Always~
“People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.”~To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
“We shouldn’t teach great books; we should teach a love of reading.” B. F. Skinner
This is my truth…always has been. Always will be.
AND, it’s why my son, in 2nd grade, read the entire Captain Underpants series. Even though the school library wouldn’t stock the books, (something about the word booger and/or atomic wedgie in every title, I guess). Even with a mom with an MA in American Literature. Yep. I encouraged him. Heck, I even bought ’em for him!
Because when you want to read…when you love to read…when you can’t wait to turn that next page to see what comes next…You Read.
And that’s all that matters, in the end. The reading.
B.F. Skinner had it right!
Teach a love of Reading.
Amen & hallelujah.
Oh, and PS: Full disclosure–I had to look up the correct spelling of “booger.” Guess it’s been too long since I have read a Dav Pilkey EPIC novel! 🙂
So, tell us…how do you make sure your students or your children want to read? Are there books they would read again and again? Books they love but you hate? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Sept. 2014 Postscript since this post was originally published: Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants series has claimed the top spot on the Most Frequently Banned Books list for two years in a row, 2012 and 2013. All the more reason to live dangerously…read!
Feel free to follow me here, or on Facebook, Tumblr or Pinterest, for more short but sweet posts, freebies, teaching ideas and fun images about literacy, reading and education, with a side serving of inspiration. Because we could all use a little more inspiration. Right? Right!
“It’s Like My Whole World is Coming Undone, but When I Write, my Pencil is a Needle and Thread, and I’m Stitching the Scraps Back Together.” –Julia Alvarez
The quick answer: it’s about the ROI. At least according to this article in The Week, which is trending at the moment.
![college[1]](https://collegereadycoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/college1.jpg)
So, it seems the trend continues. Students and parents are spending more time digging around the financials and thinking ROI when it comes time to select a college. That’s a smart move in my opinion. Like the article points out, often it is more about the student’s major, than it is about the institution, when it comes time to getting a job and the salary that job pays.
A good rule of thumb: don’t acquire more college debt than a profession’s first year salary. College is still more than worth it when it comes to lifetime annual salary. A degree has also been an effective buffer during a weak economy. Those with degrees had roughly half of the level of unemployment than those with only a high school diploma.
So, yes. Think ROI. Plan, investigate, calculate. When it comes time to select a college, make sure those numbers add up.
Social Media Infographics from Communication Made Simple. I like the ones that show how students interact with social, but it is also interesting to see the impact business people place on LinkedIn.
Related articles
- An infographic speaks a thousand words (rebeccarocca.wordpress.com)
- 98 Social Media Charts – From Tweet-Perfecting Infographics to Unsanitary Social Media Stats (TrendHunter.com) (trendhunter.com)
It’s Infographic Thursday, the best day of the week!
I have 10 infographics for you ranging from the subjects of social media and business to writing and gender differences of social media use. I also made the graphics bigger so you no longer have to click them to read them. I’m sorry about that!
Do you like any of these infographics? Let me know in the comment section or better yet, share it on Twitter! I love infographics.
-Marty F. Nemec
Improve your Morning! Hint, just add coffee. Problem solved, right?! Ha!
Ok, we all know the benefits of the mornin’ cup o’ joe! Here are some suggestions beyond coffee to add to the mix:
One of my go-to ways to improve my morning is by waking up earlier than everyone else in the house. It is so quiet and peaceful. So mornings, it even gives me the chance to watch the sunrise while I drink my coffee.
That quiet time–whether it’s 30 minutes, or even 5–really gives me the opportunity to get focused for the day. I end up feeling relaxed and ready to tackle the challenges of the morning routine–whether it’s prepping kid lunches, hectic school drop-offs, or taming an unwieldy stack of essays that need grading!
Is your a.m. routine listed here, or do you have some other suggestions for making the most of your morning? What helps you wake up with a smile on your face?
It’s Friday. Time to unplug and recharge.
Hope you’re able to enjoy some time outside this weekend.
Thinking: Optional. Relaxing: Mandatory.
There are a lot of amazing hiking trails nearby where I go to reconnect and recharge. The great outdoors requires very little of us, other than showing up. I feel a little lighter and stay in the moment a little longer when I’m among the trees & sunshine.
How about you? Does nature help you feel replenished & refreshed? What’s your favorite way to recharge on the weekends?
Even MORE reasons to read to a child. Reading aloud “builds a child’s WANT to read.” Think your kiddo is too old for you to read to them at bedtime? Think again. Check out the difference in a child’s interest in reading between Kindergarten and Fourth Grade! What was the key difference? Parents stopped reading to kids.
By 12th grade-only 19% of kids asked said they were interested in reading! When you consider that higher levels of college readiness are linked to reading skills, I have just one word for that statistic: Noooooooo….but what can you do about it?
One thing our family started last summer was family reading time. We picked a classic-The Wind in the Willows-and each of us would read a few pages at a time. We read it together each night and enjoyed the simplicity of the words, the comfort of the timeless message and the beauty of the illustrations. Yes, even my Minecraft lovin’ middle school boy unplugged long enough to take part! He loved doing accents and really cracked up at Toad’s antics. So get silly, have fun, and share the joy of reading at any age!! What types of family reading do you do with your kids?
This beautiful infographic was produced by usborneusa.com and Nancy Ann Wartman
OK, you got me!! There are only 10 items on the list. The 11th one is up to you! What ideas do you have for performing a Random Act of Kindness this summer? May I suggest “Read to a Child“? It is simple, costs nothing but a little bit of your time, and can make all the difference in the world.
But, hey, anything you do is gonna make you feel all warm & fuzzy inside…so, go for it…
Start a Kindness Chain…
Because once you start it…kindness ripples out like water in a pond, spreading farther and farther. And that’s 100% scientific fact. Yep, I swear!! Kindness is contagious!
So what’s YOUR #11?? Let’s add some ideas to this list. Add your suggestions here. Thanks! 🙂
Einstein was basically saying to do what we love. We all need a reminder to live our life with purpose and to follow our joy.
College Ready 