A Good Read

This is the book I just finished and I LOVED it! In case you can't see from the picture, it's called, Bright From the Start by Jill Stamm. It was a fun read since I have kids or have had kids at all of the different developmental stages that she talks about. It gave good reminders of how babies learn and what games are good to play with them.

It verified my inner feeling that my own children were watching too much t.v. Last week we had a "t.v. detox" week. It was hard for the first few days, but we didn't watch any television for 4 entire days. We would have made it five, but I got strep and had to go lay down and let them fend for themselves. This week I tried to get Mattie to watch a movie so I could go get a much needed nap and he said, "Mom, I don't want to melt my brain!" and he would NOT watch anything! The good news is the kids have been playing more and using their little brains!! HOORAY!

This book reminds us that the brain learns best when it is NOT under too much stress. I learned this the hard way with Kennedy. I kept continually trying to force her to learn how to write her name. She would get upset and did not want to be forced to do it. A few months ago, she sat down and asked me what letters spelled her name and then wrote it herself. She now goes around writing whatever she pleases by asking Layne and I how to spell things or copying words out of books. I used to be VERY freaked out that she needed to learn how to read and write before going to kindergarten and I am finding that she is learning what she should in her own way.

My favorite part of this book says, "School readiness does not mean having already developed the academic content of schooling. It does not mean being able to recite the alphabet, count to one hundred, or know the four sounds that the letter 'A' can make when you are three, four or five years old. Parents often exert a lot of effort and worry (and feel a lot of pride) over the acquisition of such skills, but the reality is that they will be taught by experienced teachers in due course and there is little advantage to being able to do them sooner. 'School readiness' instead refers to coming to kindergarten with a ready brain - a healthy, active, nurtured brain that is capable of learning."

Ah, I can breathe a sigh of relief! Layne says that of course I like this book.....it says exactly what I want to hear.....oh well, I'll take it. I was just glad to read something that makes me think it's okay to let kids be kids and PLAY and learn in their own time!

P.S. I do know how to break my writing into paragraphs, but for some reason it doesn't post the same after I type it! As a teacher, that is VERY annoying to me.