I have reason to believe that #Donald is now the most popular #BabyName for boys.
-JDA-
Lifelong garbage man talking American politics and society
Who remembers the stories told by Olivia Schlesier? Hands down, best story teller of all times. This video clip is one of the memories I shared with my kids. We miss you Olivia!
One of the most important things parents can do, beyond keeping kids healthy and safe, is to read with them. That means starting when they are newborns and not even able to talk, and continuing well beyond the years that they can read by themselves. Study after study shows that early reading with children helps them learn to speak, interact, bond with parents and read early themselves, and reading with kids who already know how to read helps them feel close to caretakers, understand the world around them and be empathetic citizens of the world.
We spoke with Liza Baker, the executive editorial director at Scholastic, which just released its Kids & Family Reading Report.
“It’s so important to start reading from Day One,” she says. “The sound of your voice, the lyrical quality of the younger [books] are poetic … It’s magical, even at 8 weeks old they focus momentarily, they’re closer to your heart.” As they begin to grow, families should make sure books are available everywhere in the home, like it’s your “daily bread.” (Amen.) But it shouldn’t end when kids begin to read on their own. “As they become independent readers, we tend to let them go, but even kids in older demographics love nothing more than that time with their parents,” Baker says. “We’re blown away that kids time and again said the most special time they recall spending with a parent is reading together.”
Here, Baker shares highlights of the report and offers tips for parents on how to turn their babies and children into readers.
Read aloud early — and keep it going! The good news, according to the new Kids & Family Reading Report by Scholastic, is that more than three out of four parents who have children ages 5 and younger start reading aloud before their child reaches his first birthday. This practice increased to 40 percent in 2016 from 30 percent in 2014 among parents who read aloud before their baby is 3 months old. The research also showed that more parents of 3- to 5-year-olds are reading aloud frequently, with 62 percent of these parents reading aloud five to seven days a week, compared with 55 percent in 2014.
[Tips for encouraging kids to read, from parents who know a few things about books]
But it’s not all great news: There’s been a drop in parents continuing to read aloud after age 5.
Tip to keep it going: Have fun and be playful. Use this as an opportunity to ham it up and perhaps create different character voices to really engage the child. Don’t be shy about not perfecting the read aloud — especially with little ones. Don’t feel discouraged if a younger child gets distracted or interrupts story time with questions. That’s all part of the learning journey and reading process. In fact, books like those in the new StoryPlay series feature prompts and questions for the parent to ask throughout the story to keep young kids engaged and to enhance early reading comprehension.
As for kids in the early elementary level, it’s still important to read aloud, and there are many books to choose from. Try Dog Man by Dav Pilkey, to associate reading as a laugh-out-loud experience. For kids ages 8 and beyond — who still love being read to, according to our research — go for modern classics like the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, a perfect family read aloud, including the new illustrated editions with art by Jim Kay.
Be a resource to your kids for book ideas — even if they don’t ask — especially for infrequent readers. Scholastic’s research shows that parents underestimate that kids need help finding books. Only 29 percent of parents agree “my child has trouble finding books he/she likes,” whereas 41 percent of kids say finding books they like is a challenge. This number increases to 57 percent among infrequent readers.
Tip: For younger kids, see which titles they gravitate toward. Do they like animals? Try Duck on a Tractor by David Shannon, or Groovy Joe: Ice Cream and Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin, or books by Nic Bishop. Do they like interactive books? Try Are You My Cuddle Bunny? by Sandra Magsamen, What’s in My Train? by Linda Bleck, or I Love Music: My First Sounds Book by Marion Billet.
Research shows kids of all ages want books that “make me laugh.” Parents can also get in on the fun with these silly books. For younger kids, go with King Baby by Kate Beaton or I’ll Wait Mr. Panda by Steve Antony. For the elementary level and early chapter book stage, go for the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey or check out the Branches series with Press Start: Game Over Super Rabbit Boy! by Thomas Flintham. For middle-grade readers, try the Crimebiters series by Tommy Greenwald or the Swindle series by Gordon Korman. For the Young Adult crowd, go for Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky.
Don’t forget adding books in your home library that showcase diverse story lines and characters. When looking for children’s books to read for fun, both kids (37 percent) and parents (42 percent) mostly agree they “just want a good story” and a similar percentage want books that make kids laugh. One in 10 kids ages 12 to 17 say they specifically look for books that have “culturally or ethnically diverse story lines, settings or characters.”
