 |
Dr. de Freitas’
Monthly Chats Blog
|
|
|
|
|
|
READING TO OUR CHILDREN
Posted: Tuesday, May 08, 2012
By: Administrator
Maurice Sendak, the children’s book author most famous for authoring ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ passed away recently at the age of 84. While my main roles in life are as wife and mother, pediatrician, and community health educator, I am also an author. If you have ever been to my office you can see that reading to children is high on my priority list. This month’s blog post is about the healthy habit of reading to your kids.
I have valued children’s books for a long time, ever since I shared so many of them with my own children. Reading to them was a nightly tradition in our house, and many wonderful memories in our family revolve around reading certain books together. In fact, I even have my audience of first time expectant parents who attend the class "Getting Ready for Baby", join me as we read a story to their unborn child! Do you have a reading routine with your children? Are you instilling in them the invaluable habit of reading? If not, this is a great month to start. If you are, take this post as inspiration to beef up your kids’ reading routine with these tips:
1. Read away from the computer
OK, coming from a blog post, this advice may seem a bit hypocritical. But for kids, time spent learning through reading away from the computer – not to mention away from Kindles and iPads – is essential. Encourage them to read the real thing! Take them to book stores, the library, a friend’s house, and give them a physical book to hold, feel, to smell to fall in love with.
2. Read together
This one’s pretty straightforward. Whether you both read the same book simultaneously and then chat about what happened in each chapter, or if you sit down together before bedtime and read aloud to each other, this experience is an essentially valuable way to bond with your kids.
3. Talk about what you read.
What book is your child reading in English class? What do they like about it? How about for pleasure? What happened in the latest chapter? Start a dialogue about reading and increase your kid’s brain power.
4. Read outside of your comfort zone
Try a new genre! Try a new author! There are myriad books being written on and offline these days, and changing up how, when, and what your read can keep things interesting and keep your child engaged.
5. Read for pleasure
This is supposed to be fun! Take the time to find an author or series your child truly, truly enjoys. Give books as gifts even better, start your manuscript and plant the seed of becoming a published author.
Happy Mother’s Day and Happy Reading this May!
Dr. de Freitas
Read Comments (0) |
Post a Comment
Edit this blog | 
Delete this blog
|
|
Nurturing Creativity
Posted: Friday, April 27, 2012
By: Administrator
Hello
everyone,
I
hope April has been good to you so far. As we think about 'Creative Kids”
particularly for parents of kids ages 8, 9, and 10 - aka 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders - creativity is a big
deal. Brain science shows us that it's at this age that the prefrontal
cortex expands, increasing impulse control and focus. In his new book Imagine:
How Creativity Works,
Jonah Lehrer describes how this brain development affects creativity:
“It’s
in fourth grade that their frontal lobes are coming online. The kids are able
to raise their hand, they’re able exert self-control. These are wonderful
skills. They help us become more mature.
But
when it comes to creative expression these skills also get in the way, because
that ability to control our impulses also leads us to conclude that we can draw
in the wrong place, that our brush strokes don’t quite live up to our
expectations. And that’s when you lose interest in creating.
As
Lehrer mentions, this is the age when kids learn that it takes practice to get
good at something. For a child to realize their skills can develop over time is
truly a mature and valuable concept for them. If you’re a parent of a 3rd, 4th, and 5th grader, getting your child
involved in creative activities at home or after school can be ideal not only
for their creative development but for their character and self esteem.
I
remember one amazing fifth grade teacher that my children had who took them on
monthly field trips to her farm-like home where children weeded her vegetable
garden and collected the eggs from the barn. One of my children fell in love with a barn horse during one of
those trips. She went on to riding horse and competing in equine events and eventually to veterinarian school The kids also took trips to visit nursing homes and schools for hearing impair children their age, exposing them to life perspectives other than their own.
Supporting
and encouraging your child’s creative development is also a great opportunity
to bond with them. Share your own creative side (or, if it’s a little rusty,
develop together!) with your child this month. Draw, paint, play music, build
something, invent a creative solution to a problem around the house, whatever
it may be.
Food
for thought in April, hopefully a creative month for you and your young ones!
Best,
Dr.
de Freitas.
Read Comments (0) |
Post a Comment
Edit this blog |
Delete this blog
|
Other Blogs
|
Teaching Kids Gratitude, the Healthy Attitude!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Administrator
|
How do you love your child?
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Administrator
|
Are you an orchid or a dandelion?
Monday, January 09, 2012
Administrator
|
What are you giving for the Holidays?
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Administrator
|
TEDMED.COM 2011
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Administrator
|
|
Page
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
|
|
|
|