READ!

READ!
Books
There are so many awesome genres or topics and so many enjoyable books that you can choose from.
Think of your interests, and then go find a book, novel, or collection of short stories – and read.
https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/novels
Often, people say, “I just don’t have time to read.”
Well, I am here to tell you that you do have time to read.
You don’t have to dedicate hours and hours to reading (although there is nothing wrong with that!).
If you want to get started, read 10 pages per day – only 10 PAGES!
At this rate, you will read approximately:
9 regular sized novels / year (100,000 words – 400 pages)
Or
15 young adult books / year (60,000 words – 240 pages)
Or
30 middle grade books / year (30,000 words – 120 pages)

Of course, these are just averages. Many novels are shorter than 400 pages and some are much longer. I am just finishing a novel with 1,044 pages. (Neal Stephenson’s Reamde)
Still, you get the idea. Slow and steady wins the race. Okay – so there is no race. That’s the whole point!

You don’t need to get bogged down. A few pages each day – every day, and you will retain the thread of the story, but you can still get everything else done in the day.
There are so many things to learn in books.
So much excitement that many people are missing.

Give reading a try – you can take your time and “live” in the moment if you like a particular character or scene.
I hear you. You are thinking, “I am reading this, aren’t I?” But reading blogs and blurbs and bits is not the same thing.
(I do thank you for reading my Blog, however.)

Each kind of reading can be entertaining and educational – but reading a good book or set of stories is quite a different animal.  (Yes, e-readers count – the book doesn’t have to be printed on paper.)
Try it out – and encourage your children, friends, parents, etc. to try it out as well.
I hope you have read at least two or three novels before the end of summer!

L.T.L. Tutoring Central

Reading & Brain Function!

The importance of reading cannot be underestimated for learning.

Now even more research indicates that reading is not only beneficial for obvious reasons, but that it helps develop stronger listening and observing skills as well.  This attentiveness will, in turn, develop even better readers, but it will also ensure that the student is able to learn via other means.

"Dr. Dehaene and his colleagues compared the brain function of adults who can read with those who had never learned to read.
What they found was that regions of the brain that all of us use to process visual information were enhanced among the adults who were readers; both those who had read from childhood and those who learned to read as adults.  They also found that listening skills were better among both groups of readers than among the adults who did not read." (Burns, Martha PHD [2011]: How Learning to Read Improves Brain Function)

Listening to a lecture, social learning, picking up on cues, all appear to be better developed in readers.
These skills are not only useful in academic settings but also in the workplace and individual development as well. 

Of course, these are broad strokes - individual cases are always subject to variations.  Overall, however, there is powerful evidence that improving students' access to reading material and giving them the ability to read will positively affect the breadth of their learning experience far beyond the mechanics of sounding out words and reading phrases.

Motorcycles & Sweetgrass

Just finished reading "Motorcycles & Sweetgrass" by Drew Hayden Taylor.

It is really a fun book that has a modern take on some native myths, especially the trickster character - Nanabush.

The conversation between Jesus and Nanabush is hilarious.

The novel was a finalist for the Governor General's award.  
It is relatively safe reading for older children, too.