Reading for Connection
Reading aloud to children—especially young children—is one of the top two things I recommend to parents who want to support their young children’s literacy development. I wrote another blog post about…
All Dressed Up with Nowhere to Go: Why Reading and Imaginative Play Matter
It’s World Book Day and children in many schools in the UK and around the world are dressing up as their favourite book characters, sharing their favourite books with friends,…
Reading Corner: The Pout-Pout Fish
“Blub. Bluuub. Bluuuuuub.” These three words and everything about how they’re presented in The Pout-Pout Fish—from the spelling, the all caps, the growing font size, and of course the accompanying pictures…
Supporting the Anxious Writer
Many people tell me they or their children struggle with writing — and this struggle comes in many forms. It can mean identifying as “bad at writing”. It can mean…
Reading Corner: Dear Zoo
One of the current favourites of my almost-two-year-old, Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell, continues to captivate readers 38 years after it was first published! The Flaps! The story is simple, yet offers so…
Kurt Vonnegut on Creating
You know what they say about singing like no one’s listening… One of the key ways to develop creative confidence and live a creative life is to get in the…
Reading Corner: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen How (or wherefore) do we love this book? Let me count the ways! We love this book for the rhythm of…
“Be brave, Mama.”
“Be brave, Mama.” The little voice of my 4-year-old as he hugged me goodbye echoed in my heart as I made my way nervously down the slopes, a beginner skier…
Writing Prompt: Poem about a Misunderstood Crocodile
Write a goofy, rhyming bedtime story poem about a misunderstood crocodile. Not sure where to start? Here’s what we came up with when we gave it a try: Poor Smile…