Summer Workbooks Are On My Mind

March 1st seems like a long way from summer, but we have to plan ahead - just like parents with kids facing almost 3 months of academic down time.  Summers can be a great time for learning - and not school type learning, but outdoors, away from adults, being kids learning.  That has become a rare thing though, and many summer hours are spent looking at a screen.   We're against screen time almost all the time, but in summer, it's a practically a sin!  If you're not reading, or swimming, or throwing rocks in a pond you're wasting a summer day that will never come back.  So what about summer workbooks?  We're going back to basics this year - we'll be discontinuing the summer workbook that encourages kids to spend time online.  We have two updated and expanded summer workbooks that are current, fun and can be worked on with a pencil under a tree!   Summertime Learning from TCR and Daily Summer Activites from Evan Moor will be our two key workbooks this year.  We're in the process of putting together a skills matrix, so parents can compare the books.  We are also putting together some great summer packages - a little work, a little play.  Everything will start to show up on our summer learning pages soon!

Librarians Improve Reading Scores

No surprises here!

Want to see students get higher reading scores? Then make sure their schools have a media specialist.

According to new research from Library Research Services, which reviewed standardized test scores from Colorado schools in 2005 and 2011, reading scores statistically increased when schools retained or gained a school librarian. "There is a positive and statistically significant relationship between advanced reading levels and endorsed librarian staffing trends," reads the report, published last month.

Stepping Up Our Game with Pinterest

We're on Pinterest now.  You may think Pinterest is the flavor of the month, but here's what I've noticed already, and i've only been on for two days  - Pinterest puts you in touch with blogs.  These blogs may or may not have been wallowing in obscurity (I know this one does) but an interesting image, posted to Pinterest, has the power to draw you to a blog that you would have never come across.  Words may have substance, but images have impact, and that's what stokes the fires at Pinterest.    I'm going to search now for a popping image to illustrate this post - and if you found this blog because of what ever it was i found, well, there you have it!

The great Summer Workbook throw  down is coming!  We will be featuring two new summer workbooks, and phasing out the original Summer Bridge this year.  Having an academic daily activity is important in the summer, but how do you choose an appropriate workbook?  We're going to do the work for you - we'll be comparing the three books that we have in stock (or have stocked) - Evan Moor's Daily Summer Activities, Teacher Created Resources' Summertime Learning and Rainbow Bridges' Summer Bridge.  Each book is different and each sells for a different price.  We'll provide a detailed matrix to help you choose.  Get ready, we're going to be honest!

A Wealth of Golden Apples!

I was just searching for our blog on Google when I came across another blog called "The Golden Apple Blog".  Not surprisingly, it's for educators, and I thought it was pretty interesting!  Check it out if it's not too confusing to have two Golden Apple Blogs bookmarked!

We're running a contest this month - write a short piece about why your school should win a visit from our Cat in the Hat costume and you could the visit for Read Across America Day!  Today we got an entry in the form of a poem!

Dr. Seuss really rocks!
He should visit us around the block
at Donlon where we love to read,
read, read, read to succeed! 
Betsy Finney


We can't say she won already, but she has set a standard!
Here's a link to the contest on our FB page!

Our web store has been rebuilt - we're making room for e-books, special bundles and our classes starting next month.  If you would like to check out our new site, along with some of our new Bundles - we've added two bundles for kids practicing their thinking skills - GATE testing is just one reason to learn to think!  We've included some fun activities in the bundles to make them different.  Thinking is a rewarding activity on its own, but we like to make it fun too!  Check out our bundles here