Raising a Reader; Make Your Child a Reader for Life

Amazon.com

The news about children's reading is not good. Only 45% of fourth graders read for pleasure and by twelfth grade, only 24% find joy in reading. But Paul Kropp, a teacher for 20 years and author of young adult novels, has better news: the road to reading can be paved by parents because "reading is not a skill, it is an attitude." How to Make Your Child a Reader for Life is a wonderfully practical primer about how families can discover the joy of reading together.

Kropp grounds his suggestions in the intriguing premise that reading is a social activity. He offers a crash course in "two thousand years of reading out loud" noting that for most of recorded history, reading silently was unusual and reading aloud was the norm. For example, medieval kings and queens had manuscripts read to them, St. Augustine read to the Benedictine monks, and Englishmen gathered in pubs for a reading of the latest installment of a Charles Dickens novel. Kropp urges parents to begin reading aloud to their babes in arms and to never stop reading together.

Kropp packs every page with energy, fresh ideas, must-read book lists and nongimmicky "reading solutions." He offers parents a "three R" model (read with your child every day, reach into your pocket to buy books, rule the media). Several chapters are devoted to the developmental ages and stages of reading--beginning with floating vinyl books in a baby's bath and ending with ideas for engaging what Kropp calls "aliterate" teens who can read, but don't. Other sections explore specific reading challenges including bored readers, reluctant readers, gifted readers, reading slumps, and "dysteachia" (bad teachers).

Kropp believes that reading should be a birthright for all of our children. The beauty of this book is that every chapter helps parents to deliver on this promise. Just imagine what might happen if a copy of How to Make Your Child a Reader for Life accompanied every newborn home from the hospital. --Barbara Mackoff

Book Description

An important addition to the library of any parent who wants to give a child the gift of learning--and loving--to read.  Now updated with important advice about utilizing the Internet

You will learn:
- how and why you are integral to your child's reading progress
- how to read aloud with your child from birth through the teenage years
- how to use games and storytelling to make reading fun
- how to work with your child's teachers--sand what to do if the school        won't cooperate
- how to overcome reading slumps and book boredom
- how to nurture your gifted reader
- how to avoid gimmicks that will sidetrack you and your child
- how to find the best--and the safest--places on the Web for reading support and ideas

How to Make Your Child a Reader for Life includes lists of over three hundred "must-have" books you and your child can enjoy.  Broken down into different categories--easy books for reluctant readers, surefire books for bored readers, scary books, classic books, fantasy books, even books for adolescent readers who won't read anything!-- How to Make Your Child a Reader for Life makes it easy for you to find the titles that will spark your child's imagination and make your child a reader for life.

Customer Reviews:

A good read on raising a reader.......2005-08-19

This book had great practical advice for each stage in your child's reading life. Particularly helpful were the suggestions on overcoming difficult stages when children might tend to become apathetic towards reading. I also appreciated the emphasis on the total experience of reading, rather than the simple ability to identify words on a page. In addition I found it reassuring to hear that my husband's and my own enjoyment of reading will go a long way towards influencing our kid's desire to read.

Readable and reassuring.......2000-08-15

Kropp has real-life advice for parents who believe, as he does, that reading is one of life's great joys. He emphasizes the importance of building a literate household--where fiction, nonfiction, magazines, and newspapers abound--and everyone reads. While you can't pick up a mainstream parenting magazine without seeing an article on the importance of reading to your baby, Kropp deals with keeping your child out of reading slumps throughout school and with or without the support of an 'A' school and teacher to lead the way.

It's a quick read (ironically) and a great resource for parents.

Very informative in helping parents over "rough" times.......1998-05-19

I liked and used many of the author's ideas on how to raise a child who loves to read. In particular, the suggestion to keep reading to a child who does not want to read on his own was a very good idea. Definitely a worthwhile book to add to the library.

Brassey's Book of Naval Blunders (Military Blunders)
Average customer rating:
Brassey's Book of Naval Blunders (Military Blunders)
Geoffrey Regan
Manufacturer: Potomac Books Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Naval | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | Ships | Transportation | World | History | Subjects | Books
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More Military Blunders

Brassey's Book of Military Blunders

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Military History's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Improbable Victories, Unlikely Heroes, and Other Martial Oddities (Brassey's Most Wanted Series) (Most Wanted)

ASIN: 1574882538
Release Date: 2000-08-01

Book Description

Geoffrey Regan presents a fascinating catalog of naval incompetence throughout history, from Roman times to the Gulf War. Crammed with the intriguing and the bizarre and embellished with fifty illustrations, Brassey's Book of Naval Blunders is a serious but entertaining look at the follies and misjudgments-and sometimes the bad luck-of captains, fleet commanders, strategic planners, and ship designers.

