Knowledge is Power

Posted on May 24, 2025 by Rita K.
Photo by Kampus Production on Pexels.com

Sorry for the gap in blog posts, but Spring literally blew in and with it a flurry of activities and commitments that left little time in my schedule. As baseball games, recitals, honor awards and graduations for our grandkids subside and vacations begin, I anticipate the downtime I need to return to a regular blogging schedule.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This post is dedicated to the many people suffering from various forms of mental health issues. Today, I decided to share three books related to Alzheimer’s Disease because it feels like so many people, including myself, have a loved one with some form of dementia. In my search for helpful books, I honed in on two texts for adults and one, very sweet book for children.

When the topic of Alzheimer’s comes up, a million questions arise, as well. Here’s an informative, short text that will address many of those important questions…

Is It Alzheimer’s? Peter V. Rabins, MD, MPH, writes a comprehensive but concise text using a question/answer format. It delves into the signs, causes and care of people with this disease, as well as steps that may lower one’s risk. Rabins also differentiates the various types of dementia and provides tips for caregivers. I loved the format and gleaned new insights from this valuable book.

Reversing Alzheimer’s by Dr. Heather Sandison was an excellent book that details many steps that could improved this form of dementia and even help those with a family history avoid Alzheimer’s entirely. Not surprisingly, Sandison verifies that stress avoidance, quality sleep, regular exercise, creating a non-toxic environment, socialization and diet all play a vital role in improving or avoiding Alzheimer’s. Sandison is a big proponent of the Keto diet, but offers a manageable plan for working this into your life. Knowledge is power and this book was packed with new knowledge for me. It has inspired me to sustain or modify my lifestyle in the hopes of protecting my brain health. This is a must-read if someone you love has been diagnosed with this disease or if you are worrying about the hereditary component of it.

Most children are very attuned to changes or a stressful situation within their family. In an effort to calm their fears, parents often skirt the issue, which can actually hinder rather than help the child. When a close relative is diagnosed with some form of dementia, a straight-forward, but appropriate explanation usually reassures children. Here’s one of many children’s books that can guide you…

A Doll for Grandma by Paulette Bochnig Sharkey is a cute story about a little girl whose beloved Grandmother is showing signs of dementia. As the story progresses, Kiera learns how to enjoy good times with her Grandma. Included at the end of the book, is an informative page written by Judy Cornish, founder of the Dementia and Alzheimer’s Well-Being Network, to help parents explain dementia to their children.

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Developing Fluency Through Poetry

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Rita K.

As a reading specialist, I saw my share of students who struggled with fluency. It wasn’t until I attended a workshop lead by Ralph Fletcher, (renowned author and educational consultant) that I realized reading poetry aloud, along with singing, were two stellar ways to enhance fluency. Part of my role at that time, was supporting my school’s Title I fourth grade students. The workshop inspired me to create a program involving poetry that our Title I paraprofessionals could easily deliver to fourth graders who struggled in this area. Each week, the paraprofessional would introduce a poem to her students. First she read it aloud, discussed tricky vocabulary, figures of speech and the overall meaning of the poem. Then, she read it along with the student. Finally, the student read it alone, giving the instructor a chance to correct missed words, along with reviewing difficult phrasing. At that point, the student was given a copy of the poem and instructed to read it aloud to others or themselves at least three times a day. Students had a check-off sheet to track this. At the end of the week, the paraprofessional listened to the student reading the poem as she took a running record to track progress. Over a period of several months, students made gains, not only in fluency, but in vocabulary development, comprehension, and an appreciation of poetry. We capped off this project with a celebration in which every student chose a poem to read aloud to their class.

Another take-away from that workshop, was learning that singing, while looking at the words to a song, builds fluency. I remember when Fletcher had the entire room full of teachers stand up and sing. He passed out the words to a few familiar songs, like It’s A Grand Old Flag, and led us in song. There were smiles all around and I’m guessing I’m not the only participant that remembered that technique. After that, I often handed out song sheets, reviewed the words with my students and had us sing in unison. It was a enjoyable and powerful way to increase fluency.

Fluency and comprehension go hand-in-hand. Children who struggle with fluency lose the gist of a reading passage, negatively effecting their comprehension. Fluency is a crucial part of becoming a competent reader, but is often overlooked because once children reach grades four and above, silent reading becomes the norm. National Poetry Week is the perfect time to initiate this technique if your child needs fluency practice. I’d suggest starting with rhyming poetry because the rhythm and flow will make reading aloud easier and more enjoyable for your child.

