By Laila Weir At MayaSmart.com, we’re all about supporting parents to raise readers by fostering literacy from day one—and all the days afterwards. Parents are uniquely positioned to help their kids build reading and writing skills that are best developed little by little over many years. Plus, the research shows that caregivers are an absolutely crucial part of the literacy equation. And a central tenet of the Maya Smart approach to raising readers is helping children learn through what . . .
Teach Kids to Read “OO” Words with this Adorably Spooky Spelling Game
By Chrysta Naron Knock knock. Who’s there? Boo! Boo who? Don’t cry. It’s only a joke! Or in this case, it’s only reading. Sometimes the OO spelling pattern can throw kids for a loop! The letters don’t make the short O sound (like hot) they learn to read first. And it doesn’t make the long O sound (like rope) that they know as the letter’s name. So just how can you teach your child the sounds that O makes when it’s doubled up? Play this . . .
How This Sweet Fall Activity Teaches Kids Vowels — with Free Printable
By Mikee Mapalo Fun facts: Every word has at least one vowel, as does every syllable. (In fact, that’s the definition of a syllable: a word segment with a vowel sound!) Yet vowels are among the trickiest letters for kids learning to read, write, and spell. Every vowel can make a “short” sound, like A in cap, and a “long” sound, like A in cape. What’s more, they make different sounds when they’re doubled or combined with other vowels. Whew! Mastering all this takes practice, and as we . . .
How to Create an Epic Pirate Treasure Map Reading Activity & Story Time
By Chrysta Naron Arrr, me mateys! It’s the 19th o’ September, which means we be celebrating “Talk Like a Pirate Day!” For this silly and seaworthy occasion, we’re taking the opportunity to create a pirate treasure map reading activity and story time. And, along the way, we’ll be working on literacy and an important life skill: the ability to follow written directions. With that goal in mind, the treasure map we’ll be creating today isn’t any ordinary one. Instead of pictures, dotted lines, . . .
Tackle Back to School Anxiety: 4 Tips for Kids and Parents
By Maya Payne Smart I woke up at 3 a.m. on the morning of my daughter’s return to full-time in-person school this year and cracked open Unwinding Anxiety by Dr. Judson Brewer. It seemed like the perfect book to help set the right tone for the long day ahead. I was anxious because it was my daughter’s first day at a new school in a new state. I was anxious because the school had sent a heads-up email the night before warning that there could be pick-up delays due to a bus driver shortage. . . .
6 Simple & Creative Ways to Make Halloween a Reading Holiday with Kids
By Chrysta Naron Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. It has costumes, candy … and lots of ways to make learning fun. Building little moments of literacy practice into everyday activities is the best way for parents to raise a thriving reader. So we’ve put together some favorite tips for how to make Halloween a reading holiday. For many parents, teaching your child to read can feel a bit scary. But with these fun tricks, Halloween reading becomes a real treat (for kids—and their . . .
Kick off a Winning Story Time with 10 Picture Books About Football
By Courtney Runn Whether you and your family root for your college team or love to watch your favorite NFL players, you’ll all be a fan of these football picture books! These sweet reads capture the magic of a fall day in the stadium: the excitement in the stands, the heartbreaking losses, the underdog victories, the athletic feats, and the inspiring stories of the players themselves. Aspiring football players and all sports fans—kids and adults alike—will enjoy learning about legendary . . .
7 Awesome Organizations Around the World that Support Literacy
By Chrysta Naron “At a time when we need to reinvent a world of hope, literacy is more important than ever.” -Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director General Literacy offers a beacon of hope. Yet, according to UNESCO, some 773 million children and adults around the world lack basic literacy skills. That’s a huge number. Luckily for all of us, though, there are many incredible people and organizations striving to improve literacy around the world. And the best part is that you can help, . . .
DIY HALLOWEEN ALPHABET SPINNER FOR KIDS—WITH FREE PRINTABLE
By Mikee Mapalo Did you ever wonder why storybooks for kids are filled with illustrations or visuals? It’s because it’s proven that using illustrations alongside text helps in increasing children’s learning retention. According to Dr. Haig Kouyoumdjian, “Words are abstract and rather difficult for the brain to retain, whereas visuals are concrete and, as such, more easily remembered.” This is the power of visual imagery in learning. There are a lot of fun ways to encourage young kids to . . .
5 Fun & Easy Ways to Make Travel with Kids Even More Educational
By Maya Payne Smart With a cross-country move and book deadline looming amid a global pandemic, a long, lazy summer vacation on a beach somewhere just wasn’t in the cards for my family. But we rallied in August to squeeze in a few long-weekend trips by plane, train, and automobile, so all wasn’t lost. In fact, we found that shorter trips, though less relaxing, had some surprising benefits. Most pertinent to this blog, they ramped up our reading, writing, and learning in unanticipated . . .