Dr. Seuss's real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel (GUY-zel). Dr. Seuss wasn't always famous. When he published his first book in 1937, he  sent it to 27 book companies. However, all of them  said they would not make his book and sell it in stores. He didn't give up and finally get accepted.  

Dr. Seuss wrote 44 books for children. The following books can be borrowed from the Austin Public Library. 

• The Lorax
  
• The Cat in the Hat
  
• The Sneetches and Other Stories
  
• One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
  
• The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins
  
• And to Think That I Saw it  On Mulberry StreetGreen Eggs and Ham
  
• Horton Hatches the Egg
• Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories
  
• The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories

2nd Grade (7-8 yrs old)

5th Grade (10-11 yrs old)

Reference:
1. PBS Books for the Kids (K-5)
2. Kxan's News about Read-a-thon (K12)

In addition to the handwriting, another important study skill that needs to be learned in elementary school is typing. 

The following is a good teaching site for typing:

• BBC Dance Mat Typing: This has 4 levels and 3 stage at each level, which in total has 12 sessions. 
• http://www.typing-lessons.org
  

The following type games are fun:

• Key Man, Bubble
  

The following is a simple test of your typing speed:

• Speed Test
  

There are many questions on if Math is important. I would say it is but it should not be the main focus unless the child has the natural gift.

Math is important because it is the basis for many science subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, Economy and others. Basic math concepts and problem solving skill is essential for children's success in education. Therefore, you should spend time to help them understand them and practice as needed.  Winlanes' Advance Math courses are designed for this.

However, not all children need to learn to attend math competitions. It's not a good idea to force them to study competitive math like Math Olympia unless they are good at it.

I would do a simple test to see if the children has natural gift in Math or not. Here is one problem. Test the children when they are at 3rd grade.

"On one day, Mom bought one chicken, one duck and one goose with 26 dollars.  Chicken and duck cost for 15 dollars. Chicken and goose cost 18 dollars. How much does chicken cost?"

The answer is 7 dollars. If the child answers it within one second, he has natural gift. If he can answer help of pen and pencil, then work on the basic math concept and skills.  You can test with more questions like this if you think one question can't help making good judgment.

Handwriting is a basic skill used in many places – taking notes, taking tests, , doing homework, and signing documents. Poor handwriting can have a pervasive effect on school performance and cause struggling on it even during their entire lifetime. Therefore, it's important to complete the handwriting training as early as possible and no later than middle school.

Especially when children are in lower grade, they have less homework. It's a good time  to spend 2-3 years working on their handwriting.  It's a good preparation for children's future education and it's parents' responsibility to start it early and complete it early. 

The practices can start using worksheets teaching basic writing of letters. :

• A-Z Handwriting Worksheet

Then, let me introduce two good books. It's a good investment.

If you find other good books, drop me an email at asklayne@winlanes.com.