Reading Development: What Will a Child's Tomorrows Be Like If Reading Isn't Part of Today?

To whom it may concern...,

I on occasion read to children at the local library. It is always a small group of kids with mom and or, dad, grandma or a chaperon. There is always room for plenty more. The 80 to 90 per cent of empty chairs is an indication of that.

This in turn led me to wonder, why are there so few kids here when the readings are advertised weeks in advance and reminders are constantly posted?

Do the parents know? If they do, are they too busy to take the kids? Do the children even want to go? Perhaps being well read is not as enticing as being well viewed, meaning TV?

Out of nothing more that curiosity with no particular agenda in mind, I decided to Google reading statistics for children.

I made a startling discovery on children's reading statistics in the U.S. and around the world. What I found out saddens me.

The few of many stats I am about to share with you, I dug up from The American Literacy Council. These facts are for the United States only. If I were to share with you the statistics for the poorer countries in the world, your mind would go into a tailspin.

Did you know that 40 to 45 percent of children never learn to read?

Did you know that 90 percent of children who cannot read at the ninth grade level dropout?

Did you know that in 2003, adults in the U.S. (who were once kids and are now parents) were tested for their reading proficiency and 87 percent were recorded as feeble. How sad is that?

I could easily fill documents with a serious number of more facts and statistics. Facts like where children end up as adults due to dropping out and being illiterate. But you already know their destiny.

You know why the prisons are full, why the poverty level in the U.S., the richest country in the world is deplorable. You know because you can see it and you read about it.

You and I have the ability to improve our minds our bodies our souls and our whole lives with the written word. We can read.

What if you couldn't read? What if you were looking for a job where you can thrive and grow and become all you can be but you couldn't find one because you are illiterate! You can't get past your name and address on the application?

What kind of future would be in store for you at that rate? I shudder to think of myself in that situation.

Now think about this. What if that was your child in those shoes, your niece, nephew, grandchild, friend's child, or any child at all. What would you do? I would certainly do something about it to help them on their journey so they can march on with confident strides into the future.

Yes, there are so many terrific kids who can read up a storm and they love it. Those kids as they get older graduate to reading the local newspaper and the Huffington Post. Some of them have Blogs and websites. They surf the internet for information that will help them. They read books that broaden their minds and their horizons.

Many of those kids build an enterprise second to none because they got passed the ninth grade. They surged forward into the future with a library of books and a mindful of knowledge to increase their chances.

Do you want to know what the most powerful word in the English language is?

It's one of those small insignificant words that we all take for granted and use it on a daily basis.

It's one of those little words that magnifies itself beyond its own boundaries.

It's a little word that is most powerful when used with real meaning to make something possible through a specific action as a unity.

That little word with a big punch is "Let's".

Let's go to the library. Let's listen to a story. Let's read a book. Let's spell Mississippi. Let's sing the alphabet!

Let's go do it, means we walk beside a certain person or persons, we don't say here's what you have to do and point the way.

I leave you with a borrowed quote from one of my favorite English novelists and critics of all times, Aldous Huxely... in the hopes that one day you will take a child by the hand and say "Let's".

"Every man who knows how to read has it in his power to magnify himself, to multiply the ways in which he exists, to make his life full, significant and interesting".

The Author understands the struggles some children have reading. Enticing and fun reading tools are necessary to encourage the act. Therefore, a complimentary Mp3 download of her first novel, Nanny Reilly, together with a beautifully illustrated 99 page e-book is available from http://www.nannyreilly.com/ for all children. Nanny Reilly is for them to enjoy without cost to anyone.

Please feel free to put this article on your website or Blog. No credit necessary.

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Childhood Social Disorders - How To Support Parents And Families In Crisis

Parents and families can often find themselves in crisis when a family member has a childhood social disorder. This article will address the following:

What are childhood social disorders?What support can be offered to families?

Firstly, childhood social disorders are mysterious brain abnormalities that impact a child's development by either preventing them or delaying their normal development through the various stages of childhood. Some examples of childhood social disorders include autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD or ADHD), Conduct disorder to name a few.

The main areas of concern about these disorders is that a child is not able to process or understand a social setting in the same way as their peers and so they may end up saying or doing the wrong thing, cause offense or upset, be disruptive, appear unfeeling or uncaring and so them may end up being isolated and excluded from social activities with other peers.

To support parents and families best, it is vital that children with childhood social disorders receive the intervention and therapies that will teach them about social inclusion, learning to see things from another person's perspective, learning empathy and learning to read verbal and non verbal signals.

