Connected Parenting

I hear this all the time from parents. You sit down to help your child with their reading homework, and almost immediately it’s an argument. …Whether it’s “you’re not explaining it how the teacher would explain it!” or they insist “just tell me how to spell it!” …Or you ask them to write their spelling words, and there […]

During our consultation, I noticed that Coby had some missing skills necessary for early reading, and that his motivation to read was already low, even at his young age. His parents weren’t sure if it was too early to supplement Coby’s learning, but we discussed how starting early can preempt a lot of the social-emotional […]

Amy (not her real name) was entering third grade when I met her mom after an event on children’s literacy. Her mom scheduled a call with me and explained to me how Amy had lost her confidence in reading over the past two years since she had trouble sounding out words.  Her parents knew that […]

Many parents know all about the importance of play, but don’t always have an easy time engaging their children in play at home.  To get the most from their play, children need: Time alone away from watching eyes to explore the world around them Time with a supportive adult to show what they’ve learned and […]

Play helps us deal with difficulties, provides a sense of expansiveness, promotes mastery of our craft, and is an essential part of the creative process. Most important, true play that comes from our own inner needs and desires is the only path to finding lasting joy and satisfaction in our work. In the long run, […]

Many parents are finding this time to be a challenge for them and for their children as we all work to ensure learning and social-emotional health during this tumultuous time.  How can we find joy?  A formal learning celebration at home can be an impactful, bonding experience between you and your child. Take a break […]

When I make a mistake, I feel frustrated, slightly embarrassed, and immediately want to forget about it and move on. Then, when I’m teaching, I turn around and tell my students how wonderful it is to make mistakes, how it increases our opportunities to learn and how it’s not only normal but preferred to make […]

We want our children to be eager readers, kids who stay up late with a book under the covers, who see books as portals to new worlds, who use reading as a way to learn more about themselves and the world around them. Many parents have this wish, especially if they themselves were readers when […]

We want our children to have the stamina to keep reading for longer and longer periods. By the end of kindergarten, a child should be able to read for 20 minutes at a time on their own. This requires a lot of work! Just like a muscle, the brain learns how to do something by […]

The Magic Word to Put in All Your Questions to Raise Curious, Confident Readers When practicing reading at home, and teaching literacy at home, we want to raise curious, confident readers who use literacy to find out more about the world, speak truth to power, and ensure that they have a voice and others do […]