Monday, August 29, 2011

Tips for Fostering Your Little Reader's Skills

The following is a guest post submitted by Sarah Morris for Primrose Schools - offering the best in child care and early education

Studies indicate a strong link between academic achievement and literacy. Early exposure to concepts in print often predicts later academic success. Literacy experts suggest parents read to their child as early as possible. Parents who express enthusiasm about reading help instill a lifelong appreciation of the written word. A particularly young child may not yet comprehend sounds and letters, but he can read his mother's facial expressions as she points to the pictures in a book. Likewise, a child readily learns that words read from left to right as she watches her father guide his finger across the page.

If you want your child to embrace reading, provide daily supplemental reading at home. Learning does not just occur at school after all. Robert Needleman, M.D., author of Dr. Spock's Baby Basics advises parents to make reading a part of each day. The very act of reading to your child in a manner that conveys pleasure is enough to encourage enjoyment of books in general.

As children mature, they develop greater control over the types of books they would like to read. Encourage this independence as it provides a good indication of a child's preference for reading. In the meantime, select books with small repetitive or rhythmic words and dynamic illustrations. Since children tend to like hearing the same stories over and over, you should choose books that you will enjoy reading again and again. If you pick out books that you enjoy, you are more likely to read with animated expression. Your child will pick up on these visual and auditory cues and develop a positive association with books and reading.

Apply any of the following tips to create an environment that fosters a young reader:

• Read to your child on a regular basis, starting in infancy.
• Choose age-appropriate books that encompass an array of topics
• Encourage older children to read aloud as often as possible.
• Ask your child's teacher or school librarian for a list of recommended books
• Visit the local library and participate in reading programs
• Pack books in your travel bag so you always have something to read

In order for children to make sense of a world full of language, they must receive ongoing support. It is important to provide an environment where children are surrounded by books and reading. Home reading helps children develop important literacy and language skills they will use throughout life. In an acute sense, reading provides contextual clues and exposure to grammar and sentence structure. In a broad sense, reading encourages the value of education. Children who learn the importance of academics usually strive to perform their best in school and beyond. Get your child started on a lifelong journey of reading today.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Living Big on a Small Budget - Paying Down Your Credit Card Debt

The following is a guest post from Pamela Olsen. Pamela is a stay-at-home mom with three boys and a girl all six years and under. She is the owner of The Busy Woman’s Guide to Surviving Motherhood, a blog filled with all sorts of information intended to make life as a women and mother easier in some small way. Her hobbies include blogging, couponing, scrapbooking, reading, gardening, writing and volunteering. When people ask her when she has the time for all that she simply says “I am a planner!”


One of the most important lessons that I have learned over the years of paying credit card bill is this – just paying the minimum on all your cards really doesn’t get you anywhere. A very small portion of that minimum payment actually goes to pay down the principle (the amount you owe the company). A majority of the minimum payment goes to the interest you have racked up by “borrowing” the money from the creditor and not paying it back right away. The whole point of credit cards is to spend money that you don’t have at that moment, but you promise to pay back in a timely fashion. But the longer it takes for you to pay it back, the more it will cost you, which is exactly why the credit company is willing to take the risk of loaning you the money to begin with

So if you have amassed a few different credit card or loan accounts, it might become daunting to try to make any headway. The most important thing to remember is that unless you win the lotto tomorrow, it’s going to take a little time to pay it all off but if you make a plan – and stick to it – it will happen. Here’s how to get started:
• Sit down and make a chart of all your creditors with a column for each of the following – balance, limit, minimum payment, average finance charge each month and interest rate.
• Then do a little math to determine which one is costing you the most in the long term and then rank the rest from highest to lowest.
• Starting from the top of the list, start paying down by simply paying $5 or $10 above the minimum payment each month and continuing to pay the minimum on all the rest. If you can afford more great, but do not over extend yourself. You will be surprised to see how much faster your balance will drop then when you just paid the minimum.
• Once that card is paid off, do not close the account. You must have active credit to get new credit.
• Then take the amount you were paying on that credit card and add it to the minimum payment due to the next creditor on your list. You already had it in your budget and now you can really make a dent in your debt.

As I said, this will not happen over night, but once you get through one card, you will see things speed up. Another key point is to try not to accrue any additional debt while you are doing this, because that just defeats the purpose.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Living Big on a Small Budget - Interest Rate Decrease

The following is a guest post from Pamela Olsen. Pamela is a stay-at-home mom with three boys and a girl all six years and under. She is the owner of The Busy Woman’s Guide to Surviving Motherhood, a blog filled with all sorts of information intended to make life as a women and mother easier in some small way. Her hobbies include blogging, couponing, scrapbooking, reading, gardening, writing and volunteering. When people ask her when she has the time for all that she simply says “I am a planner!”


When you look at your credit card bill you are probably always shocked by the amount next to “Interest”. And it is highly unlikely that a credit card or loan company is going to just offer up a lower interest rate because they are nice. The interest is how they make their money – why would they willingly give that up? However, it never hurts to call up and ask for a decrease because even one or two percent can be a big savings. If you have been paying at least the minimum due, on time every month for the last six months or more, you may qualify for a lower interest rate. When you call, politely ask to speak with someone that is authorized to lower your interest rate – some companies require that you speak with a supervisor. Some companies require you to submit your request in writing via snail mail while others might ask that you submit your request at their website. You may have noticed that sometimes after an extended period of good standing with a creditor, the company increases your spending limit. This is the perfect time to call and ask for a rate decrease instead. They have already made the decision that they “like” you so just ask to be rewarded in a different way. If you want to play a bit of hardball – mention the number of offers you get in the mail each day offering a lower interest rate and 0% on balance transfers. Often they will oblige your request in fear of losing your business. You may be wondering why it would be important to have your interest rate lowered. It can save your hundreds, even thousands of dollars over time. If you have a credit card balance of $5000 at a rate of 12% you will pay a minimum of $600 in interest each year. If you lowered your interest rate to 10% you could save $100 in that year.

It truly does not hurt to ask the creditor to lower your interest rate. The worse that can happen is that they will say “no”. Then you are no worse off than you were before your called. Should you get a “no”, ask what you would have to do to get a lower interest rate. Some times you just have to wait a few more months. Or maybe if you pay $5-$10 over you minimum each month for a period of time, they will give you a percent or two.

A quick note about those offers you get in the mail – practically daily, these days. First, always read the fine print! It might offer a 0% introductory APR – but read further, because it could shoot up to a whopping 23% after one year. Also keep an eye out for “annual fees” – as much as $100 you pay each year, just to carry the card in your wallet. And if you are not interested in the offer, don’t just toss it but shred or burn it – this is how thieves get credit in your name!