Playing with Hidden Treasures: Games and Activities for Children and Teens

Written by Karen Ward-Wilder

This book is a compilation of games and activities that parents can enjoy with children. It employs common household materials like vinegar, paper, pencils, photos, ribbon, paper plates, and water to develop and enhance skills.

The activities involve memory, communication, math skills, listening skills, spatial orientation, music, movement, personal hygiene, and sensory awareness. Here is one example, dancing, and singing to the music of different generations. Each player selects two or three songs and writes the names on paper. Mix up papers on the table. Each player selects dances and/or sings that song, receiving points for being able to do so. Adults and children learn about each other’s music.

Adults and older siblings may need to supervise younger children in some of these activities. This book offers many opportunities for family-sharing while staying inside during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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As a special educator, I have worked with preschoolers and elementary school age children diagnosed with reading disabilities and speech language problems. I taught the Wilson Reading Program, which is a phonics based approach to reading. While I found it effective with many of my students, it did not meet the needs of all of them.

A lifelong book-lover, Dr. Karen Holinga’s interest in helping children learn to read began during her six years as a classroom teacher, where she saw how much some children struggled to master the skill. Her desire to solve the puzzle only increased during the twelve years she homeschooled her own children.

Eager to better understand the reading process, Dr. Karen pursued a doctorate in Developmental Reading, Curriculum, and Professional Development from The Ohio State University.

With Happy Cheetah Reading, she has taken all her expertise—years of classroom experience, years homeschooling, her doctoral research, and her extensive clinical practice—and crafted a simple plan. As The Reading Doctor, she has successfully helped over 25,000 children learn to read— many of whose parents had lost hope. She knows how some students struggle, and she knows how to help. 

I am presenting this program as a resource for parents and educators and not as an endorsement or beneficiary of any of its products.

As you might guess from the name, auditory processing relates to sound. But children with poor auditory processing are not usually hearing impaired. Rather, these children’s brains don’t interpret the incoming sounds correctly. 

Is There a Cure?

Auditory processing is a developmental issue. 

This means it’s like losing teeth, which is another developmental milestone. Children who lose their first teeth at age four are not “better” than those who lose their first teeth at age seven. If your five-year-old doesn’t have a loose tooth yet, you don’t get angry, or start Tooth Loosening Therapy. Teeth loss is developmental, and it will happen when it happens.

With auditory processing, it’s the same way. You can’t make it happen, so release yourself from any pressure. There is no appointment for you to make, no official diagnosis that will help. There is no fix for the neurology. 

Most children work through their auditory processing issues and eventually catch up with their peers, when their body is ready.

Symptoms of Poor Auditory Processing

If, as you read through these symptoms, one or two stand out to you, then assume that, yes, your child deals with auditory processing.

1) Poor phonemic awareness. A single sound is called a phoneme (FOE neem), and children who can’t hear the difference between sounds have “poor phonemic awareness.” This means they cannot easily separate or distinguish individual sounds, and have an especially hard time distinguishing between short vowel sounds, such as bet and bit. 

Children with poor phonemic awareness will probably not be able to determine which of these pairs of words rhyme:  

sock – sell 

rim – slim

sink – drink

tap – shirt 

These children can’t hear the wrong rhymes, and can’t guess the right rhymes. 

This also can show up in very slow letter sound acquisition. It took my son three years of daily work to (mostly) remember the 26 basic letter sounds and their written component.

2) Difficulty with word retrieval. My son would know what he wanted to say, but his brain couldn’t access the specific words. For example, he might say, “Hey, Mom, remember the book about the person who went on a trip?”

And based on the context of whatever we had recently been talking about, I could usually guess, “Do you mean the book about Chris taking the logs down the Mississippi in Swift Rivers?” 

But not always. “Hey, Mom, do you remember when we went to that place and rode on that thing?” could equally apply to the time when our family went to the amusement park and rode the tram, or to the airport and rode on the moving sidewalk, or to the lake and rode on the paddle board. Which sentence is my son trying to communicate? 

When children have difficulty with word retrieval, the specifics of language are missing, those clarifying and important words that differentiate experience. 

3) Unclear or delayed speech. Self-explanatory.

4) Delayed auditory processing. These children’s brains overload really easily, because they can’t process language quickly. 

In fact, some children process information 80% more slowly. 

Think about trying to do anything if your brain had slowed down 80%. How much less would you comprehend?

4) Poor auditory memory. Children with poor auditory memory don’t remember what they hear, so they miss a lot. 

If a parent says, “Go to your room, get your shoes, and meet me at the door,” the children will show up at the door, but without their shoes. 

