Saturday, July 7, 2007

Learning to Read

I am such an avid reader that the whole reading experience forms a big part of my day each day.  Not only do I spend a lot of time reading, but I spend a lot of time thinking about what I have read, and discussing it with others.

I have 2 nephews spending the summer with me, aged 6 and 7.  They are both struggling to learn to read.  The schools think that they aren’t quite where they need to be.  And, I’m finding that the while philosophy of learning to read has changed since I was a kid.  It is a very pressurizing ordeal.

So, when I came across  a write up about reading tutors from my sponsor, it caught my eye.  I would not normally be one to write about kids learning to read, as that is not my forte.  But it just caught my interest this time — probably because this summer has shown me how frustrating a process it can be, for both the parent and the child.  This is especially true when the schools are breathing down your neck… and when they schools are getting more and more standardized each moment, it seems.

Score Learning centers are aimed at kids aged 4 to 14, aiding them in excelling in their academic progress.  For me, I would like to see my nephews take some joy in reading, like I do.  And, the way that they get absorbed in stories read to them (they are big fans of audio books), I can see the potential for them to love reading.  It makes the whole learning process all the more important, I think, when you imagine your little one falling in love with reading.

For kids like these guys who don’t necessarily develop according to the plans laid out for them by the school system, Score Learning can really boost their confidence and joy in learning.


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Posted by poetically challenged in 02:42:33 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Monday, June 18, 2007

Three Penny Review

I just got my copy of the most recent issue of The Three Penny Review. I haven’t started reading it yet (just because I am behind on my reading), but it looks like it will be a good one, as always.

What I like about The Three Penny Review is the mix of articles and poetry. It carries information on all sorts of cultural events — new releases of books, theatre, music, movies… you name it. It is filled with very thoughtful articles, and often has very good poetry too. If you’ve not seen a copy, you should have a look. It provids a couple of hours of good reading with each issue, and spawns a lot of good thought for weeks to come.

Give it a go, if you are the sort who likes reading that makes you think.

Posted by poetically challenged in 02:09:58 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

More Than One Way to Read a Book

There’s more than one way to read a book. Of course, there’s the traditional paper and ink in hand… still my favorite way to read. But there are limits to reading in the traditional way. You can’t… or at least shouldn’t… read while doing certain activities. It isn’t a good idea to read while driving or walking, for instance. It’s this limitation of reading that finally got me into listening to audiobooks.

Audiobooks. I wasn’t very in favor of the audiobook experience before I started reading them. But then, upon my dad’s recommendation, I started listening. I found it to be great for commutes, and also for walking or exercising. Eventually, I even found that listening can be a whole new way of thinking about the reading process. As I began getting used to the experience, I also began to find real benefits to it. I finally signed up with Audible.com and had a good subscription program going there for a while. (I’ve stopped that until I finish listening to all I have, then will sign up again. It’s very affordable when done this way.) One of the books I listened to and enjoyed was The Da Vinci Code. When I later read the print version, I found it less enjoyable. The narrator added a great deal to the first reading experience.

Ebooks. I’ve talked some about ebooks here. I’ve just begun enjoying ebooks, and have found some real benefits to using the PDA to carry about the books I am reading. While it still has the same limitations of reading a print copy, reading an ebook is convenient just for the sheer volume of material you can carry with you in one little package. When taking long journeys, I think I am going to be very happy that I’ve acquired the habit of reading ebooks.

Posted by poetically challenged in 03:42:08 | Permalink | Comments (1) »