Getting children to read when they are young will foster healthy learning habits, that will follow a child for their whole life. It is important for parents to make reading interesting and accessible. The Daily New and Analysis Newspaper, of India, wrote a great column on how to make your child fall in love with books. The column is strictly based on shared experiences from 
parents. Parents highlight the simple activities that have gotten their children into the habit of reading and enjoying literature. Great tips include reading bedtime stories and picking out interesting current event articles. The key is to read to your children and encourage them to read to you. Make sure reading is part of daily schedules and keep reading dynamic and diverse. When your child enjoys reading it will change their whole approach to learning and life!
DNA Column: Make your child fall in love with books
Teachersfirst: 100 Best Books
Kid’s Reading List from Oprah
Source: DNA Newspaper
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Socotra Island is the main island in an archipelago of islands in the Indian Ocean. Socotra Island is part of the Republic of Yemen and is located South-East of Yemen; disconnected from the other continents over six million years ago. Through speciation, Socotra Island has an extremely rare and diverse ecosystem. Socotra is often referred to as the most alien looking place on the Earth. Socotra Island sparks interest in geography because it demonstrates such beauty
and uniqueness. Although Socotra is small, it has a lot to offer for ecosystem education and tourism. Socotra Island also sets up customized tours that can be fitted to any family’s interests and financial situations. Introducing children to Socotra information is a great introduction to foreign ecosystems. Add Socotra Island to your bucket list, you’ll thank me!
Socotra Island YouTube Video
Plan Your Trip to Socotra Island!
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Kidspace Children’s Museum is an amazing adventure for children ten months to ten years in age. Admission is only ten dollars and includes a variety of activities that help kids explore the natural sciences and the environment through new experiences and fun! Kids can start earthquakes,
climb towers, engage in art projects, dig for fossils, go to summer camps, and much more. Kidspace Children’s Museum is in Pasadena, California and is known for it’s returning patrons. Kidspace is introducing a physics forest in the summer of 2012 that will take children on a journey of learning. Kidspace prides itself on making learning and fun integrated in not only science, but life too. Your children will thank you for taking them to kidspace and beg you to take them back!
Check out a Kidspace Video!
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National Geographic is such a wonderful company for adults and children alike. Visit National Geographic’s Vacation planner to use interactive resources to discover a dream vacation. Kids will enjoy a guide to different types of vacation locations, incredible maps, visiting tips and even find games to cure road trip boredom! National Geographic’s Dream Vacation Planner takes children through a series of easy questions to give them ideas about locations they
would enjoy. Planning a dream vacation gives children a goal and a new topic of interest in their life. It is so important to expose to children to as many experiences as possible so they can find their true passions. Geography exposure is even more important because it allows kids to feel confident in their space and their ability to change and travel. Vacation Planner works good for adults too! Plan a vacation together with your kids!
Source: National Geographic
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Clissold Elementary School of Chicago, Illinois has been using playground cartography since 1992. Susan Mulcahy was the Clissold teacher who suggested making a huge, permanent world map on the playground to help students connect more with geography. The project was done by volunteers made up of teachers, parents and students. The task wasn’t easy, but the student’s believe it to be very helpful! Clissold School’s map has permanent outlines of the continents and
waterways. The students throughout the years fill in country information with chalk and students at recess look at the map daily. Playground cartography is a simple way to make geography part of students’ everyday lives. Start playground cartography at your school and spread the word!
Source: Chicago Tribune
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Grassroots programs all over the country are getting students involved in growing their own organic lunches. School lunches are rarely up to proper nutrition standards and getting students involved in the process has amazing benefits. The Edible Schoolyard Program in California has students maintaining, harvesting and eating organic food from their own gardens at lunchtime. Even if the homegrown food only makes up a small percentage of the lunch menu the students feel the impact. Studies show that students are more likely to try a variety of foods when they are involved in growing them. Gardening activities at a young age also gets children more involved in their community and more understanding of sustainability. The Abernathy Garden of Wonders, of Oregon, is another great program that requires curriculum for every student to be apart of the garden. Instead of serving the food during lunch the Garden of Wonders Program teaches children how to make meals with their homegrown food. Both these programs have seen an increase in science grades among their students. I have heard enough to 
want to start a similar program in my hometown have you? Sustainability is very important to the future and current students are the ones ultimately responsible for preserving our world.
Source: The Abernathy Garden of Wonders, The Edible Schoolyard
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The Cartography and Geographic Information Systems Society annual map design competition is back again! This is an opportunity for students to display and compete with their maps from 2011. This competition is meant to promote cartography interest and to show off new advancements in map making. The judging is focused on design so make sure your map is innovative and unique! Student entries are free so make sure to take advantage of this great resume building competition. Awards are sponsored by the National Geographic Society, Avenza-MAPublisher, and ESRI. Prizes consist $500 awards, maps, MAPublisher memberships, and certificates. The best part about this competition is having your map permanently displayed in the United States Library of Congress! This is a competition you do not want to miss! Deadline for entries is January 27, 2012.
ENTRIES DUE JANUARY 27, 2012
PAST WINNERS 2009
Competition Application
SOURCE: CaGIS
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TIME for Kids is an amazing magazine and website that emphasizes articles that are important and interesting to youth. The best part about TIME for Kids is their Kid Reporters. Preteens and teenagers are actually researching, conducting interviews and writing articles for the magazine. TIME for Kids Reporters use language and techniques towards news that are impressive and relatable to
other young people. TIME for Kids articles include topics like science, entertainment, health, sports and more. This magazine is available for multiple grade levels and provides great combination deals. Check out TIME for Kids for your children, students, or friends! Great exposure to world news and research techniques!
Source: TIME for Kids
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Apple and Moshen Chan have created the Living Earth high definition application for the iPhone and iPad. Living Earth makes weather, time and alarms beautiful and educational. Living Earth is a live rendition of our home planet. Satellites update Living Earth every hourly and allow users to follow cloud patterns and storms as they are happening. The weather includes temperature, precipitation and even wind speed. Living Earth will even tell sunrise and sunset times. Living Earth has been name the best utility application of 2011 by Apple. This application is great for iPhone users of all
ages! Get Living Earth HD now while it is on sale for only .99 cents!
Buy Living Earth HD
Living Earth Review on YouTube
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simple mural can have on people. Children need to be exposed to geography to be able to take an interest and get excited about it. Jordan conquered Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro, Australia’s Mt. Kosciuszko, Europe’s Mt. Elbrus, South America’s Mt. Aconcagua, North America’s Mt. Denali and Oceania’s Mt. Castensz Pyramid. Jordan also earned a spot in the Guinness Book of Record for being the youngest to climb seven summits. Jordan is an awesome inspiration to kids and adults alike. Share Jordan’s story and plan an adventure of your own!
