Mrs. Myers' Reading Room

At Mrs. Myers' Reading Room we do more than read. We help children discover the JOY of learning through an innovative approach to teaching that makes it fun for all kids. Our patent-pending approach combines researched best practices with modern technology and multi-sensory lessons. Combining movement, personal creative expression, and story-telling keeps each session new and exciting! This helps them develop the skill, and love, of reading. With a program for every age, grade level, and academic need, we're here to help. Successful readers become successful people, and strong reading skills are the core of every subject. From age 3 on, we have the small group or 1-on-1 tutoring option your child needs to get caught up and zoom ahead.

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7 Fun and Engaging Literacy Activities for Preschoolers

Literacy is essential to a child's learning and overall development. Developing literacy skills from a young age is the foundation of all education. Reading, writing and communicating effectively can help children succeed in school and their future careers. Furthermore, literacy can also open up new worlds of opportunity, allowing children to explore their interests and develop a love of learning.

There are many literacy activities that young children can participate in to help develop their literacy skills. Here are seven fun and engaging literacy activities for preschoolers.

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8 Mental Math Strategies for Young Learners

Some kids seem to have a natural knack for understanding numbers and solving problems. Sadly for others, math can be a more challenging subject. But one of the most important things young learners can do to improve their math skills is develop strong mental math strategies.

Mental math is the ability to do calculations in your head, and it's a valuable skill for everyday life and formal education. Fortunately, there are a number of different mental math strategies that young learners can use to improve their skills.

Help your young learner set themselves up for success in math class and beyond with these eight mental math strategies!

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How to Strengthen Foundational Skills in Reading in Early Childhood

As parents, we desire what's best for our children, including providing them with anything needed to give them the best chance for success in school and life. Because reading is foundational for all other areas of learning, it's only imperative to ensure that our kids have a strong foundation in reading skills.

The ability to read is the key that unlocks so many doors and provides opportunities for growth and success. There are five foundational skills in reading that are essential for reading success: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Phonemic awareness is the understanding that spoken language is made up of individual sounds or phonemes. Phonics is the ability to match those individual sounds to the written word. Fluency is the ability to read smoothly with proper pacing and expression. Vocabulary is the understanding and use of words. And finally, comprehension is the ability to understand and remember what has been read.

While a child's teacher will provide instruction in all of these areas, there are also things that parents can do at home to support and reinforce these skills. Here are nine tips on how to strengthen foundational skills in reading with your child at home!

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Color Recognition: How to Get Your Child to Learn Colors

Colors make the world fun and exciting for children, and the ability to identify colors is a significant milestone for them. It is also considered a marker in their cognitive process and school readiness. Because color recognition is a vital part of a child's development, parents should encourage and support their child learning colors.

Introducing colors to young kids can be pretty challenging at first, but it'll be a breeze with these ten tips!

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How to Strengthen your Child's Foundational Skills in Reading

Reading is one of the most vital skills that a child should learn and develop during their early years. Reading skills are necessary to set them on the path to success in school and beyond. As a parent, you can help your child start on the right foot by building their foundational reading skills at home and incorporating it into their daily routine.

Whether or not your little one has already been reading independently there are several ways you can help strengthen their foundational skills in reading. Read on and follow these eight tips!

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8 Ways Parents Can Help Kids Succeed at Distance Learning

Thanks to technology, learning and attending classes no longer need to be confined within the four walls of a traditional classroom. Distance learning has become a viable alternative even for young students today. This is especially true since remote learning institutions offer a lot in terms of convenience and flexibility.

Distance learning options provide education to students who are not physically present on the school campus. With internet access, online courses allow students to access course materials, and interact with other students and teachers.

As a parent, there are ways you can help your little one succeed at distance learning. Here are some tips that will help you do just that:

Learn more here!

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Parenting Essentials: 7 Things to Know About Play Time

What makes play important for children? Why do we as parents need to ensure that kids are given ample playtime throughout childhood?

In order for children to grow and develop in a healthy way, play is vital. Play time is also a powerful tool parents can use to instill valuable life lessons. Aside from providing children with opportunities for fun, play also teaches them about themselves, the world around them, and how to manage their own behavior.

Play has been found to enhance physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral skills throughout childhood. Play also fosters the development of other essential life skills that kids will need as they grow into adulthood.

Why is play so important to children? What parents should know?

Play promotes imagination and creativity

Children need to have time to explore and use their imaginations rather than always having to conform to structure and routine. Children should use their imaginations freely to create magical worlds in which they can become anyone and do anything. Play makes this possible.

Children who are given ample opportunities for free, imaginative play tend to have a greater capacity for creativity throughout their lives, as they have been observed to be more involved in activities related to art, music, drama, and writing.

Play provides opportunities for problem-solving and decision-making

As children play, they are able to practice making their own decisions. Therefore, playtime is a great opportunity to teach children to exercise free choice within limits. In addition, it's important for parents not to interfere with this process by offering solutions or answers. Rather, parents should give their children the space they need to solve issues and dilemmas during playtime.

Allow kids to make mistakes so they can learn from them. In these moments, you can also help children understand how their actions or decisions may have negatively impacted others.

