Read, Read, and Read some more!

Our little friend from Church brought out her well used pocket notebook. She shared her list of prayers for the evening - people she wanted to pray for. After her Mom and Dad and Grandma, and brothers she happily told us she had prayed for her teacher. It seems her teacher had recently told her students she was planning to get married!

So many teachers earn the love and admiration of so many beautiful young children? Those few hours they share in the classroom each day are spent planting important seeds in the highly impressionable young minds of the students they lead. I can't help but admire those loving ladies and gentlemen who so unselfishly share the gift of learning with our youth.

They sure don't do it for the money. Many people make far more than any teacher I know. Teachers get something in addition to the money. They get perhaps the best fringe benefit of all - the love of so many children. Of all the gifts we enjoy throughout our lives - surely few can compare to the love we share with our children!

When I recently asked a teacher what might help my youngster do well in school this year she responded without hesitation - read with him. And then read some more! Help him learn to read. In these early years of school reading is an essential piece of his education. Learning to read - and read well will benefit him throughout his life. Maybe if we plant the seeds of learning to read, of loving to read at an early age, our children will enjoy greater success in school and in life!

Straight from the teacher's mouth - one of the best ways to better grades is reading, reading and more reading!

The Balancing Act

"Daddy, will you help me?" Five wonderful little words every parent loves to hear.

He has another birthday soon. Too soon. They just keep rolling by. The candles from last year's cake have just cooled off - it seems. Wasn't it just last month when he used to watch out the window as I left for few days on the road.

I can't ever recover those days away. The best any parent can do, I suppose, is to make the most of whatever precious time we have with our loved ones. Each day brings a new beginning.

I heard a teacher speak yesterday about child development. He said we ought to do everything we possible can to nurture, love and teach our children. To keep them healthy. To love them every chance we get. To teach them to read. And laugh. To make them feel safe.

Simple, basic, parenting advice. Too easily taken for granted. I hope I can do a much better of job of showing my boys how much I love them. Give them daily time and teachings. Provide a safe and healthy home environment - filled with love and healthy foods and good books.

I hope I can teach the boys some of the many ways to better grades in school. To encourage them to keep learning - even when they're not in the classroom! To show them that life is a balancing act. Having fun adn keeping healthy habits are just part of the balance. Learning and loving too!

Found this little ditty in Ephesians this morning:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6: 1-4

Show Your Children the Ways to Better Grades

Give your child a head start before school starts up again. Encourage your little loved ones to read and practice their writing skills. Show them some of the many ways to better grades. Make it fun! They'll enjoy it more if you make a game of it!

Here are a few easy steps to help get you started:

1. Demonstrate the importance of writing. Do you write a list of groceries or write a check to pay for them? Do you write on birthday cards or take down messages from the answering machine? Show your child how strong writing ability can open doors by explaining the writing involved in various jobs.

2. Provide a good place to write. A quiet environment with stimulating books can inspire your child's writing muse. A desk or table with good lighting eases the mechanics of writing. Both lined and unlined paper is useful, as are writing tools like pens, pencils, markers, and crayons.

3. Allow time for writing. Set aside a certain time each day or week to write. Get your child in the mood to write to a pen pal with a regular Saturday bowl of popcorn. Encourage your child to record the day in a personal journal each night.

4. Follow what your child enjoys. If your child likes a special song, encourage him to write out the lyrics. Have children make lists of favorite possessions: books, dolls, baseball cards. Start a story about a favorite subject or character, and let her write the ending.

5. Play writing games together. Crossword puzzles, anagrams, and cryptograms for children can be found in newspapers or inexpensive booklets.

6. Bring a notebook on outings. Encourage your child to take notes on nature walks, bus or car trips, or special visits to a museum or zoo.

7. Develop advanced writing skills. Make up stories aloud and help your child decide: who are the main characters? What is the setting? What problems are faced and how are they resolved? Arrange for your child to interview someone special and write up what he learned.

8. Express feelings. Encourage children to draw and write about personal thoughts and feelings. Writing poems or songs gives children new ways to express themselves.

9. Write a book review. Ask your child to read a book and write a review.

Follow these steps for a smarter summer and you will see results when your child goes back to school. With practice, your child will learn to "write it right!

Check out even more homework tips!