Julie Stiegemeyer's Blog, page 13

Encouraging Literacy in the Very Young, Part 4

Tip #4 - Allow children to share books with special people in their lives. One of my fondest childhood memories is sitting with my grandfather reading The Poky Little Puppy in his house in Boulder, Colo. We sat together in my grandfather's big chair, and read about all of the antics of the poky puppy who dug a hole with his brothers and sisters under a fence to explore the "wide, wide world." The poky little puppy, always the observant one (and the one with the worst sweet tooth), gets his fill

View more on Julie Stiegemeyer's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 14, 2009 13:57

Encouraging Literacy in the Very Young, Part 3

Tip #3 - One of the things I love most about children is their ability to find joy in the small stuff of life. The definition of "walk" to a toddler or preschooler is far different from our adult definition. Adults walk in order to get exercise, to try to shed those extra pounds. Not so with young children. Speed is not a part of a child's stroll around the neighborhood, and I believe, that can teach us as parents to slow down and enjoy those little things that children take such delight in.

Allo

View more on Julie Stiegemeyer's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 10, 2009 13:12

Funny video: Cat attacks office printer. Who will win?

Go here to watch.

View more on Julie Stiegemeyer's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 10, 2009 06:41

Encouraging Literacy in the Very Young, Part 2

Tip #2 - Get books into the hands of children.

So, after setting aside one or more reading times per day for your little one, now you need to have books to read. What are the best places to find books?

Libraries, of course, are a great place to start. Many libraries have no limit on the number of books to check out, and some even check out big tubs to take them home in (when you forget your tote bag)! In addition to the wide selection of books, children's librarians are great resources for

View more on Julie Stiegemeyer's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 09, 2009 12:54

Encouraging Literacy in the Very Young

As a parent and a children's author, I often think about ways to encourage reading in children. Several of my books are written for the youngest--babies and toddlers. So this week, as time allows, I'll post several ideas on how to encourage reading and literacy in the very young.

The first and best advice is to make reading a natural part of a child's day. Children thrive on routine and stability, so start by building reading into the routine of your child's day.

When my son was young, we had read

View more on Julie Stiegemeyer's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 08, 2009 11:14

Another miscellaneous link: Craigslist

I've been stalking the pages of Craigslist lately. This is kind of cool. You can buy stuff you need and sell junk you don't need to local people in your area.

View more on Julie Stiegemeyer's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 06, 2009 10:12

An interesting view on success

I like this short article on success and self-confidence. It's simple but very helpful advice.

View more on Julie Stiegemeyer's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 06, 2009 06:09

Hidden Talents

While we were watching the Academy Awards a couple of weeks ago and watching Hugh Jackman in his opening number, my mom commented that he was yet another actor who was multi-talented. Not only is he an awesome actor, but he's got a great comedic personality and a good singing voice too. Then, a couple of days ago, a co-worker mentioned that in addition to teaching, she'd always thought about writing books for kids.

It made me think about what talents lie untapped in people. When we choose a caree

View more on Julie Stiegemeyer's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 04, 2009 13:15

True Beauty

One of my guilty pleasures is occasionally watching America's Next Top Model. Generally, I get irritated by the shallowness of the contestants, but I have found something interesting by watching that particular show. One of the things that comes out is how important personality and basic life skills mean success for these young women. Good looks certainly play a part, but it seems to come down to some important life skills, like being able to relate to people and holding it together during inter