These are the areas that most children learn at a normal pace throughout their childhood but for children who have a social disorder, they will learn at a slower pace and may need to be shown how to do these things we so easily take for granted and which other children instinctively pick up on.

It can be difficult for parents and other family members to do many of the things we take for granted if one of the children has a social disorder which may cause them anxiety, cause them to be disruptive or cause them to behave inappropriately in certain social settings.

If a child is difficult to manage under these circumstances, a family may simply avoid going out or limit their activities so that they won't be trying to "manage" their child while trying to control their stress levels at the same time. As a result some families spent little family time together outside an environment they cannot control and this isn't healthy for anyone.

Support services and families should work together with the child so that they can gradually get used to different social situations with the ultimate aim of having less stressful situations for the family and a greater social integration for the child with a social disorder.

For your complementary breakthrough session on overcoming the obstacles that life seems to throw at you as the parent of a special needs child, go to http://www.parenting4specialneeds.com/.

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A Million Pieces of My Heart

When I created my blog I had no idea what path would be taken. All I knew was it was time to share what I had learned on my journey of life.

Even after all the different healings of my mind and body I had experienced up to this point in my life, I knew more was to take place, as it will until I am no longer breathing on this earth.

From the age of a small child, I had experienced emotional pain off and on as we all have. My heart broke when I lost my dad at such a young age.

Little did I know at the time, my heart would break even more one day.

I loved my three children I gave birth to, more than life itself. I would spend hours holding them, playing with them, talking to them as they looked up at me with wonder.

I had so many hopes for them. It was my responsibility to provide them with the basics of life, which in my world, included a father.

I knew what it was like not to have mine, although I had the perfect step-father. So why should my adult life be any different?

I also did not realize at the time that I carried an unrealistic dream of the "normal American family". I made mistakes in some of my choices and it hurt my children, something I would never intentionally do.

I have shared what I have learned through those experiences in my articles. But, the one thing I was not aware of until recently was a pain I still carry, a pain that broke my heart into a million pieces.

Spirituality is about unconditional love, going within, silence, awareness, awakening, forgiveness, living in the moment, and just being, to name a few.

I have always considered myself a spiritual person opposed to a religious one. The rules I found in religion never really made sense to me, so I went in search of the Truth about our existence.

I found Truth and have a peace within I have never known. On a daily basis, I still learn. But now that I have opened my heart, it seems as if seeking is not so much required as I used to think.

And the faith I have used all my life, my faith in a Higher Power, is stronger than it has ever been.

Events have transpired that have uncovered the pain I thought had healed, the pain of sexual child abuse.

Even typing the word sexual seems strange, almost as if it is a bad word. Growing up here in the south, it pretty much was a word that was not supposed to be spoken aloud.

This contributes to the reason why when my family experienced this type of abuse there was not much support available to us.

I will not go into detail here in this article, but I will share with you that when it happens to one, it affects the entire family, even if not realized.

As a mother, it literally broke my heart into a million pieces.

Never in my life had I ever experienced such pain and have not since. The advice we were given by many was to forgive and forget. This pain cannot be forgotten, it is with you for life.

As far as forgiving goes, the jury is still out on that one.

The awareness of the pain still lurking inside of me was found as I wrote my previous articles, watching my adult children find their way in this life.

Every article I have written is due to an observation either in my life or my children's lives.

It has been 20 years since we as a family, stepped into hell. As I look back, I would have done a few things differently. But we only operate with level of knowledge we hold at any given time, right?

That is the very reason my articles exist... to share what I have learned.

Last night I wondered how on earth I would combine spirituality with sexual child abuse. Well, that answer did not take long in arriving.

The details in each case are all different, some worse than others, but the pain is the same. The emotions experienced are the same.

Holding onto the hurt, anger, hate, blame, guilt and all the other feelings stemming from abuse is known as living in the past and is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle.

Releasing these binding emotions by becoming an active voice will give us the freedom to live in the moment.

This will also offer an opportunity to rebuild our lives in a positive fashion. It is never too late.

Becoming a voice for the children is essential in finding solutions. I began my research and found there are much more positive avenues available now than there was 20 years ago.

Who would not want to save a child's mental and physical well- being?

My three are grown now, but I have grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who have the same.

What better gift could we give these children than a voice speaking for something they know absolutely nothing about?

