Reading

Holiday Gift Guide 2025: Patti’s Wishlist

| Patti Webb

There are sometimes I think holiday shopping for women is so easy; all you have to do is pay a little attention to detail. We love a little trinket, a little cutesy thing, etc. We like getting gifted things we would’ve bought ourselves anyway, and we love a little field trip.

After the drama of this year, I just want a few of the little things. My wishlist covers the basics (something I want, something I need, something to wear, something to read). Still throwing in a hydrofacial and prep for our next trip in February.

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Holiday Gift Guide 2025: Mary’s Wishlist

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

‘Tis the season! You know the drill: as soon as the Thanksgiving dishes are cleared, the family Wishlist requests start rolling in. Last year, I was winging it. This year? I’ve got a game plan. Maybe I’ve just tuned in to what makes me smile, but my asks come with purpose. Here’s what I’m hoping to find under the tree this year…

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Book Smart: Kids and Reading

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

A few years ago, we did a Child(ish) Reads on a book called Thirty Million Words by Dana Suskind, M.D.  Its core concept is based on the research by Betty Hart and Todd Risley who, in 1995, found that by the age of three, children from higher-income families hear about 30 million more words than those from lower-income families. This disparity plays a substantial role in shaping academic outcomes and long-term success.

This topic has become top of mind this year as our school board is aligning its priorities with Georgia’s Early Literacy Legislation, which aims to ensure all children become proficient readers by the end of third grade. So why third grade?

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I Think We Need a Tutor

| Patti Webb

Every night, not unusually, Troy and I read to A&Z before bed. We had done a bit of a library purge and made sure that they had a variety of Early Reader and Beginner Chapter books, having already gone through all of our picture books. Now that the girls were older, I wanted to make sure the girls were being challenged by the material, instead of reading the same books over and over.

We switched to reading aloud together and let the girls alternate pages or passages. That’s when what used to be an understandable gap turned into one of our kids falling behind.

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Child(ish) Reads: A+ Parenting

| Patti Webb

Of course for Back-to-School month we’re reviewing a school(ish) book. This one thankfully is a much more productive read than last year’s. I received an advance copy of A+ Parenting via NetGalley. Technically the book came out in October 2023, so I hope NetGalley will forgive my tragically late feedback.

A+ Parenting: The Surprisingly Fun Guide to Raising Surprisingly Smart Kids by Eva Moskowitz, with Eric Grannis.

Summary: Eva Moskowitz has built a national reputation as the founder and leader of Success Academy Charter Schools, one of the country’s most highly regarded networks of schools. But while most people know Eva for her success in educating 20,000 mainly low-income students who are routinely accepted to our nation’s best universities, she has also been responsible for raising three children of her own. In A+ Parenting, Eva shares what she has learned both as a parent and an educator about raising children to be enthusiastic and successful learners.

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