Early Literacy

  Pablo Picasso learned to draw before he could speak. By the time he was a teenager he could paint masterfully. Today referring to anything as a Picasso infers excellence and originality.As I wandered through the Picasso exhibit at the Art Gallery...

“Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins.”  (Native American proverb) At Come Walk in My Moccasins events for early learning and childcare professionals, Spiritual Elder and Healer David Jock explained to mainstream...

  When doctors speak, we listen.The report of Community Action Research Project (CARP) conducted throughout Hastings and Prince Edward counties in 2011/12 shows that when families seek information, services or support, 71.3% turn to their doctor or...

Susan Ramsay is the Early Literacy Specialist for Hastings, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington. You can contact her at 613-354-6318 (ext 32)

  Would you like to make your baby smarter? “Yes!” Do you know how to make your baby smarter? “Hmmm….” When we see store shelves lined with videos designed for babies and toddlers with convincing names such as Baby Einstein we may be...

  It’s 5:25 p.m. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. Boots, big and small, tramp and skip along the hallway. Voices of parents and young children become louder as families make their way into the school library for family math night. Quick thinking readers...

  “I do not like Green Eggs and Ham. I do not like them Sam I am!” Even Dr. Seuss knew when he wrote “Green Eggs and Ham” in 1960 that picky eaters are tough to feed well. Although nutritionists tell us that children may need to be offered...

  I remember the day my eldest son Justin discovered that independent reading was fun. Justin had an insatiable appetite to hear stories read, but knowing how those words mapped to printed words on the page mystified him. He hated the books sent...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist “So, are you ready for Christmas?” My eyes fall to the ground. I have not yet finished my shopping or gift wrapping. I have not baked shortbread or decorated the Christmas tree. “Ummm,” I mumble,...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist The Canada Council on Learning October 2011 report states that internationally, Canada is losing its competitive edge with education at each stage of learning from preschoolers to senior citizens. One of...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist When warm summer days give way to cooler temperatures and shorter daylight hours, and school buses fill our roads after two months of absence, we know its ‘back to school.’ Parents do their best to...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist Facebook and Twitter are buzzing with the news. Your newborn has arrived safely. You hear your new baby cry for attention, tiny arms waving without control. What could early literacy possibly have to do...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist Sometimes it happens in the car; sometimes in the park. Kailey’s mom breaks into song: Down by the bay where the watermelons grow; back to my home I dare not go. For if I do my mother will say, “Did...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist I was driving in my car when I heard the interview on CBC. Diplomat and former lieutenant-governor of Ontario, James Bartleman, was talking about his newest book “As Long As the River Flows”. Bartleman...

"It’s time for speech therapy, Keil,” his mom calls out. “Yay!” Keil’s excitement is high. It’s always high when he realizes it’s a speech therapy day. Speech therapy to Keil means playing and spending time with his speech therapist...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist Photo: A shipping container donated by Students Crossing borders, and its transformation into a play centre in Jamaica.. “He’s just playing.” Just playing? What looks like “just playing” to...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist “Once upon a time,” Nathan’s grandpa began, “there lived a court jester named Nathaniel. Court jesters make kings and queens laugh. Nathaniel loved his job but today Nathanial was worried. How...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist Heart-shaped paper, stickers and paper doilies littered the kitchen table. Glue, scissors and a whole box of markers did too. A class list of names lay on the table between Katie and her mom.  Katie’s...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist Ellie Lee was only three when she began to bake. She washed her hands and stood on a chair to reach the kitchen counter. Ellie and her dad had already made homemade granola two days ago. Today, Ellie and...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist Madison’s mom is on tour of duty. She left shortly before Madison started school for the first time. Sometimes Madison misses her mom so much that it hurts inside. Sometimes she tries to picture her...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist Clee’s mom had found “The Pumpkin Blanket” by Deborah Turney Zagwyn on-line. It was a rare find – a picture book about a girl with the same name as her daughter. Just like her daughter, the story...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist Gavin and his dad sat snuggled on top of Gavin’s bed. “In the great green room there was a telephone, and a red balloon, and a picture of the cow jumping over the moon.” The first pages of...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist “Are we there yet?” Only ten minutes into a six-hour journey, it may be hard to match your child’s excitement with “Not yet, honey.” But parents who travel with children are resourceful. They...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist I am torn. I am never sure if it is the wagon ride with berry baskets beside me, the feel of warm sun on my skin, or the love of being completely surrounded by acres of sweet juicy strawberries that makes...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist Sometimes it’s just hard to know. When spring is especially early and the risk of frost has tipped from imminent possibility to fading memory, is it too soon to plant geraniums? What is the probability...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist “Let go! It’s mine!” Four year-old Sam snatches the ball from his sister’s grasp. Cleo, only two, knows what to do. Stomach-first, she throws herself on the floor, beats her small fists on the...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist “Alice in Wonderland” is on the big screen. Thinking of taking your child to see it during the March Break? Your child just might get more out of this wonderland than you think. Mem Fox, in her book...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist Ten-month-old Kyle had been stacking blocks with his mom. Repeatedly they had built small towers and knocked them down. “Oh no! Fall down!” Maybe it was the excitement of causing his blocks to crash...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist Sing a song of sixpence. Why? Brain experts are singing the praises of music. Neuroscience is proving that music triggers human activity and productivity. Brain research is showing us how neurotransmitters...

It’s a curious thing. Why is it that we strive so hard to protect our children from harm, yet encourage them to imagine frightening creatures and situations? Kristen stood in line for hours with her daughter waiting for the H1N1 vaccine. A clever...

by Susan Ramsay, Early Literacy Specialist It’s never too cold for a safari. You may not find wild African animals in the snow, but there are other exciting things that children will want to discover while on safari in Sharbot Lake. The Child...