4 Fast, Fun Ways to Get Kids Ready for School

Posted on August 22, 2026 by Rita K.
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This is the time of year that reality sets in. The number of vacation days left are probably in single digits, school notices and schedules arrive, you’ve begun to purchase school supplies, clothes and shoes and perhaps, those vacationing kids are “on your last nerve.” Relax, you’re in good company! If reading and writing have taken a vacation, as well, it’s time to help your kids “get in the groove” so the transition is an easy one. Here are some fun ideas:

  • Regular Read-Alouds: Begin to use unscheduled time to read aloud. Instead of starting a long book you may not finish, how about putting together lots of picture books that everyone can enjoy. Remember, picture books are NOT just for kids! Check out the non-fiction, how-to, poetry books as well as the more traditional picture books that some people think are only for little ones.
  • Games: Seek out word or number games that push kids to think and become strategic. Have fun and get their brain working at the same time.
  • Earlier Bedtimes: If bedtimes will be earlier once school begin, start now to tuck them in a few minutes earlier each night. Reward them with a bedtime story! You might want to do the same thing for yourself and retire early with a good book.
  • Writing Practice: This can take many forms depending on the age of your child. For younger kids, perhaps they can practice writing their letters, writing their name, or writing brief messages in a card to a favorite friend or famly member. Encourage older children to write creatively. A notebook they could decorate might be the incentive to write stories about their summer or decorate blank notecards and write to friends.
  • Math Moves: Give them real-world experiences in estimating the cost of filling the gas tank or buying new sneakers for multiple people. Make a game out of calling out simple addition, subtraction or multiplication fact and see how many they can get right in five minutes.
  • Education Outings: If time permits, squeeze in some educational day trips. Zoos, nature centers, historical sites or a library within your area could be a fun and easy way to jumpstart learning.

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Goodbye Summer, Hello School

Posted on August 16, 2026 by Rita K.
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The days grow short, vacations end, college kids pack their bags, and youngsters, along with their parents ready themselves for another school year. Summer’s end is always bittersweet. Hopefully, you’ve made great memories and enjoyed some quality family time.

The prospect of a new school year, often calls forth varied emotions. New places and new experiences are a form of learning. If your child is nervous about the year ahead, remind them of the people, places and activities and how these opportunities will impact them in the coming year. If youngsters have continued with some academic activities, you can explain that these will set them up for success.

Life is busy. If your child has not been reading or being read to during the summer months, now is a good time to begin. Simple books can build confidence and refresh the skills and strategies they’ve learned. Here are a few books to help you ease into a reading routine and savor these final days of summer with your child.

Lights at Night by Tasha Hilderman is a wonderful picture book that explores some of the lights we see at night. The waning summer nights offer an opportunity to highlight the progression of lights that fill the evening. The illustrations by Maggie Zeng depict both man-made and natural light sources that appear at night. Savor this book with your children and then take a nice walk to find some light sources of your own.

Barbara Hirsch Lember’s, The Shell Book, offers an amazing non-fiction picture book that will fascinate children and adults alike. Each spread features a close-up photograph of a shell accompanied by a description filled with interesting information about each one. This work of art is sure capture your attention and your final visits to the beach may find you searching for some of them.

If you have an early reader in your home, Cynthia Rylant’s humorous tale of Mr. Putter & Tabby Row the Boat will offer an enjoyable way to practice their reading skills. The humorous illustrations will keep your child turning the pages and offer support as he reads.

As a retired educator, I urge you to delve into reading with your kids in these final week before school opens. It will build their confidence and help them to brush up on skills so they can return to school on a positive note. Please chime in with your favorite end of summer books.

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Let the Learning Begin… Non-Fiction Picture Books for Young Children

Posted on March 28, 2026 by Rita K.

The Children’s section of the library is rich in non-fiction books for youngsters of all ages. In my many years as a mother, grandmother and teacher, I’ve often searched the stacks for quality non-fiction with the goal of introducing or enhancing relevant subject matter. 

When I searched out some exemplary non-fiction texts for very young children, I was delighted to find they are better than ever! At this age, the appeal of the book itself is a major consideration. We capture the attention of little ones with bright, shiny objects, color, creative illustrations, and especially sensory images. Books for little ones need to be touchable and delectable in every way. After all, these books, if chosen wisely, will become the gateway to reading. 