Read-Aloud Poems edited by Glorya Hale offers “120 of the World’s Best-Loved Poems for Parent and Child to Share.” It would be an excellent starting point to not only enhance fluency but encourage appreciation of poetry. Have fun!

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Celebrating National Poetry Month

Posted on April 5, 2025 by Rita K.

April can be a fickle, disappointing month. We hope for sunshine and get rain, we long for warmth and still feel the chill. On the other hand, a glimpse of daffodils blowing in the breeze, the sound of birds chirping when we awake and trees breaking out in buds, all lighten our hearts with hope. Hope for a warmer days and hope for brighter days, whatever that means for us.

One constant of April that lifts my spirit is the celebration of National Poetry Month. Established in 1996, National Poetry Month celebrates the role of poets in our cultural and coincides with National Poetry Writing Month. Recognizing the integral role of poets and poetry in our society, teachers, authors, publishers and book stores are among many who remind us that “words matter” and that even the shortest verse can touch a heart.

As I child, I was lucky enough to have “Poetry” once a week. In elementary school, we each had a book of poems that we read, discussed and often had to memorize. In fifth grade we had to memorize A Leak in the Dike by Phoebe Cary. A clever teacher put it to music, making a rigorous task enjoyable. I can still sing it. My mother used to read The Night Before Christmas every Christmas Eve. She often bragged that I could recite it by heart when I was only four years old. These are just some of the ways that I learned to appreciate poetry and why it has remained a constant in my life.

Poetry is often a gateway for children that struggle with reading, especially fluent reading. A bite-size verse is a palatable way to entice kids to read. Rhyming picture books have always held appeal for younger children and it’s surprising how much teens enjoy certain poems if they are presented in an appealing way.

During the month, I’ll be highlighting various ways to sneak poetry into your life and the life of your child. Poetry offers much bang for your buck if you are trying to encourage literacy in the home.

Here are three suggestions you can try this week:

Instead of nagging, write a short poem to remind family members to hang up their coat, clean the sink or do their homework. Sometimes humor goes a long way. My own mother used this trick. We had a pink bathroom in our home. I still remember the little poem she wrote to remind us to clean the tub…

If you want to bath in a tub that's pink,
it should be clean, don't you think?
Grab the Dow, it has pow, use it now!

2. Assign each family member a day to find or write a poem and share it with the other members of the family. Hang each poem on the fridge or another prominent place and you’ll have a collection by the end of the month.

3. Kids love limericks. Hunt down a few to read to your kids during the week.

Poetry doesn’t have to be high-brow, dark, long or serious. Have fun with it this month and see if you can plant the seeds that grow your own or others appreciation of poetry.

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PCQC – A Powerful Test-Taking Strategy

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Rita K.
Photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels.com

For many years I worked with struggling readers. Like most students across the country, my students worried about the standardized test they would have to take before the school year ended. Early on, I created a series of simple steps that I believed would help students feel empowered and confident. It worked like magic! Instead of feeling overwhelmed when faced with this “BIG” test, students had a starting point and a clear-cut path to follow. I called it PCQC. Most students agreed that using these steps enabled them to stay on task, feel confident, check their work and not panic. So, if you’re a parent or teacher who has a stake in helping youngsters do their best on the standardized reading test, here is a brief synopsis of PCQC. This is the perfect time to teach and provide practice using this test-taking strategy.

P – Preview

Students carefully read all the text features (title, heading, sub-headings, sidebars, pictures, captions, charts, graphs, maps, etc.) to activate background knowledge and set themselves up for a successful read. In addition, students are taught to read each test question carefully. At this point, I only want the kids to read the questions, not the answer choices. Since questions typically zero in on important components of the text, this provides more clues to the passage, introduces names and places, and enables a student to know what will be asked.

C – Chunk

Breaking text down into manageable pieces is a beneficial reading strategy. Chunking the long passages offered up in many reading assessments, enables the reader to hone in on one portion, encouraging careful reading and self-monitoring. I tell my students to “Chunk with pencil in hand”. That is, mark up the text by underlining, coding, jotting marginal notes. Chunking the text helps students to feel confident and decreases the overwhelming feeling of having to read the whole text. “Just take one bite at a time,” I tell them, “You don’t have to gulp the whole passage down at once”.

Q – Questions

Ah…the scary part is next. Answering those long, tricky questions can be a stressful experience. In this part of the strategy, students read the questions for the second time. I show them how to read each question carefully and underline what the question is asking. I make sure they circle key words like NOT (which one of these is not…) and tell them to number two-part questions. We practice paraphrasing the questions to help them understand what is being asked. From there, students read each choice carefully. Remind them that they are looking for the best answer and must read every choice. Then, they should eliminate those choices they know to be wrong and return to the text to verify the choice they think is correct.

