Well, summer vacation has arrived. There is relief from waking up early and getting dressed before 7. No need to make breakfast and lunch simultaneously in a 15 minute period. (Unless I forget the lunch part until 1 minute before we have to run out the door! Then I could win the fastest lunch making contest with the most amount of swearwords uttered in a 1 minute period while shoving lunch boxes and bags into the arms of my turtle-like children who see no urgency of the situation.) I don't have to stress about leaving at 7:32 instead of 7:28 because leaving 4 minutes later means I still arrive on time but avoid a traffic backup.  I don't have to make sure homework is done, projects underway and tests studied for. Ahhhh. 

Now, I will just enjoy summer lazy.... for the next couple of days. 

Then comes, summer reality! 

Summer Rules!!

Sleep in as late as possible. If the clock says 7, go back to sleep! We're Team Housey so every day, we must: 

Make our beds and make sure the floor is picked up.

Brush our teeth (summer mouth not allowed).

Dress by 10. Neighbor kids start-a-knockin' and we don't want them to know we wear super hero undies.

School practice (math facts, spanish, etc) before any video games or play.

No more than 1 hour of video games a day. Sorry. I suffer too because you are more contained and quiet playing but I know it is not good for you and I want the best for you.

DEAR time once a day or more for EVERYONE! Drop Everything And Read

If you aren't OUTSIDE playing with your friends and family, you can help with chores. 

Pool everyday if possible.

Movies on rainy days. 

Walk the dogs. 

Each day, one person picks a dinner and helps prepare it. 

Those not making dinner set the table. 

No leaving any dishes in the sink and empty dishwasher when full.

You can stay up late if you are having fun playing outside and you sleep in the next day. 


This may seem like a lot but kids need structure and need to know what is expected of them. They need some organization and need to know the value of time.  If they want a sane mom who takes them to do fun things, then I need help. We are a team and work together. They know that if they don't help then I have to do it all by myself. While having a fun summer, they can still learn, help and be productive.  

Time for fun in the sun! Have a great summer!

Don't you just love reading the same book over and over and over again to your child? Especially a Dr. Seuss book?? Me, too...NOT.


It is perfectly normal for a child to want to read the same book over and over. And perfectly and insanely normal for a child to ask you to read the same book over and over. They obviously enjoy the book and spending time with you.

This is all part of the reading process and truly helps develop your child's reading skills.

You read a book for the first time to your child. You know they enjoyed it because they ask you read it again. Most of the time we are happy to oblige (unless we don't like the book then it's best to hide it immediately). Every night for the next week, we read the same book again and again even though we've tried many times to introduce a new one. After the 10th time reading it, we attempt to skip chunks of text (don't deny it) or even pages (we all have). Maybe the first time, we get away with it.
Then the reading police are on to us, the TEXT EVADERS.

"You skipped some words!"
"You forgot a page."
Or they wait until the last page to say, "Wait, where's the part about...?"
Big text evader mistake. Now you have to read it again.

This is all because they have started to memorize the text. This is a good thing. Once they start to memorize the text they begin to notice some things.

-Those black symbols have meaning.
-The pictures on the page have some connection to those black shapes.
-We read and move through a book from left to right.

Now your child wants to impress you by reading the book by themselves. We know they've memorized it but we cheer them on and give them encouragement. Important!! As they read the same book over and over, they begin to notice more things.

-Those black symbols form words that are separated by spaces (like stones in a river).
-Some of those words repeat themselves throughout the book (sight or high-frequency words- the, and, are...).
-The words match the pictures on the pages.
-There are patterns in the text.

Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. Read this text: 我有一只狗。

What?! It says, "I have a dog." That is what they see at first. Imagine how difficult it would be if someone gave you a new Chinese or Spanish book every time you sat down to read before you knew how to read the language. It would be frustrating and cause anxiety. This is why reading the same book over and over helps to develop a confidence in reading which is far more important than learning new words too fast.

Allow your child to enjoy books at their speed and encourage them to read with you. Again, it is important to model reading to your child by reading aloud to them and letting them see you enjoying your own books.

Things to do with your child early on while reading...

-Talk to them about the parts of a book (cover, author, illustrator, read left to right.) It doesn't seem important now but it will give them a leg up...a word up, when they go to school.

