Wakela Runen's World

Reading with, Not to, Your Child By Thomas Weck Reading a book to your child is a great way to help your child learn. Sometimes, though, simply reading the words on the page may not be stimulating enough. Some of the time your child might be perfectly content to sit and listen; on other days, he may not be able to keep one foot still! Do not fret. Your child can get his learning and keep his energy at a high level, too! The trick is to read with your child. Start with the old standby--reading. Once the story has begun to unfold, ask your child some questions before moving onto the next page. Use questions that will encourage interaction. For example: * Point to some of the pictures on the page and see if your child can describe what the illustrations show. Is the main character revealed on the first page? Can you tell where the story takes place? Is it daytime or nighttime as the story begins? Do you think it will be the same at the end of the story? (And no peeking ahead is...

Story-Telling: The Perfect Cure for the Winter Blues By Thomas Weck This winter try something different with your children to cure the winter blues. Instead of simply reading to them from the books on their shelf, why not come up with your own story? Storytelling is a time-honored tradition, handed down from generation to generation. In some cases, handed-down stories turn into beautifully written-down tales, decades later as in case of my Lima Bear Stories *. You, too, can create stories either on your own or with the help of your family. The result will not only be entertaining but a source of family memories as palpable as any family vacation photo album. To get started in creating your family story-telling memories keep these tips in mind: 1. Do not be intimidated . Anything you have to share is going to be interesting to your children. 2. Use what is important to you . If you are super clean, for example, create a character who learns the hard way why cleani...