Teaching Your Child To Read

A while ago now we were sent a reading programme to try out and I thought I'd do an update as to how it's going.

Well it's fantastic, my son can now read some quite long sentances and he is only four! I have tried to make a few videos for you so that you can see for yourselves. They aren't great quality as they were filmed on my phone and there also only 1 minute each. (Sorry I will get better at all this tecnology stuff one day).

So here is the first video... 

 

We have been working through the programme every night just before bedtime story and he really enjoys it. 

We have been doing it with my daughter too but she doesn't really have a great attention span at the moment (she's only two) although she is definitley picking up bits as we go along. (I will try to get some videos of her, although she is a little camera shy).

 I really cannot rate this reading programme highly enough, it has been great for my son and I have no doubt that he will be reading fully by the time he goes to school in September.


 

If you have any questions about the programme I would be happy to answer them.

You can find the reading programme on their website 

  www.childrenlearningreading.com

Teach a Two Year Old to Read - Update

I thought I'd do an update on how we are getting on with our 'Children Learning Reading Programme'.

  

We are now 5 weeks into the programme and I feel it is going really well. My son (who's 4) is now able to recognise quite a few different letters and can now read quite a few words completely on his own. (Which I think for a 4 year old is pretty good). We probably would have been further along with the programme if I had stuck to it religiously every day, which I admit I haven't (life gets in the way).

You are suppose to do each lesson (which don't take more than 5 minutes) at least twice a day, where as we have only being doing it once a day at the moment. Even so I feel my son is really starting to get to grips with it now and has finally mastered the art of 'blending'. (You can find out more about this on the website).

My daughter who's 2 can also now recognise quite a few different letters and everywhere we go now all I hear is the two of them shouting out letters whenever they see them on signs.

We are all really enjoying spending time together learning the letters and new words and at this rate I reckon my son will be able to read by the time he goes to school in September!

I will keep you updated with our progress and I will try and post up some videos so you can see for yourselves, (that is if first I can work out how to record it and second how to put it on here!)

If you like some more information on this reading programme then check out their website...

 www.childrenlearningreading.com

10 Tips for Surviving the School Holidays

1) PLAN, PLAN, PLAN - You don't have to follow your plan to the letter but even if you have a rough idea of what you might do each day helps!

2) ARRANGE MEET UPS - with fellow mummies, preferably somewhere that the kiddies can run wild for a bit while you have a good natter

3) EXCEPT MESS - Unless you are prepared to spend the next few weeks constantly picking up after them, just let them get on with it an have a good tidy up when they go back to school

4) PUT ON THE TV - Yes I said the T word, obviously I don't mean for the entire holidays but even just once a day for a limited amount of time gives you a break and makes them just sit and chill for a bit. We all need some R&R time and maybe throw in some popcorn to make it a bit more exciting. (I wouldn't advise popcorn everyday though)

5)  GO FOR WALKS - Of course this is weather permitting but it's a great way for the kids to burn some energy, get some fresh air and best of all it's FREE. Or perhaps try a treasure trail which makes the walk more interesting!

6) RESEARCH NEW CRAFT IDEAS - Get online and find some new ideas for things to create, bake or build. There are loads of good websites out there that have loads of fun ideas. Pinterest is one of my favourites.

7) STOCK UP ON CRAFT SUPPLIES - Prior to the holidays beginning make sure you have all of the resources that you may need, glue, scissors, toilet rolls, coloured card etc. Start collecting up a stock a few weeks before.

8)  GET A COLLECTION OF BOARD GAMES - Time to raid the charity shops and find some new games. You can pick up some great ones for a fraction of the price that the high street stores sell them at. This is always good as a back up for the horrible rainy days.

9) VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY - Go and find some new books to read. You could have a theme for the week, like the Tudors, and then find books on your chosen subject and see who can learn the most by the end of the week. Maybe create a quiz for the end of the week and see who wins. Libraries also stock DVD's which you can hire for very low cost too.

 

10) DON'T FEAR BOREDOM - It is okay for your children to get bored, this forces them to use their own imagination and create fun for themselves. No one expects you to be super mum for the entire length of the holidays. 

So what about you? What are your top tips for surviving the school holidays?

Aims for 2013

Image by Kartikay Sahay

I've put aims for 2013 rather than resolutions because resolutions always seem to get broken, usually within the first month of the new year. So perhaps if I call them something different then I just might manage to stick to them.

So here are my AIMS for 2013...

• Become a registered childminder (at last)
• Get my business (caroboutique) really flying
• Teach my son how to swim (could come in handy on the boat!)
• Start yoga (again)
• Get my son ready for starting school
• Spend more quality time with my children

and that's it, for now, no doubt I will add stuff along the way. So what about you, what are your aims for 2013?

'Quote of the Week' - School

 

For this weeks theme for 'Quote of the Week' I have chosen 'School'. 

I thought this was fairly relevant for most people with children at the moment. Whether it be baby ones starting pre schools, little ones going to real school, bigger ones going to big school or even bigger ones fleeing the nest and going to university. 

September can be quite a stressful time for all involved with preperation, worry about the unknown and organisation but it can also be a time when a lot of mothers breathe a sigh of relief. It's not that we don't love them it's just that no one can be a perfect parent 24/7 and sometimes a break is very welcome.

Feel free to join in with this weeks quote of the week, click here for how it works. Happy quote hunting.

Mummy CV

Career Objective

 A full-time position in Mummyness where I can demonstrate my cleaning, washing and running around after everyone else skills.

I can work for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year without sick pay, days off  or holidays.

If you are seeking a person that is so tired that they end up putting the kettle in the fridge and the milk in the washing machine then I’m the woman for you. 

Summary of Skills 

• Cook
• Cleaner
• Taxi Driver
• Bottle Washer
• Nappy Changer 
• Councellor
• Negotiator 
• Nurse
• Fluent in Baby Gibberish
• Stain Removing Skills
• Healing Hands
• Great Intuition
• Teacher
• Referee 
• Maid

  Career Highlights

Finally getting baby to go to sleep after hours of rocking Getting a fussy toddler to eat a brussel sprout Building a home out of playdough Getting the crayon marks off of the wall Keeping a child amused with a upside down tin and a wooden spoon Getting everyone up, dressed, fed & out of the house in under and hour Surviving their first day of school without becoming a nervous wreck Shopping in Tesco with two children and coming out in one piece & with everything I went in for   Cooking an 'almost' edible meal while having a screaming toddler clung to one leg