Did you know 1 in 5 kids in the UK think reading is not cool? They're embarrassed to even be seen with a book.
Pop artist Taylor Swift is seeing RED. She's not angry or embarrassed. RED stands for "Read Every Day," an initiative launched by Scholastic to encourage global literacy. In a live webcast aired this Wednesday, Taylor spoke to millions of students about how books made her the singer she is today. Poised and articulate, she shared how fables, fairy tales, and poetry inspired her imagination and taught her to be a stronger person.
Taylor answered students' questions, and capped off her appearance with a performance of "We are Never Ever Getting Back Together," from her new album entitled—RED. Of course!
Here's the webcast to watch with your children, in case you missed it. I'm so glad that Taylor Swift is a role model for so many kids. Our children need to know that cool celebrities think reading is cool!
Find out what Taylor and other celebrities picked as their top 5 books, under "Celebrity Bookprints." You can also join Scholastic's campaign—it's easy to do—and help kids across the world read every day.
Remember feeling that special bond as your mother bounced you on her knees while singing a nursery rhyme? My mother always had a large repertoire of children's songs and finger plays ready to go. It's different for parents today. Maybe it's due to greater distance between families or to television; Our generation can't whip out many of the lyrics and actions to traditional nursery rhymes like our parents could.
Bonding with your kids over Mother Goose is not only fun, it's also beneficial to children's intellectual development. Nursery rhymes develop language skills, memory, movement, and a connection to culture.
You don't have to memorize pages from books to bring yourself up to speed on "Five Little Monkeys." I recommend you check out the "Mulberry Finger Plays" app.
Videos feature a professional children's entertainer performing classic songs with finger plays. You can view the lyrics separately, or tap the icon for a quick description of the finger play.
Unlike many apps, Mulberry Finger Plays encourages interaction between parent and child. According to Mulberry Media, "It is specially designed for you to create magical moments of quality connection and bonding with your little one...It is not intended for children to experience on their own."
I really like the twist on honouring traditional songs and games by using 21st century technology. Bonding with your baby is literally at your fingertips!
You can download five videos for free, and then choose to purchase more than 20 videos for $1.99.
Amanda Todd's tragic death and final YouTube video has touched parents and kids all over the world. Her heartbreaking story is sadly all too familiar—a child repeatedly tormented by bullies, while bystanders cheered on or looked away. We struggle to understand how kids can be so cruel, and what we can do to protect our children. Talking with our children about bullying is not always easy—sometimes it's painful for kids and parents to share personal experiences, and sometimes there's a lack of understanding about the intricacies of bullying.
Books can be of great help. By digging into characters and plots, you and your kids can explore and discuss bullying from various angles. "Bibliotherapy" works well with fiction books, because they provide a needed distance to talk about problems and to learn from a range of outcomes.
It's never too early or too late to start talking about bullying, so I've selected books from preschool to high school. Read them out loud, or read them silently. Together discuss, share, analyze, and question.
Preschool-Grade 3
Middle School
High School
I know this list is far from complete. Please, feel free to share books from your list with other readers here.
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