Reading, Writing, and Reciting Poetry: Bringing Back Lost Arts!

Published with Permission
Written by Maggie S. Hogan
www.BrightIdeasPress.com
www.TOSMagazine.com

Yes, your family can enjoy reading, writing, and reciting poetry. If you take the time to follow the suggestions in this article, you may find that poetry can become a glue that helps bind your family together. Really! Consider this: Funny poems will get the family laughing, thoughtful ones provide conversation starters, and Godly ones can unite a family in praise. Granted, not all children or teens are going to jump at the chance to sit down and recite poetry with Mom, Dad, and little brother, but persevere! Years later, grown siblings will look back and share laughs about poetry time . . . as they carefully preserve this tradition in their own families. Let’s look at the “whys” and the “hows” of cultivating this tradition in your family.

Why Memorize Poetry?

Memorizing or “learning by heart” was an important educational element for most of history until the mid twentieth century when misguided educators decided that rote learning somehow dampened creativity and learning. On the contrary, the benefits to memorizing are numerous. (more…)

The Importance of Early Language Learning for Baby

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Written by Marsha Peterson
www.TOSMagazine.com
www.TalkingWithBaby.com

Babies enter this world with great curiosity and a willingness to learn. The first three years of life, and some may say the first eight years of life, will be the most important learning time for your baby. During this time baby pathway connections in his brain are being developed as he makes sense of things in his world. Reading to your baby and teaching him sign language are two ways to boost your baby’s language development.

In a July 2006 issue of WebMD, Jennifer Warner states that it is never too early to read to your children. Researchers from the study found children in low-income families had better language comprehension and cognitive development if their mothers read to them at an early age.1 ReadToYourBaby.com is a website dedicated to helping families with reading. In their experience, “Children who have had books in their lives between birth and five will become the future highest achievers with a lifelong love of learning.”2 (more…)

The Grandparent Factor: A Key Ingredient to Homeschool Success

Published with Permission
Written by Joy Kita
www.TOSMagazine.com

When a parent decides to home school her child, they do so with much fear and trepidation. A choice that affects the lives of those closest to you and impacts the future of your family is not one made lightly. It is thought out, planned, and fretted over with endless worry.

Choosing to home school not only puts you in a spotlight you may never have wished for, but it also makes you a target for both well-meaning and ignorant loved ones who are skeptical of your capabilities or even vocally disparaging. With these kinds of obstacles it is ever so important to surround yourself with supportive people who understand your reasoning or who will at least support you in spite of how they perceive your choices.

For many home school families, that support system comes from grandparents. (more…)