International Literacy Day 2012

Because it's International Literacy Day today I thought I would share a fairly new - but genius addition to our nightly routine.

Jiedyn, 7, is in grade prep at school this year and is doing extremely well in Maths. Everything he's brought home these past few weeks has some sort of maths sums scribbled on it and on weekends I find him counting anything he can.

When it comes to reading Jie gets bored rather easily. I am constantly trying to create ways to make sight words fun and get him to enjoy reading. But him being a perfectionist does not help and adds to the stress of thinking he can't do it resulting in a major shutdown at least three nights a week.

Also, upon starting school and all through kinder, Jiedyn developed an american accent. I brought a couple of first word DVD's when he was 2 to broaden his vocabulary which resulted in him rolling his R's and sounding very american. A nurse come to his school recently and called me in regards to his accent and said that I needed to organize a plan with his teacher to be provided ways to correct his speech. Honestly I didn't see what the big deal was, so my son has an accent.. Who's it hurting?

I found this website called Literacy Planet while looking at the department of education website and instantly called Jie to sit and try it with me. Jie and I spent about an hour using the websites "Trial Mode" and I couldn't fault it. Jie wanted to play longer and if given the choice wouldn't have eaten his dinner that night to do so.

I spoke to my husband about paying the $10 a month for the full version and found it rather easy to talk him into it with the massive amount of features this site offered.

Within a week Jie was running home after school and would complete his chores to gain permission to use the program and discover new things to do within the limited time he had.

I believe in this site so much that I have even spoken to a few teachers about the program and am setting up an appointment to speak to Jiedyn's school principal to recommend that it be brought up at the next school council meeting.

My son is benefiting so much from this amazing site that any chance I get I bring it up to family, friends, neighbors and strangers!!

Today, being International Literacy Day, get on the site with your child and have a bit of fun!

That's what we're doing today!!