-Point to the words while you read so they can see that those symbols having meaning.

-Have your child point to the words as they read to teach them one-to-one correspondence (each group of letters separated by a space have meaning).

-Before reading a page, talk to your child about what they see in the picture first to teach them to use the pictures as clues.


More about how to become a better reader here:http://amberhousey.blogspot.com/2013/04/kids-who-read.html

Watch for future educational posts to help your child. Let me know if this was helpful to you. Feel free to ask questions. 

I have degrees in Early Childhood, Elementary education and a Masters in the Art of Teaching. I taught preschool through 2nd Grade for many years. I have been trained in Orton Gillingham. I am an award winning children's book authorand creator of Flip Side Stories®. 

Read, re-read and read again!! Read On!

How do young children become good readers? Well, of course they need to learn the basics like phonics (letter sounds) and learn sight words or high-frequency words (and, the, from, etc.- words that appear most frequently and should be known automatically by a reader)
but...

Reading (and being read to) makes you a better reader. And that means reading anything and everything from signs on the road to comic books and novels. The more you read, the better reader you will become and the more fluent reader you will become.

As young children read, they become more familiar with patterns in the text and in words themselves. They begin to notice the words that appear more frequently (sight words). When they listen to someone read to them, they learn about expression and how words and sentences should sound.
 
Many people tell me that their child (of all ages) doesn't want to read and they show no interest in reading. It is important to figure out what inspires or interests your children no matter what age. If they like sports, give them sport magazines or books. If they like cartoons and comic books, let them read those. Another option if they aren't confident readers is to buy books on tape.Let them read along in the book with a tape. They will be able to hear another reader using expression while they track the text on the page. A great series on tape is Harry Potter. The reader on the tape does a great job changing his voice to match the characters. It is a fun read on tape. My son started with that and began reading the rest of the series on his own.

Books on tape are great for older children (middle school and older) as well. Many older children claim they are too tired to read and there may be truth to that. They do sleep a lot. Or, they are just not interested in reading. So a book on tape is great on the go or while laying in bed while they read along. Be sure it is not the abridged edition if they are reading the full-length book. Hearing someone else read it can make it a little more interesting. I think it is important for the reader to have the book in hand when they can to read along. This strategy may be helpful by opening them up to books they didn't know they would like. Obviously, the best option is for them to read on their own, but we are trying to inspire those kids who don't have an interest in reading.

Other ideas,
Give your child a recipe to read to you while you are cooking.
Find an (short) article in a magazine or newspaper that they might be interested in like about   
   an athlete they like, an event you might attend or a place to visit.
Have your child read to a younger child (make them feel like they are helping not practicing reading).
Have your child read directions for building something or putting a toy or game together.

Let them choose the books they are comfortable with and offer them opportunities to read all day.

Let me know if this was helpful to you. Feel free to ask questions. I have degrees in Early Childhood, Elementary education and a Masters in the Art of Teaching. I taught preschool through 2nd Grade for many years. I have been trained in Orton Gillingham.

More reading advice in future posts... When should I start teaching my child to read? Is it ok if my child  wants to read the same book over and over?


The more you read, the better reader you become. So, READ!

He had a set of false teeth, which he carried in a fold of his loin cloth ("Loin cloth? Good Lord!"). He put them in his mouth only when he wanted to eat. After his meal, he took them out, washed them and put them back in his loin cloth again. 

He spoke English with an Irish accent, for one of his first teachers was an Irishman. He was educated at London University and became an attorney. But the first time he attempted to make a speech in court, his knees trembled, and he was so frightened that he had to sit down in confusion and defeat. As a lawyer in London, he got nowhere at all. He waspractically a failure there.

However, despite this worldly success he was not happy. On seeing the untold misery of millions of his fellow countrymen; on seeing thousand of them dying of starvation; the worldly success seemed cheap and unimportant to him. He gave up all his money and ‘took the vow of poverty, and since that time, he consecrated his life to helping the poor and the downtrodden.

He experimented with diets to see how cheaply he could live and remain healthy. He started living principally on fruit and goats’ milk and olive oil. He had been greatly influenced by the teachings of an American by the name of David Thoreau. 

