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November 2025
214.449.1406 ReadingRanch.com
Pre-k - 6th Grade
Literacy & Tutorial Centers
Confident Communication Starts Here Unlock Your Child’s Potential With Our Grammar & Vocabulary Boot Camp
Is your child ready to take their reading, writing, and language skills to the next level? Our new Grammar & Vocabulary Boot Camp is designed to give third through sixth grade students the tools and confidence they need to excel in school assessments and everyday communication. This dynamic program blends vocabulary growth, grammar mastery, and writing fluency through hands-on, interactive lessons. Students will practice short-answer and open- response writing while learning to use clear structure, strong evidence, and smooth transitions, all essential skills for confident communication. The Power of Vocabulary Development At the heart of the program lies a rich focus on sophisticated vocabulary expansion. Students won’t just memorize words; they’ll learn to understand, pronounce, and apply them naturally in conversation and writing. Each week, students will explore academic and meaningful vocabulary through engaging mini-lessons that strengthen their understanding of usage, word roots, and structure. Our Mini Dictionary & Glossary introduces new, challenging words with pronunciation guides and examples in context, helping students refine not only what they know, but how they say it. Students will also enjoy: • Vocabulary Quizzes & Progress Tracking: To measure growth and celebrate improvement each week. • Context Practice: Reading essential vocabulary words in meaningful passages. • Pronunciation & Linguistics Practice: Learning how to say each word correctly before using it. • Application Challenges: Applying new vocabulary in creative writing, discussions, and formal responses. • Vocabulary Expansion Goals: Encouraging students to embrace their new and improved word power. This approach helps students develop both academic sophistication and confidence, preparing them for advanced reading comprehension and high-performing writing. What Students Will Learn: • Vocabulary in Context: Learn new words and apply them naturally in conversation and writing. • Word Study: Explore synonyms, antonyms, word roots, prefixes, and suffixes to deepen understanding.
Is your little learner ready to unlock a new world of words confidently? Visit ReadingRanch.com to learn about our latest class offerings and register your child.
• Grammar Skills: Master commas, dashes, modifiers, pronouns, clauses, and phrases. • Sentence Structure: Build fluency with simple, compound, and complex sentences. • Verb Mastery: Understand regular and irregular verbs, helping verbs, participles, and tense consistency. • Subject-Verb Agreement: Strengthen grammar accuracy through guided sentence practice. • Pronoun Practice: Use pronouns correctly and confidently in every context. • Transitional Words: Improve clarity and flow in writing with effective connectors. • Daily Oral Language Practice: Build grammar and sentence awareness through quick, daily review activities. • Open-Ended Response Practice: Develop confidence writing thoughtful, detailed responses using strong vocabulary and structure. Each lesson is carefully designed to expand language, sharpen thinking, and strengthen communication skills, which last a lifetime. Through interactive word study, sentence practice, and engaging exercises, your child will gain the confidence to communicate ideas in a clear, effective, and sophisticated way. Whether your child is preparing for assessments or eager to take their language learning to new heights, our Grammar & Vocabulary Boot Camp will help them unlock a world of words and express themselves with precision and power. Give your child the gift of confident, refined communication, and watch them embrace and elevate their grammar and vocabulary like never before!
