Swim lessons: $104/month
Soccer: $48/season
Art: $165/6 week class
Then I found out my friend pays $450/month for PRE-school!
I couldn't believe it- $450 A MONTH! They better graduate from pre-school with at least an associate's degree at that price!
And I thought I pay a lot for pre-school- I pay $135/month. Next year I'm putting together a parent co-op so I can lose that cost- that $135/month REALLY adds up fast!
But here's the real kicker...
Pre-school really doesn't matter.
Honest. It's true. Pre-school doesn't make much of a difference for a kid long-term.
In the short term it helps, sure. But by 3rd grade, most kids are average. News flash: By definition, most kids are average. Chances are, yours are too.
If you want your kids to be smarter than average, an expensive pre-school isn't the answer.
Instead, there is a tried and true, thoroughly researched way to help ensure your child's success. And the best part: It is absolutely FREE!
Here it is- the #1 way to prepare your child for Harvard for free:
READ TO YOUR CHILD EVERY DAY.
Sound simple? It is.
15 minutes, every single day. If your child is a baby, start today. If your child is 13, start today. I don't care how old your child is (well, assuming they still live at home with you). Start reading to them for 15 minutes a day.
Jim Trelease has an excellent book called, The Read Aloud Handbook. In it he gives a massive amount of convincing evidence proving the effectiveness of reading to your child.
Do you want your child to score high on the ACT?
Read to them.
Do you want your child to have a high college GPA?
Read to them.
Do you want your child to love reading?
Read to them.
Do you want to increase their vocabulary?
Read to them.
The list goes on and on as to the benefits of reading to your child.
I read The Read Aloud Handbook several months ago and immediately implemented the simple techniques. I saw results the very first day I started.
I read Charlotte's Web to my 3 and 5 year olds, and both stayed engrossed for the whole story.
Now we will sit for hours reading. And they will sit for hours pretending to read- going through books and making up stories to go along with them. TV time has greatly decreased and we have grown closer as a family.
We have found new favorite authors that we check out from the library again and again.
Here's some of our favorites:
The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Janet Stevens
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr and John Arcambault
Silly Sally by Audrey Wood
About once a week we head to the library and check out books. We come home and read for an hour or so- the kids are always extremely excited to read their new books!
If you have teenagers, it can be a little trickier- but it is just as important. Jim Trelease has great suggestions for reading to your teenager. One of the main ones is to read things that they find interesting. If they like sports, get a Sports Illustrated and while they're cleaning the dishes, say, "Hey, Jake- listen to this..." Another great read is Paul Harvey's "That's the End of the Story."
Also in Jim Trelease's book (which I did end up buying- it was 6 bucks on Amazon and well worth the money. You can, of course, get it from the library as well) is a list of great books to read aloud to your child at every age. I take that book with me to the library to help me pick the best read-aloud books.
I truly believe that reading to your child is the #1 thing you do to help their education. And if you utilize your local library, it doesn't cost a dime.
So forget about the expensive pre-schools! Save money and read to them instead. They'll be better off if you do!
***Visit Jim Trelease's blog HERE.
Kudos to you for an excellent post! Reading everyday is so simple, yet makes all of the difference. My children are grown now, but I hope to pass on the love of books to my granddaughter. She is only 9 months but loves her little books. It is never too early to start.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment! I wholeheartedly agree- it is never too early!
ReplyDeleteI always knew reading to kids was important, but reading Jim Trealease's book really opened my eyes to just how important it is. Now I try to make it a daily priority, not just an afterthought.