I haven't recently posted anything specifically for my Books Over Looks blog series, the purpose of which is to talk about how to help kids, particularly girls, realize books, reading, education and thought are more important than material things or how many likes they have on Instagram. A recent study that found as early as 6 years old, girls already think they are NOT as smart as boys made me think it was time for another installment.
Everyone wants a smart kid right? But how do you raise a smart kid? And can you or is it just genetics?
In the next installment of my Books Over Looks blog series, which focuses on how to encourage children, particularly girls, to look to books and reading to increase self-esteem and knowledge rather than appearances and materials possessions, guest blogger Elizabeth MacKenzie Biedell (check out her bio at the end) talks about the merits of book clubs for children and provides some perspective based on her experiences trying to start a book club with her daughter.
A few weeks ago my family and I were in the airport, preparing for an overseas trip. In the waiting lounge, I said hello to a young girl, aged around 4 years old, who was waiting with her dad in the seating area. She was very social and immediately engaged with me. Right away, I asked her if she liked reading and what her favorite book was. She absolutely lit up! Her favorite book was Clara the Cookie Fairy and she had the book with her! We sat together for the next 15 minutes or so, reading this delightful and amazing book together. This experience reminded me of the inspiring and creative post below by Lisa Bloom from 2011. It’s an eye-opening approach to engaging a girl about her mind via books instead of what she’s wearing.
K.L. Kranes 