Teaching Reading Comprehension Skills at Home

Reading Comprehension

How to Promote Reading Comprehension for the Struggling Reader at Home

By Kumar Sathy

Your child is struggling with reading comprehension, reading like a robot, or just unwilling to voluntarily pick up a book and read. You’ve tried everything and exhausted every reward you could possibly dangle in front of your child, and still, you can’t get your child to voluntarily pick up a book and read.  What’s the answer? It’s strikingly simple, ridiculously rewarding and equally controversial.

As an experienced educator, former school administrator, tutor, and author of educational materials, I am going to catch a lot of flak for this, but I firmly believe that the best thing a parent can do is resist the temptation to intervene, interrupt, and interrogate while a child is reading.

Book Review: Molly Kite’s Big Dream

tam veilleux

by Minette Riordan

I recently received a review copy of Molly Kite’s Big Dream by Tam Veilleux. This is a very charming story about dreaming big and having faith that our dreams will come true. The main character, Molly, wants to be a potter but she doesn’t have any idea how to make that happen. She is joined in the story by her special doll, Faith, her brother and a bird. The illustrations in the book are gorgeous and will capture your child’s attention.

One of the things I admired most about Molly is her resilience and her trust that her dream will come true. Veilleux does a wonderful job of showing us how to nurture a child’s imagination and remind our children that we have to believe that our dreams will come true and take the right actions to make that happen.

In the introduction, Veilleux shares this about her book:

How to Write a College Essay

College Essay Tips

Selecting a Topic: The College Essay Dilemma

 

by Amanda McClure, Academic Life Coach

While there is no magic formula for finding the “best” college essay topic, the writing prompt on the application is a good place to start.  Prompts tend to be generic and vast in scope, which makes it difficult for students to find their niche.  The following essay prompt on the ApplyTexas application is a great example:

Ancient Fish Fossil Discovered in Fort Worth

First Coelacanth Fossil Ever Discovered in DFW

First Coelacanth Fossil Ever Discovered in DFW

 

SMU scientists and an amateur fossil collector from Fort Worth have unearthed a clue to the mystery of one of the world’s most famous fish, the coelacanth (pronounced SEE-la-kanth).

Coelacanth fossil bones have been discovered on almost every continent. Now they’ve been found for the first time in North Texas. Small skull bones are those of a new species of 100 million-year-old coelacanth, says SMU paleontologist John Graf.

FREE Android and iPad Apps for Kids

FREE iPad and Android Apps for Kids

FREE Educational Apps for Kids

 

Guest post from KidsActivitiesBlog.com (Quirkymomma.com)

Are  your kids constantly grabbing your ipod or android to play games on them?

You are not alone.

But at least you can sneak in a little learning while they naively have fun playing on Mommy’s new toy.  Here are some educational apps that kids will have fun with and may not even realize that hey are learning a thing or two!  Like this list?  Check out our other collection of Best apps for Kids.

Step into an Organized Shoe Space

red pumps

How to Organize and Store Shoes

Most women love to shop and many of us have a shoe obsession, especially when seasons change. We want new sandals for summer in a variety of colors and in the fall we may buy new boots in black and brown or maybe even a pair of the trendy fuzzy boots! As the holiday season approaches, there are shoes to match a Christmas dress and new shoes to compliment the perfect New Year’s party outfit.

As you can imagine, new shoes can add a spring to anyone’s step, but a disorganized shoe collection can generate frustration in locating the right shoe at the right time. In the closets we organize, shoes end up on the floor in piles, stuffed between clothing, or thrown in a laundry basket. Some shoes do find their way onto a shelf or shoe rack, but often it’s not pretty and it certainly isn’t a complete storage solution for most people.