Give Our Kids A Real Head Start: Tips On Teaching Your Kids How To Read Early Plus Other Ways To Keep Them Ahead In Grades K-12

by Samantha W. Davis

Overview

"Give Our Kids A Real Head Start" written by Samantha Davis, has just the kind of practical advice that parents everywhere need to help them give their children a "real" head start in school. It will also inspire, encourage, motivate, and cheer parents on as they work with their children at home.

This book also includes 100 websites to keep your child smart and part of the proceeds collected from the sale of this book will go to Literacy, Inc. at www.literacyinc.com/donate.html

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781456756734
Publisher:	AuthorHouse
Publication date:	04/07/2011
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.46(d)

Read an Excerpt

GIVE OUR KIDS A REAL HEAD START

Tips On Teaching Your Kids How To Read Early Plus Other Ways To Keep Them Ahead In Grades K-12

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By SAMANTHA W. DAVIS

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2011 Samantha w. Davis
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4567-5673-4

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Chapter One

27. "... run with patience the race that is set before us ..." Heb. 12:1-3

Introductions and Why I Wrote This Book

Thank you for buying this book! Before we get started, let's introduce ourselves. I think I know a few things about you already. You want to give your child a real head start in school. You desire to teach him/her how to read early (if your child isn't reading yet), and keep him/her ahead in grades K-12th. You also like buying books like this one, to help your kids, and you are extremely hands-on. Well, was I right? I could have left off or added a thing or two, but now that I know some things about you, let me tell you a few things about me. Well, my name is Samantha Davis, and I graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Business Marketing. I am a former daycare owner and teacher. I'm also an entrepreneur, an author, and an education advocate (... can you guess?). I am happily married with two wonderful and beautiful kids. I also taught both of them how to read by the age of three! Boy was that a mouth full!

I was thrilled that I managed to teach not one, but both of my kids how to read early. When my first child was reading by three, I was happy, but I didn't think much about it at the time. However, when both of them were reading by three, I said, "Hey, wait a minute!" That is when I got the idea that maybe I could help others do the same with their children. Nonetheless, I opened a daycare first, and tried teaching the kids there how to read, just as I had with my daughter. Guess what happened next? Well, they also learned how to read! That is when I knew I was on to something BIG! I mean I was teaching kids under five years old how to read early, along with doing arithmetic, and some other basic skills. That was all it took for me to write this book. Besides, I have always liked helping others and offering parenting tips, when I found something that really worked or made life easier. That is why I wrote this book -to assist parents in giving their kids a "real" head start in school, by educating their kids early at home.

I also pondered how great it would be if parents everywhere, could give their kids a real head start in school. All they would have to do is make a conscious effort to teach their children how to read ahead of time, along with teaching them some other essential skills. If they could not do it themselves, then maybe they could pay a learning center that specializes in early childhood education to do it for them. I thought if I could start a revolution (major change), and get everyone on board teaching their kids different things early at home; America's kids would definitely get a "real" head start in school.

That is why I had to write this book. I wrote it for the children who want to reach their destinies, and for the parents who want to help them reach them. I want all parents everywhere to make a commitment to give their kids a real head start in everything, and it all begins at home. You can do it! I know you can! I believe teaching my kids how to read early and some other things before they started kindergarten, really gave them an advantage in school. You can give your kids this kind of edge in school, too!

So, are you ready to sign up for this movement? This change is necessary, and we must do it for our kids. You know something. I have a strong feeling that you are fully on board. Therefore, send me an email at realheadstart@ gmail.com to let me know of your commitment to make sure your child receives a quality education. Now that you are on board, continue reading this book for more ideas on how you can give your child a real head start in every grade, and tips on how to keep him/her ahead of the pack.

We have to let our kids know their worth, because we can't expect or wait for teachers to teach our children everything. In the future according to Sally Ride, an American Astronaut, 80% of jobs will require some background in science and math, as seen on CNN news. Therefore, if we can start now teaching our kids different things like reading, math, science, and geography at home before they start kindergarten (of course, on their age-level), they'll begin school ready to learn about more things. That means giving them a real head start by teaching them their ABC's, making sure they can recognize their shapes and numbers, and ensuring they understand basic social studies (like who's their Mayor ). This also means they should know basic geography (like where in the world do they live), science (like how fruit grows on a tree), and basic punctuation rules, so they can read, write and communicate.

Teachers everywhere are losing their jobs and the numbers of students in classrooms are increasing due to state tax cuts; therefore, we have no other choice but to teach and work with our children at home, as well as, sending them to school each day. Let's make sure our kids are learning in school everyday and reviewing what they learn at home. Did you know according to The Atlanta Journal Constitution, recent tax cuts in education have forced schools everywhere to increase their classroom sizes to the state's maximum, allegedly reported in 2. Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution: http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2010/05/23/class- size-after-state-board-vote-monday-the-skys-the-limit)? Consequently, over crowded classrooms can make learning difficult for our kids. This is why, more than ever, you must teach and work with your kids at home.

