Phyllis C. Hunter is an internationally known literacy expert who has served as an advisor to the President of the United States and the Secretary of Education. She says that “reading is the new civil right.”
Mysteries, historical fiction, Wild West yarns, the life and times of a girl named Alice, scary tales, memoir — prolific writer Phyllis Reynolds Naylor never writes the same type of book twice in a row. That’s how she keeps the work fresh for herself and her readers. After publishing more than 135 books — including the Newbery winner Shiloh and the best-selling Alice series — she truly lives and breathes the life of a writer.
Naylor says that she has to live every character: “It’s like an actor on stage putting on different hats and becoming one character after another.” You can feel that in her books; and the stacks of fan mail she receives reveal how strongly her readers identify with characters like Alice, Marty, the Malloy girls, the Hatford boys, and Bernie Magruder.
How can you help your baby or toddler to learn and to get ready for school? Here are some ways to make sure young children’s physical and social needs are met.
An organized classroom with defined areas and spaces can help students with autism in anticipating what is expected and to predict what will be happening during the instructional day. Get tips on how to create defined learning spaces and reduce distractions in your classroom.
Letters are kind of old-fashioned; e-mail is quicker and a regular part of our lives now. But there’s something special about a letter and the time it takes for it to be written, put a stamp on it, and get the letter to its recipient. Share letters real and imagined in the pages of these books. Meet grand exaggerators and characters that live only in fairy tales. Watch a girl grow and a boy show just how special his friend is to him. Find out how the mail really gets where it’s going and more as you read the suggested titles below.
There are many types of writing: thank you notes, invitations, books, journals, and advice letters. The writing in these books may tickle your funny bone or teach a bit of history.
Understanding autism can begin with stories about a child, sibling, friend, and classmate with autism or Asperger syndrome. This collection includes picture books for elementary age children and their families. For older kids (ages 9-12), browse this list: Middle Grade Books Featuring Neurodiverse Characters.
One way to help a child comprehend what he is reading is to encourage him to visualize parts of the story in his mind. These “mind movies” help clarify information, increase understanding, and can include any of the five senses. Try these practices below when reading with your child.
One potential way of fostering empathy in young children is through picturebooks. Learn about empathy, theory of mind, the development of emotional intelligence, and the role of picturebooks in the classroom.
