The Invisible Toolbox: The Power of Reading to Your Child from Birth to Adolescence (Parenting Book, Child Development)

Read Out Loud to Your Child!"This book is a must for anyone who is ever around children! Imagine how different the world would be if all parents, teachers, grandparents, and aunties read this book!" —Amazon review Reading aloud is the essential tool for preparing your child for kindergarten and beyond The single most important thing you can do for your child. Longtime elementary school teacher Kim Jocelyn Dickson believes every child begins kindergarten with a lunchbox in one hand and an “invisible toolbox” in the other. In The Invisible Toolbox, Kim shares with parents the single most important thing they can do to foster their child’s future learning potential and nurture the parent-child bond that is the foundation for a child’s motivation to learn. She is convinced that the simple act of reading aloud has a far-reaching impact that few of us fully understand and that our recent, nearly universal saturation in technology has further clouded its importance. Essential book for parents. In The Invisible Toolbox, Kim weaves her practical anecdotal experience as an educator and parent into the hard research of recent findings in neuroscience. She reminds us that the first years of life are critical in the formation and receptivity of the primary predictor of success in school―language skills―and that infants begin learning immediately at birth. She also teaches and inspires us to build our own toolboxes so that we can help our children build theirs. Inside discover: Ten priceless tools for your child’s toolbox Practical tips for how and what to read aloud to children through their developmental stages Dos and don’ts and recommended resources that round out all the practical tools a parent needs to prepare their child for kindergarten and beyond If you enjoyed books like Honey for a Child's Heart, The Read-Aloud Handbook, Screenwise, or The Enchanted Hour; you will love The Invisible Toolbox―from a 21st century Charlotte Mason.

About the Author :
Kim Jocelyn Dickson is a parent, author, and educator with thirty years of classroom experience. She graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary with a Master's degree in education and a focus on developmental psychology and spirituality. She has taught in public and private schools in the East, Midwest, and West Coast of the United States. Currently, Kim lives in Southern California where she teaches, writes, and presents on the importance of early literacy. Learn more at: www.kimjocelyndickson.com and the invisibletoolbox.org.

Review :
“Kim Jocelyn Dickson has given us a gift. In lively and loving language, she opens The Invisible Toolbox and shows us what's inside: Opportunities for connection, inspiration, imagination, conversation, and joyful play. Literacy encompasses so much more than the important ability to read. Parents, teachers, and all who love children will be inspired by the author's passionate advocacy, and helpful, compassionate instruction.” —Amy Dickinson, Ask Amy advice columnist and panelist on NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" radio show "The Invisible Toolbox shares a simple truth that rises above the hectic commotion and flood of information parents are subjected to: ‘Reading aloud to your child from birth is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give.’ This book will tell you why this is so and what you can do to develop a lifelong love of books and reading with your child.” —Jeff Conyers, president of The Dollywood Foundation and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library “As a pediatrician who sees firsthand the struggles and tears of the children who have empty Invisible Toolboxes, I am thrilled that Ms. Dickson has written this book to show families how to avoid all that heartache. I wholeheartedly recommend that all parents read this book!” —Kathryn Lin, MD