Trending Post: Books Made Into Movies
We need to be like the Lorax and speak for children. “I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. . . . Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” –The Lorax Parent Advocacy Look at all these Loraxes that participated in the Colorado Children’s Campaign and…
Excerpts from a recent interview with Dr. Savitri Dixon-Saxon, mother and associate dean of the School of Counseling and Social Service at Walden University, about her Do’s and Don’ts for parents regarding child advocacy in the school. Do’s and Don’ts (Printable) I used to teach a graduate course called Education and Social Diversity for education administrators and…
One morning while channel surfing, I stopped on a morning show to listen to a woman talking about my daughter. Well, not exactly . . . but exactly. She described kids who preferred to observe, who didn’t like to make eye contact, who get overwhelmed in social situations, who enter new situations slowly . ….
Today is our last post in the child advocacy series and is written by Colorado blogger and friend, Lori Cooney. Although we each have our own reasons for education advocacy, we as parents all have the same goal in mind and that’s for our children to receive the best possible education. For me, advocating for…
We’re continuing to learn about advocating for our children’s education. Today, Dr. Meryl Ain, education advocate and experienced educator, gives us her thoughts on squeaky wheels successfully advocating for their children. Parent Advocates Melissa: Dr. Ain, tell us about yourself and how you got involved with parent advocacy. Dr. Ain: I’ve worked in several districts,…
Parent Advocacy Last year I blogged about JJ’s developmentally inappropriate, worksheet-based literacy program (here’s why) at our local public school. Sadly, many of you experienced similar situations which you shared in the comments, Facebook, and through email. As I considered my options, I really didn’t want to change schools or home school. I wanted to stay…
This list of read aloud books for 3rd grade (8 year olds) contains teacher-recommended, kid-favorite read aloud books for third (3rd) grade. (Third grade is about age 8 years old here in the U.S.)
I’ve noticed that whenever kids get a CHOICE ABOUT WHAT TO READ (and that choice includes graphic novels,) their time spent reading and competence improve.
Does your 10-year-old boy or girl in fifth grade need a good book? Find good middle grade books for 5th graders with my recommendations and reviews, plus topic and genre tags to help you easily pick your 5th grader’s next favorite book. Middle Grade Books for 5th Graders When I was a child and even when I…
Realistic fiction books for kids start include excellent chapter books, relatable middle grade books, and compelling YA novels. Realistic fiction is either relatable to children’s own lives (mirrors) or builds empathy as readers walk in the shoes of another (doors.) But which titles are the best choices for readers? I can help you pick.
Discover the best children’s picture books, chapter books, and middle grade books about immigration, refugees, migration, migrant work, deportation, poverty, and culture. I hope this list is helpful.
While we need both short and long books, right now, we need MORE short middle grade books to get our young readers reading more.
May 1 begins Asian American Pacific Islander American Heritage Month (AAPI month)! To celebrate, you can read these brilliant children’s books with Asian and Pacific Islander representation.
What typing programs and typing lesson websites are recommended by librarians, teachers, parents, and students? Discover the best typing (keyboarding) lessons with step-by-step instruction, repetition, and fun!
Ready for my choices for the best middle grade books of 2022?! These are the best books for ages 9 to 12 years old.
I’m so excited to tell you about so many amazing new middle-grade books. (And can’t wait to share with you the new gems next month!) Here are my favorites from July and August 2022. But first, which of these middle grade books made the best book list? FIND OUT BELOW. >>BEST MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS OF…
You never know what new middle grade releases will come out when– and which are good enough to share with you all. This batch of graphic novels happens to feature girl main characters. Why? I don’t know but I know many of your kids will love to read these new titles! In addition to these…
Lately, I can’t keep up with all the exceptional chapter books. Because there are SO MANY GOOD BOOKS! Here are some of the latest middle-grade books and one YA book that have made a big impression on me. I hope you love them as much as I do! New Chapter Books, October 2020 Three Keys…
Discover profound #OwnVoices historical fiction chapter and middle grade books for children ages 8 to 18. If you aren’t aware of this term, OwnVoices signifies when a marginalized person such as a BIPoC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) writes a book about a character in their same group. When a reader asked me to…
Happy November, book-loving friends! Today I’m sharing with you some amazing new middle-grade books for your 9 – 12-year-old readers. You’ll notice I’ve starred my favorites that are contenders for my best of 2019 list. But all these books are incredible so even the books I didn’t star are totally worth reading. Trending Middle…
Many of these middle-grade books are all about the hard work of growing up– whether they’re about coding or adoption or ADHD or something else — they’re still tackling coming-of-age, too. Coming-of-age means these are about kids growing into young adulthood learning hard-earned life lessons about who they are and how to make sense…
I’m so excited about the beautiful picture books and interesting chapter and middle grade books about India, Indian culture, and Indian mythology. It helps me teach myself and my children about a culture that isn’t our own, which is important for building bridges of understanding.
My kids aren’t reading like they used to. It’s not good. But, I have a plan . . . I’m going to entice them with the controversy of banned books. In fact, I think the emotional tug of unfairness and lack of choice will motivate your tweens and teens, too. Because there’s nothing more resonating…
Bullying awareness campaigns are not enough. We need to know what to DO if our child is being bullied believes Jarrett Arthur, Krav Maga black belt and self-defense educator. We need to know how to stop the bullying. We already know that being mean isn’t the same as being a bully. And can we just get real right…
Growing up, I made my own choices and censored the books I thought weren’t worth my time, for whatever reason. I choose. Not a school board. Not a library. Not my teacher. Me. I am grateful for the ability to choose what I read. Then and now. And I think it’s a freedom we must…
After I read What Happened to Recess and Why Are our Children Struggling in Kindergarten? by Susan Ohanian, I knew I wanted her to share with you exactly what you as a parent need to know about the national obsession with standardized tests. Here’s my (devil’s advocate) interview with Susan Ohanian, an experienced teacher, education…
by Ellen Notbohm, author of Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew, and Veronica Zysk former Managing Editor of Autism Asperger’s Digest. *Note from Melissa: I find this post is helpful for all kids, as well as kids on the autism spectrum. Children with autism love absolutes, and one of life’s absolutes is that everyone makes mistakes. It’s the…
** I originally removed this post after extreme backlash from the school. I am returning the post to my blog because it’s my opinion and I have the right to express it and I will not be bullied by veiled threats. ** 9/2011 update on Advocacy and Parental Involvement in Schools I’m dreading sending my…