This isn’t because they’re deliberately disobeying. They simply cannot remember.

On occasion, my son will have listened to almost all of a chapter book. Then, on page 250 of 300, he’ll ask about a key secondary character, “Now who was that again?” He more-or-less has understood the book, but he clearly doesn’t have specific ideas about the different characters.

5) Difficulty with hearing the number of syllables in a word. You may have heard the trick of clapping syllables, a clap for each syllable. So one clap for cat, two claps for tiger, three claps for beautiful, four claps for hyperactive. 

My son would guess: “Does computer have one syllable? Does cake have two?” It was astonishing to see all the ways he would contort his speech to make the syllable claps fit the word. 

When children can’t hear syllables, it makes reading programs that focus on syllables almost impossible. 

Does this sound like your child?

If this sounds like your child, I encourage you to keep reading. Some children, like my son, have both auditory processing delays, and the other challenge that we’ll cover tomorrow.

But if this sounds like your child, only one reading program on the market is going to help your child. Every Orton-Gillingham program, supposedly the “gold standard” for struggling readers, focuses on syllable division and rule memorization. For a student who has a hard time hearing and remembering the letters themselves, loading them down with rules is unhelpful at best, and destructive at worst. 

I am thrilled that a program exists that acknowledges and allows struggling readers to move forward, even with delayed auditory processing. 

The Happy Cheetah Reading System is designed to get your child up to speed as quickly as possible.  happycheetah.com

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FEELING OVERWHELMED AND ISOLATED?

DON’T KNOW HOW TO ORGANIZE FAMILY SCHEDULES WHILE WE ARE ALL WORKING FROM HOME?

Here are a few ideas to keep things running smoothly and making everyone in the family more productive.

Create a To-Do List the Night Before

Instead of waking up in the morning to make your to-do list, make your list the night before. This way you can go to bed relaxed and confident for the next day. You also wake up in the morning knowing exactly what you have planned for the day. You might also consider planning on Sunday night for the upcoming week. Then when you wake on Monday you have a plan in place.

Prioritize

Take a look at the tasks on your list. What tasks offer the largest return? What tasks offer the most value and achievement? For example, answering email or paying bills isn’t a task that offers a large return. However, making a sale or meeting with a client is a very productive task. Put your most profitable or results-oriented tasks first on your list.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep

The quality of your sleep is important to sustain your energy levels throughout your day. Good sleep means you’ll be fresh and energetic all day long. Creating a to-do list is a good way to help you get a good night’s sleep because you can put the day’s stresses to rest.

Also consider adding soothing nighttime rituals to your routine. For example, meditate, stretch or read before you go to bed. Keep a gratitude journal and write before you sleep. Go to bed and wake at the same time to help your body know what to expect.

Eat Healthy

The food you eat has a direct correlation to how energetic and productive you are. Junk food will make you sluggish. Healthy food will help you stay energized all day long. Feed your body well and it will respond by keeping you alert and energetic.

Get Organized      

If you spend half your time searching for files, names and numbers, you are wasting time. Make sure any items that you use on a regular basis are easy to grab from your desk chair or find in your computer. They should be easy to find and use.

Take Breaks

Productivity doesn’t mean working from sun-up to sundown. In fact, if you work without stopping, you’re likely to burn out. Instead, commit to taking a break every hour. Walk around or get some air to get the blood moving throughout your body.

Focus

Do you multi-task hoping it’ll make you more productive? Do you manage one task while your mind is already onto the next task? Both habits are unproductive. When you focus on what you’re doing, not only is the task more enjoyable, it also gets done faster and better.

Productivity is possible. With a little planning, attention, and self-care you can get more done in half the time. These tools are simple but effective. Try just one of these steps and watch your own personal productivity improve.

Children’s book week is coming up the first week of May. This year I will be marketing online as schools are closed and the largest children’s book festival in my state has been canceled. No personal appearances in schools or book signings for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, here are a few ways authors can use their free time to help fellow authors.

I found this article on Book Marketing Buzz and would like to share it because its message is a positive one. There will be light at the end of the tunnel for all of us.

Many libraries, schools, and bookstores are closed. Amazon is behind in deliveries. Speaking appearances and book signings have been canceled. So how are books being sold in this environment?