He never visited the US, but he had many American fans and followers. One of his more unusual admirers was Henry Ford. 

He inspired millions of people world over to take the path of non-violence and civil disobedience. Though inspiring 5 world leaders who got Noble Peace prize viz. Martin Luther King Jr. (USA), Dalai Lama (Tibet), Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmar), Nelson Mandela (S. Africa) and Adolfo Perez Esquivel (Argentina), he never got a Noble Prize himself !


Click here to find out who's shoes these are and read a cute fact about his shoes. http://www.author-me.com/fict06/gandhisshoes.htm


What did you think about walking in these shoes?

To the families of Sandy Hook,

In the shadow of the senseless tragedy in Sandy Hook, we sorrowfully attempt walk in your shoes trying to feel your pain. As a parent, it is not hard to imagine what you are going through. As I learned of the horrendous event on Friday, I sat on a bench alone in my children's school waiting for them to finish their after school activities. I didn't hear what happened until late in the day.  It seemed to echo through the silent halls as I read the details. It sickened me to the core. I have a 6 year old, an 8 year old and a 9 year old and the thought brought me to tears. I had to hold back uncontrolled sobbing in the hallway for fear that another child or my own children would see me. 

Why? Why? Why? So senseless and almost unpreventable. It makes no sense to anyone. 

I can't imagine what those teachers in that school went through. Heroes lost their lives protecting those children. A responsibility we take for granted. They don't just educate our children. They help us raise our children. 
God Bless them. 

We know that each and every one of the children and people hurt by this event has a story. We will remember. 

We watch the news, not to glorify the tragedy but to understand why it happened and to figure out how we can prevent it from happening again. We want to cry with you and be angry with you because we feel so helpless. My children's school will be wearing green tomorrow in honor of your loss.

In this difficult...in this unbearable time, you are in our thoughts and our prayers and we remember. God Bless those beautiful children and the heroes that lost their lives. God Bless the families mourning.

It has been a while since I've posted. I  have some moments recently that have struck me and I wanted to share them.

The excitement was building for weeks. Thoughts of candy danced in their heads and costumes paraded around the house. Then the day came. Halloween! Dressing up at school, costume parades amongst peers, parties in classrooms filled with food and games and fun. I was lucky enough to be able to relive some moments in my childhood Halloween memories (in a costume even). My daughter was Merida from Brave and I was her queen mother turning into a bear.

I traveled from one room to the next to see how my other two kids were doing and let them know I was around. I was helping in my daughter's room on this day. Near the end of the party in her room, I sat down with the group of kids to read some spooky (not-so-spooky) Halloween stories that I loved when I was a kid. I love reading to kids, especially my books. wink.

When I was done reading, all of the children but one got busy putting the room back together. One young lady stood by my side. I hadn't paid much attention to her until I heard her speaking to herself or maybe to me. I heard her say, "Look at all the moms on their iPhones." I followed her gaze in the direction she was looking. Sure enough, they were all nose deep into their phones. At that moment, I was not but it could have been me too. "They are ignoring us again." UHG! Stab in the heart. Slap across the face.

The blood rushed to my feet. Guilt welled up inside me. I tried to make her feel better (or change her mind about it) by saying that maybe the mom's were taking pictures or sending pictures of the party. She didn't respond to that comment as if to tell me to stop kidding myself (I saw you on your phone earlier.)

That really hit me. My kids will tell me if they feel like I am not being present. I try very hard not be on the computer or phone when they are around (or around my family and friends for that matter).

To hear it from a child who was not mine and whose mother wasn't even there, just crushed me. She was making an observation from across the room at random parents and telling me honestly how that makes her feel. She even used the word "us" ("ignoring us") as if to say it on behalf of all of the kids who feel this way. Wow.

I will never forget her words. It was a paradigm shift for me. We need those once in a while. We need to hear or see the Flip Side to really understand the impact we are having on others. Take a look around and see who is really watching you.

He had a set of false teeth, which he carried in a fold of his loin cloth ("Loin cloth? Good Lord!"). He put them in his mouth only when he wanted to eat. After his meal, he took them out, washed them and put them back in his loin cloth again. 