Kids get more exercise through play

Children need physical activity to grow and develop. Limit screen time instead of letting children spend hours on screens. Rather, let them play outside and run around.

As an example for your children, you should also be active yourself. If possible, try to space out your work hours, get away from the office or whatever it is you do in front of a computer or other gadgets, and take part in outdoor activities with your children, and have fun while bonding!

Through play, kids develop social skills

Communication skills are practiced when kids play with others. Kids can learn how to deal with bullying and peer pressure in the playground. As they get older, their social skills will improve.

Play helps children manage their emotions and behavior

Children's play reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. Acting out different roles gives them a healthy way to release their emotions. Children can also learn through play why certain behaviors or actions are acceptable. The playtime environment allows them to experiment with different personas without much risk of real-world consequences, so they can expand their emotional horizons.

Early play improves cognitive development

Children can exercise their creativity and imagination through free play. Parents should encourage free playtime instead of screen time during this crucial developmental stage. As a result, kids will be more willing to ask questions when they have them. Kids who exhibit this type of curiosity may gain new ideas and experiences that wouldn't otherwise be gained by watching TV for hours on end.

Play time is an essential component for all children's holistic and healthy development. Here at Mrs. Myers' Learning Lab, we recognize the value of play when it comes to learning and development. Our innovative small group programs are framed around children's natural high energy and individual interests, technology, music, and games. Your child will engage in reading and learning activities that feel like playing! Learning this way expedites results. Find out more on our website!

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How to Support your Child's Language Development

It's never too early to help children as their language skills begin to develop. When young children are exposed to a variety of words, phrases, and sounds as early as birth, they tend to have an easier time mastering vocabulary and speaking skills later in life. As a parent, you play an important role in supporting your child's language development. Here are eight tips to help you begin.

1. Read, read, and read some more

As soon as early signs of language begin to emerge, language development occurs at a rapid speed. Around age three, children can learn about 300 words every day. Think about the amount of language they pick up just from their favorite books. When you read at home with your little one, be sure to make the activity engaging. Point out pictures and tell stories based on what children see and hear. Kids enjoy predictability and knowing what comes next. Try to incorporate reading into your family’s daily routine. Reading books before bedtime is an excellent way for parents and children to bond while enriching your little one’s language development.

2. Play language-rich games

You can also boost your child's language development through play with games that are language-rich. You might make animal sounds and have your child imitate you, or match an action to the context of a sentence (for example, "It's feeding time for monkeys!") These types of games utilize language skills such as following directions and understanding complex sentences. Games like BINGO and Charades can make practicing language fun too!

3. Use the power of music

Language development happens during a variety of activities that go beyond reading books. Music has been proven to enhance language mastery with children. You can enrich your child’s language skills by using songs as a method for teaching new vocabulary words. You can also invite children to create their own lyrics or dance along to the beat of a song. Going to see your child's favorite band or artist in concert also enhances language acquisition. Auditory stimulation is an important component of language development for children.

4. Talk to kids about their interests

The best way to encourage language development with your child is to connect through conversation. Talk to children regularly about the topics in which they're  most interested. Conversations about high-interest areas are more likely to encourage children to express themselves freely and acquire essential language skills along the way. Some of these skills include listening and participating in conversation, asking questions, and sharing their opinions about their experiences. This is another great way to make language development fun!

5. Label items around your home

Placing labels on objects is one of the easiest ways to introduce the concept of  language into your child's life. Labeling various items (such as food containers) helps us identify which ingredients are in each food. Labels on toys help your child learn how to read basic vocabulary words they can associate with each object (like “ball”). When you label household items, it helps to create a language-rich environment for your child and helps ensure that language development is a natural part of your daily routine.

6. Teach your child than one language

Exposing children to multiple languages as early as birth is another great way to enhance language development. You can introduce a language other than English by speaking it with friends, family members, and other caregivers. This can help children learn both languages simultaneously. It also encourages “language mixing”, which refers to the mixing of words from different languages. For example, your child might say, "I want apple juice," while using a combination of English and Spanish vocabulary words. This can also be referred to as code-switching.

7. Get creative

Creative arts are another fantastic tool that can enrich language development. Art is also a kind of “language”, which makes it a great way to teach language to children. It's never too early to introduce children to the alphabet with clay or paint. Kids can practice language skills by matching labels with their corresponding objects. For example, you might say, "This is a picture of a dog," while pointing to the name and picture. Writing words with paint is another great way to promote language development. These activities encourage children to be expressive with language while expanding their vocabulary.

8. Look for language enrichment opportunities in everyday activities

Language develops most effectively when it's cultivated through regular exposure. You can encourage this with your little one through consistent language immersion. You’ll find plenty of language enrichment opportunities during your everyday activities, such as visiting the grocery store or doctor's office. Simple daily tasks provide perfect opportunities to help your child acquire language skills.

Nurturing your child's language development early on is essential. Use these language-boosting tips to help your little one practice and acquire language skills.

At Mrs. Myers' Learning Lab, we specialize in providing fun and interactive classes for developing readers. Our engaging process encourages students to develop self-confidence, interpersonal skills, and a love for learning that extends far beyond the classroom. Contact us to learn more!