Building Brains

Thirty Million Words (Part 3) Take Turns

I have many important roles, but the ones I feel have been most significant in my life are wife, mom, teacher and grandma. Often I read something that changes my thinking and I feel makes me better in my roles. So it happened when I read the book Thirty Million Words by Dana Suskind. It was more like being hit by lightning!

This is the 3rd post about the exciting skills I learned from the book. It is dealing with the third T concept … Take Turns (my first post about this book was about Tune In and the second post about Talk More).

February 7, 2017 4 comments

Building Brains Grandma Basics

Thirty Million Words (Part 2) – Talk More

written by grammiestewart

Talk More, which goes hand in hand with Tune In, refers to a parent’s increased talking with a child, especially about what the child is focusing on, not to him or her. – Dana Suskind

This is Part 2 of my writing about the book Thirty Million Words by Dana Suskind. It will explain the concept of “Talk More” with our young grandchildren!

Talk More

More than just the number of words, it’s the kind of words and how those words are said that is important. You want to use a diverse vocabulary, day after day, with a very young child (remember from the first post, that language is crucial in the years from birth to age 3). You want to increase the amount of talking you do WITH a child, especially about what the child is interested in at the moment.

February 4, 2017 3 comments

Building Brains Grandma Basics

Thirty Million Words (Part 1) Tune In

written by grammiestewart

Parent talk is probably the most valuable resource in our world. No matter the language, the culture, the nuances of vocabulary, or the socioeconomic status, language is the element that helps develop the brain to its optimum potential. – Dana Suskind

I have many important roles, but the ones I feel have been most significant in my life are mom, teacher and grandma. Often I read something that changes my thinking and I feel makes me better in my roles. So it happened when I read the book Thirty Million Words by Doctor Dana Suskind. It was more like being hit by lightening! Because it has changed how I think, I just had to share what I learned with other gung ho grandmas and parents!

January 29, 2017 0 comment

Activities Together Building Brains

Animal Game to Play With Your Grandchildren

written by grammiestewart

Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no                             criticisms." 

      - George Eliot (who was really a woman)

Children and animals … it usually is a love affair.

Some of the first words that my granddaughter ever learned were names of animals … puppy dog, kitty cat, elephant, pig, monkey (all with the crazy corresponding animal sounds).

Here is an animal game you can play with your grandchild using picture cards of animals. It will help them learn animal names and reinforce their memory.

January 22, 2017 0 comment

Sing Your Heart out - Make a Singing Basket

Activities Together Building Brains

Sing Your Heart Out With Your Grandchildren! – Make a Singing Basket

written by grammiestewart

We sing them to sleep, we belt out songs as we dance together, we make up crazy songs about their toys, and we repeat nursery rhymes that we remember from our childhoods. We teach them the alphabet through song and we create wonderful, warm memories through music. Grandma singing with grandchildren is magical.

I have this goofy song I made up for my grandchildren, which really is just one sentence repeated 4 times … “We’re singing, singing, singing”. I am obviously no Bruce Springsteen, but as babies, my grandkids recognized it and smiled whenever I sang it to them. It has become known as “Grammie’s Song” and my 23 year old son believes it to be the worst sounding song on the planet (thank goodness I don’t have to sing it to him!).

January 14, 2017 4 comments

Activities Together Building Brains

17 Ways a Gung Ho Grandma Can Help Raise a Reader

written by grammiestewart

Grandma, as I am sure you already know, reading is important… it is a vital part of your grandchild’s development.

I spent 17 years as an elementary school teacher and always, always, always, my most engaged and capable students were competent readers. A child’s reading ability touches every other subject in school. Reading skills are part of encouraging a strong imagination and an interest in learning. Reading with grandma should be a shared experience which produces a love of books from an early age. As a grandparent you can have a profound influence in raising a reader.

Let’s look at 16 ideas for you to try with your little (or big) bookworm, to help them become a better reader:

Continue Reading

May 9, 2016 3 comments

Building Brains

Thirty Million Words (Part 3) Take Turns

Thirty Million Words (Part 2) – Talk More

Talk More, which goes hand in hand with Tune In, refers to a parent’s increased talking with a child, especially about what the child is focusing on, not to him or her. – Dana Suskind

Talk More

Thirty Million Words (Part 1) Tune In

Parent talk is probably the most valuable resource in our world. No matter the language, the culture, the nuances of vocabulary, or the socioeconomic status, language is the element that helps develop the brain to its optimum potential. – Dana Suskind

Animal Game to Play With Your Grandchildren

Sing Your Heart Out With Your Grandchildren! – Make a Singing Basket

17 Ways a Gung Ho Grandma Can Help Raise a Reader

Let’s look at 16 ideas for you to try with your little (or big) bookworm, to help them become a better reader: Continue Reading

Let’s look at 16 ideas for you to try with your little (or big) bookworm, to help them become a better reader:

Continue Reading