Tip: Look for stories that showcase different experiences, backgrounds, religions, identities and more to help your child find him or herself in books — as well as learn about other people’s lives. This will teach children the importance of empathy and kindness. Some top picture books include Cleonardo, the Little Inventor by Mary Grandpré, The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! by Carmen Agra Deedy, and Emma and Julia Love Ballet by Barbara McClintock. Some great chapter books include Ugly Cat and Pablo by Isabel Quintero and Emma is on the Air by Aida Siegal. For middle grades, check out Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan and George by Alex Gino. For YA readers, go for Drag Teen by Jeffrey Self.
It takes a village — look to teachers, school librarians and more for book suggestions. Scholastic asked kids where they get the best ideas for books to read for fun. Overall, kids say teachers and school librarians (51 percent), followed by their peers (50 percent). Younger kids (6 to 11) are the most likely to get great picks from school book clubs and fairs, and older kids (15 to 17) are the most likely to find book suggestions on social media.
Tip: Ask your teacher what she or he has heard of that will help even the most reluctant reader stay engaged. Teachers see firsthand what works. Don’t forget your public or school librarian. They are vital to the community, as research showed 95 percent of parents agree that “every community needs to have a public library” and “every child deserves a school library.” I’m so grateful for our town library and the wonderful librarian there. She is a central force in our town, and I am in frequent touch with her for book suggestions. Recently, my eldest son became very interested in history, but he craved a story framework. Our terrific librarian, Carolyn, introduced him to the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis, and it was a total fit for him age-wise and content-wise. She knew the perfect book to get him started — and off he went — tackling that series book by book.
Never forget — choice rules when kids read for fun. Eighty-nine percent of kids ages 6 to 17 agree that the favorite books “are the ones that I have picked out myself.” And book choice starts early, as 67 percent of parents with kids up to age 5 reported that their kids choose the books for read-aloud time. This goes up to 81 percent of parents with kids ages 3 to 5.
If you are stumped for great books for kids to choose, the top books that parents reported reading aloud over and over again for little ones include Dr. Seuss books such as The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham, Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
For all kids, parents with children up to age 17 recommend that the books that every child should read are Harry Potter, Dr. Seuss, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Magic Tree House and The Chronicles of Narnia. Book series are a great way to get kids hooked on story lines and characters.
Tip: Make books accessible. Make sure your bookshelves are low enough for kids to reach the book that they want to read. Keep books by your children’s bedside, in the playroom — all over the house. Bring books with you on car trips, to the grocery store, or even to the doctor’s office waiting room. Rather than handing them a device, hand them a book they love. The more accessible you make books, the more you’ll see their reading frequency grow. Also, if your child needs a bit more guidance on choosing books, narrow it down to a nice range of selection and invite them to pick the book they want for that moment. It will change day to day and month to month, so be open and ready to grow and change along with your budding lifelong reader.
(Ahn Young-Joon/AP)
Once again, he’s doing what the entire world thought was impossible and he’s doing it his own way!
With a collective sigh of relief, the whole world witnessed a joint declaration to bring an end to the Korean War and work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. To my surprise, many sources were quick to give President Trump the credit he was due for his contributions to this historic moment.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told Sky News, “If he can fix North Korea and if he can fix the Iran nuclear deal, then I don’t see why he’s any less of a candidate for a Nobel Peace Prize than Barack Obama, who got it before he even did anything.”
In April, South Korea’s president Moon Jae-in discussed the prestigious award and credited President Trump saying, “President Trump should win the Nobel Peace Prize. The only thing we need is peace.” But with recent controversies surrounding other Nobel Prizes being used as reasons to postpone their being awarded, how can we trust that they won’t postpone awarding the Peace Prize as well?
I’ve had so many people reach out to me with this concern that I can not just sit back and do nothing.
Despite foreign leaders advocating President Trump as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize, it is near impossible to find a headline about President Trump’s contribution to peace on the Korean Peninsula that doesn’t include a jab or outright insult. Rather than celebrating the accomplishment, media outlets choose to speculate on the motives for these endorsements.
What did Trump have to say about the matter? At a rally in Michigan, in front of an audience chanting “Nobel! Nobel!” President Trump simply replied “That’s very nice, thank you…I just want to get the job done.”