Here are the answers each correct in some fashion:·        

Social media is helping to sell more books·         

Traditional and digital media is covering books·         

Authors are doing webinars and online courses to sell books·         

New online retailers are sprouting up·         

Not everything is closed everywhere – it just sounds like that·         

E-books are skyrocketing·         

Audiobook downloads are surging

There is reason to hope. Everyone is cooped up and is open to reading books. Many run to the safe confines of books, whether to escape reality or to use this time to learn what they had been meaning to finally get to.
So many books do well in this environment, including:

Children’s Books – kids need to learn and be entertained without school·         

Thrillers – always a good time for them·         

History – let’s learn from past disasters, depression, and pandemics – or read about better days of the past·         

Entertainment – love a good distraction·         

Personal Finance – time to balance a budget and grow your assets·         

Investing – gotta make back the money lost on Wall Street·         

Survivalist Techniques – we are all preppers now·         

Politics – the 2020 election is coming·         

Humor – we need a laugh·         

Sports – we can read about the past until the future games begin·         

Health –  this is our number one focus – how to stay healthy in mind and body·         

Religion – we need some spiritual nourishment, especially when the churches and temples are closed·         

Self-Help/Motivation – we all need uplifting stories now·         

Cooking – if you can’t hit a restaurant or even afford takeout, learn how to cook       

Travel — if you can go somewhere physically, time to go with your mind — and plan a future trip

Plus, let’s look forward, whether it is weeks, a month or a few months – stores will reopen, delivery times will improve, and the financial devastation will slow down and start to return to better times.
But for the moment, as the world is upside down and filled with pain, fear, and uncertainty – and financial insecurity fills millions of homes and thousands of others confront death and severe illness – the book world is combusting. Indie stores have laid-off workers and shuttered operations.

Some publishers are looking at bankruptcy or a merger. Book releases scheduled for April or May are getting pushed back. Even the nation’s leading book trade show, Book Expo America, had to reschedule its date but right now its home, the Javits Center in NYC, is being used as a makeshift hospital to battle a plague. It is ugly out there. Still, the belief is it is temporary and we just need to weather the storm for the moment.

A decade ago the industry was hit by many challenges – the Great Recession, the ebook revolution,  Amazon taking over the industry as Borders drop dead, technology allowing for the majority of published books to be self-published, and the Internet providing free competition for content providers.

But the American book industry rose from the dead and all of that transition and uncertainty. It is going through another tough time now, as many Americans are. Every day that passes means we get a day closer to recovery. The pandemic seems like it is a book that has no end, but the truth is, we know how it ends. And we know that the book world will get a new beginning and rise up. I can’t wait for the sequel!

So, I want to end this post with a positive message for my author friends. In the meantime, stay strong, stay safe, stay calm and REMAIN PRODUCTIVE!

A Wet Nose Christmas

Written and Illustrated by A.R. Harwell

A boy and his father visit the pound a couple of days before Christmas. The little boy chooses a black puppy with a white spot on his chest and a red bow around his neck.

They bring the dog back to their farm where he eagerly plays in the snow. On Christmas morning, the puppy receives three gifts, for which he is so grateful. The boy promises to love, feed and train the puppy, and he is rewarded with all the love the puppy can give.

This book is written in rhymes that are easy to read. Children learn respect for animals, love, kindness and responsibility. Harwell captures the mood well in her illustrations. This is a winner for any child who loves animals. Caution, they may ask you for a wet nose puppy after reading this book.

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Topsy Turvy: Bedtime with a Smile Picture Book (Bedtime Stories with Uncle Willy 3)

Written by Sarah Mazor

Illustrations by Sergii Zavadskyi

I always look forward to a new collection of Uncle Willy’s zany stories for preschool and primary grade children.

In Book 3, Uncle Willy tells the tale of a town named ComeGo where everything is topsy turvy. The children teach their parents basic skills like how to ride a swing or a bike. People say goodbye when they meet and hello when the leave. Animals behave strangely. Bears hang on trees like monkeys and cows play like puppies. Pigeons lick themselves like cats and people pull carts instead of horses. Children learn about opposites while having a good laugh.

The fun continues as readers are urged to create their own fanciful stories. They are presented with fifteen riddles and given four choices. Correct answers are given. These activities can be done with an adult or in a group with other children. I highly recommend the entire Uncle Willy series of books.

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Check out my newest podcast discussion with Howard Fox.

SPIES, CODE BREAKERS, AND SECRET AGENTS: A WORLD WAR II BOOK FOR KIDS

Written by Carole P. Roman

Illustrated by Alessandra Santelli

Author-winning children’s book author, Carole P. Roman has hit it out of the park with this nonfiction book. This book provides a comprehensive of about the importance of spies during World War II.

Chapter One begins with the background and causes leading to the war’s outbreak. The importance of spies in winning the war in both the Atlantic and Pacific spheres is the focus of the book.

