Tag: personalized reading

8 Tips to Keep Kids Engaged This Summer

Posted on | by KD Novelties
8 Tips to Keep Kids Engaged During the Summer

School’s out! For some anyway, and for others your kids are probably counting down the days!  Kids are sure to be happy to have the next few months to themselves. As relaxing as the summer holidays are meant to be, it is still important that kids stay sharp so that they can continue their education without a hitch once the new school year starts in August or September. There are plenty of ways in which parents can do this without giving their kids homework or making them feel like they have a lot of work to do. In fact, there are some fun ways to keep kids engaged while also making sure that they’re having a good time.


1. Encourage kids to keep a journal. Keeping a journal can be fun, and it can make a great keepsake for you and your kids for years to come. While kids are writing about their summers or even writing stories of made up adventures, they are also exercising their writing and reading comprehension skills. Writing in a journal has benefits when it comes to memory as well, and can help kids remember more things with accuracy.

2. Plan fun (and educational) trips. Summertime is the most popular time for families to go on vacation, but integrating something educational and interesting into your summer plans can be both fun and informative. Even if you can’t fit a big trip into your budget, make weekly trips to the library, to local landmarks and other places that can offer a lot for kids and adults alike.

Lemonade Stand for Kids
3. Start a lemonade stand! Encourage your kids to get active and get motivated to make money. Whether they sell lemonade on the sidewalk, help with a garage sale or simply pick up some chores around the house, doing so will help give kids an incentive to take on responsibility. Encourage them to manage their money, too, so they can practice some math while they’re at it.

4. Go outside and explore. Getting outdoors is great. Fresh air and activity are integral for staying healthy and childhood obesity is quickly becoming a major problem, so making sure that kids stay plenty active and spend some time away from screens and computers can be beneficial. Going outside, going to parks, going on hikes or simply exploring your own backyard can also help spark a child’s imagination and help them develop a relationship with nature.

5. Make time to read every day. Some kids are happy reading as a pastime, but other kids may need some coaxing. Make it a routine or a tradition to share a book or two every night. Read aloud, play book-inspired games, or even act out your favorite scenes! Reading will help keep kids’ reading skills sharp, and playing games can help foster their creativity and confidence, as well.

6. Take advantage of free, online learning. Whether your kids are playing an educational flash game or partaking in an online course, kids may be more inclined to want to learn when it involves the family computer or tablet. There are plenty of educational apps and free online schools that can teach kids valuable skills without feeling like its work at all.

Kids Crafts During the Summer

7. Make some arts and crafts. Inspiring kids to create and use their imaginations can help their critical thinking skills more than you might realize. Creativity can help kids learn how to solve problems, weigh their options and make difficult choices, whether it involves figuring out how to solve a math problem or how to accomplish riding a bike. Being creative can inspire some great art, but it can also encourage out-of-the-box thinking that can help boost general problem-solving skills, too.


8. Don’t be afraid to relax! Rest and relaxation are actually important for mental and emotional development, so don’t forget to get plenty of it. As important as it is to keep kids active, don’t forget about valuable down-time either. Finding a balance between activity and reflection is important, so make sure to let your kids relax and do a bit of what they want this summer, too.

KD Novelties is publisher of personalized children’s books making children the stars of their very own stories.  Personalized Reading promotes literacy while building self-esteem.  Subscribe to our blog for more reading and family friendly tips.








How Do I Raise a Reader?

Posted on | by KD Novelties
RAR.org
Reading is essential to a child’s education. Its importance in academics is unavoidable but in order for kids to be good at reading, it’s important that they love doing it as well. One of the best ways to instill a lot of reading in your child is to make reading commonplace at home. Many parents tend to associate this activity with bedtime with reading or sharing a book just as kids are tucked into bed.  However, not every kid has the attention or the energy to remain engaged just before they go to sleep. Our recommendation that in addition to bedtime reading, it can be beneficial to introduce reading as an activity at other times of the day as well.

Whether your child is not particularly receptive to nighttime reading or whether they are, testing other times in the day may still be great for reading. In order to raise a reader, it is necessary to make reading rituals commonplace. Even if reading at night works for some kids, that does not mean that they can’t learn to love reading at different times of the day as well.

Reading in the morning may be the best bet for some children, especially kids who wake up early and are generally more energetic upon waking up. This may be the best time for these kids to really engage in a story or even just look at the pictures in a book.

Kids who have not yet started school or kids who perhaps only go to class on a half-day schedule may be more inclined to read in the afternoon. Try to engage them during the mealtime as lunchtime entertainment.

You can even adjust the reading to a particular time of day in a more spontaneous way as well. If you notice that your child is particularly active or is actively looking for something to do, suggest reading. If they don’t initially seem inclined, you can encourage them by reading along with them or affirming that even looking through the pictures will be a fun activity. Engaging with books on a physical level will help instill a personal relationship with the activity, even if kids are just looking or listening.

My Very Own Story
For more helpful tips on raising a reader and getting kids to love reading check back often here or subscribe to our blog where we offer loads of resources for parents.

To get kids engaged even more with reading why not personalize their stories! Visit us at www.KDNovelties.com.

Home School? Personalize Your Child’s Experience.

Posted on | by KD Novelties
The choice to homeschool a child opens a wealth of opportunity. Unlike other schooling methods, homeschooling allows children to learn at their own pace. The freedom to give children the attention and help that they need helps them develop individually and dynamically. However, taking on the task of homeschooling your child is a demanding one. Not only are you a parent, but you are also a teacher, and taking on both roles can sometimes be challenging. Finding material that is suitable for your child’s educational needs can also be challenging, but personalized books can help.
Personalize the Homeschool Experience
Homeschooling lends to the notion of personalized education. As a parent and teacher, you are able to give your child the attention they need in order to gauge where their needs are, to properly address what topics or ideas they are struggling with, and to provide them with the guidance that they need. Personalized books are a great tool for parents who choose to homeschool their children. Our personalized books can help do a number of things. For kids who are reluctant to read, they may be more enticed to read a story that they star in, which is a great way to introduce kids to reading. Additionally, if kids are having a hard time with a subject or obstacle, whether educational or otherwise, a personalized book on the subject can help kids self-actualize and overcome the situation.
Personalized books help build kids’ imaginations. These personalized stories encourage kids to imagine themselves in the situations painted by the stories they are reading. This not only helps build creative skills, but also helps them imagine theoretical situations. This skill is vital in all realms of education. The better kids are at imagining things, the better they are at visualizing word problems, processing ideas and stories from non-fiction and fiction books, and helping them plan for their own future.

Personalized books also help boost self-confidence. As kids read stories about themselves, having adventures and learning new things, the more likely they are to believe that they can do those things in real life, too – and they can!