Talk to Me, Kid
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Wednesday, April 22, 2009
I’m the oldest of six children, so I was around when my five younger siblings were babies and toddlers. I thought I was paying attention, but I guess I wasn’t, because a huge amount of the development of my little ones is completely new to me.
I remember my brothers and sisters learning to talk. They talked a lot. Nevertheless, observing my daughter’s verbal development over the past eighteen months,... READ MORE
Due Punishment
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Reviews on Tuesday, March 31, 2009
In “Pun For The Ages,” Joseph Tartovsky reflects on the nature and history of the pun.
(The essay also contains some terrible examples.)
I confess I love puns, though they are supposed to be the world’s lowest form of humor.
I also think word play is a great device for expanding vocabulary without kids knowing what you’re up to. At our family dinner table growing up, if anyone punned, the rest of... READ MORE
‘Banished’ Words
Posted by Danielle Bean in Just me on Tuesday, January 06, 2009
I love words.
So you can imagine my fascination with Lake Superior State University‘s 2009 List of Banished Words.
What did these words and phrases do to deserve “banishment”?
Nothing, really. They’ve only been overused to the point where some self-appointed “word watchers” have voted them out.
Making the list of overused and therefore banished words this year are environmental buzzwords like “green,”... READ MORE
Word Love
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Monday, November 17, 2008
Language is an incredible thing.
I’ve thought so for as long as I can remember. I think my devotion to A Child’s Garden of Verses and the poetry of A.A. Milne began almost at birth. My mother tells a story of a barely two-year-old me describing my sister as she learned to crawl: “She’s eating the meadow flowers!”
When I first discovered Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” some years later, I had to memorize... READ MORE
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