—Dr. Kim Southwell
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See, Hear, or Move Discover Your Child’s Unique Way to Learn Reading
Have you ever noticed that your child seems to remember stories better when they see pictures, speak out loud to recall facts, or learn best through movement? Every child has a learning style, and understanding whether they are visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners can unlock their love and grasp of reading. By knowing how they learn, you can develop strategies that make words click for them. Get ready to see, hear, and feel your child’s style. VISUAL Visual learners do best when they can see material and information right before their eyes. They often learn through examples, diagrams, and pictures in a book to help them visualize or imagine things in their minds to understand the concepts or ideas of the story. These learners may struggle to retain information that is just spoken out loud or doesn’t have some kind of imagery to
accompany it. If your child relies on their sense of sight to learn, use visual aids, like flashcards, whiteboards, charts, or drawing pictures. AUDITORY Auditory learners like vocal instruction or group discussions to process what they have read. They will benefit from reading out loud and talking about stories in a quiet setting where they aren’t distracted by outside noises. Auditory learners are especially good at noticing changes in tone and are often active participants in their classes. You can support them by asking them questions about the book they just read, encouraging them to read to you, or even recording them reading so they can listen to it later. KINESTHETIC Kinesthetic learners thrive with hands-on activities and physical movement. If your
child is active or enjoys sports and games, those might be signs that they need motion to bloom. They’re tactical, using touch and trial and error to retain information. Get their brain activated by having them act out what they’re reading, doodle as they go, or do activities associated with the book, like planting a seed after reading about gardening. They might even like to stand or bounce a ball while learning about something. At The Reading Ranch, we understand that every child learns differently, and we can tailor strategies around their unique style to keep them engaged and interested in books. Contact us today.
Gobble Up Good Reads Creative Ways to Practice Reading This Thanksgiving
FILL WITH THANKS The holiday is a perfect opportunity to get your children writing. To fit in with the theme of Thanksgiving, you can create a gratitude jar or wall where your children can write a few things they are grateful for this year. This activity gets them thinking and provides great practice in forming short sentences. Have them take turns reading the notes after dinner as well. FEAST OF FUN FINDS You can explore the crafty side of words with activities like a “pin the tail on the turkey game.” Create “tail feathers” from construction paper, mixing words related to the holiday and random words. Have your kids pick out appropriate words to pin on a paper turkey on the wall. You could also create a festive word scavenger hunt by writing words on slips of paper and hiding them around the house. Ensure the words reveal a hidden sentence when put together correctly, like “I love my family” or “I want more pumpkin pie.” These are great ways to gamify reading and writing.
Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy tasty food, be with family, and express gratitude for everything we have. This year, you and your little ones can gobble up more than turkey with entertaining, holiday-themed reading activities. From reading recipes and shopping lists to writing down three things they’re thankful for, there are plenty of ways to mix festive fun with literacy. Get ready to fill their plates and their imaginations with these easy word exercises you can do as the green bean casserole bakes. WHISK UP WORDS Ask your child to be your cooking copilot or sous chef by having them help you with your Thanksgiving shopping list and recipes. Have them read your list out loud to ensure you have all the ingredients you need, pausing on any words they might have trouble with. As you cook, they can read every step of the recipe, so they get practice and participate in the celebration preparations. This is a good way for them to engage with words in a real-life setting and continue to hone their skills.