Non-fiction books for babies and toddlers run the gamut from alphabet and number books, animal books, and books about cars and trucks, cities, sports, and just about anything you think would pique your little one’s interest. You can find non-fiction series, non-fiction rhyming and non-fiction stories over a wide range of topics. 

The perks of including non-fiction in your repertoire of read-alouds are many. Non-fiction books

  • Teach or expand a child’s knowledge
  • Introduce a variety of topics
  • Often include opportunities for the child to interact with the book. For example, he can push a button and hear a related sound, open a flap, pull a cardboard lever, or touch a piece of material or rubber, designed to correlate with the text. What a delightful way to introduce reading. 
  • Usually, these books are created of sturdy material. That means you can leave favorites in the crib or play area so little ones can examine them independently. Another perk of this feature is that it may just buy you a few more minutes in the morning or after nap time. 

Last week, I searched out some books that I felt exemplified much of what I’ve discussed. Here are a few to get you started…

Mix It Up! by Herve Tullet offers a wonderful way to introduce children to colors. How fun it would be to read the book, then demonstrate with paints how mixing them up produces the various colors.

Below, I show examples from two different series. The “You Must Never Touch” series, the “Tiger Tales” series are both full of information and offer a chance for kids use their sense of touch and hearing as you read the books.

Last, but not least, one of my favorite series, is written by Matthew Van Fleet. This series features a book called, Dogs, one called Cats and one called Tales. When two of my grandkids were little, they had the Dog book. We read it together countless times and, through the exquisite photos, met many breeds of dogs. An added bonus was many touch and interact with the book. In spite of the sturdy construction, this book was enjoyed so many times, it finally met its demise. That’s just about the best compliment a board book can get!

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As you choose library books or purchase books for your child’s personal library, check out the multitude of non-fiction titles and let the learning begin.

Please consider subscribing to this blog and sharing your own favorite titles or experiences about reading aloud to youngsters.

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Check Out These Awesome Picture Books

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Rita K.

In the previous post, I shared a smattering of the perks of reading picture books to your child. Truth be told, the appeal of picture books is not limited to young children. That’s part of their value. Often, picture books unearth a theme we all need to consider. If you have children of varied ages, usually even the older kids enjoy listening. Perhaps, the story calls forth memories of when they were little, or maybe they just like listening to the cadence of the tale, rediscovering a favorite character, or ferreting out the underlying truth or theme the author tries to present. Pull in those older kids whenever you can so they can enjoy the fun and closeness reading picture books offer.

For the last eight years, I’ve had the joy of minding two of our grandsons every Tuesday afternoon. The oldest is now eight and his brother is six, so I’ve been through lots of ages and stages with them. Scads of picture books live in their home, but one of their favorite series when they were younger was The Little Blue Truck series. Boys and girls alike will love following Little Blue’s travels. A perfect book for this time of year is Little Blue Truck Springtime. In it, we’re invited to ride along with Little BlueTruck and Toad on a Spring day. Sprinkled with questions that prompt thinking, a child can open the flap to see if he’s right. What an enjoyable ride this is!

Since most of the books I’m highlighting today are part of a series, I figured they would be helpful reminders to picture book veterans, but also helpful to those of you who are just beginning the read-aloud journey with your youngsters. If your child falls in love with one of the characters, you know you can’t go wrong searching out others in the series. Enjoy!

Sit down with a group of young parents and invariable the topic of bedtime comes up. Bedtime woes can wear down the most patient parent. In Llama, Llama Red Pajama, Anna Dewdney takes on this relatable topic. The realistic story arouses empathetic feelings for both the child and the mom. This is a sweet tale that is quickly becoming a classic. Plus, if Little Llama steals your heart, you can meet him again in this lovely series.

How can I discuss picture book series for youngsters without mentioning Dr. Seuss. The Foot Book, has been around for years. I know because it was a favorite in our house. Several funny little characters help children to learn opposite words, while engaged in a delightful rhyme. This is the kind of book that inspires even young children to “read” because the rhymes soon become obvious (a good thing!). Of course, pick up any Dr.Seuss book and your in for a treat. From the simplest rhyming books like this one or the longer titles that have a sly lesson to teach, you can count on Dr. Seuss.

