APRIL 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 45
PARENTING TIPS
RAISING LOVERS OF LEARNING
BY ERIN FEALY CUNNINGHAM
GET YOUR START
AS A CERTIFIED
FINANCIAL PLANNER
Fundamentals of Financial Planning
April 29-July 22, 2019
ONLINE
CLASS
The course is the fi rst in a series of seven courses in a preparatory
program for the Certifi ed Financial Planner (CFP) exam.
The Certifi ed Financial Planner program at Hofstra University
Continuing Education is your fi rst step toward building a career
helping clients achieve their fi nancial goals.
This program is designed for:
• Accountants
• Attorneys
• Bankers
• Brokers
• Insurance agents
• Security representatives
The program is accredited by the Certifi ed Financial
Planner Board of Standards Inc. and prepares you to
qualify for the CFP exam.
Register today at ce.hofstra.edu/cfp or call
516-463-7200 for more information.
Cultivating a love of learning in children
begins at home, and can be an
enriching experience for the whole
family.
From studying a favorite author to
creating a family book club and encouraging
interests, there are plenty
of ways parents can encourage their
little ones to love learning.
“When a family reads a book together,
the people in the book become
family friends,” writes author Lucy
Calkins in Raising Lifelong Learners.
Start by picking a place at home for
storing learning materials for easy
access. Collect artifacts that build
on alternating themes. Always start
with books — they are a backbone of
learning.
FAMILY BOOK CLUB
Together as an entire family, read the
same book. Pick a chapter book to be
read over time. It can be read aloud
to smaller kids or independently for
older ones.
Plan on how many pages or chapters
will be read at a time. Set a time when
the family will sit together to discuss
the book. Give each person paper
for jotting down thoughts, ideas, or
questions about the book to stir up
conversation during the book club.
Make this shared book experience
part of family time.
AUTHOR STUDIES
Another great way to make learning
fun is collecting and reading as many
books as possible by one author.
ReadingRockets.org, which has a list
of 75 Authors/Illustrators Everyone
Should Know, is a great place to start
to get ideas.
Always check out the Story + Art programs
at the Long Island Children’s
Museum in Garden City for fun ways
to bring books to life for preschool
children.
CULTIVATE INTERESTS
Pick a theme to create at home. In
order to carry it out, do something
together to create an experience
around the theme. Instead of relying
on technology, head to a library
or go to a show.
For example, if a child loves
wolves, choose fiction,
nonfiction books, and informational
texts about wolves.
Print out, copy or
draw pictures of
wolves and put
them on display.
Learn about wolf conservation, mark
where wolves live on a map, or read
folktales about wolves.
Doing creative activities together cultivates
those interests and an overall
love of learning at home.
Erin Fealy Cunningham, Ph.D., is a
literacy specialist and educational
c on s u l t ant
adjunct professor
at Hunter
College.
FAMILY & EDUCATION
Books are the backbone of learning. (U.S. Army photo)
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