I found some interesting articles this week that I thought I’d share with you today. The first is about technology and kids and this one is related to it (and referenced in it). It shares that the technological and billionaire elites limit their kids’ use of technology (tablets/iPads and such); many send their children to schools with no computers or screens at all. (I’m sure your kids will appreciate me sharing those articles with you. ) This shocked me but then I was also shocked to find out that at least one local public school has no textbooks and seldom gives homework. I have also heard of a public school where the students were watching movies – no, not educational movies, but movies you or I would see in the theater. What a sad state of affairs. It’s no wonder kids sleep in class or skip class altogether.

On WashingtonPost.com there was this article about how we read differently on a screen as opposed to in print. It was quite interesting. In light of the previously mentioned articles though, I don’t think I agree that we should be “steadily increasing their [our kids] immersion into the technological, digital age.” In fairness it did say that we should be reading to our children and giving them printed material as well but I think I’d follow the lead of the technological elites on this one, if I had it to do over again. There was also a very interesting study done in 2012 with Israeli engineering students that was sited and I found it a bit surprising. (Have I piqued your interest enough to get you to check out that article? )

Then in the article, “How To Make Your Kids Smarter” I learned that music and exercise gives children academic advantages and increases their ability to learn, respectively. The article stated that music training helps anyone, regardless of age. There are 8 more tips shared in the article.

I thought I would leave you with links to two helps. The first is a reading assessment that is very similar to one I have used with my own children in the past and found it to be beneficial to me. Since our state does not require any testing, I found it helpful to confirm what I already knew about my children’s abilities; this reading assessment helps to pinpoint their reading level but not their comprehension level.

Last, for all those books you are going to be reading aloud WITH your child(ren), here is a really neat idea for a reading journal. The idea is that after you read a chapter book with them, they get to draw or write about it in this book.

I hope these articles give you some food for thought and something to consider praying about.

Until next time, God Bless,

 Michele ºÜº