Reasons My Kid Is Crying

Reasons My Kid Is Crying by Greg Pembroke is another book I found through the NC digital public library.  It's a quick, funny read full of great pictures.  We're caught up in the process of selling our house right now and this was the perfect book for a night that I just needed a laugh.

2016 Book Count: 14

The Wonder Weeks

Last night I finished my second book of the year: The Wonder Weeks by Hetty van de Rijt and Frans Plooij.  The premise of this book is that babies go through ten predictable, age-based paradigm shifts where their whole world view changes.  Each major leap in brain development is accompanied by a fussy period, lasting from a day or two to several weeks, and after the shift parents can expect their baby to be prepared to learn new skills.

I really enjoyed learning about what babies understand at various points in their first two years, as well as the recommended games and toys for each developmental period to encourage them to get the most out of each mental leap.

My sweet little boy is 16 weeks old now, so the wonder week he's coming up on is the 19th week leap into the world of events.  According to the book, ever since the 12th week leap he has been able to perceive smooth transitions as long as the transition is fairly simple (for example, a ball rolling from left to right).  In the world of events, he will now be able to understand that everything he is experiencing can be broken up into events that aren't always so simple.  For example, if someone jumps into the air, they are going to come back down again.  Or, if you drop a rubber ball, it will bounce back up... and will likely bounce up and down a few more times after that.  He will now start to understand the "purpose" of some of his toys (wheels can be turned, bells can be rattled, etc.), will enjoy watching repetitious events (brushing hair, slicing bread, etc.), and will enjoy looking at pictures, talking, singing, and playing games like "This Little Piggy Went to Market".

I love learning about my sweet baby!



2016 Book Count: 2

5 Easy Ways to Help Your Child Become a Better Reader

1. Read aloud to your child!

Children of all ages love having adults read to them.  Did you enjoy The Cat in the Hat or maybe Shel Silverstein's poems as a kid?  Your child will too!  Share some of your favorite stories.  This is something that stays with children for the rest of their lives, and research has shown that it is one of the absolute best ways to help children increase their vocabulary, reading comprehension, and ability to read with fluency and expression!

2. Let your child see you reading!

When children see adults reading, it teaches them that reading is important and fun.  We want them to know that reading is not just something taught in school.  When I was younger, I remember my dad would keep a book wedged next to his seat in the car.  He said it was for long stoplights... : )

3. Ask your child to read to you.

This is a great way to bond with your child and show them you are interested in what they do!  Reading aloud will also help your child's fluency and expression.

4. Discuss books with your child.

Choose a book to read together, and talk about it during dinner or before bed.  You could ask your child questions such as:

• What do you think about that character?  Why?
• How is he/she feeling?  Have you ever felt that way?
• Do you agree with what the character did?  Why?  Or, why not?
• What are you picturing in your head when you read this?
• What do you think will happen next?

Think about how you discuss your favorite TV shows with a friend, and discuss books the same way with your child.

5. Take your child to the library!

Library cards are a free and powerful thing, and librarians are experts at helping children find books they will love.  See if you can get your child hooked on a great series.  Not only will it help their ability to predict and infer about characters they know so well, but knowing where to find books they love in the library gives them ownership over the process of finding books and helps a big library to feel less overwhelming.