"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."
~ Frederick Douglass
Lemony Snicket is the pen name of American novelist Daniel Handler. Snicket is the author of several children's books, serving as the narrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events (his best-known work) and appearing as a character within the series.
Even reluctant readers find all of the books fun to read. They are told with such an offbeat sense of humour. The stories are mysterious, but they are soothing in that the plot is predictable, the writing is informal and the characters are very simple. Lemony Snicket has very cleverly titled his books using alliteration: There is a wonderful use of language, and the books are a pleasure to read aloud.
Incorporate the books into your classroom curriculum with these discussion questions, vocabulary activities, writing activities, character studies, and cross-curricular activities to supplement and enhance your teaching. => http://bit.ly/14iVsUE
There are books so alive that you're always afraid that while you weren't reading, the book has gone and changed, has shifted like a river; while you went on living, it went on living too, and like a river moved on and moved away. No one has stepped twice into the same river. But did anyone ever step twice into the same book?
~Marina Tsvetaeva
A man ought to read just as his inclination leads him; for what he reads as a task will do him little good.
--Samuel Johnson
“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.”
Victor Hugo
“Properly, we should read for power. Man reading should be man intensely alive. The book should be a ball of light in one's hand.”
Ezra Pound
There are a myriad reasons why an investment in children's books really is an investment in their future learning and development.
Reading books can stimulate children of all ages, in highly different ways. For kids aged zero to two years, effectively babies and young toddlers, it's more about the visual stimulation, touch and bonding between parent and child that is most important.
Typically, baby books are brightly coloured, textured and chunky - making them perfect for getting baby's senses going. As they get older, they are more excited by books with button-activated noises, lights and lift-flaps, as different areas of their brain begin to develop and pay attention to what's going on in front of their eyes.
Two to three-year-olds become more interested in the actual words, as they explore the world of talking. They tend to find one page or book and focus on it, asking their mums and dads to read it over and over again - frustrating for adults but great for kiddies' memory skills! Their favourite characters, such as those from movies, are a particular favourite at this age, as they really feel they are engaging with the character's 'life'.
As your little ones grow and begin to reach the ripe old age of five, they can handle slightly more complex texts and character stories. By this stage, they can predict what might happen, repeat the words they hear and learn about the subjects portrayed in books. For this reason, it is crucial to introduce not only works of fiction, but perhaps creative non-fiction, allowing them to learn about subjects like animals, history and fantasies such as pirates and mermaids.
When children begin to get older, they can really expand their vocabulary and knowledge by reading aloud from books, rather than just to themselves. This is also an excellent way for them to feel more grown-up, particularly if you are pro-active in asking them to read you a bedtime story!
..........................................................
Louis Sharman is a freelance author writes article on various topics. To learn more about various bookstores and Online Bookshops he recommends you to visit http://www.foyles.co.uk
As more and more baby boomers approach their senior years, they often share with me their concerns about dementia, Alzheimer's, and other mental disabilities. They often want to know, "is there anything I can do to stay mentally fit as I grow older?" Fortunately the answer is yes. Let me give you the details.
Two important studies on the mental deterioration associated with aging were conducted years ago. The studies were called "The Baltimore and Seattle Longitudinal Studies On Aging," and what they discovered provides the answer to the problem you are seeking. The studies analyzed individuals who were 80 years old or older. You are going to like what it revealed.
The story showed that people who read books on a regular basis had a much lower frequency of both dementia and Alzheimer's disease. While the frequent reading of books did not cure Alzheimer's it did slow down its progression. The same was true with dementia. More interesting was the fact the individuals who hadn't been reading were able to reap these benefits by starting on a regular reading program. Here is the reason why they believe this occurs.
If you are over thirty years old, then your brain is losing thousands of neurons every day. This is a normal part of aging. When your approaching eighty then years of losing neurons can begin to affect your memory. However, people who read books stimulated their brains. This extra stimulation made the existing neurons form more connections. Connections that helped to compensate for the neurons that were lost. As a result they had better mental acuity even at advanced ages.
What is the lesson to be learned from this? If you are a baby boomer and you want to keep your brain mentally fit, then you need to exercise it regularly. The best exercise is to continually read as you grow older. Your brain will reward you for doing this by staying focused and sharp as you grow older.
...........................................................................
If you are like most people, you will want to take a moment to look at some of our world acclaimed learning programs designed to help you succeed in your information-rich world. You can try any of my programs risk tree by clicking onhttp://www.howardprograms.com.
Your friend,
Howard Stephen Berg--the World's Fastest Reader
Executive Member of Howard Stephen Berg Learning Systems, LLC
Reading is a good habit. Young children should be encouraged to read more at early stage. Some parents find it hard to get their children to read because their children are attracted by the television programs and computers.
I am here to share with you some practical tips which you can apply so that you can get your young children to read more.
• First thing first, being parents, you are "responsible" to read with your children at least once every day. You should accompany them when they are reading. Don't just give instructions to them. If your kids do not like a book you are reading together with them, you should put it aside. Don't force your kids to accept the book.
• Besides accompanying them, you should be a reading role model to your kids. Let them see that you always read. It will be better if you can share some interesting things with them. Tell them what you have read from the books, magazines or newspapers.
• Young children enjoy reading books which come with colorful pictures and simple words. Hence, you are reminded to select the right reading materials for them. You should take note about your children's interests. At the same time, you must make sure that you children have plenty to read at home. It is important for you to keep books and other reading materials in their reach.
• In order to encourage your kids to read, you must respect their choices. Do not set any limitation to them. Let them choose their own books based on their preferences. At the same time, you should take the opportunity to encourage your kids to try different kinds of books such as fiction, non-fiction, mysteries, biographies, etc. If possible, you should choose books that provide new experiences about different countries and cultures for them.
• You should find ways to motivate your children by praising them for their efforts. You are advised to listen to your children when they are reading. You can encourage them to read aloud. Then, you should start praising them for the newly acquired skills.
• Some young children refuse to read at the beginning stage. What you can do is to tell interesting stories to them. You are advised to look for creative ways to teach them good values so that you can help them to develop listening and thinking skills easily.
You love your children. You want them to have better future. Cultivating a lifetime reading habit will be the best gift you can provide for your beloved children.
....................................................
Jesslyn Jessy A blogger with wide interest in training and personal development. She strongly believes that competency skills are essential for a fast changing world. Besides, she also focuses on human health which is inter related to working performance. http://jessyanglo.blogspot.com/
I've never known any trouble that an hour's reading didn't assuage.
--Charles De Secondat
Image: http://bit.ly/WkMruW