All the attributes I listed of spirituality plays a huge part in this and this is how it all comes together.

Being a voice for the children is loving

Being a voice for the children is compassion

Being a voice for the children is living in the moment

Being a voice for the children is healing

Being a voice for the children is awareness in action

Spirituality is just a label, as is other words that could be used to describe the reasons for being a voice. You don't have to be considered spiritual to become involved.

There are two organizations I found through my research I have chosen to be a part of. There are many out there for the picking. Find one that resonates with you.

If you are a survivor, which involves not only the abused person, but their family also, or know someone who was abused, your voice is needed now.

Yes, it hurts to share this experience and I don't know if total healing will ever take place... I don't allow myself to attach to that thought... I am simply following and listening to my heart.

As long as heads stay stuck in the sand regarding sexual child abuse, no solutions will manifest and nothing will change.

Reach out, share your story, rescue a child, be a part of the solution, not the problem.

Understanding this becomes... a simple truth

Hopefully, sharing my articles will assist in healing, not only for myself, but my family also.

I have chosen to share this information in hopes of a better world for our children through prevention.

Wanda Lawson, Spiritual Writer

Please follow me here:

http://www.understandingsimpletruths.org/

and you may follow/like me on my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/understandingsimpletruths

I love to write and share my experiences in life. Our journeys, I believe, are meant for sharing. Not to dictate how one should live, just offering what has worked for me as considerations.

Simply, follow your heart.

Namaste

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Summer Educational Ideas for Parents to Bridge the Achievement Gap

One thing that I find troubling is the lack of access that is afforded to many parents with regards to educating their children. An ability to speak more than one language, a defined curriculum of math and science, as well as, an understanding of the workings of the world outside of American shores will give our children an advantage in the world that they will inherit as adults. Is this a secret to anyone? When we compare the idea-learning curriculum to the curriculum offered in many public schools, we can see a drastic difference. If you are reading this and wondering if I am bashing teachers or public schools then let me assure you, I am not. I am a former public school teacher and have worked in urban as well as suburban public schools in both New Jersey and Maryland. I am also a mother of four children.

My son attended private school and for a time was home schooled. My two oldest daughters are both in public school. And as I child, I attended both Catholic school, and public school. The fact of the matter is the educational gap between the idea curriculum, and the general curriculum offered to our students, which on a large part is based on socioeconomic status. Many working parents simply cannot afford the language immersion classes, robotics training, or early chemist programs that are being offered in more affluent school districts. The solution cannot be a simple bashing secession, but a plural marriage between policy makers, teachers, and parents for the best practices for all American children. Until that agenda is realized and acted upon, the question for parents become what can I do now to bridge the gap. With summer, being just around the corner the ground is fertile to put plan to action with your child. With awareness, patience and a little ingenuity you can begin to incorporate the missing elements; thereby adding depth to your child's education. Until, the country as a whole get together and decide that all children deserve the highest education possible we as parents must do our best to link the missing pieces. So if you are asking, "What are we going to do", then read the Three S's below.

Start Small

Retrieve all of the class work, homework, tests and quizzes that your child completed throughout the course of the year. Have them re-do each assignment and practice each skill being addressed. Practice makes perfect, and repetition solidifies learning making each level of advancement easier to master as your child progresses.
Get a copy of the curriculum from your child's classroom teacher or from the board of education. Most boards list the standards or skills covered by grade level on their website. Identify and review deficit areas.
Ask teacher for summer work or activities to reinforce skills. The purpose of this is not to lose learning skills while on vacation.

Steer Ahead

Obtain a copy of high achieving private school and/or public school curriculums. Identify gaps between your child's curriculum and those from the high achieving more affluent school districts.
Explore learned academic concepts and find relevance in your child's everyday life. Math is used consistently in our lives For example, fractions in the kitchen when baking cookies, to algebra when calculating distance and time to grandma's house.
Hire an older student within your own community to work with your child on particular subject content areas. Children have a way of communicating, that is unique to their generation and in some instances, may be able to teach academic skills in a way that is effective and easily understood. In doing so, your child not only gets a few extra skills under their belt, but a chance to see a positive model which reinforces the idea of, "If this person can do this, then so can I".