He spoke English with an Irish accent, for one of his first teachers was an Irishman. He was educated at London University and became an attorney. But the first time he attempted to make a speech in court, his knees trembled, and he was so frightened that he had to sit down in confusion and defeat. As a lawyer in London, he got nowhere at all. He waspractically a failure there.

However, despite this worldly success he was not happy. On seeing the untold misery of millions of his fellow countrymen; on seeing thousand of them dying of starvation; the worldly success seemed cheap and unimportant to him. He gave up all his money and ‘took the vow of poverty, and since that time, he consecrated his life to helping the poor and the downtrodden.

He experimented with diets to see how cheaply he could live and remain healthy. He started living principally on fruit and goats’ milk and olive oil. He had been greatly influenced by the teachings of an American by the name of David Thoreau. 

He never visited the US, but he had many American fans and followers. One of his more unusual admirers was Henry Ford. 

He inspired millions of people world over to take the path of non-violence and civil disobedience. Though inspiring 5 world leaders who got Noble Peace prize viz. Martin Luther King Jr. (USA), Dalai Lama (Tibet), Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmar), Nelson Mandela (S. Africa) and Adolfo Perez Esquivel (Argentina), he never got a Noble Prize himself !


Click here to find out who's shoes these are and read a cute fact about his shoes. http://www.author-me.com/fict06/gandhisshoes.htm

What did you think about walking in these shoes?

Now that I look back, I am not sure why my class was outside on the playground at 9:03 AM. We started school at 8:03 and that seems too early for a recess break. I happened to be in my room while another teacher took my kids outside for a brief recess while I prepared for a lesson. They weren't out but a few minutes when my phone rang in my classroom.

It was my fiance, at the time and now my husband, Paul. I wondered why he would be calling me so early in the day. He asked me if I knew what had happened. Know about what?


Read more...

The world spends the day flipping through channels looking for the Olympic sport of choice and the team to cheer on. Millions of people around the world are glued to their screens cheering on athletes who have traveled far emotionally and physically. We cheer them on as if we are there and they can hear our shouts and chants. We tear up as if they are our own children. The patriotism bonds each country with pride. We stay up late holding on to the hope for a gold as if it is our personal win. 

Late last night, my husband and I curled up in bed to watch the gymnasts find their place in the medal rounds. We gasped in awe at their ability to bend and twist on beams, flip and spin high above the mats and work the bars as our primate neighbors do with such ease and fluidity. The US team had to switch from team mentality to their own individual best to make the final two who will move on to the individual medal round. The pressure was on. They get one shot to reach the goal that they have been working day and night to reach. They've sacrificed more than we will ever sacrifice so they can reach what is untouchable for us mortals. 

The world champion, Jordyn Wieber, takes her turn on the mats. She can taste the win but just can't pull it out with minor mistakes that cost her a tenth of a point here and a tenth of a point there. Some believing the judges were a bit harsh with her scores. Her performance secured Gabby Douglas in the final all-around and left Aly Raisman, Jordyn Wiebers roommate,  a chance to make the finals. Bitter sweet. Aly performs the best floor routine of her life  landing her in the final round knocking Jordyn out of the competition. Tears begin to flow at such a devastating loss. 

The interviews following the win were a visual flip side. They position Aly in the foreground speaking to the reporters about her win. She spoke with modest excitement and disbelief. In between them in the background was Jordyn, trying to stay in control of her disappointment, wiping her tears, trying to compose herself enough to take the next interview. With every win, there is a loss. These are losses we will never truly know or understand. Losses that hurt and take a bite out of your spirit that we will never feel. What do you do with those feelings? When you are the winner, how do you celebrate without making your teammate, your friend's loss hurt more? It is really a loss for for both when you are close teammates even though you go into the competitions knowing you are competing against one another as well as together. There can only be one "best". Both girls have to have empathy and compassion for one another in completely opposite realms. 

We cheer on the US. We feel the losses in the only way we know how and celebrate the wins. We love and appreciate and honor those who have bled sweat and tears and given up so much to represent our country to be champions of the world. Tickets to an Olympic event $32+. Hotel in London $200+. The actual Gold Medal, $706 at current price. Airline ticket to London $1000. To work your whole life to make it on the Olympic team to represent your country....PRICELESS! 


Go USA!!