C – Check

The job’s not finished!  As teachers, we all know how easy it is for students to finish the last question, close the booklet and relax. Teach students to read each question again (yes, it is the 3rd time they will read the questions) and then read only the answer they have chosen. Does it make sense?  Did I mark the answer sheet correctly? If they can answer yes to both these questions, then they really are finished and can relax knowing they have taken a deliberate approach and done their best.

Please share your comments and other test-taking strategies you find helpful.

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Do You Know These Stories?

Posted on March 25, 2025 by Rita K.
Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story From The Underground Railroad By Levine, Ellen By Thriftbooks

You probably notice that I often share picture books on this blog. That’s because I believe picture books are the most versatile, powerful and memorable books that you can share with youngsters. I also know from experience that picture books span the ages. Over the course of my life as a mother, grandmother and educator, I have share hundreds of picture books with everyone from babies all the way up to graduate students in college. Sometimes, I even read a picture book to my husband. A week or so ago, I read Henry’s Freedom Box, by Ellen Levine aloud to Mike after dinner. From the start this biographical picture book grabbed his attention and he was shocked to hear how Henry escaped slavery. Picture books blend brevity, variety, concise language and illustrations that make them my pick for the best way to whet an appetite for reading. Today, I’ll share three biographical picture books that I recently read and heartily recommend.

In honor of March Madness, you may want to share Hoop Genius, How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class invented Basketball with your kids. I suspect many basketball fans do not know the name of the person that created this popular sport nor the circumstances that piqued his creativity. Folks of every age will enjoy the bold illustrations and interesting story of how James Naismith invented the game of basketball back in 1891. Don’t miss the back of the cover and it’s opposite page where you’ll find a facsimile of the the first rules, signed by Naismith. This timely book is a winner and would make a great gift for a young basketball fan.

Did you ever hear of Mary Walker? Neither did I until I read The Oldest Student, How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard & Oge Mora. Mary Walker was born into slavery. This is an inspirational story of an amazing woman who never gave up. I would especially recommend this to anyone who is reluctant to read or says, “I hate reading.” You can’t read this book and not develop an appreciation for the ability to read.

With all the controversy over vaccines going on, I couldn’t bypass Thank you, Dr. Salk by John Coy when I spied it on the library shelf. Jonas Salk was a quiet boy who lived during the early years of the polio pandemic. What he experienced as a youth planted a dream in his heart. He wanted to find a cure for this devastating disease. This brief text, with cartoon-like illustrations, will grab children’s attention and help them understand the impact Salk’s determination made in our world. Don’t miss the interesting Author’s Note at the back of the book along with a Vaccine Time Line and a list of Resources. Enjoy!

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read | The Best Picture ...
THANK YOU, DR. SALK!
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A Simple Way to Jumpstart Literacy Skills

Posted on March 21, 2025 by Rita K.
Photo by Gustavo Fring on Pexels.com

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post introducing you to Denise Gealer, a former colleague and recent author. At the time, Denise promised to write a guest post, which she sent to me this week. In this post, a veteran educator of young children, shares a program that combines both reading and writing skills in an enjoyable way. I love the simplicity of this program and believe it would be an easy way for a parent to jumpstart their child’s literacy skills prior to Kindergarten. I hope you enjoy this post from Denise…

A love for reading is contagious! But how to instill that in a young child? My first teaching assignment (at the age of 40!) was in an inner city classroom. I was teaching 60 kindergarten children a day. Not all at once, thank goodness. It was a half day program and I had an assistant in the morning. These children were living in a pretty hostile climate which affected their receptivity to engaging socially and educationally. The door opened for them when they soon realized I truly cared about them. I grew to love them, really- and it happened every year. Teachers are like that. Parents are children’s first (and most important) teachers.

Reading aloud to children is one of my very favorite things to do. Making voices for characters and reading with expression drew them in. They could tell I loved reading! When I read a book I had written, A Bug House for Katie, they had lots of questions about writing. They wanted to be authors too! How, I asked myself, could kindergarten kids write when they could read only a few words?

Every child seems to access reading skills in a different way. Sometimes we need to get creative to light up that particular part of their brain. Why not start with writing? I did some research and discovered there was a program, “Journal Writing in Kindergarten.” Necessary skills are simply knowing the alphabet and the letter sounds. Here’s how it works: The child thinks of what they want to tell and thinks of the words. They write only the first letter of the word and then make a line to represent the rest of the word. That might well be the whole story, for starters. But when they are able to “read” that word/story to you, WOW! Of course the adult lavishes praise and the “author” shines. Motivation is so powerful! Here’s an example of a more advanced beginner story:

I l_____ t____ g___ s______ When the author reads, while pointing to each word, the adult writes underneath each word. This one is, “I like to go swimming.”

