Blog
7 Ways to Make Flash Cards Less Boring!
So, you’ve bought some flashcards to practice words and letters at home. Or your child’s school is sending home lists and binder rings of specific words they want you to practice. You’re committed to doing something at home, so you try to go through them with your child and it’s…
4 Ways to Reduce Your Child’s Performance Anxiety When Reading
Performance anxiety, ugh! 😣 We’ve all experienced it and know firsthand how it kills fun, ease, and joy. And oftentimes makes our minds feel completely blank! It has an uncanny knack for sucking the enjoyment out of just about anything – especially reading with a parent – because the brain…
What Should I Be Doing at Home?!
This is the question I get asked MOST from parents. And of course it makes sense that a parent’s go-to is trying to get their child to read a book. Duh! Isn’t reading what we’re working on here? But reading a book at home is a like asking your child…
Teach Your Child HOW to Struggle (Successfully!)
Have you noticed that your child is totally unwilling to struggle? That the minute something is hard, they instantly give up? If your child is shutting down (refusing, running away, melting down, distracting, non-responding), it is likely because they don’t feel SAFE in the process of struggling with something hard….
How To: Use Your Child’s Favorite Stuffy to Ease Reading Anxiety! 🐰
Picture someone who’s exceptional with children: Mr. Rogers. Mary Poppins. Maybe your child’s favorite babysitter. What do they all have in common? If you’ve ever really watched someone who’s great with kids, you’ll notice that they enter the child’s world instead of requiring that the child enter theirs. That’s it….
My TOP 3 Reading Games: Play with Letters, Sounds, or Words!
It’s a fact: children learn fastest through PLAY. There’s a whole host of research on it and reasons why it’s absolutely the best way to learn (if you’re curious: it’s simply because the brain lights up more during play). But most importantly, it’s FUN! And fun feels good for everyone….
Why Your Child is Shutting Down (and What You Can Do To Help)
“NO!” “I don’t want to!” “I can’t!” “I’m not doing this!” “I won’t!” “I’m so bad at this!” “I’ll never learn to read!” “I read that word already!” “That’s exactly what I said!” “I hate this!” “I hate YOU!” Phew. We all know that a child shutting down around reading…
What To Do When Your Child is Having a Meltdown (and 1 Thing NOT To Do)
Sometimes, no matter how calm you are, no matter how much patience you exercise, and no matter what you do to prevent it, reading with your child will still lead to meltdowns. Even if you’re practicing through play, moving your bodies, taking steps to reduce anxiety before reading, setting a…
Snowball of Success: 5 Things To Do After Reading with Your Child
You and your child just had an AMAZING time reading together! Woohoo! 🙌 You took turns, your child read willingly, they sounded out when they were able to and asked for help when they needed it. No struggle or fight in sight. It was pure magic! Bravo to both of…
Feel Good First: 5 Things To Do Before Reading with Your Child
Let’s face it, reading at home can be a struggle. You have the perfect book picked out: one that your child is excited about and you know they can read; they’re eager and willing to sit and read with you at the beginning — and yet the minute it comes…