reading

Don't Forget to Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) Today! | Red Apple Reading Express

Don’t Forget to Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) Today!

Today is a day that is very DEAR to our hearts here at Red Apple Reading. It is so DEAR in fact that we would be DEARly disappointed if you didn’t help us celebrate. You see, today is not only DEAR children’s book author Beverly Clearly’s birthday, but it’s also national Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) Day. Unless you have school-aged kids, then this may be your very first DEAR celebration, which makes it that much more special of course! According to the official DEAR website, all you have to do to participate is to read for 30 minutes today, but you do that every day, right? So, why not go all out? Here are some ideas for making Drop Everything and Read Day an experience that’s sure to become a DEAR memory for your little one.

By Melissa Maypole, ago
The Art of Reading Aloud to Your Child | Red Apple Reading Express

The Art of Reading Aloud to Your Child

Whether your child is three or thirteen, reading aloud to (or with) him is a great way to promote literacy skills while enjoying some time together as well. If you’ve never thought about reading aloud as an art, however, you might want to reconsider what story-time really means. Short of visiting an elementary school class to see a real artist at work, implementing a few simple strategies can help you turn read-alouds at your house from fun to fabulous!

By Melissa Maypole, ago
3 Cool Tips for Springtime Reading - Red Apple Reading Express

3 Cool Tips for Springtime Reading

Spring is here—finally! Time to open the windows and break out the sandals. Moms and dads usually love this time of year because it means that kids can unglue themselves from the TV and spend less time underfoot and more time outdoors. While reading certainly makes a great cold-weather activity, be sure to keep up a regimen of daily reading during the Spring months as well. To help you out, here are a few tips for making sure your little one stays on top of her literacy game during warmer weather.

By Melissa Maypole, ago
3 Strategies for Helping Your Visual Child Learn to Read

3 Strategies for Helping Your Visual Child Learn to Read

If you’ve been following the blog lately, you know that we’ve been talking about how important it is to know your child’s learning style so that you can help them learn best at home and advocate for them at school as well. We’ve also discussed some specific strategies for those kids who, in my opinion, are the most underserved in school: kinesthetic learners.
What if you have a visual learner, though? What can you do to help her reach her full potential by using her natural talents? Well, first, it’s important to know that visual learners learn by seeing, and they often think in pictures.

By Melissa Maypole, ago
3 Ways to Teach Reading to Your Auditory Learner

3 Ways to Teach Reading to Your Auditory Learner

Even if you haven’t taken a learning styles quiz, you can probably determine whether or not your child is an auditory learner by knowing this one characteristic: they like to talk—a lot! Auditory learners not only like the sound of their own voice, though. They prefer to take in the world by listening rather than seeing or touching. Since so much of learning to read is about learning distinct sounds, auditory learners have an advantage.

By Melissa Maypole, ago
Teaching Reading to Kinesthetic Learners

Teaching Reading to Kinesthetic Learners

A few months back, I posted about the importance of knowing your child’s learning style. Hopefully, you took some time to take the quiz and find out just exactly how your little one’s brain ticks. If not, check out this quick learning styles quiz.
I mentioned in the post that my Kindergartener is extremely kinesthetic. That is, she learns best by touching or doing, not listening or seeing.  Since many teachers tend to use primarily verbal and auditory teaching methods, these types of learners can have a rough time when learning to read, or learning anything else for that matter! It’s not that these kids are incapable of learning. Oh no! It’s that they learn in way that is different from how most educators teach, which clearly puts them at a disadvantage.

By Melissa Maypole, ago
Shower Your Kids With Love - the Love of Reading!

Shower Your Kids With Love—the Love of Reading, That Is!

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d share some unique ways of showering your child with love on this special holiday while simultaneously encouraging his love for reading. Am I suggesting you forego the traditional heart-shaped box of chocolates? Not necessarily. Just consider adding a little something special to your child’s Valentine’s gift this year, something that will remind him that you not only love him but are supportive of his literacy acquisition as well. Remember, your Valentine’s Day “gift” doesn’t necessarily need to be something  your child can hold.

By Melissa Maypole, ago

Strengthening Memory Skills for Reading – Reading Essentials #15

Typically when we think of the skills required for reading, phonics, phonemes, and blending come to mind. While these specific elements of reading are no doubt important, an even more basic skill is often overlooked—memory! Research has linked working memory to reading comprehension, meaning that the stronger your child’s memory, the more equipped she will be to read fluently and understand what she reads!

By Tammy Bennecke, ago