Finally, I highly suggest purchasing a copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s First Book of Rhymes. When I visited a book store to research this blog, I walked out with two copies of this poetry book to give as a gift to newborn children in the family. Eric Carle did not write the poems, but he did illustrate the book. The poems deal with everyday subjects and the rhymes are simple and sweet. The kind of poems that will delight the youngest children and easily allow older children to memorize. Add this to your baby shower gift (it’s not pricey) and buy one for yourself.

Please chime in with your comments and share your own picture book favorites. Monday’s blog will feature informational picture books. Some awesome ones are on my list!

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Positive Impact of Rhyming Picture Books

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Rita K.
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My great, great niece, Nora, turned one on March 7th. Like many young couples, her parents, Emma and Joe, prepared to be the best parents ever. That included a commitment to read to Nora every day and when we were together, I touted the benefits of a regular read-aloud practice. Emma and Joe have fulltime jobs, but they have sustained a regular read-aloud practice and at one year old, Nora is reaping the rewards.

During Nora’s first year, Emma often posted beautiful pictures of Nora “interacting” or “reading” her books. In conversation, she repeatedly told me that books were Nora’s favorite “toy” and she looked forward to not only hearing them read aloud, but holding them and even chewing them. Needless to say, in addition to lots of love and nourishing food for her growing body, Nora has received an abundance of educational and emotional nourishment by being immersed in books.

Perhaps you have a new baby, toddler or even pre-schooler in your life. May I strongly suggest that NOW is the time to begin regular read-alouds. You’ll never regret it. Today, I’d like to suggest you begin by reading rhyming picture books. Here are just a few of the many perks of reading rhyming books to little ones…

Benefits of Rhyming Picture Books

Illustrations & Interactive Features, Large Text, Brevity

Clearly, picture books appeal to almost everyone. Usually, the illustrations are the first thing that piques a child’s interest. Who can resist the bright colors or soft, watercolor illustrations of many bedtime stories? The sturdy construction of board books for very young children is a bonus. Kids can hold and hug them, drop them and play with ones that are interactive. Of course, as a child grows, you’ll want to teach them that “books are our friends” and we must treat the ones with paper pages gently.

Large text is another bonus. Kids and parents can easily view the text layout, which allows children to discover the concept of words and sentences.

Brevity is a bonus. Most people, especially parents are speeding through busy days. However, the brevity of a picture book for a younger child can become a short, positive interlude for both children and parents.

2. Rhythm & Rhyme

Rhyming picture books have a musical quality, which not only appeals to little ones, but often has a rhythm that moves the story along, enhancing the pleasure of both reader and listener. These factors encourage participation, allowing the child to join in the reading by supplying a word or repetitious phrase. Over time, they help a child to see themselves as a “reader” increasing the many positive feelings associated with storytime.

3. Familiaritiy

As an adult, you many cringe when your child begs for the same book to be read repeatedly. Take heart! This is a good thing. Books can become like old friends, interesting, soothing and always welcome. As you continue to introduce new books, your child will develop personal preferences. Additionally, with a little prompting from you, he will begin to recognize words and phrases, which will give a boost of confidence as he realizes,“I can read.” Many picture books have become popular series. What a wonderful thing it is for a child to delight in receiving a new book from a favorite series.

When you read to your child, you are planting the seeds for him or her to become a lifelong reader. That, in my opinion, is a precious gift to bestow. Hopefully, this post encourages you to continue reading aloud to your child, or increase your commitment to regular read-alouds.

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Hello, Again

Posted on March 14, 2026 by Rita K.
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Hello, Friends! I’m excited to return to blogging and hope my posts support you as you share the beauty and benefits of reading with children. As a friend of mine likes to say, “Life’s been Lifey,” over the past few months. While on vacation in July, I fell when I was taking a walk. That meant the end of our vacation (we missed the whole second week), an emergency trip to the hospital back home, and weeks of rehab. In September and again in December, I lost two loved ones, my sister and my nephew. I’ll always miss them. Then in November, when the doctor sent my husband for a heart catherization, they wound up performing quadruple bypass surgery the next morning. It was shocking, but also a true blessing because his main artery (the widow maker) was one of the blockages. Needless to say, blogging did not fit into my schedule. But, here we are in the third month of 2026, my husband is recuperating nicely and I am ready to take off my nurse’s cap and return to one of my favorite hobbies–writing.

In addition to resuming this blog, I’ve created a new structure. If plans don’t go awry, I will be offering an informational post on Monday’s and on Friday’s some book suggestions that mesh with Monday’s post. Peppered in, I hope to have several guest posts, so others can share their expertise in the field of education and literacy with you.

