Which book format is the best choice for your child: Kindle, IPad or paper book? In many areas, the electronic tablet is a wise choice. However James Beverly, author and child psychologist believes that, in some important child development areas, the paper book is still king
It cannot be disputed that electronic tablets can bring a myriad of wonderful things into the lives of our children. They can offer children a wide variety of excellent early learning programs that are complete with well designed reinforcement displays. They can be wonderful additions to any family. But if parents and grandparents do not exercise good judgment, they can be a subtle thief that can rob children of many important family experiences.
"If you ask the average parent or grandparent," stated James Beverly, "if they have discussions with their child about important subjects – or if their child can come to them with problems – the answer will usually be “Of course!” Really? Notice that I said “discussions” – not lectures - or one-way sessions – but discussions. Having meaningful discussions with a child or grandchild is a developmental learning process. It does not happen by itself and it takes a bit of practice and patience to do well. Children are not little adults and you should not assume that they know how, or are automatically somehow comfortable, sharing their innermost feelings and fears with you. A child views a parent as the absolute authority with all of the power. They are trying to figure out the rules and what they do that pleases or angers you. Deep down, they are cautious in this regard. A wonderful place to practice and learn these discussion skills is to utilize children’s books. Reading to/with your child also provides a strong bonding experience."
"I believe that the act of sitting and reading to a young child in your lap almost requires a real paper book to be done properly. Children help turn the pages and point to the illustrations. They help hold the book. When the story is finished, many times they want to hold the book themselves and turn pages. They usually watch as their favorite book is returned to their bookshelf. Have you ever enjoyed the marvelous sight of a young child holding their favorite book and seriously pretending to read to their teddy bear or favorite doll? It is one of the most adorable sights you will ever see."
Where to start: First of all, select a book or story that has something in it that can be discussed. This may not be as easy as it sounds. Most children’s books are basically cute images with little or no substance.
Beverly believes that reading to your child from their own book is a wonderful bonding experience that teaches so many meaningful things and opens the door for real conversations about important issues. Trust in talking to you about difficult subjects happens. Learning to listen and feeling safe to ask you questions are critical events to a child’s learning and feeling of acceptance and safety. What is important is that your child can have your undivided attention and feel comfortable talking about what is on his or her mind.
"There are some wonderful children’s books out there," continued Mr. Beverly, "so find something that is interesting to the child, and if possible lends itself to meaningful discussions about common childhood issues or fears. Also - before you select a book or story - read it first and then ask yourself the question 'is there something in this story that I would really want to discuss with my child - something that might be beneficial to him/her?' If the answer is 'not really' - choose another book."
"Also be careful in the children’s books that you select. Does the book lend itself to any meaningful discussions? Like most things on the market for children, most of them are simply not up to par – and in some cases they are very inappropriate in the direct or implied violent or social content. Always read the book first before you read it to your child. Check who recommends it? Anybody whose opinion you value? What will your child learn from the book? Avoid the superhero, violent content stories, and the other nonsense that the media tries to glamorize for your child. Most of them are simply not appropriate. Always read the book first before you read it to your child. So find the time to read to your child and discuss the stories. Remember to choose the stories wisely. You will develop better communication skills with your child and build fond memories that will last a lifetime."
James Beverly is the author of the 'Seamus the Sheltie' series of children's books. The books are available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Itunes, most bookstores and at Mr. Beverly's website. Mr. Beverly recently appeared on The Children’s Authors Show. The interview is available at his website. Mr. Beverly is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at dulcjlb@wildblue.net. More information (including some secret places for kids) can be found at his website.
Profile:
James Beverly received his Bachelor of Science degree from Wayne State University and his Master of Arts degree in Clinical Child Psychology from the University of Waterloo in Waterloo Ontario, Canada. He was then invited by Dr. John Basmajian, the Dean of the Medical School at Queen's University, to join his research team. James spent the next two years enrolled in the Medical School at Queen's University in Kingston Ontario where he was involved in research projects involving physically handicapped children.
Since then James has worked in the field of mental health as a therapist and administrator in nine states for over forty five years. He has presented at a number of national and state conferences and he has been nominated for a variety of state and regional awards for innovative clinical programming. James retired in 2010.