(Reuters)
Media bias and Washington politics should never stand in the way of recognizing peace, especially a peace that many thought may never be achieved in our lifetime. President Trump’s efforts should not be tainted by political mudslinging or unrelated controversies. Let’s put peace above politics and party lines.
People know I tell it straight and like it is. I believe we must acknowledge people who are making a difference in the world, no matter the politics behind it. That is why I am not waiting around for some secretive committee in Switzerland to tell the world what it already knows to be true…OR to play politics. I am establishing a true, clear award for those promoting peace in our world and selecting President Donald J. Trump as the inaugural recipient of the Arwood Peace Prize. Check www.arwoodpeaceprize.org for future announcements and recipients.
Mr. President, congratulations on your momentous achievement. Your actions have had a profound impact on the Korean conflict and the entire world. You have inspired us all with your out of the box efforts to promote an unlikely peace in Korea.
When you think of the Republican Party, what comes to mind? If you’re like many Americans, you may associate the GOP with racism, sexism, and general inequality. It’s a commonly pushed narrative by left-leaning media and academia, but as former Vanderbilt Professor of Political Science Carol Swain explains, the Republican Party was actually responsible for nearly every advancement for minorities and women in U.S. history—and remains the champion of equality to this day.
Many analysts view the combination of CVS and Aetna as a defensive move by the companies. CVS Health, which also recently signed an agreement with Anthem to help the insurer start its own internal pharmacy benefit manager, is looking to protect its business with Aetna as it fends off rivals like UnitedHealth Group’s OptumRx and others. Aetna, foiled in its attempt to buy Humana, is searching for new ways to expand its business.
Do you think the guy standing next to an injured person in VEGAS thought to himself, “I wonder if she’s a Democrat or a Republican?” No Way, she’s an American. We STAND TOGETHER.
The U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS John S. McCain collided with a merchant vessel off the east coast of Singapore early Monday morning. 10 sailors are currently missing, with an international search and rescue effort underway. According to a Navy official, the McCain reportedly lost steering control prior to the collision, but has since regained it.
A U.S. Navy press release states that the John S. McCain was underway east of the Straits of Malacca while transiting to what they refer to as a “routine” port visit in Singapore. At 6:24 a.m. Japanese standard time, a commercial vessel, the Alnic MC, collided with the McCain on its port side, aft – or the rear portion of its left side, looking ahead.
Maritime collisions involving two ships are considered rare, but this was the second collision involving an American naval destroyer since June.
Here are a handful of other recent collisions involving United States Navy vessels at sea — several of which included fatalities.
June 17, 2017: Seven sailors were killed when the Fitzgerald, a destroyer, was broadsided by a Philippines-registered cargo ship, about 60 miles off the coast of Japan. A Navy report released in August found that within 90 seconds of the collision, seawater began rushing through a gaping hole in the starboard hull, filling berths in which sailors had been sleeping. In response to the report’s findings, which blamed the ship’s crew, the Navy relieved two senior officers.
May 9, 2017: A 60- to 70-foot South Korean fishing boat collided with theLake Champlain, a guided-missile cruiser, on its port side while the cruiser was conducting routine operations in international waters. No one was injured. Fishing boat crew members later said the fishing vessel did not have a radio, so they did not hear the calls from the Navy, a Navy officialsaid at the time.
Aug. 19, 2016: The Louisiana, a nuclear ballistic-missile submarine, and the Eagleview, a Military Sealift Command support vessel, collided while conducting routine operations in the Strait of Juan de Fuca off the coast of Washington State. There was damage to the hulls of both the Eagleview and the Louisiana. No one was injured.
July 22, 2004: The John F. Kennedy, an aircraft carrier, and a dhow, a small traditional Arab sailing boat, collided in the Persian Gulf. The dhow sank immediately, and all those aboard are believed to have died. It is still unclear how many people were on it, but dhows — which are used mainly for transportation and fishing — can generally carry up to 15 people.
The Kennedy, which was engaged in night air operations at the time, had made a hard turn to avoid the tiny vessel. The carrier was unscathed from the impact on its starboard hull; its crew and aircraft were all accounted for, but two jet fighters on the deck were damaged when the ship turned. The Navy relieved Stephen G. Squires, the commanding officer of the Kennedy, after the episode.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
“What goes up, must come down.” I contest Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of gravity.
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John 3:15 “That everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.