MSI Press Blog

Reading is one of the most natural human inclinations. Some children begin sounding out words at two. Some begin at seven. Some leap in on their own; some need gentle instruction. The range is wide, normal, and healthy. But enthusiasm is fragile. My niece wanted to read in preschool. She asked. She was ready. Her teacher told her no — that’s first‑grade work . So she waited. And when first grade finally arrived, she looked around the room, saw the toys, and said, essentially, no thank you . “I wanted to learn last year. Now I want to play.” She did learn to read — and she reads well — but it took longer than it needed to. Not because she lacked ability, but because her spark had been dampened. On Literacy Day, that’s the reminder worth carrying: Read to children. Surround them with books. Encourage curiosity. And when they are ready — not when you are ready, not when the school calendar says it’s time — let them run. Support them, follow their pace, and trust their timing. Literacy g...

  Today's tip for parents from two talented teachers comes from  365 Teacher Secrets for Parents  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly.   #169 Writing About Reading   Opportunities multiply as they are seized. ~Sun Tzu   The more your child reads, the better reader he becomes. The more your child writes, the better writer he becomes. Since the two go hand in hand, the more he reads, the better writer he will become, too, and vise versus. Another way to increase informational writing skills in a motivational way is to begin with your child’s growing love of reading. If he is reading something informational, encourage him to write a short paragraph about it. (Idea #158 discusses summarizing hints). He could create a poster about it, illustrating various points, and then write captions for them. The ideas are endless. If he is reading a fiction book or picture book, try something fun like challenging him to write a journal entry (sometimes...

  Today's tip for parents from two talented teachers comes from  365 Teacher Secrets for Parents  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly.                                                         #131 Poetry   Too many of us strive for new abilities instead of striving to develop abilities we already have lying dormant within us. ~Alfred A. Montapert   There is a poet inside all of us in one way or another. We tend to think of poetry in the traditional way of exquisite verse that rhymes perfectly. Many of us think we could never write like that, but poetry is so much more than that—and so much less. It is simply someone’s view of the world put in such a way that may have not been done before; it’s seeing something extraordinary in something someone else has not; it’s the art of finding and interpreting ideas by...

  Today's tip for parents from two talented teachers comes from  365 Teacher Secrets for Parents  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly.                                                              #120 Writing Reinforces Reading   It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed. ~ Napoleon Hill               In this chapter, you learned some ways to help your child conquer reading informational texts. There is one last way that deserves to be mentioned. Write! Yes, writing reinforces reading. It makes sense that the more a child reads, the better reader he becomes. The more he writes the better writer he becomes. Did you also know how much the two reinforce each other? The more a child writes the better read...