Young readers receive a clear picture of the training, weapons, and tools used in spycraft. Secret armies and the intelligence organizations operations in each country are discussed. Illustrations provide visuals that provide greater insight.

I found the chapters featuring biographical portraits of the spies one of the most interesting sections. Spies worked in many professions. Chef Julia Child and author Graham Greene operated undercover. Roman discusses double agents and the Native Americans who broke the Japanese code. Before closing, the author explains how some wartime spy organizations still exist and how they have adopted modern tools of technology.

The Glossary explains terms used and provides more websites to explore. It also lists espionage monuments and museums that may be visited. For inquisitive minds looking to find out even more, Roman includes a bibliography of the resources she used in her research.

I would recommend this book to children who love adventure, espionage, and history. It’s a perfect read for middle-grade students, but an eye-opener for adults as well.

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Hi Friends,

I want to assist all those who are sheltered in place by sharing the information from fellow authors, educators, and teachers.

I will be posting daily on all my social media sites but in particular on:

Facebook Page https://facebook.com/Littlemisshistory.com

Twitter Page https://twitter.com/bamauthor

Check out my Pinterest Board for lesson plans, book suggestions, printables, and activities. https://www.pinterest.com/bamauthor/

Check out my youtube channel for videos to supplement your lessons.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVUU3m8cCeBUr2wxHAQi6Lw

Beginning March 23, children’s book authors are coming together to read and share stories and activities with children at home on the Facebook page Storytime Adventures with Children at 12:00 P.M. CDT. I will be reading on March 31.

10 Ways to Stay Positive

• Think about gratitude, not complaining
• Think about others, not yourself
• Think about forming new relationships, not what others give you
• Think one day at a time, not the future
• Think about the things you have, not what you’re missing
• Think about new opportunities, not things you have lost
• Think about making progress, not how hard things are
• Think about making your life better, not the way things are right now
• Think about giving value, not how much money you can make
• Think about responding to changes in new ways, not the events you missed

Stay safe by following all federal and state guidelines but don’t expose children to pandemic news 24/7.

Answer children’s questions calmly and clearly according to their age

Don’t create unrealistic expectations but address disappointments

Create a schedule and stick to it

Make sure you get outside to exercise, if possible. If you live in an apartment, create indoor exercise programs

Enlist older children to work with younger siblings

Stay in touch with relatives and friends via telephone and social media.

Check on the elderly.

Relax and remain calm! We will get through this together.

Hi Fellow Authors,

I just wanted to share with you an amazing list of hashtags that you can use on social media, courtesy of Frances Caballo. There are also suggestions for when and how to use them.

45+ Twitter Hashtags for Writers

The list below contains hashtags that writers can use to be discovered and to find readers.

#1K1H: This hashtag communicates that you’re about to write 1,000 words in one hour.

#1LineWednesday: Share the best line from one of your books on Wednesdays and use this hashtag.

#99c: If you have a spare $0.99 to spend on a new story, use this tag in your Twitter search bar, and you’ll find a cheap eBook. You can also use this hashtag to find new readers if you’re selling an eBook for this price.

#Amazon / #GooglePlay / #Kobo / #iTunes / #Smashwords: Use these hashtags to let your readers know where your book is available for download or order.

#AmazonCart: You can encourage your readers to connect their Amazon and Twitter accounts. Then each time your readers include #AmazonCart in a tweet, Amazon will know to add the items with the corresponding Amazon link to your readers’ shopping carts.

#amwriting / #amediting: These terms are commonly used for Twitter chats you join. Johanna Harness is the creator of the term #amwriting as well as the www.amwriting.orgwebsite. Chats take place throughout the day. Some authors use #amediting to let their readers know that they are editing their next book.

#AuthorChat: This hashtag is used for ongoing conversations between authors.

#askagent / #askauthor: These are great tags for writers who don’t have an agent or editor, but have questions for them. Who knows? You just might find your next editor or agent on Twitter.

#askeditor: Similar to the above hashtag, use this one to ask an editing question.

#bestseller: Have you written a best seller? Let everyone know. Refrain from using this hashtag if you haven’t written a best seller. Are you reading a best seller? Show your readers that you read as well by including the title, a link, and this hashtag in a tweet.

#bibliophile / #bookworm / #reader: If you’re looking for a reader for your books, add one of these hashtags to a tweet about one of your books.

#bookgiveaway: Is your book listed for free during a Kindle promotion? Use this hashtag. Use it also for your Goodreads giveaways.

#bookmarket / #bookmarketing / #GetPublished: Search for this hashtag to learn more about marketing your books.

#bookworm: Looking for avid readers? Use this hashtag when tweeting about your books.

