Your daughter races through the final chapter of her book, eyes dancing with excitement. She can’t wait to tell you what happened to her favorite character. But before she can share the story, you hand her the reading log. Watch the light dim in her eyes as she sighs and reaches for a pencil: another […]
Your second grader just read an entire chapter book by herself. She’s so proud, and honestly, you are too. All those evenings practicing letter sounds, sounding out words, and celebrating small victories have paid off. She can read now. Really read. So you put away the picture books. Bedtime stories become bedtime reading time, where […]
Your child is reading aloud. They come to the word “house” and say “home.” Do you stop them immediately? Wait until the end of the sentence? Ignore it completely? You want to help, but you also don’t want to interrupt the flow or make reading feel like constant criticism. Error correction is one of the […]
Your child is writing a story about their stuffed animal. They pause, pencil hovering over the paper. “Mom, is it ‘stuf’ or ‘stuff’?” You might wonder the same thing. Why do some words double their final letters while others don’t? Welcome to the wonderful world of the Floss Rule—one of English spelling’s most reliable patterns. […]
Your child confidently reads the word “cap.” Then you add one letter to the end—a silent E—and suddenly they’re stumped. The word looks completely different to them now. “Cape” might as well be a foreign language. This moment happens in every early reader’s development. Silent E represents a huge conceptual leap. Your child must understand […]
Your child sounds out each word carefully. They decode beautifully. But when they reach the end of the sentence, they can’t tell you what it said. They go back and read it again. Then again. The frustration builds. This isn’t about intelligence or effort. Your child is working incredibly hard. What you’re seeing is working […]
You walk into the library, excited to find books for your kindergartener who’s just starting to read. The children’s section offers hundreds of brightly colored early readers. They all look educational. They’re all labeled for beginning readers. So you grab a stack, head home, and settle in for reading time. But ten minutes later, your […]
You’re snuggled up with your little one, reading their favorite picture book for the hundredth time. Instead of just reading the words on the page, you pause and ask, “What do you think will happen next?” or “Can you find something blue on this page?” Suddenly, your child leans in, points excitedly, and chatters about […]
Your child demonstrates remarkable creativity and advanced thinking skills, yet struggles with basic reading tasks. They can discuss complex topics with sophisticated vocabulary but stumble over simple words on a page. If this sounds familiar, you might be parenting a twice-exceptional reader—a child who is both intellectually gifted and has a learning difference. Understanding this […]
Your Pre-K child curled up beside you, eyes wide with wonder as you turn the pages of a beautifully illustrated book. The artwork captures their imagination while the carefully crafted text builds essential pre-reading skills. This magical combination is exactly what makes Caldecott Medal winners such powerful tools for developing early literacy. Understanding the Caldecott […]