During his many years of service, James worked directly with a wide variety of distressed children and their families in a variety of institutional and community settings. During this time, James became acutely aware of the poor communication that existed in many of the families, which led to a lack of meaningful family values being instilled in the children. It was apparent to James that there were very little written or easily available materials available for parents and children to assist in these tasks. These experiences laid the foundation for a series of books for children and their parents that was designed specifically to fill these values and communication gaps in a pleasant, fun, and non-threatening manner.
Following the success of his nationally award-winning book 'The Adventures of Seamus the Sheltie', James continued to receive many requests from parents asking if he would please write additional stories for them that would deal with some specific and difficult topics that they were having problems with trying to discuss them with their child. These requests led James to the publication of his two most recent books, 'More Tales of Seamus the Sheltie', and 'Seamus the Sheltie to the Rescue'.
Contact:
James Beverly
http://www.seamusthesheltie.com
dulcjlb@wildblue.net
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Child Psychologist Explores The Choices In Childrens Books - Kindle, IPad and Paper Books
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Author And Child Psychologist James Beverly Teaches Children Moral Lessons In 'Seamus The Sheltie' Children’s Books
Written by author and child psychologist James Beverly, Seamus the Sheltie teaches children moral lessons and family values through fun to read children's books
Parents often have trouble teaching kids moral lessons and sharing their family values with them. They sometimes find it difficult to find the right words to comfort their children when they encounter difficult or frightening issues. Many feel unsure of how to share these values with their children, or feel ill prepared to explain difficult or moral situations. Author and child psychologist James Beverly has provided a valuable tool for parents who find themselves in such situations. His 'Seamus the Sheltie' children’s books can make these situations far less stressful and even fun. Seamus the Sheltie teaches children moral lessons through fun to read children's books.
"As a child psychologist," stated Mr. Beverly, "I wrote the 'Seamus the Sheltie' children’s books specifically to help parents and grandparents with those difficult tasks in a safe and fun way (no witchcraft or magic at all). Remembering the animal tales that were told to me by my grandfather, I decided to use simple, real life stories in books for children to help parents and grandparents introduce important subjects in a safe way that was also fun and enjoyable. I had plenty of material for kid’s books, thanks to the exploits of my Sheltie, Seamus. Using my education in clinical child psychology I used clever and humorous ways to address for children the morals and values that accompany each story."
Reading and discussing these stories with a child or grandchild will help form wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. To help with the discussions, a Discussion Guide for Parents is included in each Seamus book. Heartwarming and educational, the 'Seamus the Sheltie' books are enjoyable and fun for the entire family.
'Seamus the Sheltie' books are available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Itunes, most bookstores and at Mr. Beverly's website. Mr. Beverly recently appeared on The Children’s Authors Show. The interview is available at his website. Mr. Beverly is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at dulcjlb@wildblue.net. More information (including some secret places for kids) can be found at his website.
Profile:
James Beverly received his Bachelor of Science degree from Wayne State University and his Master of Arts degree in Clinical Child Psychology from the University of Waterloo in Waterloo Ontario, Canada. He was then invited by Dr. John Basmajian, the Dean of the Medical School at Queen's University, to join his research team. James spent the next two years enrolled in the Medical School at Queen's University in Kingston Ontario where he was involved in research projects involving physically handicapped children.
Since then James has worked in the field of mental health as a therapist and administrator in nine states for over forty five years. He has presented at a number of national and state conferences and he has been nominated for a variety of state and regional awards for innovative clinical programming. James retired in 2010.
During his many years of service, James worked directly with a wide variety of distressed children and their families in a variety of institutional and community settings. During this time, James became acutely aware of the poor communication that existed in many of the families, which led to a lack of meaningful family values being instilled in the children. It was apparent to James that there were very little written or easily available materials available for parents and children to assist in these tasks. These experiences laid the foundation for a series of books for children and their parents that was designed specifically to fill these values and communication gaps in a pleasant, fun, and non-threatening manner.
Following the success of his nationally award-winning book 'The Adventures of Seamus the Sheltie', James continued to receive many requests from parents asking if he would please write additional stories for them that would deal with some specific and difficult topics that they were having problems with trying to discuss them with their child. These requests led James to the publication of his two most recent books, 'More Tales of Seamus the Sheltie', and 'Seamus the Sheltie to the Rescue'.
