The first school I chose to try was the one nearest our home. My toddler would be there three times a week for two hours a day. To me, that was just enough to test the waters.

How did he fit in? After a few days of tearful goodbyes to mom and cautious hellos to teacher, he took to his toddler class like fish to water. The trial turned out so well that, he was officially in preschool as early as 1 year and 8 months old – not age 3 as I had planned. We never even got around to trying the other school.

Should your own child enter school this early? It was good for my son, but not all children and situations are the same. I’m sharing some research to help you figure out when is the ideal time for your own child.

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