College Ready

Sharing strategies for student success, college readiness and academic coaching


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Food for Thought: Harper Lee, on the Power of Books

Always~

"The Book to Read is not the one that Thinks for you but the One which Makes you Think." ~Harper Lee | College Ready

“People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.”~To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee


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Checklist: 10 Ways to Make it a Super Saturday that are Good for the Soul

A quick and easy “Checklist for a Lovely Day.” And, I agree with almost all 10 on this list…

How to have a lovely day...

I have a little bit of an issue with “Wear Perfume.” Smelling nice is great, but I would replace that one with “Drink Coffee,” or even, “Read a Book”!

But perfume is ok, too..I suppose!! How about you…what is on your checklist titled Nice Day?


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5 Ways to Have a GOOD Mornin’

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:

College Prep

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?


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Books, Bedtime and Beyond: Why Family Reading Rocks

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?

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This beautiful infographic was produced by usborneusa.com and Nancy Ann Wartman

Easiest Flowchart Ever

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This is true!

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This is true!

Books are like oxygen.

To me, they are nothing short of life support.

Some of my favorite books to read lately are Children’s Literature. I’m rediscovering those sweet tales, and they’re the perfect reminder of all the good in the world. Books like Charlotte’s Web and The Wind in the Willows. They also remind us, that even as adults, it’s ok to smile, to have fun, to take care of your friends…and

…to Dream.

So, what are you reading?