Contact
James Beverly
http://www.seamusthesheltie.com
dulcjlb@wildblue.net
Monday, July 12, 2010
Steven Kessler, Publisher And Editor-in-Chief Of Nopoli Network News (NNN) And Its Political News Website NoPoli.org Posts Open Letter To Obama
Kessler’s open letter invites President Obama to meet to discuss concerns regarding his performance to date. Kessler believes his letter represents the concerns of tens of millions of tax-paying American citizens and that those citizens deserve a response
Observing that President Obama spoke out against inappropriate political criticism in his recent University of Michigan commencement address, and after observing that he has been a registered Democrat for almost 50 years, and voted for President Obama in his presidential bid, Kessler goes on—in the politest of terms—to share his disappointment in the President’s performance to date.
Analogizing to the July 30, 2009 occasion when the President had black professor and white cop racial profiling disputants over to the White House to pursue their differences over a few beers, Kessler now invites the President to sit down with Kessler “at your place or mine” to discuss the concerns set forth in Kessler’s open letter to the President—which NNN’s board of editors believes represents the views of tens of millions Americans today.
“We voted for you,” Kessler stated in his letter, “because you promised ‘change.’ And ‘change’ was needed. We voted for you to be the leader of a new dawn. We took you at your word. We believed you. We wanted to believe you. So far, what we have received is just same ‘ol, same ‘ol political rhetoric and sound bites. No change there whatsoever.”
“‘We the people’ have respectfully reached out to the President in good faith,” stated Mr. Kessler, “we deserve a meeting with the President if he wants to be our genuine leader.”
Kessler even offers to bring the beer regardless of where the sit down is held. Will President Obama respond in kind—or at all—to this tasteful and good spirited outreach by this self-appointed representative of “we the people”?
For more information or to view the open letter, visit The National Organization For Political Integrity at http://www.nopoli.org. Questions may be addressed to SteveKessler@NoPoli.org.
NoPoli Network News (NNN) is the communications channel of The National Organization For Political Integrity (NoPoli). NoPoli will be sponsoring the first ever Social Media People’s Court, created to ‘indict’ politicians and put them on ‘trial’ through popular vote of ‘we the people’.
Friday, July 9, 2010
NoPoli Network News (NNN) Announces Social Media Peoples Court: Puts ‘Indicted’ Politicians On ‘Trial’
At NoPoli.org, NoPoli Network News (NNN) allows members of the public to ‘indict’ and ‘prosecute’ political figures. ‘We the people’ can then vote to ‘convict’ or ‘acquit’. Potential defendants include Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Ben Nelson, Barney Frank, Sarah Palin, Meg Whitman, Joe Barton, David Vitter and Joe Wilson
NoPoli Network News (NNN) the communications channel of The National Organization For Political Integrity, will be sponsoring the first ever Social Media People’s Court, created to ‘indict’ politicians across the country and put them on ‘trial’ through popular vote of ‘we the people’. After indictments have been handed down, members of the public may vote to convict or acquit the political figure as they see fit. Potential defendants include Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Ben Nelson, Barney Frank, Sarah Palin, Meg Whitman, Joe Barton, David Vitter and Joe Wilson
“It is a fact,” stated NNN Publisher and Editor in Chief Steve Kessler, “that many Americans are completely fed up with politics and politicians in general. Many feel powerless and have come to realize that public figures often consider themselves to be completely above the law. Greed, corruption and mutual back-washing have become the norm. Voting in this environment has come to be seen by many as ‘choosing the lesser of two evils.’ However, in today’s Internet culture, social media has proven itself to be a powerful political force in its own right, at last allowing the voice of the public to be heard. We intend to allow those voices to be heard, and heard loudly.”
Recent events, ranging from reporting of the political upheaval in Iran, to the Tea Party Movement, to tens of millions of Americans voting for their favorite singers and dancers on American Idol and Dancing With The Stars, have proven that the public has the ability to not only take back political power, but also to make or break the careers of budding rock stars, corrupt political figures and self serving corporate interests. This is starting to happen regardless of government intervention, the dictates of Wall Street lobbyists and political propaganda.
