Personalized Children's Books

Teaching Kids Social Skills

Posted on January 29, 2017 | by KD Novelties

Not every kid may need help with things like reading or feeling excited about school, and the same goes for social skills. While some kids are naturally social and are skilled at it, other children may need a little help getting out the door. Some kids vary depending on their age or temperament, and others may vary in sociability depending on their home environment or other developmental factors. It helps to know where your child stands and what they may need your help with.

Generally, kids will have developed certain types of skills by certain ages. For example, kids who are 2-3 years old will generally be able to walk on their own, but they will also exhibit social behaviors such as seeking the attention of others or signaling social interaction with the basic “hi” and “bye” verbal cues. If your child does not quite align with the norm, then you will want to look into why that is and address it. Each child is different, but developing key social skills can be more easily helped with encouragement and positive reinforcement.

Social Interaction

It’s important that kids be around other kids. The way a child interacts with their peers will be different than how they interact with adults, and kids who are not exposed to other children may have a difficult time finding common ground or knowing how to relate to others their age. This is a common problem in children who may be an only child or have few cousins and other relatives to interact with, especially if they haven’t started school yet. If this is the case for your child, it’s important to keep things like parks, play dates and even daycare centers in mind. It’s important that kids learn and understand the social rules that apply to interacting with other kids, such as taking turns and playing games, which develop into other key skills, as they get older.

Teach Empathy

Sharing and taking turns are important to the foundation of social interaction among children. Being able to play together peacefully is something that all parents and guardians, and teachers and program operators, strive for when their kids spend time with others. It helps if kids understand why sharing is an important social skill, not just that it is something they should do because their parents say so. When kids are capable of understanding others, things like sharing and other signs of compassion come easy, and friendship is fast to follow.

Nonverbal Social Skills

This part can be tricky for some kids. Kids who are on the spectrum sometimes have difficulty understanding this aspect of social interaction with children and adults. However, there are ways in which you can help kids learn more about nonverbal cues and what they mean, as well as what these micro-gestures communicate. Sometimes, nonverbal actions are subconscious, but not always. They can lend insight as to what a person is feeling or thinking, even if they are not saying anything at all. Things like eye contact, body language, use of personal space and facial expressions can all say a lot about a person. What can actually help these skills are kid-friendly television shows and other programs. Many animators and actors on these programs exaggerate facial expressions and other gestures so that they are more recognizable to children, and therefore easier to pick-up on and understand. Though, it is important to note that the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that kids watch TV for a maximum of two hours a day. TV can also help kids better understand and identify tone of voice, adding layers to how a person is feeling and why as well.

All of these areas of social skill and ability will differ from child to child, but it’s important that parents are able to identify the ways in which children can be social or have issues socializing with others. Sometimes, knowing where your child is struggling can help you better identify the solution, but in some cases you may need to consult a doctor or a child psychologist if your child has other needs that may need to be addressed.

Lastly, it’s important for parents and guardians to express the importance of empathy and understanding with children, and even if your child is simply shy, helping them better understand themselves and others can help to significantly improve the friendships they have and may make in the future.

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How to Keep Advanced Readers Engaged and Learning

Posted on January 23, 2017 | by KD Novelties

Reading has proven to be beneficial for children of all ages, especially when it comes to academic performance and problem solving. Kids who read are more likely to understand abstract concepts, empathize with others, and think outside the box. Keeping kids interested in reading can be quite tricky, especially if your child happens to be an advanced reader. Just because a child is good at reading does not mean that they won’t get bored. While other children struggle with reading, advanced readers may find themselves bored or uninterested in books because they are ahead of the curve. As a parent with an advanced reader, you can keep your child’s interest in reading piqued by accommodating their proficiency and inspiring their imagination.

Finding Appropriate Books
For children who read at or below their age or grade level, finding the right books for them is easy. Children who are advanced readers often find themselves bored with titles that are aimed at their grade or age, and may have difficulty finding something they like. This can be tricky, especially since some advanced books may challenge your child as a reader but may not have age-appropriate material. Make sure you do some research before providing your child with a list of new books to check out, or accompany them as they comb the library or bookstore. Some advanced books may be appropriate, but since the next level up from grade level books might foray in teen and young adult books, make sure you look at the content beforehand since they may include darker and more adult themes that kids may not be emotionally ready for. Consult your child’s teacher or ask a librarian for some suggestions if you’re hard pressed for an appropriate reading challenge.

