Of all our kids’ intellectual milestones, learning to read may be the one that worries parents the most. We know that children will eventually talk, if we just wait until they’re ready, and learn their colors from merely interacting with the world. But when it comes to reading, we place a lot more pressure on
By Claire Zaruba I didn’t always love reading, but it wasn’t because I didn’t love books. In fact, I loved the idea of reading. Yet it was a chore that I avoided at all costs because I was frustrated. Despite having encouraging parents—who were also teachers—the foundation of my frustration stemmed from being a painfully slow
For ages 3 to 8. When I moved from teaching second grade down to kindergarten, I faced a MAJOR fear. What if my students moved on to first grade unable to read? I’d never been responsible for teaching the basics of reading before. How would I know my students were ready? What would I teach them first? And
Do you have a handy kid? All of my little ones amaze me with what they are capable of (when I give them the opportunity to show me, that is). And woodworking projects are no exception! Madeline didn’t have too many opportunities when she was little, I’m afraid to say. I cringed with the idea
There is nothing wrong with giving your children the things they want. It makes them happy, and it makes parents happy to see them happy. But, there is a lot that they can learn by making the money themselves and using that money to make their own buying decisions. The problem is that making money