Keep in mind that children are a lot smarter today than we give them credit for, and this is why we can teach our kids how to read and do arithmetic before starting kindergarten. I suppose this is why so many parents are enrolling their children into daycare, whether they work or not. They can see the benefits of enrolling their kids into a daycare that stresses learning, because they want their kids to get a jump-start on acquiring knowledge. Finding a daycare or a learning center that really teaches and provides loving care can be hard. I am speaking from experience. I have enrolled my kids in the so-called "learning daycares", and I can assure you that everything my kids knew before I enrolled them in a daycare, they learned at home. I am not bragging, but just making a point that you should do your homework before enrolling your child in the first daycare that claims to offer loving care and "learning". Try enrolling your kids into a Montessori learning center or another daycare that focuses on early education. You may have to interview the center to decide for yourself, if it really focuses on learning and other things, like teaching kids to mind their manners. Ask the parents as they leave the center if their kids are learning and enjoying themselves. They should be able to tell you if their kids are really thriving at the daycare or not. I mean concrete things, like are they learning how to add, subtract, write, read, color, draw, match, and socialize nicely with the other children at the center.

I made sure that my children could read, count, add, write, subtract, recite their ABCs and write their address before beginning kindergarten. You can too! If you cannot carve out the time to do it for yourself, that's okay, just pay someone else to do it (... but if you can't afford it right now, make the time to do it for yourself.)! We must see to it that our kids get a true head start, by teaching them basic learning skills now at home. If we don't see to it, who will?

Just think about it, each year professors teach students who are prepared for college, right? The students enter college ready to learn on a college level. Therefore, I just think it makes a whole lot of sense that we send our kids to kindergarten ready to learn on a kindergarten level. Teachers cannot do everything, and the last time I checked, they aren't miracle workers, either. So, wouldn't it be great if every child in America were required to know how to read and write before starting kindergarten? This way, our teachers could spend more time teaching our kids other skills that will help them reach their full potentials.

Therefore, encourage your child to listen and pay attention in school, so that he/she can learn what is being taught, in class. I just had a thought. What if every child in America went to school everyday and really listened to their teachers, don't you think our kids would naturally learn more? Of course, they would; and, our teachers wouldn't have to use valuable instruction time correcting behavior. Therefore, let's encourage our kids to go to school each day to learn, so that they can grow and broaden their horizons.

Well, China gets it! Watch this YouTube video and see for yourself, a Chinese kindergarten teacher allegedly teaching a group of three and four year olds basic learning skills early. (3. Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUm1j-ScXIs)

Well, what do you think? Did this video inspire you to start teaching your child some things early at home? If these three and four year olds can learn, yours can, too! We do not have to wait until our children turn five to start teaching them how to count or write their ABCs. To be honest, if we wait until our kindergarten teachers teach our kids their ABCs and how to read and write, we could potentially be putting our kids at a disadvantage. Many kids nowadays are beginning kindergarten with reading and writing skills. So, why take a chance on waiting to see what happens? We have to give our kids the best head start we can. Kids do not come out of the womb reading. Therefore, we must take the time to teach our kids how to read ourselves, along with writing and arithmetic.

Every child, in my opinion, is born smart in his or her own way. However, we can make them smarter if we read to them often. We have five years to teach our kids many things, before we are required by law in the United States to enroll them in kindergarten or to start "officially" home schooling them. So, let's take advantage of this time and help our kids learn how to read, write, and do arithmetic before they begin school.

A great learning program to enroll your child into at the age of four is Kumon tm. Go to www.Kumon.com to find out about their admission requirements and the locations in your area. Kumon tm can give your child a head start in school and prepare him/her for success. Although, I highly recommend enrolling your child into Kumon tm, you can teach your child how to read and do basic math at home, yourself. However, if you can afford it, enroll your child today, as well as, continuing to teach him/her different things at home.

Many families in America and in other countries have been helping their kids become smarter for decades. In fact, they are making them so smart, that they're raising the bar for other kids around the world. In many cases, the bar has gotten so high, that some of our kids are finding it hard to reach. As a result, it is literally leaving some of our kids behind. However, we can do something about this. We can also help our kids become smarter and keep them smart. Let's help our kids in everything: sports, music, gymnastics, dance, science, math, computers, writing, etc., because if we don't, it's going to get increasingly harder for our kids to stay in the race, so to speak.