NoPoli.org will initially present ten political figures as candidates for indictment. Others may be suggested by members of the public. Indictments will be handed down based on public voting. Political figures who are indicted will then be tried by the public in a mock trial format. Guilty or not guilty verdicts will also be based on votes submitted by the public at the NNN’s website, http://www.NoPoli.org/peoplescourt. Each politician will be notified of their indictment and the subsequent findings of the ‘we the people’ ‘jury.'
“We are announcing this today on YouTube,” continued Kessler, “and a number of other high profile video sites. We will also be putting the word out through numerous social media channels, including Twitter, Facebook and many others. We encourage everyone who desires to be a part of ‘taking back America’ to join us. It’s time to tell our political figures that our voices not only matter – but they are the only voices that should matter, regardless of what our politicians have come to think.”
For additional people’s court insight, visit http://www.nopoli.org/peoplescourt/videos. For still more information and to cast your vote for indictment of your least favorite political figure, and to then vote him or her guilty or innocent, visit The National Organization For Political Integrity at http://www.nopoli.org/peoplescourt. Questions may be addressed to SteveKessler@NoPoli.org.
Contact:
National Organization For Political Integrity
NoPoli News Network (NNN)
Steve Kessler, Publisher and Editor-In-Chief
www.NoPoli.org
SteveKessler@NoPoli.org
First Ever Social Media Peoples Court To ‘Indict’ Politicians, Put Them On ‘Trial’ At NoPoli.org Through Popular Vote of ‘We The People'
At NoPoli.org, NoPoli Network News (NNN) allows members of the public to vote to ‘convict’ or ‘acquit.’ Potential defendants include Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Ben Nelson, Barney Frank, Sarah Palin, Meg Whitman, Joe Barton, David Vitter and Joe Wilson
NoPoli Network News (NNN), the communications channel of The National Organization For Political Integrity, will be sponsoring the first ever Social Media People’s Court, created to ‘indict’ politicians across the country and put them on ‘trial’ through popular vote of ‘we the people’. After indictments have been handed down, members of the public will be able vote to convict or acquit the political figure. Potential defendants include Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Ben Nelson, Barney Frank, Sarah Palin, Meg Whitman, Joe Barton, David Vitter and Joe Wilson.
It is a fact that many Americans are fed up with politics and politicians in general. Many feel powerless and have come to realize that public figures often consider themselves to be above the law. However, in today’s Internet culture, social media has proven itself to be a powerful political force in its own right. Recent events, ranging from reporting of the political upheaval in Iran, to tens of millions of Americans voting for their favorite singers and dancers on American Idol and Dancing With The Stars, have proven that the public has the ability to take back social power, if not political power. Popular vote can make or break the careers of budding rock stars as well as political figures. This happens regardless of government intervention, the dictates of Wall Street lobbyists or political propaganda.
NoPoli.org will present ten political figures as candidates for indictment. Indictments will be handed down based on public popular votes. Political figures who are indicted will then be tried by the public in a mock trial format. Guilty or not guilty verdicts will also be based on votes submitted by the public at the NNN website, http://www.NoPoli.org/peoplescourt.
In addition to shining some light on well deserving political figures, and in addition to its full time, regular staff bloggers, NoPoli.org will regularly feature well known business, political and media personalities as guest bloggers. This month’s guest blogger is Lod Cook who served for many years as Chairman and CEO of ARCO, under whose leadership ARCO was widely recognized as one of the most successful corporations in all of America, and who was seated on too many philanthropic and corporate boards to name. NNN describes Mr. Cook as “philanthropist supreme,” “leader by deeds rather than words” and “advisor to the Presidents.” Mr. Cook has served as a trustee of the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation and as a director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. NoPoli.org is proud to count Lod Cook among its most cherished friends and supporters.
For additional people’s court insight, visit http://www.nopoli.org/peoplescourt/videos . For still more information and to cast your vote for indictment of your least favorite political figure, and to then vote him or her guilty or innocent, visit The National Organization For Political Integrity at http://www.nopoli.org/peoplescourt. Questions may be addressed to NNN Publisher and Editor In Chief Steve Kessler at SteveKessler@NoPoli.org.
Contact:
National Organization For Political Integrity
NoPoli News Network (NNN)
Steve Kessler, Publisher and Editor-In-Chief
www.NoPoli.org
SteveKessler@NoPoli.org
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