Six Powerful Reasons Why Kids Need to Write
Many of us will remember the Choose Your Own Adventure books ~ freedom to choose your destiny is one of childhood’s greatest gifts. Ongoing Covid restrictions make it even more crucial for kids to enjoy the joys of escapism. Let’s look at 6 reasons why writing is great for our children. 1. Creative writing takes…
Which are the most popular books for kids and young adults?
Teachers ~ when you think about the students in your classroom, is there a certain novel that students pick up year after year? Or are students continually choosing a variety of new texts? In promoting reading to your students, what information do you turn to in order to recommend new books? Parents ~ we’ve all…
Read to Succeed: Strategies to encourage and develop lifelong readers
As an adult, do you read? Myself – I can’t imagine a day without reading in it. I can say that I’m a better teacher because I read. I talk to my students about what they read, I read their assigned novels so that I can help them with their responses ~ especially those (mostly…
Disengagement – do you think your son ‘switches off’ in the classroom?
Firstly, let me say that disengaged students are not necessarily unmotivated to achieve in all subjects. I think this is important to note. But if you are worried about your son’s underperformance in the classroom, let’s look at some ways that you can help him focus and achieve. Students who are motivated to learn attend…
Steps to Successfully Support Your Disengaged Learners
Follow these steps to help your students to motivate themselves. Whether your school is in lockdown or not, as teachers we need to ask ourselves an important question: How can we best support those students who became disengaged during the last 12-months of disrupted learning? Some easy options could be telling students off, remind them…
Report Cards: 5 common situations and how you can discuss them with your child
Midyear reports will be available soon. As parents, we must be realistic about our expectations, and while we really want our children to be successful, not all children will be able to achieve an ‘A’. A Quick Review There are different reasons you might be disappointed in your child’s report card. What you say (and…
Libraries allowing kids to read away their late fees
In the age of video games, smartphones and the internet, some libraries are getting creative in order to draw kids in. There are libraries in Los Angeles that let kids read to pay off their late fees. Each hour a child spends reading at county-run libraries, $5 is knocked off their account. Library staff say…
You CAN get teen boys to read. 9 Practical Tips
It’s a common concern – as boys get older, reading can be seen as work rather than fun. Teens especially may stop reading altogether. I was excited to be recently interviewed on ABC Radio Canberra on this issue: How can we get teen boys reading, either again or for the first time? If you have…
Does Grammar Really Matter? Yes! 5 Tips to make it fun
I enjoy teaching grammar. But convincing students to love grammar feels like trying to make a cat enjoy a relaxing bath. We know that boys are more likely to be engaged in the learning process if they are excited about the topic. Our approach to grammar (and literacy in general) is that boys will stay…
Boys Reading for Fun? Can we achieve it?
When kids are fully engaged, you can feel it. As a teacher and parent, it is incredibly rewarding to see the signals connecting in their brain. When children enter learning – as in real learning not just completing a task – they can become lost in it. How can we get our kids engaged and reading…