Soar High

Make use of the skills and talent within your community. Is there a songwriter, visual artist, or author in the neighborhood? What skills do you posses? Are you good at writing poems or stories? Are you able to sew or enjoy making fragrant soaps in your spare time? Coming together as a community to share skills and talents with the youth follows the adage; it takes a village to raise a child. In the process, our children develop skills beyond learning the ABC's of traditional schooling. And we begin to not only shape their minds but moral values as well.
Research colleges within your city to identify continuing educational courses offered to young children during the summer vacation. There are many programs to supplement the general educational model. Find one that compliments the personality and ambitions of your child. The costs vary and it is very likely that you will find a course that is affordable and beneficial.
Take advantage of the summer months by exposing your child to different cultures. Visit neighborhoods with different ethnic groups than your own. If your primary mode of transportation is by car, venture out on a Saturday using public transportation. Go to cultural events or visit online websites that show the diversity in the world. These early glimpses of the world outside of a child's everyday environment is a great first step at improving your child's cultural intelligence, and can lead to him or her becoming more compassionate towards children of different ethnicities and/or children with special needs.

Martha Dawson is a Holistic Life Coaching Professional and Reiki Energy Practitioner. Her practice supports both men and women who seek a life that is both pleasurable and purposeful. Her approach to coaching is collaborative, flexible and solutions focused. Using proven techniques learned from her background and training in counseling psychology, education and Reiki energy healing making her sessions fun, inspirational and transformative. One of her talents is an ability to get past the root reason preventing many clients from living their greatest life possible while supporting their change & grow process every step of the way. Martha has experience working in the areas of grief/bereavement, substance abuse, self-esteem building, skills for personal development and success building. In addition, lending support to families with chronically ill children is her passion. Martha currently lives in the Atlanta metropolitan area with her husband and three daughters. To learn more about Martha or Holistic Life Coaching visit the website at http://www.theholisticlifecoach.com/

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Is Preschool Teaching Your Child Too Much?

There are many advocates of keeping preschool a place for play instead of using it as a bridge to learning. This theory reprimands preschools that embrace a more structured learning environment for becoming "the new kindergarten." Other groups, generally in geographical areas with very competitive private schools, advocate for a very rigid learning environment in order to get their preschooler into the best kindergarten. Both of these viewpoints are, in most cases, extreme viewpoints that are very far from the preschools of today. In reality, quality preschools are a mixture of the two philosophies.

Quality preschools generally have an ample portion of the day where the children are engaged in free choice activities with times of teacher led activities interspersed throughout the day. During child directed play, teachers allow the children to rotate through centers and create their own scenarios and outcomes. The teachers engage the children in order to facilitate learning and discovery. Learning centers are well thought out and can encompass literacy, math, science, dramatic play, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, logic, reasoning, diversity, or any other area of education or life skills. Throughout the day, core values and traits are being taught, modeled and facilitated in a quality program. These values include sharing, caring, respect, acceptance of differences and similarities, taking turns, listening, and following directions.

Teachers in a quality childcare program know the early childhood standards and meet or exceed them in preparing lessons for the children. Quality teachers also take the children's interests into account when preparing lessons. This better enables the children to obtain a love of learning which will hopefully stay with them throughout their educational experiences. In order to encourage a lasting love of learning, children need to realize that they are being taught; they need to be presented with challenges that they can conquer; they need to be led to some conclusions and be able to figure some out on their own; they need to gain confidence in their own abilities; they need to be given a strong educational foundation.

In a preschool environment that is extremely rigid, the majority of children in an average population will not flourish. This environment may cause undue stress on the children in attendance and create a sense of failure within the children that cannot adapt to this environment. Contrarily, in a preschool environment that is extremely unstructured, the majority of the same group of children will not learn at their full potential. Children in this situation may not be prepared when they enter kindergarten and may fall behind their peers due to the lack of preparation. In both cases, children may develop behavior problems or insecurities.

The optimal preschool setting is one that nurtures the whole child and includes a mixture of teacher directed and child directed activities, structured and unstructured learning, and free play.

In a preschool environment that encompasses a mixture of structured and unstructured learning times, the children can still act like children, stay engaged, and learn at their full potential. The children in this environment understand that there are times that they have more control in their day and learning content and times when they need to let the teacher have control. These children understand that discovery and learning can be fun. This environment is optimal for allowing children to obtain social skills and to acquire a strong educational foundation for when they enter into school and throughout their lives.

Kelly Trendle is the founder of Brilliant Start Academy, a private preschool and kindergarten in Amherst, Ohio. Brilliant Start Academy is a learning based childcare center that has attained a two-star rating in Ohio's Step Up To Quality voluntary rating system.

http://www.brilliantstartacademy.com/

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