Well, the key to making sure your child receives a quality education is to start teaching our kids early at home. This is a lot easier than it sounds. Just keep in mind that kids are born alert, bright, and ready to learn. The difference is what they are exposed to early. Many kindergarten teachers in China are teaching three and four year olds (as referenced in the YouTube video), because they know that very young kids (ages 1-5) can learn many things, if you teach them. Therefore, with this in mind, it is up to us to keep them smart before the world attempts to "dumb them down". If you teach your kids basic learning skills early and keep them ahead, you'll be giving your kids a "real" head start.

Now, let's explore the definition of smart. According to the Webster's dictionary, it means showing intelligence and mental alertness. I know this all too well from watching my children grow up. I watched them learn many things quickly throughout the years from books, educational videos, and music. Here's an interesting story below that will prove to you that kids are born alert, bright, and ready to learn.

When my son was about two days old, he contracted jaundice while he was in the hospital. In any case, he was placed under bili lights with protective glasses to cure him of it. One day, I noticed him peeking from under the small glasses on his face, and I asked the nurse, "Should my baby be peeking from under the glasses?" The nurse replied, "No, the glasses are supposed to be protecting his little eyes from the bili lights, but babies seem to be getting smarter everyday." Then, she secured the glasses with cloth tape, so he couldn't lift them anymore. My point is this. No one told him to use his hand to lift the glasses off his face to take a better look at what was shining down on him. He told his brain to use his hand to lift the glasses, so that he could peek from under the protective eyewear. Although, he didn't know the word for what was on his eyes or a name for whatever was shining down on him, he somehow communicated to his brain to move his hand to the object on his eyes, so he could attempt to look at whatever was shining down on him.

Let's ponder this some more. When you want your hands or legs to do something, don't you have to tell your brain to move them? Of course, you do. We all do it so quickly, that we don't even realize that we told our brains to do anything. Our limbs simply do not move by themselves without being told by our brains to move. Well, there you have it. Babies come into the world with the ability to think and reason. That is why I believe all babies are born smart, and if we teach them things early, as if they are capable of learning, they'll naturally get a head start on acquiring knowledge. Every baby deserves our very best and should have an extraordinary beginning. If we are patient, loving, supportive, and prayerful- all babies can grow up to be dynamic individuals.

Educating your child at home (in addition to sending him/her to school each day) and encouraging him/her to do his/her best all of the time K-12th grade can be time consuming and exhausting, but worth it. As I mentioned before, both of my kids were reading at the age of three, and I believe that all children can. In my opinion, reading is the key that unlocks the potential that is in every child. Reading is also the beginning to understanding knowledge or learning new things, whether it is in written or number form.

I've probably said this before, but it's worth repeating. I taught my children how to write their names and the entire alphabet before they started school. In addition, they also learned how to do arithmetic, recognize their colors, and identify shapes, all before beginning kindergarten. If you spend just a few minutes a day teaching your child how to read using the five easy steps in this book, along with some of the other suggestions in this book, I'm confident that your child will begin school with a real head start, too!

For those of you with older children, continue working with your kids during the school year, and use the summers to prepare them for the next grade. You'll also find wonderful resources in this book that will help you keep your kids smart and ahead. Whether your kids are starting kindergarten or about to complete the tenth grade, the tips and ideas in this book will help your kids reach their goals.

However, if your child doesn't know how to read yet, you've chosen the right book. This book will inspire you to give your kids a real head start in everything, as well as give you reasons why it's imperative (necessary, unavoidable) that you teach your child how to read early. The tips and strategies in this book will assist you in giving your child the best head start possible in school and in all he/she aspires to do.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from GIVE OUR KIDS A REAL HEAD START by SAMANTHA W. DAVIS Copyright © 2011 by Samantha w. Davis. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Chapter I. Introductions and Why I Wrote This Book....................1
Chapter II. On Making the Commitment II....................15
Chapter III. Yes You CAN Teach Your Child How To Read Early and More!....................34
Chapter IV. Always Read To and Work With Your Child....................43
Chapter V. Consistency is the Key....................65
Chapter VI. You Are Your Child's First Teacher....................70
Chapter VII. Play Dates Can Be Educational, Too....................76
Chapter VIII. Dr Seuss Books and The Things You Can Teach Your Child....................78
Chapter IX. Classical Music as a Learning Tool & Other Teaching Methods....................101
Chapter X. Okay I Get It So, Where Do I Begin?....................133
Chapter XI. Teaching Your Child How To Read & Other Skills....................151
Chapter XII. 128 Super Words Every New Reader Should Know....................163
Chapter XIII. Never Give Up....................165
Chapter XIV. A Word on Teaching Autistic Kids & Closing Remarks....................176
100+ Websites to Keep Your Child Smart and Competitive....................191
References....................201