Latest news with #Lovevery
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Summer Slump? Not with Lovevery's Reading Skill Set. Here's My Honest Review
PureWow editors select every item that appears on this page, and some items may be gifted to us. Additionally, PureWow may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story. All prices are accurate upon date of publish. You can learn more about the affiliate process here. You can learn more about that process here. Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Read the original article on Purewow. As a mom of two, the most helpful thing I learned about reading is that it is a slow burn, and every kid goes at their own pace. In my experience, the schools do the hard work via daily practice, but of course, our children are a sum of their parts. For example, in the case of my now 7-year-old son, he was exposed to syllables and consonants at a younger age via speech therapy, which helped; I also found him to have the biggest breakthroughs in terms of sounding things out when it was a book he cared about and felt invested in. (The Elephant & Piggie series was a gateway for us.) Still, confidence is critical when it comes to reading skills and, last year, he struggled to feel at ease when paired with a reading partner who he deemed 'better' than he was. (He especially felt sheepish when sounding out a tough word while reading aloud.) Enter Lovevery's Reading Skill Set, a play-based collection of games and books—with input from literacy and early childhood education experts—which is designed to make reading fun and tactile. More importantly, it offers a variety of ways to engage, so that it meets your kid where they are in their ability. (More on that below.) I'm thrilled to report that I've had quite a bit of time with the skill set—I've been testing it since it debuted at the end of last year with the help of my then-6-year-old and have had quite a bit of time to read the books, play the games and experience the ins and outs of the three-part set. To give a bit more background about my son's experience with reading: Like I said, the subject matter counts. There needs to be an immediate hook that invites kids to engage. What's helpful with Lovevery is the familiarity: The Reading Skill Set has the same look and feel as the brand's signature (and beloved) play kits, but most importantly for parents, it comes with the same clear and constructive Montessori-based instructions for how to maximize the use of it. That's what most stood out to me in the many months since I started using the kits—how much the Reading Skill Set takes the pressure off when it comes to helping kids build their strength and ability with a skill that is so closely monitored and discussed. More than anything, it's designed to be fun and effective, the ultimate education goal. Rachel Bowie The Reading Skill Set is broken out into three different sets: Part 1 focuses on Sounds to Reading; Part 2 on Word to Books; and Part 3 is centered on Advanced Rules to Chapter Books. Before you invest, it's crucial that you note your child's ability and truly take stock of where they're at and the kit they're most ready for. (For example, as my son enters second grade, he's definitely more in the part three zone than part one, which is Lovevery's assessment, but also my own.) That said, there is wiggle room here. In my experience with the sets, my son has relished each one—part one and part two included—even as he gains proficiency. Here's why: As he builds upon his skills, each set gives him the chance to practice what he's learned. So, yes, he's comfortable with syllables and vowels, but he continually reaches for the syllable race game and the follow the sound maze in part one. The Crossword puzzle builder in part two is another favorite, but also still a challenge. And part three includes a treasure trove of books—all designed to build on what he's learned—that he loves to read and re-read again as his skills grow. The point is this: Yes, you want to tailor the set you select to your child's ability, but it's worth recognizing that the sets are appealing even when the knowledge they're imparting has been grasped. Alexia Dellner As I mentioned, there are three different sets to choose from, each costing $160 in price. Part one is aimed at helping your child develop pre-k and kindergarten skills and comes with nine skill-based games and seven books. The focus with this set is on isolating sounds, learning letter sounds and first spelling and reading. Part two targets kindergarten and first grade skills and comes with seven skill-based games and activities, plus 13 books, all aimed at teaching basic blending, comprehensive blending and storytelling. (The way this aligned and augmented what my child was learning in the classroom was impressive.) Part three—designed for first and second graders—includes four skill-based games, plus a whopping 27 books. The skills that are put into practice here are learning vowel rules, learning about prefixes and suffixes and reading chapter books. Also included with each set: Lovevery's signature play guides, plus access to the brand's online portal, which has even more offerings for parents eager to help guide their kids with increased support. Lovevery There was a moment when I tested Lovevery's Play Kits many years ago where I discovered the Turtle Hatch game and it unlocked something inside me as a parent—a chance to witness my child's rapidly developing skills, but also a true moment of joy as we played one of our first games with real rules together. It's something I'll always remember. The reading kits provide the same type of experience between parent and child. I'll admit that when they first arrived, I grimaced a bit—only because I couldn't help but remember my own experience with reading kits as a kid. (A neighbor of ours was launching a business and we were volunteer testers, but it was primarily flashcard-based.) But then my son reached for the Syllable Race Game in the first set. The rules make it so you have to break words into syllables in order to know the number of spaces you get to go as you race your dog around the track. (There's a wood-on-wood tapping sound, too, which helps to reinforce the beat—and the skill.) We were having fun playing and counting out syllables to words like 'elephant' when he drew what's called a 'See & Say' card, which required him to look around the room and count the syllables of an object of his own choosing. 