A bit of a conversation about swimming takes place and if the child is inspired to continue, great! If not, it’s still a story and they are encouraged to illustrate it. A plain piece of paper is fine. Lined paper comes later. The pictures are an important part of every story in the primary years! Ask the author to read it to their friends at the table, to any adult who happens to stop in, hang it up, show it off, praise the child’s story. Call them an author! And a READER! They just wrote and read a story!!

Are you thinking, “Hmmm… it doesn’t sound like much to me…” but it really is. What has happened is that the child is now believing that they can read and write. It started with writing, then reading. Does it really matter which came first? It was fascinating to see how they quickly improved, writing longer stories and then incorporating words they knew. Even punctuation! But one step at a time. I must admit, I was a bit surprised at the impact this technique had on my young students and I made Journal Writing in Kindergarten” the culminating project for my M.Ed in Early Childhood Education, completed while teaching in the city.

Remember to check out Denise’s two adorable picture books, A Bug House for Katie and What Should I Dream About?

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Recipe For A Tasty Reading Experience

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Rita K.
Photo by go_go photos on Pexels.com

A few weeks ago, I took myself to the library to pick up a slew of pictures. All of them offered stories about food from a variety of cultures. I thought you might find it fun to read some of these with your kids to acquaint them new cuisine, enhance their vocabulary (and yours), and perhaps even whip up some of these dishes together.

A Fine Dessert by Emily Jenkins & Sophie Blackall (subtitled, Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat) is a rare find. It begins with a girl and her mother in Lyme, England back in 1710 and describes all the steps involved in creating a dessert called “blackberry fool.” From there it moves onto South Carolina in 1810, Massachusetts in 1910, and finally, California today. All of the characters are making the same blackberry fool dessert.Using precise language and illustrations, the authors provide a historic chronology of how the same dessert was prepared through the years. This is a book to read slowly and savor, discussing both the similarities and differences that occur as time moves forward. The lovely illustrations on each page beg to be examined and enjoyed. By the time you finish this book, your child (or children) will be primed to create this simple dessert so I suggest you have the ingredients on hand prior to reading this book. Don’t miss the author’s and illustrator’s notes at the end of the book, which add to the interesting information shared throughout. This is a book that spans the ages, a book everyone can enjoy. By the time you finish reading it, you’ll crave the dessert and probably crave another look at this unusual book.

Gaspacho for Nacho by Tracey Kyle is a colorful, entertaining story of a boy named Nacho who only wanted to eat gazpacho. Filled with rhyme and peppered with Spanish words, this delightful tale will bring a smile to your face. Even when the story ends, the book continues to deliver. You’ll find a recipe for gazpacho and a two-column page of Spanish words used in the book with their pronunciations and definitions. Tracey Kyle blends a cute story with a dollop of learning in this creative tale.

Fry Bread, A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Mallard employs figures of speech and descriptive language using a simple poetic structure to demonstrate the significant role of fry bread in the life of Native Americans. Not only does the author provide his recipe for fry bread at the end of the book, he also offers pages of meaningful historic information on indigenous tribes. This is the kind of book you can return to again and again. It would be useful to highlight figurative language, free-verse poetry, family life, and an appreciation for Native Americans.

Please let us know if you enjoyed these recommendations or tried any of the recipes. I can’t think of a better way to whet your child’s appetite for reading, especially if you follow it up by cooking together. I’ll share a few more books like this sometime in the near future.

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Bedtime Stories are The Best

Posted on March 9, 2025 by Rita K.

Oftentimes, colleagues become friends. Such was the case with Denise Gealer and me. Denise was one of the second grade teachers when I began teaching at Groveland Elementary School in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Denise’s calm deameaner, ready smile, and musical talent drew me to her. She created a joyful classroom climate and clearly loved her students. I always looked forward to our conversations and admired her talent both as a teacher and a musician.

At our last retired teachers luncheon, Denise and I reconnected. When I asked her what she’d been up to, she shared that she had published two picture books over the last few years. I was so excited, both for Denise and for myself. I, too, have written several picture book manuscripts, but unlike Denise, have not taken that next step. Denise answered some of my questions and was willing to meet up with me to further discuss the publishing process.

