VTech is an award winning electronic learning toys company

Holidays are extra joyful with young children in the house. Nothing beats the excitement of a little one unwrapping a colorful package and finding a bright new toy inside. But holiday gift buying does put extra pressure on parents. Sure, we want to please our kids, but we also want to find toys that are good for them—that are educational as well as a lot of fun. Here are some good choices from VTech that fill the bill for children from birth to age six Read all ►

How can I support my child’s literacy development? This is an important question I hear often. Developing and reinforcing children’s language and literacy skills must begin early in life. The National Reading Panel supports the importance of repeated exposure to letters, high frequency vocabulary words, vibrant language and great children’s literature. These early literacy experiences lay an important foundation for language, reading and writing development and eventual school success. Read all ►

The holiday season is upon us with its sparkling lights, parties, and stores packed with great gifts. For most kids, it’s difficult to focus on anything other than receiving gifts—can you blame them! As adults, it is our job to help kids recognize the true meaning of the season—highlighted by the qualities of generosity, kindness and appreciation. Young children respond better to action than conversation, so the very best way to connect them to the spirit of the holidays is by offering experiences rather than telling them how they ‘should’ feel. Read all ►

Make time to read every day. Daily reading promote literacy development that exposes your kids to important early concepts of print, a variety of vocabulary words and sensational stories. The ultimate goal of early literacy experiences is to hook your children on books and inspire lifelong readers. It’s a great time of year to enjoy some special seasonal titles so here’s my top ten list to get in the “Halloween Spirit.” Read all ►

What parent today isn’t aware of the massive change in children’s play, compared to our own childhoods? Sure, our parents may have worried that we were watching too much TV, but that was just a drop in the bucket compared to 24/7 digital world our kids are growing up in. Technology is everywhere, and just as most adults have become inseparable from our smartphones, laptops and tablets some children as young as infancy are getting similarly swamped by electronic interaction in ways that monopolize their attention and crowd out other forms of play. Read all ►