Turning the Tables
If you’re young reader can’t find anything they like, or if they are looking for something in particular but can’t find it, encourage them to write their own stories! Writing can help boost comprehension and communication skills just as much as reading can. If your child yearns for a certain kind of story, help them write it. Ask them what kind of book they would like to read and why, and use their answers to help them get started crafting a story of their own. They may discover a love for writing and storytelling as well as for reading and discovery that could last a lifetime.

Get Creative
If your child isn’t feeling challenged enough by their reading material, think outside the box. We offer plenty of personalized books, that put your child right in the center of the action, sending them along on an adventure with their favorite characters. Not only are personalized books fun, but they make a great gift for a kid who has read every other book – and their own personalized book is sure to be the most unique book they own or read all year! There are also plenty of interactive reading apps or storytelling games that children can pick up and play too. These apps or games should incorporate reading and some also implement animation, problem-solving games and other fun aspects that make the act of reading more interesting and entertaining as well.

How to Nurture Your Child’s Growing Brain

Posted on January 19, 2017 | by KD Novelties

The first few years of life are incredible times of growth and development for children. Language skills emerge and continually increase, motor skills strengthen and personalities blossom. During the early years of infancy and into preschool years, parents can greatly impact their child’s development through early intervention and helpful everyday habits.

Adopting simple routines can help pave the way for a child to improve vocabulary as well as positively impact other areas of early development. According to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, “the early years matter because, in the first few years of life, more than 1 million new neural connections are formed every second.* Neural connections are formed through the interaction of genes and a baby’s environment and experiences….”

Every interaction we have with our child impacts their development in some way. Words we speak filter into their mind. And children with college-educated parents will learn twice as many words by age three than children born to working class families. The disparity between college educated parents and those on welfare is even more pronounced. According to Harvard, by the age of three, children born to college-educated parents will have almost a 1,000 word edge compared to children whose parents are welfare recipients.

While parents cannot change their education level, they can adopt habits that positively impact a child’s early development. An easy habit to embrace is reading aloud to children. From infancy, parents should embrace a nightly (or daily) habit of reading to their children. Reading aloud helps children learn new words, increases phonetic understanding and, as they grow older, will help with their own storytelling abilities.

Talking to children—yes, even babies–also helps them learn new words. Talk to babies while feeding, changing and playing. Show them the world and talk to them while you do. Introduce colors. The rainbow of the world is everywhere. When they look at something, express interest: “yes, you like that blue fish!”

Parents may also introduce toys or games to baby to them learn and discover new skills. Many toys include educational components and can help teach babies about shapes, colors, letters and numbers. For parents on a tight budget, head to thrift stores for like-new toys, games and books for baby. Thrift stores are filled with lots of low-cost educational toys to entertain and boost development skills. Find toys that help babies learn and identify numbers and letters; learning the alphabet is necessary to early reading.

While many parents shun television, some cartoons and shows actually may be quite beneficial. PBS is filled with programs aimed at helping developing little minds and excels at educational programming that kids also love. “Sesame Street” is a decades-old favorite, but shows like “Super WHY!” and “WordWorld” also teach kids about letters and early reading.

However, the role of television in learning is often debated. A study that basically indicated that “Sesame Street” provided the same level of academic preparation as preschool prompted the Washington Post to delve deeper into the link between television and education. The post asked James J. Heckman, a Nobel Laureate (in Economic Sciences, 2000) and the Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago, his thoughts about the study. Professor Heckman responded with a lengthy reply that concluded by stating: “The solution for promoting school readiness and fostering productive skills isn’t simply planting children in front of the television or tablet. High-quality educational programming can serve as a complement to quality early childhood education, not as a replacement.”

Parents are a child’s first educators, and their influence is crucial. But the role of parents extends beyond teaching. Praise is important when babies and toddlers learn new skills. Show your pride when they learn a new word, new concept or make a new discovery. The world is filled with new lessons and amazing wonders that babies are experiencing for the first time, and their wonder and curiosity should be encouraged.

There are many creative ways to help a child’s growing mind flourish and there are incredible opportunities to teach a child each day. Check out the infographic for more activities that nourish a child’s developing mind.