Monthly Archives January 2016

Apps to Help Talk to Your Kids About Books

#VZWBuzz Disclosure

As a certified reading teacher, literacy has always been a big part of our family life. I read to both of the boys from the time they were infants. It was a big day when NHL and JSL each got their own library card. There may have been tears in my eyes when each boy became an independent reader. I knew this would mean that our time reading together would be different moving forward.

Apps to Help Talk to Your Kids About Books

TechyDad and I are lucky that both of the boys still enjoy read aloud time. NHL and TechyDad have spent years reading Harry Potter together. JSL and I worked our way through The Magic Tree House books and last summer we began our own nightly reading of the infamous Hogwarts family. I cherish the moments when we read together. Right now, JSL and I have a great new audio book based on Star Wars that we are listening to each morning on the way to school.

Something that has been hard for me is watching the kids plow through books on their own. JSL is a voracious reader and goes everyplace with a book in his hands. I truly wish I could read  all of the books so we could talk about them. The reality is that I can’t do this. There is not enough time in the day for me to read each and every book both of the boys read while also doing my own reading.

So what have I done? I pick and choose what I read to have a surprise chat with the kids. The kids adore it and it’s fun to be able to discuss what their thoughts are on certain topics. My smartphone and several apps have been lifesavers to keep me a bit more on top of things and organized. .

I have used Goodreads for years now. What I realized recently is that it’s a great way for me to index what the kids have been reading at home and at school. Goodreads allows me to put specific book titles into a tag of it’s own. Later on, I can go to that tagged list and select the book I would like to read. The app makes it easy to do. From the My Books tab, scroll to the Add a new Shelf button. This is where I made one for NHL and one for JSL.

Using Goodreads for reading lists

When you have a new book title to add, simply type it into the search bar. Click on the title select the To Read option and mark anything else below that pertains to the title. For The One and Only Ivan, I selected that it was a book JSL has read so I am able to find it later on.

Adding a book to Goodreads list

In addition to this, my handy dandy library app is great to request hard copies of books that I am not able to find online. In addition to this, I am able to take eBooks and audio books out via online library. I am able to read them on my Kindle app, or listen while on the go using my other favorite OverDrive Media app.

Do you keep up on the books that your children are reading? I would love to hear more about how you are able to balance this with older children. As always, Tuesday Tales is all about sharing our love of books. What are you currently reading or what was the last book you read?

It's Me

Disclosure: As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers, I receive devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 to test out and share ways that I use it in my life. I am a long time Verizon customer, and all opinions are my own.

Share:
Share on Facebok
Share on Pinterest
Share on Google+



Selecting a Word for 2016

Hello from 2016. The kids are back in school and I am sitting here in disbelief that another year has come and gone. While I blogged less in the last year, I accomplished many things with my family, advocacy, and living life. As the boys have gotten older, I am more conflicted with what I should and should not share. I have a list of posts that are waiting to be written based on our traveling and programs that we went to during the last chunk of months. In addition to this, I have a notebook with drafts of posts written. Yes, I went old school. While waiting outside for the kids each afternoon, I grabbed a pencil and paper. There’s something calming about witnessing words race onto a sheet of paper.

Many people are selecting a word for 2016. Over winter break I kept thinking about this. There is so much happening this year. NHL will be a Bar Mitzvah. My first born will therefore officially be a teen. Talk about a major kick in the gut. In addition to this, a rather big birthday is at the end of the year for me. Lots to do and eventually plan for all of that.

In addition to this, the fight continues in the world of educational advocacy. The level of disgust within NYS from parents and teachers is high. I continue to get more and more angry for my children and at the attack on my profession. None of us are giving up and we all know that simply changing the name of a policy is not fixing the problems created by the reform movement. GRRRRRR!

So, what word should I select for 2016?

Focus in 2016

I believe focus will be my word. I need to keep my mind on one thing at a time so I don’t get overwhelmed and forget the goal at the end.

Yes, in 2016, I will focus on:

  • ME! It’s time to be selfish and work on making me happy and healthy. I will make time for this because, if I don’t, it will not only hurt me, but also my family.
  • making a Bar Mitzvah that will make NHL happy. He’s working so hard I want him to smile and not worry about a thing.
  • going with the flow. I can’t control everything and I have to remember that. I’ve done better with that in some avenues like the kids and school, but need to work on other aspects.
  • traveling to more locations for day trips  or long weekends with the kids and TechyDad. We only have so many more years to make as many memories as possible. There are many museums and places within driving distance that we should explore.
  • an editorial calendar. Freelance work and life pushed some of my own writing to the side last year. I enjoy coming here to write and document things. It’s therapeutic and helps, so I must make it something I do at least a few times each week.
  • getting to TypeACon in October. It’s my favorite conference in a magical place. It’s also very close to my birthday, so it will be part of my present.
  • purging things we don’t need. It’s funny how belongings grow and multiply. It’s time to get the entire family involved and let others have things we no longer need, but they may enjoy.
  • moving outside of my comfort zone in crochet. I want to try reading more patterns and this includes the Star Wars set that I received for Chanukah.
  • reading more throughout the year. I often cluster read. While I enjoy books, I debate if I should read, watch a show, or work on a project. Audio books will on my phone when I drive and I have my Kindle app so there’s never an excuse to read for at least thirty minutes a day.

Star Wars Crochet

There are more items that I want to focus on, but this is a good start. Once again, I am going to take things one day at a time and just keep swimming. What are the items you plan to focus on in 2016?

It's Me

Share:
Share on Facebok
Share on Pinterest
Share on Google+