Average customer rating:

great book

Brassey's Book of Military Blunders
Geoffrey Regan
Manufacturer: Potomac Books Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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Brassey's Book of Naval Blunders (Military Blunders)
More Military Blunders
Military History's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Improbable Victories, Unlikely Heroes, and Other Martial Oddities (Brassey's Most Wanted Series) (Most Wanted)
Historical Blunders
The Greatest War Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from Military History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy (History Channel)

ASIN: 157488252X
Release Date: 2000-08-01

Book Description

Geoffrey Regan surveys fascinating and disastrous decisions in naval and military warfare history. This book is the first in a series of titles that included Air Force Blunders and More Military Blunders published fall 2000. Both entertaining and informative, here is a look at a history that has been marked as much by incompetence as by gallantry and glory.

From ancient times to the Bay of Pigs and the Falklands War, military history has been marked as much by misjudgments and incompetence as by gallantry and glory. Such blunders have sometimes ended in tragedy. Sometimes they turned into farce. Sometimes they have ended in triumph, despite all odds.

In his collections, Geoffrey Regan not only recounts the staggering stories but also examines the kinds of problems that can lead to disasterâ€”from the Prussian general who believed he was pregnant with an elephant to the British cruiser HMS Trinidad that torpedoed itself in the Arctic in 1942.

Customer Reviews:

great book.......2005-04-13

with a alot of information and explaning , it shows you the time period , what led to the blunder , and what happened because of the blunder
enjoyable book

The Guide to Colorado Birds
Average customer rating:

Bird Guides

The Guide to Colorado Birds
Herbert Clarke
Manufacturer: Westcliffe Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Ornithology | Zoology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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Birds of Colorado Field Guide (Field Guides)

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Colorado Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Species of Birds, Mammals, Reprtiles, Amphibians, Fish and Insects

ASIN: 1565792831

Customer Reviews:

Bird Guides.......2007-04-03

We bought this title about a year ago and we use it regularly. The illustrations are excellent and the text is lucid and helpful. We have lots of bird guides, but this is the one we carry in our backpack while hiking.

National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Colorado (NG Field Guide to Birds)

Average customer rating:

Decent, but could be better.

National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Colorado (NG Field Guide to Birds)

Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Birds of Colorado Field Guide (Field Guides)
The Guide to Colorado Birds
Colorado Trees & Wildflowers (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press)
Colorado Birds
Colorado Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Species of Birds, Mammals, Reprtiles, Amphibians, Fish and Insects

ASIN: 0792255615
Release Date: 2006-07-04

Book Description

Designed to fit in a backpack or pocket for easy access, each of these handy and popular bird field guides comprises 272 pages and features about 175 birds organized by family as approved by the American Ornithological Union. Standard features include:

Locator Map at the front listing regional birding hotspots;
Introduction by an expert on where to find the state's top birds
How-To-Use Section with general tips on birding and advice on making the most of the guide;
125 Easy-Access Individual Entries providing a photograph of the bird in its habitat, recognition clues, specific details on behavior, habitat, and local sites, plus a special "Field Note" with artwork for extra help in tricky identifications;
Alphabetical Index with life list; and
Color-coded Index.

Colorado is a unique birding spot, with mountain terrain and flatlands, each with its own characteristic mix of birds. Noted species include the grouselike White Ptarmigan; the incomparable Golden Eagle; the American Dipper; the Eared Grebe, and the chestnut-colored Longspur.

Customer Reviews:

Decent, but could be better........2007-06-13

The actual pictures of the birds are vivid and clear, which makes it nice to look at and easy to identify the birds. However, since there is only one picture of the bird you had better hope that whatever you are trying to identify looks exactly as it does in the book. That being said, the book is lacking important juvenile, breeding and male/female distinctions in feather color and markings which could make it pretty difficult to identify specific types of birds.

Birder's Guide to Colorado (Lane/Aba Birdfinding Guide.)

Average customer rating:

Does this book even exist?

Birder's Guide to Colorado (Lane/Aba Birdfinding Guide.)
Harold R. Holt
Manufacturer: Amer Birding Assn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Birding: Rocky Mountain National Park
The Shorebird Guide

ASIN: 1878788051

Customer Reviews:

Does this book even exist?.......2007-02-23

I have had this book on order for over a year now. I still want it, but it doesn't seem to be available. I am asked periodically to update my order, and I do, but still no book.