#BYNR (Book Your Next Read): Authors use this hashtag to promote their books.

#eBook: Did you release an ebook or recently convert a hard copy novel to an ebook? Use this hashtag so that iPad, Nook, Kobo, and Kindle users can download it.

#FollowFriday / #FF: This is a fun Twitter tradition for expressing gratitude to your retweeters by giving them exposure to a wider audience. On Friday mornings, write a message composed of the usernames of your most loyal retweeters. You can also use #FF to connect with writers you admire or members of your critique group or book club.

#Free / #Giveaway: This has become a popular hashtag on Twitter. Let readers know when you’re offering your next book or story giveaway.

#FreeDownload: Use this hashtag when you want to promote your book as being free.

#FreebieFriday: If you offer a book giveaway on a Friday, use this hashtag.

#FridayRead: On Fridays, you can share what you’re reading. Refrain from using this hashtag for your book. Authors use this hashtag to communicate their love of reading.

#Genre/ #Romantic / #Comedy / #Suspense /#Mystery / #Erotica / Paranormal / Poetry / #DarkThriller / Dark Fantasy, etc.: Some readers search specifically by genre when looking for a new book. Use the hashtag that corresponds to your genre.\

#Goodreads: Use this hashtag when referring to a review, book giveaway, or favorite quote on Goodreads.

#Greatreads: You can use this hashtag for promoting your friends’ books or just sharing your impressions of the last book you read.

#Holidays: #Halloween, #Christmas, #Hanukkah, and other holidays are sometimes trending on Twitter. Use them in creative ways to promote your blog and books when you feature an event or blog post related to a holiday.

#HotTitles: Have you read some books lately that are selling like wildfire? Let your Tweeps know about them. (Don’t use this hashtag for your books.)

#Instapoet: Use this hashtag to attract traffic to your Instagram account, to identify yourself as a poet who has risen through the ranks as an avid social media user, or to attract attention to similar poets.

#KidLit/#PictureBook: Authors of children’s books will want to use these hashtags.

#kindle: If you have a book on Kindle, let everyone know.

#KindleBargain: Use this hashtag when your book is listed temporarily for free.

#memoir: Connect with other memoirists and readers by using this hashtag. Also, designate your latest memoir with this hashtag.

#nanowrimo: Every November, thousands of writers take part in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), the effort to write a novel in one month. The project started in 1989 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Over time, it became a national and then international effort. By 2013, NaNoWriMo attracted 310,000 adult novelists, plus an additional 89,500 young writers. You can keep in touch with other NaNoWriMo writers all over the world by using the #nanowrimo hashtag in your tweets or by searching for this term. Use it to let your readers know that you’re writing another volume in a series you write too.

#ShortStory: Do you prefer to write short stories? Attract new admirers with this hashtag.

#ThankfulThursday: Similar to #FF, use this hashtag to thank other users in your community.

#WhatToRead: Looking for a new book to read? Use this hashtag in Twitter’s search bar.

#WLCAuthor: The World Literary Café is a promotional website for authors. Similar to the Independent Author Network (#IAN), Indie authors who join these organizations help each other in their promotions. TIP: These types of hashtags are unfamiliar to your readers so use them thoughtfully, if at all.

#wordcount: With this hashtag you can share your progress with other writers on the book or story you’re writing.

#writegoal: Users include this hashtag to announce publicly how many words they intend to write that day.

#WriterWednesday / #WW: Use this hashtag to connect with writers you admire and authors who are your colleagues.

#WritersBlock / #WriteMotivation: Do you sometimes need a little motivation in the mornings to get your writing started? Use these hashtags to find your inspiration. If you’re also an editor, use these hashtags to inspire authors.

#WritersLife: If you have a fun image or quote to share about writing or the writing process, use this hashtag to amuse your author colleagues.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Check out this list of 45+ hashtags for authors via @CaballoFrances” quote=”Check out this list of 45+ hashtags for authors “]

#writetip / #writingtip: If you don’t have time to take a workshop, trying using these hashtags to learn more about your craft. Authors who are book coaches or editors can use these hashtags to attract new clients.

#writing / #editing: These terms are similar to #amwriting and #amediting.

#writingblitz: Use this term to let your followers know that today you are writing as fast as you can.

#writingfiction: Fiction writers use this hashtag to meet each other or to share their books, goals, or ideas on writing fiction.

#writingprompt / #writeprompt: Is it hard to get started on the next chapter of your novel? Well, worry no more. Log on to Twitter, search for this tag, and you’ll find a great prompt to get those creative juices bubbling.

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