For the most part, I’ll be focusing primarily on picture books. During my career, I used picture books in a variety of ways with learners from toddlers to graduate students. Their brevity and variety of genres and subjects make them an ideal way to promote both reading skills and a love of literature. Picture books often become like old friends, bringing joy whenever you interact with them. On a personal note, I hope to complete and publish a book that offers, not just the benefits of reading picture books to youngsters, but a easy protocol to establish a regular read-aloud practice in the home using picture books. Focusing on picture books will enable me to immerse myself in them as I work on my book.

As always, I hope you will share your feedback, suggestions, and questions with me as I once again delve into creating a blog that I hope will enable you to nurture literacy in your children. Please drop by on Monday, March 16, as I resume this blog.

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Audible Books for Summer Travel

Posted on July 4, 2025 by Rita K.
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As the biggest holiday of the summer arrives, I’m sure many of you are traveling with the kids in tow. That’s great, but we all know that multiple children packed into the family car is not always the fun we hoped it would be. Families today are lucky because short spurts of listening to an audible book that appeals to everyone can make time fly and go a long way towards keeping everyone serene. Check out these sites to find the perfect book for your next family trip.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/107324.Audiobooks_for_the_Whole_Family

https://bigbookslittleears.com/clean-with-no-agenda-audiobooks-from-audible-for-the-whole-family/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/best-audiobooks-for-a-road-trip-with-kids/_/N-2w0p

HOPE YOU CAN JOIN ME…

If you live in close proximity to Montgomery or Bucks County, please consider registering and attending my presentation on July 12th. Learn why reading aloud can be the magic bullet if you want to support your child’s reading skills and love of reading. Check out additional information below…

https://horshamlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/starting-a-read-aloud-routine-presentation/

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Summer Reading Strategies: Part 5 – Fluency Fun for More Than One

Posted on June 30, 2025 by Rita K.

How well I remember searching for ways to keep the kids entertained and happy during those long summer days. No parent wants to see their child lounging around watching TV or playing video games for long periods of time. On the other hand, life and parental jobs and responsibilities don’t take a vacation. Here are two enjoyable activities that combine literacy and fun.

Readers Theatre involves having several kids practice and present a short script. Readers theatre is easier than creating a play with costumes and sets and also a great way to boost fluency, speaking skills, vocabulary, comprehension and familiarity with timeless literature. Just follow these guidelines:

  • Hunt down some ready-made scripts that your kids and their friends might enjoy.
  • Print enough copies for each character or have several children take on a few parts if there are not enough participants.
  • Give each participant a copy of the script.
  • Provide a little background for the story if it’s unfamiliar and review tricky vocabulary words.
  • Decide who will take on the various parts.
  • Provide highlighters or colored pencils. Have each child highlight the part (or parts) he will read.
  • Explain the importance of using good expression and speaking like the character would speak.
  • Give the group time to read over their part silently. Remind them to ask for help from you or another child if they are stuck on a word.
  • Then, have the group read the entire script aloud. Encourage them to “get into” the part they play.
  • For even more fun, have them practice a few times and present it to other parents, kids or families.

I came across a great site that includes wonderful Reader’s theatre scripts. Check it out or simply Google “Reader’s Theatre” to find some of your own. http://www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm

Reading Picnic is a simple activity that can occur indoors or out. All you need to do is collect a variety of picture books, joke books, poetry books or even magazines. Spread out a big blanket, display the books, add a few favorite snacks and let the kids plop down and spend some time reading to themselves or to each other. My grandkids loved this, especially on a rainy day when they couldn’t play outside.

Sometimes the simplest things work best. Children love anything that is a bit unique and injects an element of fun into literacy. Let me know if these work for you. Thanks for stopping by!

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Summer Reading Strategies Series: Part 4 A Musical Way to Boost Fluency

Posted on June 26, 2025 by Rita K.
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As promised in my last post, here is another way to boost your child’s fluency. Years ago I attended a workshop presented by renowned author and educational consultant, Ralph Fletcher. After reviewing the components of fluency (accuracy, expression and reading rate), Fletcher distributed songs sheets to this large group of teachers. What? We were actually going to sing? Noting our surprised faces, Fletcher explained that reading words while singing them can have a significant impact on fluency. When you think about it, it makes good sense. You need to read accurately and stay with the beat of the music when you sing. A well-sung song includes expression, knowing which words to emphasize and which phrases should be sung softly or loudly.

