Reading and School Success

Supporting and encouraging children to read is one of the most important things you can do to help them succeed in school. According to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), reading helps children in all school subjects and is the key to lifelong learning. The parent-child relationship can greatly effect a child’s attitude toward reading and his/her ability to read. As parents, teachers, etc., we have a responsibility to promote literacy. There are many ways we can accomplish this and USDE offers these tips:

Photo Credit: Elena Aguilar

• Start early. When your child is still a baby, read aloud to him. Reading should become part of your daily routine. 
• Make sure that your home has lots of reading materials that are appropriate for your child. Keep books, magazines and newspapers in the house. Reading materials don't have to be new or expensive. Ask family members and friends to consider giving your child books and magazine subscriptions as gifts for birthdays or other special occasions. 
• Show that you value reading. Let your child see you reading for pleasure as well as for performing your routine activities as an adult—reading letters and recipes, directions and instructions, newspapers, computer screens and so forth. 
• Get help for your child if he has a reading problem. When a child is having reading difficulties, the reason might be simple to understand and deal with. For example, your child might have trouble seeing and need glasses or he may just need more help with reading skills. If you think that your child needs extra help, ask his teachers about special services, such as after-school or summer reading programs. 
• Make reading fun! 

Check out these additional resources for:
Helping children cultivate a love for reading
Promoting independent reading
Helping your child succeed in school

Easter Seals: Make The First Five Count

Did you know that the first five years of children's lives shapes their future health, happiness, growth, and development?  Easter Seals is a leading provider of child development services and they encourage families to Make The First Five Count. Their website has valuable developmental information and services that help guide parents through the early years of development. They also provide a free online screening tool that helps parent keep track of their child’s growth and development during the first five years. For more information, check out the video below and visit www.easterseals.com/mtffc.

HMG is a Nonpartisan Issue

With the tumultuous and electrifying partisan politics that surround us, you may wonder where Help Me Grow lines up. Dr. Dworkin, founder of Help Me Grow, has updated his blog with a post which reminds us that, "The mission of Help Me Grow does not fall exclusively within either the liberal or conservative mainstream. Political beliefs can’t predict whether states and their leadership and policymakers will support early childhood system-building and early detection of vulnerable children at risk for adverse developmental and behavioral outcomes. Instead, we have found that when states, leaders, and communities share a strong commitment to the strength of families, then they are more likely to devote resources to supporting early childhood system-building and early detection of vulnerable children." Read on for more insights on the shared interest of strengthening families.

National Immunization Awareness Month

August is National Immunization Awareness Month! If you've ever wondered about the process vaccines go through to become recommended by the CDC, check out this infographic:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/infographics/journey-of-child-vaccine.html