Parenting Corner

Found out from Asia Society about a short documentary featuring Asian American kids entitled "East of Main Street:  Small Talk" on HBO Family.  In it, 37 Asian American kids (ages 4 to 12) talk about their heritage, their families, their favorite foods and customs, their hopes and dreams, and what it means to be Asian American.  Check it out this month on HBO Family.

If you'll be in NYC on May 2, 2012, you can register for the Documentary Screening and Reception at 725 Park Ave from 6:30-8:00 pm.

Sign up the kids for a free workshop to build a Planter Box at Home Depot on Saturday, May 5 from 9 am to 12 pm.  Kids ages 5 to 12 can make the craft and get a free apron, pin, and certificate of achievement.

Sign up the kids for Lowe's Build and Grow program on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 10 am to build a Terrarium.  Lowe's offers free Kids Clinics to build a wooden project and get a free apron, goggles, patch, and more.  How fun!

Looks like Washi Tape is all the rage.  BlogHer featured these light switch and outlet covers from That's What (Che) Said.  How totally fun!

Some more uses for Washi Tape from Mamatoga include:  gift wrapping, ornaments, candle holders, flag stirrers, flatware, keyboard, gift tags, magnets, wallpaper, and framing.

Found an article on The Huffington Post entitled "American High School Students Are Reading Books At 5th-Grade-Appropriate Levels:  Report."

According to a report by Renaissance Learning, Inc. entitled "What Kids Are Reading:  The Book-Reading Habits of Students in American Schools," the top 40 books teens in grades 9-12 are reading in school have an average reading level of 5.3, which is at the fifth grade level.

For high schoolers in 2010-2011, book No. 1 was The Hunger Games (ATOS book level 5.3), No. 2 was Of Mice and Men (4.5), and No. 3 was To Kill a Mockingbird (5.6).  The concern is that national reading scores are falling, and students may not be adequately prepared for their college courses and subsequent careers if they are not choosing more challenging and complex books to read.

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