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The holidays are a magical time that brings together loved ones and a little chaos. Between the pie-making and travel plans, it can be easy to forget what we’re gathering to celebrate. This Thanksgiving, let’s not just carve the turkey, but also carve out some time for mindful traditions the whole family can enjoy. From sharing what you’re thankful for to hosting a family Thanksgiving talent show, this year is the perfect chance to create new traditions that deepen connections and spark laughter. Get ready to gobble up the fun together. GATHER FOR GRATITUDE Thanksgiving is all about honoring what we are grateful for in life, and it can be a fun activity for you and your children to share. You can gamify gratitude in several ways, like creating a thankfulness jar where everybody adds slips of paper describing what they most appreciate. You can take turns reading them after dinner and even make a guessing game out of who wrote what. It could be as simple as gathering around the table for breakfast and everyone saying one thing they’re grateful for. TURKEY DAY TRIVIA There’s no better way to digest after the big Thanksgiving feast than having fun. Pick out some of your favorite board games or a deck of cards for a post-meal game night. You could test everyone’s knowledge with a holiday-themed trivia competition or create a scavenger hunt around the house. No matter the game, ensure everyone from grandparents to kids can join in. Keep it focused on connection, not just winning. If you want to go all out, challenge all your guests to be ready with their best skills for a family talent show. A SOUNDTRACK TO THE STUFFING Create a perfect soundtrack you can play while everyone helps with the cooking or winds down after dessert. Before the big day, ask everyone in the family to add one or two songs to a Thanksgiving playlist. Prompt them to pick tunes that remind them of the season, happy memories, the joys of being together, or even their favorite dishes. You can keep adding to this list in subsequent years, turning the songs into a playable family history. Whisking Up New Traditions This Thanksgiving Fill Your Holiday With Gratitude and Games
This blend of cozy fall flavors takes minimal effort and is perfect for the season and holidays! Pumpkin Dump Cake
INGREDIENTS • 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin • 1 (10 oz) can evaporated milk • 1 cup light brown sugar • 3 eggs • 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 box yellow cake mix • 1 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers or pecans • 1/2 cup toffee bits (optional) • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside. 2. In a large bowl, add pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice. 3. Stir to combine and pour into the prepared pan. 4. Sprinkle the entire box of cake mix on top, followed by nuts or graham crackers and toffee bits. 5. Pour melted butter evenly on top. 6. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the center is set and edges are lightly browned. 7. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Inspired by CookiesAndCups.com
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Check Out Our New Podcast! Exciting news: We’ve launched a brand-new podcast filled with insightful conversations and valuable content!
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
6991 Pecan St., Suite 200 Frisco, TX 75034
214.449.1406
Pre-k - 6th Grade
Literacy & Tutorial Centers
ReadingRanch.com
Locations 9705 Tehama Ridge Pkwy. Suite 151 Fort Worth, TX 76177 771 East Southlake Blvd. Suites 99 & 102
6851 Warren Pkwy Suite 203 Frisco, TX 75034 101 West McDermott Dr. Allen, TX 75013 5881 Virginia Pkwy. Suite 450 McKinney, TX 75071 670 N Preston Rd. Prosper, TX 75078 701 N Preston Rd. #200 Celina, TX 75009 3115 West Parker Rd. Suite 210 Plano, TX 75023
Southlake, TX 76092 580 S Denton Tap Rd. Suite 220
Coppell, TX 75019 5925 Forest Lane Suite 130 Dallas, TX 75230 111 Dallas St. Argyle, TX 76226 6991 Pecan St. Suite 200 Frisco, TX 75034
You Can’t Even Make Up These Strange Food Rules Ice Cream in Your Pocket?
When it comes to state laws about food, specific provisions on the books from past years may leave a funny taste in your mouth — and potentially get you in a heap of trouble if you break them. This fact is especially true in parts of the South, where your lunch order may need to come with a side of legal advice. CONES AND CAPTURED HORSES If you want to stay on the good side of law enforcement in Alabama, always remember that ice cream cones are for licking, not sticking in your back pocket. While it’s pretty safe to assume the thought of engaging in the latter activity hasn’t crossed a single mind in 2025, there was a time when horse thieves would stick ice cream in their pockets to attract equine abductees. Considering that we rarely share the highway with horses these days and most people would prefer not to turn the seat of their pants into a sundae, it’s a safe bet this charge won’t fill up courtrooms for the foreseeable future. FINGER-LICKING FUN … OR ELSE! On the subject of making a mess with food items, eating chicken with your hands can be a sticky thrill — and is the only way to partake in poultry eating without running a-fowl of the law in Gainesville,
Georgia. If you want to enjoy tasty chicken in that city, stock up on wet wipes and skip the knife and fork, as eating it with utensils is a crime. Although the ordinance banning knives and forks when consuming chicken was meant as a joke by the local police department, chucking the rule may draw some disapproving clucks when dining in the place affectionately known by locals and city officials as “the Poultry Capital of the World,” especially during its renowned Spring Chicken Festival. Perhaps only a good lawyer can help determine whether the law also applies to vegan “chik’n” options.
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