“There is no app to replace your lap: Read to your child.”
Hello,
Thank you for subscribing to The Irby Review. The Irby Review is a monthly newsletter from Alvin Irby, founder of Barbershop Books. For insights on current events in education, read Irby’s commentary on these interesting articles.
Reading to Your Toddler? Print Books Are Better Than Digital Ones
A disturbing national survey of school-age children and parents shows there has been a steady decrease in students who like to read for fun. How can we plant the seeds early and make reading both beneficial and fun for our children?Research in the Journal of Pediatrics from University of Michigan tells us it is better when parents and children read print books together versus books on an electronic device where the child is susceptible to distractions. A book in print promotes dialogue between the listener and reader, another skills which is getting lost in the digital age. Read more
How A Literacy-First Program Revived A School
The odds are against the students who live in a high poverty area and attend a Title 1 elementary school in the Bronx, previously shut down for poor performance. Despite the circumstances, the school experienced a remarkable turnaround. The results? In 2018, 88% of students passed state English and math tests and the school was awarded a Blue Ribbon for Excellence from the U.S. Department of Education. The principal, who is also the sole administrator on campus, attributes the new success and revitalization to a few key factors. Read more
Study: Too Many Structured Activities May Hinder Children’s Executive Functioning
How do children become self-directed as they mature, without getting help from others? A new psychologists’ study examined the schedules of 70 six-year oldsand suggest that the kids who spent time in less structured activities have more highly developed self-directed functions like planning and decision making. Less structured was defined as time a child spent deciding what to do and how to do it. Is it time to get rid of all sports activities and music lessons? Certainly not, but it may be time to reexamine your children’s schedules and allow more free time. Read more
Kids don’t come with instructions. This author shines light on the distractions and impatience we can feel at home with children, and how the local library is a “happy place” for all. Whether a visit to the library is a special day trip or a family routine, parents are smiling when their young ones are bent over books and the budding readers are feeling the freedom to choose their own books, and the joys of entering a new world. Read more
I finally got around to reading this article from a few months back. Whether you agree or disagree, it certainly gives one food for thought. Author and lawyer Derecka Purnell is critical of President Obama’s February speech to young Black men. According to Purnell, “Rather than advocating policies that address social and financial inequalities, Obama lectures Black men on how they are supposed to act and what they should wear.” What do you think? Read more
Best,
Alvin Irby
Founder & Chief Reading Inspirer
Barbershop Books
PS
– Did you miss any of the past issues? View them all here.
– For book recs, helpful tips, more ed commentary, visit Barbershop Books’ blog!
