Break the Cycle of Boredom: Build a Habit of Being
My son Taylor has remarked more than once that Danny Champion of the World is his all time favorite elementary read. Having a dad who is a real life inventor, I’m my son could really relate to this story. But…
Read to Write » Write to Read
Reading and writing should be first and foremost a fun endeavor. That’s right, fun. But fun—the true kind—is not a byproduct of easy. Fun is hard work. Developing reading fluency takes years. Developing writing proficiency takes years. One can’t really…
Embroidering Audubon
“I never for a day gave up listening to the songs of our birds, or watching their peculiar habits, or delineating them in the best way I could.” – John James Audubon Observation is a powerful skill. Not too long…
Unplug! Take it Outdoors
During the course of our virtual traveling this summer, we decided to touch down in Times Square via a Ravensburger puzzle. The adventure took place on our dining room table until this past week when we decided some fresh air…
Learn to Read: Be a Copycat
There are many things that can only be said without words. Yes, without words. This summer we launched a visual literacy campaign inside my guild. We began with observational exercises. I call this close looking. The goal is to discover…
Unplug: Wire Works
Most of my boy’s friends are not only scheduled to the hilt with summer activities, the majority of their down time is spent video gaming or surfing the web. My boys are embarking upon August charging ahead recklessly into the…
Sewing Fall Pumpkins!
Fall always provides inspiration in abundance. Pumpkins are everywhere! But we all know that once fall arrives, it's too late to actually plant. So if you've missed your window for sowing pumpkins seeds in your garden, use this summer to…
The Unplug Challenge: Call for Ideas
Help us grow a collective “Unplug” list. Share your ideas on our Facebook page. Pass it on, and let’s see how long of a list we can create. If you have a longer story to share about “unplugging,” email it…
Device of Wonder
Way back in the fall of 2001 we made several trips to The Getty to marvel at an exhibit of fanciful machines, Devices of Wonder. Back then Søren was barely two-years-old so he made his way via a stroller. But…
The Unplug Challenge
At first the Unplug Challenge gave me laryngitis. Seriously, the vibration of my vocal chords was a jumprope snapping, “No No No No No!” The simple summer goal was to challenge my boys that low tech is fun. It began…