The last day of school has a particular energy. Backpacks hit the floor. Folders get recycled. And somewhere in the back of every parent’s mind, a quiet concern surfaces: will they read anything this summer, or will the whole thing just slide? The summer reading slide is real. Kids who don’t read over the break […]
Most readers can point to one. A specific book, usually read at exactly the right moment, that cracked something open. Before it, reading was a chore or just something that happened at school. After it, books were something else entirely. If your middle grader hasn’t found that book yet, they haven’t found it yet. That’s […]
Summer break brings long days and relaxed routines. And let’s be honest, a whole lot of screen time. Between video games, YouTube, and streaming shows, it’s easy for kids to fall into a digital daze. But this season is also the perfect time to help them rediscover something magical: books. Books don’t beep. They don’t […]
Because reading doesn’t stop when school’s almost out—it gets even more fun. The school year is winding down. Summer is peeking just around the corner. And while backpacks are getting lighter and kids are dreaming of pool days and popsicles, one thing still matters: reading! Crosley, of course, thinks every season is the perfect time […]
In a world filled with screens, buzzing notifications, and endless distractions, getting kids excited about reading can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. But what if your home could be a place where books are just as irresistible as video games or TV shows? The good news is, with a few simple changes, you can […]
Have you heard the saying, “If you learn a new word and use it three times, it yours for life”? Fun words are all around us just waiting to be discovered. If you start Monday (that would be June 15th) and learn one new word each day until Labor Day, you will have added 77 […]
Once upon a time, an emerging reader stumbled over words. She hated reading aloud in class, and when she tried to read to her family, they constantly interrupted the story to correct her mistakes. She decided she hated reading until one day, her kitten, Theo, asked her to read him a book. He really did. […]
Parent’s often want to know if their children are reading at or above their grade level. Another critical question is how interested my child is in reading. Young middle-grade readers (ages eight to ten) should be transitioning from learning to read to reading to learn and be reading independently. They should be able to read […]
With ubiquitous tablets and phones, a child’s first introduction to reading may be audiobooks. But does this help or hurt kids in the long run? While audiobooks are no substitute for reading aloud with your children, they can supplement that time. Audiobooks can help build imagination and reading skills. When a child is learning to […]
We were late to the Harry Potter series. Three or four books were already out when we got the first one. We decided to read it aloud together as a family. That began a years-long journey together through the world of Hogwarts. When the final book of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, […]
It’s no secret that building literacy into your child’s developmental years can benefit them for the rest of their lives. But again and again I hear from parents who are concerned about how to get their kids as excited about reading as they are about iPads, phones, and video games. In my opinion, there’s no […]
You might know me as the author of the children’s book series, Night Buddies, but did you know that I am also a huge history fanatic? I got my B.A. in ancient history from UNC Chapel Hill, and have made it one of my hobbies ever since. Being a lifelong learner of ancient history means […]