Mr. Fletcher then directed this audience of about forty teachers to stand up and begin to sing “It’s a Grand Old Flag” in unison. After that, we went through about four more familiar tunes. Not only was this the most enjoyable workshop I ever attended, it was the most memorable. Needless to say, there was a lot more singing going on in my classroom as I wove this technique into fluency practice.

Can you foster fluency and help your child? Of course! Simply print out the words to a few familiar songs. After reviewing the words with your child, sing it together. Use the same songs a few times and then add new ones. Accompany your child on an instrument or play a recording of the song if you wish. Learning can be fun and I think this is an easy, positive way to provide fluency practice in the home. Have fun and thanks for stopping by.

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Summer Reading Strategies Series: Part 3 Fun Ways to Boost Fluency

Posted on June 23, 2025 by Rita K.
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Simply because a child can read the words accurately, does not mean they are a fluent reader. Ever try to pour cottage cheese into a cup? It moves slowly, it sticks, it requires you to push it along. Conversely, pouring a glass of milk or other liquid is not a problem. It glides from one container to another. Perhaps this is a poor metaphor, but you get my drift. A fluent reader glides along easily, does not stop or stumbled often, and offers a smooth, expressive rendition of the text.

Hudson, Lane, and Pullen define fluency this way: “Reading fluency is made up of at least three key elements: accurate reading of connected text at a conversational rate with appropriate prosody or expression.” (Hudson, R. F., H. B. Lane, and P. C. Pullen. (2005). Reading fluency assessment and instruction: What, why, and how. Reading Teacher 58(8), pp. 702-714.) Many students just naturally become fluent readers, but for others, explicit instruction and practice is a necessity.

For a variety of reasons, fluency is an essential component of becoming an effective reader. The most important factor is the correlation between fluency and reading comprehension. When students struggle to decode, read slowly, and lack accuracy and expression, comprehension is compromised. Silent reading is important, but non-fluent readers need regular opportunities to read aloud. This is one area where parental intervention can make a significant difference. As summer begins, I’d like to offer several ideas that are practical and enjoyable forms of remediation for a child who needs to boost his fluency.

POETRY: When I supported fourth-grade struggling readers, I developed a program to boost fluency using poems. The rhyming language and brevity of a poem appeals to most kids. The same qualities appeal to parents struggling to juggle time constraints. Here’s how it works:

  • Decide on a poem that you think will appeal to your youngster and make two copies of it at the beginning of each week.
  • Day 1 – You read the poem aloud, with expression. Then, explain any tricky vocabulary words and have your child read and repeat them. Discuss the poem, point out punctuation. Explain that you don’t always stop at the end of a line of poetry and that you must pay attention to punctuation. Remind your child that expression is important and point out parts of the poem that should be emphasized or spoken, in a soft or loud voice. Finally, read the poem aloud together and then have your child read the poem himself. Help him out with difficult words or phrases. Explain that during the course of the week, he will read the poem aloud to you (or another family member) at least three times a day. Hang the poem in a convenient spot so that both of you will remember. Feel free to get creative. You could have your child read into a microphone or record him so he can hear the progress he is making.
  • Day 2, 3, 4, 5 – Listen (or have another adult listen) to him read the poem. Supply appropriate feedback each time.
  • Day 6 or 7 – Encourage him to “perform” the poem for someone else.

When the aides at my school intervened in this way, we tracked progress in terms of accuracy, expression and reading rate. I was amazed at the progress these fourth graders made. At the end of the semester, we had all of them perform for parents and their classmates.

If you follow this plan each week from now until school begins, your child will have become familiar with about eight poems, their authors, and lots of new vocabulary words. He (or she) will also have gained confidence and improved their reading rate and reading comprehension. In fact, it may be so successful that you decide to keep it going during the school year. Just saying.

I suggest that, when the week ends, you keep copies of all of the poems and put them in a special folder. Perhaps you will offer a star each day or some kind of reward at the end of Day 5. The ease, enjoyment and bonding that develops will be cause for celebration.

Look for my next post which will offer a few more fluency suggestions. Please let me know if this was helpful or pose any questions you may have. I hope you will consider following my blog and sharing it with others. Thanks for stopping by!

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