Help make learning fun
Learning doesn't have to be boring. If the approach to any subject is made interesting and fun, kids will connect with it.
No doubt we all have our likes and dislikes, but that doesn't mean we aren't capable of learning just about anything. Much of our ability to do so depends on attitude, instructor(s), and the materials used to learn.
Perhaps the key to all learning begins with attitude. Children are instinctively curious and eager to learn, but that attitude can be changed when their questions aren't answered or are met with mockery for asking.
Children will eventually mimic their parent's attitude. Remember, parents are a child's first and most influential instructor. Be an excited, positive influence for a child in every subject, not just the ones you like. And begin early by reading all kinds of books on all kinds of subjects, such as those reviewed below.
You never know when a seed might be planted, a seed that will grow and flourish under the right circumstances, and those circumstances begin with you.
The following book is available at many public libraries.<B>"Dig Wait Listen: A Desert Toad's Tale"</B> by April Pulley Sayre; illustrated by Barbara Bash; Greenwillow; 32 pages; read aloud: age 5 and older; read yourself: age 7 to 8 and older."Deep in the desert, under the sand, the spadefoot toad waits. She waits…for the sound of rain."The Southwest desert is full of sounds, and the toad must be able to distinguish the sound of the rain from many other sounds she hears above her. Scorpions, woodpeckers, a snake, and a park ranger's boots are among the sounds she hears. Finally, at long last, she hears the plip, plop of raindrops, and she begins to dig her way up to the open air.A fascinating book about the spadefoot frog, this little gem teaches readers lots of facts in a quick-paced, highly interesting way.
<B>Library:</B> Evans City Public Library, 204 S. Jackson St., Evans City<B>Library Director:</B> Judith Pfeifer<B>Children's Librarian:</B> Patricia Pflug<B>Choices this week:</B> <B>"What Lives in a Shell?"</B> by Kathleen Zoehfeld; <B>"Arnosky's Ark"</B> by Jim Arnosky; <B>"The Wanderer"</B> by Sharon Creech
The following books are available at favorite bookstores.<B>"George's Secret Key to the Universe"</B> by Lucy and Stephen Hawking; illustrated by Garry Parsons; Simon & Schuster, 2007; 297 pages; $17.99 hardcover; read aloud: age 8 and older; read yourself: age 9 to 10 and older.Young George's parents have always been wary of technology, but George thirsts for it. So, when George meets his neighbor Annie, and her father, scientist Eric, it's like a dream come true. Eric has the world's most sophisticated computer, Cosmos, and is please to answer George's questions and teach him about Cosmos. In so doing, George finds himself on a wild adventure, traveling to other planets and even a black hole, all the while learning about physics, time, and the universe.But what if someone else got their hands on Cosmos — someone evil who had very different plans for the supercomputer?Highly creative and imaginative, "George's Secret Key to the Universe" is a seamless incorporation of adventure and physics. Introducing science to young minds, novelist Lucy Hawking and her father, preeminent theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, have collaborated on an accessible, exciting, first-rate science novel, complete with 32 color photos of outer space.<B>"Colors"</B> produced and published by Little Scholastic, 2007; 12 pages; $4.99 board book; read aloud: birth to age 2; read yourself: age 1 to 2A charming interactive concept book for babies and toddlers, "Colors" presents animals and colors to learn about while incorporating tactile sensations to touch.One of several books in the Little Scholastic series, this little gem is packed with fun and learning.