'Ankylosaurus,' he said referencing his favorite dinosaur stuffie. 'That's five, mom!' he said, thrilled he found a way to sail speedily around the board—then win. It was hilarious, but also fun. The mastery of syllables, a skillset he was subliminally picking up? That was the icing on the cake. The same applies to sets two and three, which were more age-appropriate for his current reading level. The R-Vowel Frog Hop (from set 3) was another kid-pleaser. The goal is to build a path of lily pads to beat your opponent to the other side while learning how vowel sounds change when followed by the letter 'r.' I was stunned to see how quickly my son became proficient, besting me in terms of quickness as he nailed more complex vowels. (These are just two of games we had positive experiences with—pretty much everything that comes included is a stand-out and something you'll keep in regular rotation as kids build on their skills.) It's true: The Lovevery Reading Skill Set isn't cheap, but for parents looking to extend their child's literacy skills at home, the quality and comprehensiveness of these kits is unmatched. Back to my experience with my own son—it's a cliché, but the best way in is to make learning fun. These kits are designed to do just that, but with a load of science and Montessori-backed wisdom behind them. TBH, they remind me of the play kits, which provide developmentally backed toys that take the pressure off playtime while helping parents feel more confident in their approach. Replace that same idea with literacy as the main goal and that's what you get with the reading skill set. $160 at Lovevery 50 Kindergarten Books to Help Foster a Love of Reading
The Guardian
12-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
How to raise kind children: lead by example, talk it over … and get a dog
' In a hostile world, many parents might be anxious about how to raise a kinder generation – and if so, science backs you. Children who are more empathetic 'tend to have more positive interactions and more satisfying relationships with friends and family,' says Jessica Rolph, co-founder of early childhood development company Lovevery. Studies show that kids who can form strong relationships do better in school, she adds. And Jaime Thurston, chief executive of the School of Kindness, says it's 'the most important thing we can teach children'. She adds: 'Kindness doesn't just benefit the person we're kind to, it has a positive impact on our own physical and mental wellbeing. Kindness can be a simple but powerful way to help children feel calmer and happier.' 'Children are growing up in a world where they will witness conflict, misinformation and unfiltered emotions,' says psychotherapist Anna Mathur, who insists kindness is 'about resilience, critical thinking and understanding they can be kind without being passive. It's about equipping them to engage with the world thoughtfully, stand up for what's right, and contribute to a culture of respect and compassion.' So how best to raise kind children? Don't fear if your kid displays all the tenderness of Hannibal Lecter – kindness can be taught. Experts almost unanimously agree that role-modelling is key – in play, but also in real life. 'Our studies show children are strongly influenced by what they observe adults doing,' says Bruce Hood, developmental psychologist and author of The Science of Happiness. 'If we model sharing, kindness and generosity to others, children will instinctually copy this behaviour. Likewise, if they see adults modelling greed and cruelty, these will be considered normal.' Mathur suggests letting your child see kindness as part of daily life by encouraging anything from opening a door to sharing a snack. 'Kids are always watching, and when they see us speak kindly they take it in. They also witness the response, be it a de-escalation, or seeing someone comforted, so they see the benefits.' It's not all about big gestures, the child psychologist Laverne Antrobus says. 'Please' and 'thank you' – and, yes, modelling it – are important. 'Those are the words that really start the building blocks of kindness,' she says, branding them 'the oil in the engine' of kindness and consideration. 'What kind thing did you do or see today?' is one to add to post-school conversations, suggests Thurston. 'My son said there was a boy being mean to him,' she adds. 'We chatted about what might be going on in that boy's mind. Maybe he feels sad or angry, doesn't have many friends, or no one is kind to him. We don't know what caused that boy to act that way, but people who are happy and confident don't tend to be mean.' These conversations help children understand kindness is a choice, something Liz Bates, author of Cool to Be Kind, says is key. She suggests asking: 'Why might someone choose to be unkind if they could choose to be kind? If children aren't asked that, they never get an opportunity to think about it or question behaviours.' 'Praise the effort, not just the outcome,' advises Mathur, by saying things such as: 'It was so kind of you to ask your sister if she was OK when she fell over.' This gently affirms and encourages empathy and kindness. Antrobus agrees that children need to see the benefits of kindness – which requires feedback. 'Good nursery teachers say things like 'That was kind, you really thought about that person,' and you just see the child's face light up. They're thinking: 'I'm the most special person in the world, because not only have I done something good, it's also benefited somebody else.'' When she started to fear an empathy gap in her own pre-teen children, Lorraine Candy, a podcaster and author of Mum, What's Wrong With You? 101 Things Only the Mothers of Teenage Girls Know, took the advice of a family therapist: 'I put a note on the inside of our front door that read: 'Do one kind thing today'. It was a neurological reminder or mantra to be kind – I ignored the teen eye-rolling because I saw it as part of my own parental role-modelling.' 