Scott Davis

HOBBY HUB HOBBY HUB
MOMMY BLOG CROSSWORD
READ ON
One of my fondest memories growing up
was on a lap following along to Green
Eggs and Ham or In a People House.
I would beg for one more book right
before I journeyed off to dreamland. According to
recent studies, I definitely have to give Dr. Seuss
credit, along with my parents, for some of the
successes in my life.
Studies show reading to your baby will affect
their long term educational success and that literacy,
as well as the number of books in the home,
can have a direct effect on the amount of education
your child will attain. Reading daily to your
baby also helps ensure they will continue to have
an interest in books when they enter school. “Even
if your baby wants the same book read again and
again, the value of repeated readings will impress
patterns of language on the baby’s brain,” said
Joyce Hinman, former reading specialist and principal
who serves on the board of the International
Reading Association.
Reading is important to your baby’s development
early on as most brain growth has occurred
by age three. In fact, babies begin to understand
the basic sounds of language by six months. Babies
learn through experiences and interactions and
20 | THECITYMAG.COM | APRIL 2013
one of the best ways for an infant to learn how to
talk is by reading (as well as music and rhymes).
Reading also stimulates baby’s senses as well as
feelings of love and security. There are a few things
to keep in mind when reading to your baby:
• Infants have short attention spans. Short
stories with few words and vivid pictures
(and faces of other babies) are best. Use
board books with thicker “pages” that won’t
be easily damaged by little hands or teeth,
but can be easily turned.
• Newborns see things best from about a
foot away. Select books with high-contrast
images such as black-and-white illustrations
and patterns.
• Repetition is important for learning, so
reading the same book over and over is a
good thing. As baby gets older he/she will
have favorite books will request to hear over
and over.
• Touch/feel and lift flap books foster learning
through senses and offer your baby an opportunity
to experience new textures.
• Find books that appeal to your baby’s interests.
If your little one loves monkeys, find
books with monkeys.
• Rather than just reading words, teach simple
reading concepts such as turning pages and
following text from left to right. Point to the
pictures, name them, and talk about them.
As your infant grows, he/she will imitate
you by turning pages or pointing to objects.
• Use different sounds and tones and even
sing as you read. This will help them to learn
speech patterns and sounds.
• Finally, try to read to your child daily.
Reading right before bed is a great way to
stay consistent and will calm your baby in
preparation for sleep.
Babies aren’t born readers, but can learn to be
lovers of books. So let them “Hop on Pop” with a
book and read on!
Amy Jo Johnson is a full-time mommy and Mojo Radio
personality.
City Magazine 4/13 Crossword PuzzleJunction.com
Across
1 Average
4 Craving
7 Boxer’s punch
10 Shade tree
13 ___ de France
14 Tokyo, formerly
15 ET carrier
16 Caribbean, e.g.
17 Cushion
18 Assist
19 Clean-up guy
21 Bakery buy
23 Employs
24 Certain exams
26 Dracula, at times
27 It doesn’t hold water
31 Absorbed
32 Rodeo rope
34 Remain
35 Swiftest mammal
37 “That’s disgusting!”
39 Did lunch
40 Chafe
41 Authorize
43 Newt
46 Jack-tar
75 Bit of butter
48 Fine
76 12th graders
52 Film ___
(Abbr.)
54 Direct elsewhere 77 Canny
56 Feel concern 78 Dry, as wine
57 Coffee order
59 Small number
60 Small change
61 November
birthstone
63 Locale
64 Dolomite, e.g.
67 Ariz. neighbor
68 ___’easter
71 Action word
72 Linear unit
73 Lubricate
74 Low card
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20
21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 32 33 34
35 36 37 38 39
40 41 42
43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51
52 53 54 55 56
57 58 59 60
61 62 63
64 65 66 67 68 69 70
71 72 73 74
75 76 77 78
Down
1 Lulu
2 Mode starter
3 Bureaucratic stuff
4 Time period
5 Blue-pencil
6 Affirmative action
7 Martial art
8 Way, way off
9 Dog treats
10 “C’___ la vie!”
Copyright ©2013 PuzzleJunction.com
11 DiCaprio, to fans
12 Deface
20 Horned goddess
22 Modify
23 Owns
24 Tolkien beast
25 Stadium cheer
26 “___, humbug!”
28 Greek letter
29 Tank
30 Needle part
32 Toil
33 On-looker
36 Harbor craft
38 Biddy
42 Implied
43 Conclude
44 Adversary
45 Twitch
47 Happens
48 Church bench
49 Cries of sorrow
50 Three (It.)
51 Thumbs-up
53 Miles per hour, e.g.
55 Casbah headgear
58 Applications, e.g.
60 Beaut
62 Poker holding
63 Go yachting
64 Blueprint
65 Author Levin
66 After expenses
67 Romaine lettuce
69 Be in arrears
70 Bird of myth
Results of the crossword puzzle from the last issue of City Magazine are on page 4.
The answers for the puzzle above are printed in the next issue of City Magazine.
GOOD READS
The lady in the picture was wearing the biggest scowl you’d ever seen.
The photo was taken long ago and it made you wonder what happened
that day to make her so snarly. Was there a death, lost crops, an accident,
bad weather, or did the photographer make her angry?
You’ll never know but you wonder, just like the portrait makes you
wonder about her life. And in the new book Astray a collection of short
stories by Emma Donoghue, imagination becomes
possibility.
Solution on next page
Terri Schlichenmeyer is owner of The Bookworm Sez, LLC, based out of
LaCrosse, Wis. and writes book reviews for publications all across the country.