Naturally, I rushed to order her books from Amazon prior to our scheduled luncheon. They did not disappoint. Leaning into her experience as a mother, Denise crafted two beautiful books. I’m delighted to share them with you today.

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A Bug House for Katie is told from the perspective of the eldest of three children Just when the eldest sister thinks her younger siblings are asleep and she can have Mom all to herself, the younger sister, Katie, starts to scream because there’s a spider in her room. Big sister’s initial annoyance turns to compassion and we learn how she cleverly handles the situation. This is a unique bedtime story, that will capture children’s interest from beginning to end. Denise Gealer hits the mark with this tale that is both warm and humorous.

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What Should I Dream About? is also set during bedtime. A loving mother guides her child through a repertoire of wonderful dream-worthy ideas. Lovely illustrations accompany the rhyming text which is certain to capture a child’s imagination and lull him off to dreamland.

If you’re looking for a special book for a child in your life, I would highly recommend these sweet stories. Both books can be purchased on Amazon. Denise has graciously offered to guest post on this blog, so look for her wise words in a future post.

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March into Reading

Posted on March 3, 2025 by Rita K.

Here we are already on day three of March. In addition to welcoming more daylight and warmth into our lives, we celebrate Read Across America week, National Women’s Month and Music in Our School Month. It’s not the easiest time in our country right now, so it’s good to have reasons to celebrate, to reflect, and to come together.

In 1998, the National Education Association launched Read Across America. The goal is to celebrate the joys of reading in schools and homes across the nation. This celebration always begins on March 2, the birthday of Theodore Giesel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Seuss’ many books for children had a significant impact. His rhyming books and characters have universal appeal. They make us laugh and can also prompt deep thinking and discussion.

In many schools, this entire week, is devoted to a myriad of reading activities and celebrations. In fact, if you’re a parent, you might be cursing Dr. Seuss about now because, most likely, you will be tasked with dressing your child in a particular color, sending in a snack, showing up for a performance at school or lots of other inventive events that will snatch some of your precious time. I get it. Been there, done that, as both a parent and teacher.

With that said, it is a joyful week and I urge you to embrace the spirit of it and remember the amazing benefits of reading to our children, with our children and on our own. Perhaps you will even find time to rummage around your home and pull out a favorite book (not necessarily Dr. Seuss) to share with your kids.

The Cat in the Hat is my favorite Seuss book. Maybe that’s because I never tired of sharing it with my kids, grandkids and students, or maybe it’s because I’m in love with weighted line, “What would you do if your mother asked you?.” Care to share your favorite Seuss book?

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The Perfect Gifts for Young Parents

Posted on February 26, 2025 by Rita K.

Years ago, I used to scour the mall in search of the perfect baby gift for young couples. Today, it’s as easy as visiting their website and choosing from the myriad of suggestions. True, this is a time saver, but not quite as satisfying as finding that special gift. Also, if I’m late to the party and fail to check out the site early enough, most of the desirable presents have been snatched up. A few years ago, I found the perfect solution. Reading Magic by Mem Fox and The Enchanted Hour by Meghan Cox Gurdon are my top two favorite gifts for young parents. Here’s why…

Whether a couple is expecting their first child or their fifth, all parents need support and solid advice to navigate the tricky path of parenting. Reading Magic is sub-titled Why Reading Aloud to Children Will Change Their Lives Forever. To be sure, this is a powerful claim, but Fox delivers. Mem Fox is a renowned author of over thirty picture books for children and several for adults. This short, readable text offers the perfect incentive for young parents to begin a read-aloud practice and tend to their child’s literacy development right from the start. This book is practical but not preachy. Fox offers palatable suggestions, meaningful anecdotes, humorous drawings and a list of well-loved children’s books that will build confidence and show parents the numerous, positive effects of reading aloud.

About two years ago, I discovered The Enchanted Hour. I’ve read many books about reading aloud, but none more well-research than this one. Gurdon delves into brain science and behavioral research while crafting an easy to understand and enjoyable text. The author supports the research with meaningful stories that show the benefits of reading aloud to children as well as adults. Additionally, the Gurdon shares her personal experience of reading aloud to her own children on a regular basis for many years. Written in 2019, this book addresses the issues of the tech age that lead so many youngsters to isolate and develop short attention spans and other problems. I found The Enchanted Hour to be a riveting read and a convincing explanation of the many lasting perks of reading aloud. Every parent or person who works with kids should check out this book.

If you’re in the market for a baby gift, gift for parents of school-age kids, or a gift for yourself, you can’t go wrong with either (or both) of these books. Each one will be a gift that keeps on gi

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