'Young children are naturally egocentric,' says Rolph. 'This is a normal part of their development, as they must first make sense of the world around them through their own eyes, before they can see it through someone else's. In fact, until they approach preschool age, they have little reason to believe that others might have feelings or thoughts different from their own.' Melanie Fisher, the wellbeing and early help specialist at the nursery chain Bright Horizons, says children's demonstrations of empathy can be largely inconsistent until they are about six. 'This isn't selfishness because it isn't yet conscious behaviour,' she says. 'The part of young children's brains in control during 'stressful' moments is the emotional/survival brain. They do not have the ability to think first then choose their behaviour. In distress, children are only concerned with their own feelings and do not have the capacity to show kindness or care for others. This isn't selfishness – it's survival.' Seeing your kid lash out can feel like a dagger to the heart. But it's important not to panic or act negatively. Instead, Antrobus advises reassurance: 'Our job is to help them know they can recover from the situation and that we don't think that's them, full stop.' 'It's important to step back from fear,' says Mathur. 'Unkind moments don't mean your child is an unkind person … Unkindness often stems from unmet needs: fatigue, hunger, overwhelm or feeling out of control.' She advises using those moments as a gentle teaching point, rather than just correcting – for example saying: 'I know it didn't feel fair that Jonny jumped the queue for the swing. But hitting him isn't the answer. How else might we tell someone that something isn't fair?' Put yourself in their position says Fisher: 'Being kind doesn't always come naturally, even to adults.' 'I think unkindness is the sign of a young person not valuing themselves, or feeling they are worth being kind to,' says Bates. 'It's important to help children to develop a sense that we all have good bits and not so good bits.' As early as five or six, introduce the idea of 'Mean Mate' and 'Patient Pal'. Get kids to imagine they're playing a game with two friends and when they make a mistake, what reactions those friends might have. 'Mean Mate' might say: 'You're stupid'. 'Patient Pal' will understand it wasn't deliberate, be calm and say: 'It's OK, try again'. Introduce the idea that we all have both characters inside our heads, but can decide which one to spend time with and listen to. As soon as children can listen or observe you, they can take in role-modelling of kindness. Fisher adds: 'Babies do reflect the emotional state of those around them: they may become distressed when another baby cries or smile back when their parent smiles. As they do this, 'mirror neurons' in the brain are at work, and are creating the foundation for the development of empathy.' Books are a stealth tool for parents. 'Children are more likely to help and comfort others when their parents talk about emotions while reading stories,' says Rolph. 'During storytime, talk about the characters' feelings and connect them to your child's experiences.' Two books that Mathur recommends are Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud and The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig. 'Co-operative play starts around the age of three when children are learning the concepts of sharing, turn-taking, winning and losing,' says Fisher. She says board games, creative activities, folding washing or even cooking together can be opportunities to role model and practise kindness. Rolph suggests using dolls and toys to model empathy: 'Take turns to wash their baby doll and pretend water gets in the doll's eyes. When the baby 'cries', model how to respond: 'Oh, the baby is sad. I wonder what we should do?'' Show your child how to wipe the doll's eyes and give it a comforting hug. In researching her book, Candy learned that the vital work teens do to form an identity separate from their parents can leave little time to think about others. She notes, 'Their peers were the most important people in their lives – for their friends, nothing was too much trouble. But parents can make a difference teaching kindness and empathy. I offered my elder daughters a go at critical thinking: 'I wonder why your mate is being mean to you?' I would say. 'Maybe something has happened?' I would suggest without judgment to look beneath things emotionally.' We want our child to be kind, but we also want our kid to be treated kindly – and for that we need other parents to teach their kids kindness. 'Lots of people say I want my child to be happy, but what if your child doesn't encounter another young person who is being kind to them?' says Antrobus. 'Happiness doesn't just appear by itself, does it?' Thurston shares a nice snippet to tell older children: 'One thing we teach in our workshops is that kindness is contagious,' he says. 'When we're kind to someone, that kind act can positively affect up to 125 people. Because the person you're kind to feels happier, so is more likely to be kind, and so on.' Some may fear that prioritising kindness creates anxious people pleasers. Not so, says Mathur: 'True kindness comes from authenticity, not obligation. It's important to let children see kindness happen in limited time. Model by saying things like 'I can't help right now, but I care about you'.' 'Encourage genuine giving, not forced politeness,' she adds. And instead of insisting kids share, help them understand why, by saying things like: 'How would it feel if your friend shared their toy with you?' You can also check they don't feel pressured into kindness by asking: 'Do you want to do this, or do you feel like you have to?' 'If all else fails, you can get a dog,' says Candy. 'Nothing teaches teens more about caring and kindness than loving a dog.'