Animal Tracks of the Rocky Mountains: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico

Average customer rating:

Animal Tracks of the Rocky Mountains: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico
Chris Stall
Manufacturer: Mountaineers Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Mammals | Field Guides | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Animal Tracks | Field Guides | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0898861853

Average customer rating:

Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas
Hugh E. Kingery
Manufacturer: Colorado Bird Atlas Partnership
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Birds | Field Guides | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This insightful volume describes the results of the largest natural history survey ever conducted in Colorado. It reports the results of field work by over 1,200 "atlasers" who spent eight years gathering data on Colorado breeding birds in 1,745 blocks three miles on a side, one in each topographic map in the state.

Two-page Species Accounts, by 30 atlaser-authors, describe habitat use, breeding, and distribution of 252 bird species, and supplemental accounts report on 12 other rare species, found breeding in the state from 1987-1994. It also contains chapters on Colorado ecosystems, post-settlement changes to breeding birds, Colorado ornithologists, and the Colorado Bird Atlas project--its methods and results. The book contains over 1,000 maps, charts, graphs, and tables.

Cover-artist Radeaux contributed over 300 illustrations. A 16-page folio of color photographs shows Colorado habitats, nests, nestlings, and fledglings.

Birds of Colorado Field Guide (Field Guides)
Average customer rating:

easy to use

CT Bird Guide

great little book!

Birds of CT Field Guide Review

Well organized, nice photos, but White-tailed Ptarmigan missing

Birds of Colorado Field Guide (Field Guides)
Stan Tekiela
Manufacturer: Adventure Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Colorado (NG Field Guide to Birds)

ASIN: 1885061323

Product Description

Learn about and identify birds using Stan Tekiela's state-by-state field guides. The full-page, color photos are incomparable and include insets of winter plumage, color morphs and more. Plus, with the easy-to-use format, you don't need to know a bird's name or classification in order to easily find it in the book. Using this field guide is a real pleasure. It's a great way for anyone to learn about the birds in your state.

Customer Reviews:

easy to use.......2007-06-24

I love this bird book. It is divided by color and very easy to use. The Stan's notes section has interesting facts and useful information. The photos are close up and very helpful when identifying a bird.

CT Bird Guide.......2007-06-14

This book is easy to use, well-organized, beautiful photos, chuck full of information. I highly recommend it for the novice bird watcher.

great little book!.......2007-04-08

I bought this because we recently moved to the Rocky Mountains about 50 miles NE of Denver (9000 ft elevation), and there were many different kinds of birds that would visit our feeder. This book really helped me in identifying all the birds I've seen so far, and it also describes what kind of nesting the bird does, migration patterns, interesting facts about the bird, and general overall description. It is also sorted by the color of the bird for fast ID. The photographs are large and clear, and the bird's info is always on the page next to the photo. I am looking forward to purchasing the author's other 2 books on Colorado mammals and plantlife. I would reccomend this book for anyone living in or visiting Colorado, and is interested in birds!

Birds of CT Field Guide Review.......2006-08-31

Great book. Lots of pictures to differentiate between male and female birds (and also a description of immature birds). I found this book to immensely helpful in identifying birds in my backyard. It was everything that I was looking for in a book on CT birds.

Well organized, nice photos, but White-tailed Ptarmigan missing.......2006-04-20

Great birding book, however the "White-tailed Ptarmigan" and one other bird found in Colorado (can't recall the species) is missing. Waiting for the author to release a corrected edition.

Average customer rating:

Colorado Birds
James Kavanagh
Manufacturer: Waterford Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Birds | Field Guides | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Field Guides | Outdoors & Nature | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

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Colorado Trees & Wildflowers (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press)
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The Guide to Colorado Birds
National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Colorado (NG Field Guide to Birds)

ASIN: 1583550682

Book Description

Colorado Birds, An Introduction to Familiar Species, is a must-have, reference guide for beginners and experts alike. Whether you're on a nature hike or in your own backyard, you'll want to take along a copy of this indispensable guide.

Book Description

Birding Colorado guides you to some of the best places in Colorado (more than 90 prime locations) for rewarding birdwatching. It tells you how to get there and what birds you might find, and it offers facts about history, geology, and ecology. Use it to find tempting places and great birds.

Compact Guide to Colorado Birds (Compact Guide to...)

Average customer rating:

Compact Guide to Colorado Birds (Compact Guide to...)
Michael Roedel , Krista Kagume , and Gregory Kennedy
Manufacturer: Lone Pine Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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Birds of Colorado Field Guide (Field Guides)
A Thousand Splendid Suns

ASIN: 9768200227

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