When literacy goes digital in the lives of young children
What is a parent to do? We have heard the news. Both the Canadian Paediatric Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics have looked at the research linking television and screen time with healthy child development. Their recommendations? Children who are two years old or younger should watch no… READ MORE
Get Ready! Get Set! Go... to School!
Anticipating your child’s first day at school this September? Whether you’re a parent who experiences mini panic attacks when you imagine your child in this new environment, or whether you’re looking forward to a few hours of parental freedom, there are ways to help your child prepare. Most kindergarten… READ MORE
It’s a Picasso!
Pablo Picasso learned to draw before he could speak. By the time he was a teenager he could paint masterfully. Today referring to anything as a Picasso infers excellence and originality.As I wandered through the Picasso exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario a few weeks ago, I learned… READ MORE
Learning Together through Aboriginal Stories
“Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins.” (Native American proverb) At Come Walk in My Moccasins events for early learning and childcare professionals, Spiritual Elder and Healer David Jock explained to mainstream educators how Seven Grandfather Teachings can enrich children’s learning regardless of their cultural… READ MORE
Docs prescribe reading to children
When doctors speak, we listen.The report of Community Action Research Project (CARP) conducted throughout Hastings and Prince Edward counties in 2011/12 shows that when families seek information, services or support, 71.3% turn to their doctor or primary health care provider.Physicians’ words have impact. Studies analyzing Reach Out and Read,… READ MORE
Brainy Babies without TV
Would you like to make your baby smarter? “Yes!” Do you know how to make your baby smarter? “Hmmm….” When we see store shelves lined with videos designed for babies and toddlers with convincing names such as Baby Einstein we may be convinced that knowledgeable adults have researched and… READ MORE
Picture books + math = budding mathematicians
It’s 5:25 p.m. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. Boots, big and small, tramp and skip along the hallway. Voices of parents and young children become louder as families make their way into the school library for family math night. Quick thinking readers might wonder why the topic of math would draw… READ MORE
Dishing up books for the picky eater
“I do not like Green Eggs and Ham. I do not like them Sam I am!” Even Dr. Seuss knew when he wrote “Green Eggs and Ham” in 1960 that picky eaters are tough to feed well. Although nutritionists tell us that children may need to be offered a… READ MORE
Reading just for the fun of it!
I remember the day my eldest son Justin discovered that independent reading was fun. Justin had an insatiable appetite to hear stories read, but knowing how those words mapped to printed words on the page mystified him. He hated the books sent home with him from school – books… READ MORE
Early Literacy:Are You Ready for Christmas
by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist “So, are you ready for Christmas?” My eyes fall to the ground. I have not yet finished my shopping or gift wrapping. I have not baked shortbread or decorated the Christmas tree. “Ummm,” I mumble, pushing back a mixture of guilt and panic, “There’s still… READ MORE
Early Literacy Making Headlines
by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist The Canada Council on Learning October 2011 report states that internationally, Canada is losing its competitive edge with education at each stage of learning from preschoolers to senior citizens. One of its key findings? “Early childhood education and learning (ELEL) affects a child’s health, well-being… READ MORE
Home routines can help children with back to school
by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist When warm summer days give way to cooler temperatures and shorter daylight hours, and school buses fill our roads after two months of absence, we know its ‘back to school.’ Parents do their best to prepare children for an easy transition to their first days… READ MORE
Playtime for Baby and You
by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist Facebook and Twitter are buzzing with the news. Your newborn has arrived safely. You hear your new baby cry for attention, tiny arms waving without control. What could early literacy possibly have to do with an infant who is not yet ready to speak or… READ MORE
Singing the Praises of Music to Literacy
by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist Sometimes it happens in the car; sometimes in the park. Kailey’s mom breaks into song: Down by the bay where the watermelons grow; back to my home I dare not go. For if I do my mother will say, “Did you ever see llamas eating… READ MORE
Books for sharing this Strawberry Moon
by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist I was driving in my car when I heard the interview on CBC. Diplomat and former lieutenant-governor of Ontario, James Bartleman, was talking about his newest book “As Long As the River Flows”. Bartleman, a member of the Mnjikaning First Nation, has had a highly… READ MORE
Celebrating better speech and hearing month with Keil
"It’s time for speech therapy, Keil,” his mom calls out. “Yay!” Keil’s excitement is high. It’s always high when he realizes it’s a speech therapy day. Speech therapy to Keil means playing and spending time with his speech therapist Skye Hale-Sanders. Keil isn’t aware that Skye is using play to… READ MORE