School Year Resolutions - Routines for Reading from the Creator of Tessy & Tab

We'd like to introduce a brand new Role Mommy contributor - Peggy MacDonald, the co-founder of Blue Lake Publishing, the co-creator of the Tessy and Tab Reading series and a mom of three. Peggy is going to offer monthly columns on our site that'll get your kids on the right track to reading!

ROUTINES FOR READING

September is a bit like the New Year for me as I keep thinking of "New School Year Resolutions" to integrate into our lives: new strategies for getting out of the house in the morning without panicking, planning our after school activities so they are actually manageable, and creating new bedtime routines to help us all get more sleep!

So now is the perfect time to think about setting new routines focused on reading. Here are a few simple ideas:

1. Read at least 20 minutes every day!
   Nothing new about this recommendation but be sure to make it part of a routine. Set a designated time to read to or with your preschooler as well as one for your older children to read 20 minutes on their own.


2. Make regular trips to the library.
   Choose a day of the week (or month, as is the case for me!) to make a trip to the library. Helps keep fresh reading material available for your designated reading time and it can be like going to a candy store for a toddler!


3. Integrate reading in other activities.
   Keep some reading material in the car for when you are shuffling kids to and from school and activities. If you have a game night, look for games that help children learn about letters or words like the I Spy Preschool Game or Scrabble Junior.

But most of all, keep it fun. Happy reading!

About Peggy and Blue Lake Children’s Publishing - SPECIAL OFFER!
Peggy MacDonald is a co-founder of Blue Lake Children’s Publishing and mother of three. Based in Portland, Oregon, Blue Lake publishes a twice-monthly magazine for preschoolers called The Tessy & Tab Reading Club which is designed to help children ages 2-6 build the Six Skills for Early Literacy. Role Mommy readers will receive thirteen months for the price of twelve (that’s 2 free issues!) by entering the coupon code RoleMommy07 when placing an order online at www.tessyandtab.com.