Michellemartinez.Family

Directions Website

Michellemartinez.Family Michelle | Family Connection + Books + Conversations
Connect.Read.Grow

💡 Real tips for real life
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Founder of The Little Literacy Crate Collective

10/13/2026

Imaginative questions like today’s can get even a quiet child talking!

Kids have the most creative ideas—I’d love to know what they came up with as an answer to this question!

If you’d rather have the whole month’s worth of questions at your fingertips, just comment a “?” below to get your free printable calendar.

10/13/2026

Tongue twisters and jokes are such a great literacy skill building activity that your kids will love! Here are some of the benefits.

The benefits of jokes are many:

Boosts motivation
Activates dopamine
Helps with memory
Better focus
Increases attention
Fosters Creativity
Develops phonological awareness
Builds vocabulary
Social emotional skills

And tongue twisters are pretty powerful too:

Improves pronunciation
Clearer articulation
Build fine motor skills
Promote better communication
Increase vocabulary
Cognitive challenge
Better attention span
Build confidence

Be sure to check my stories for examples you can use with your kids! I’ll save them in a highlight too. 😍

*benefits of jokes from NAEYC
*benefits of tongue twisters from Parents magazine

10/09/2026

One of my favorite after school questions! Let me know if you give it a try. 🤩

10/08/2026

Connecting with your child after school can be tricky—parents and children alike are tired from the work/school day, and there’s still the full evening ahead.

So I am here to help you! Here are 2 things that can make it immediately easier:

1) Ask a specific, targeted question (I’ve created a whole month’s worth for you!)

2) Recognize that your child might need a break before feeling like they want to engage in deeper conversation.

Be sure to share this with another parent if preschool or elementary aged children so they can add this to their routine. 🤩

10/06/2026

Asking “How was your day?” often doesn’t get much of a response, but asking a specific, targeted question may increase your chances of having a meaningful after school conversation. Remember if you want to get these in the form of a printable calendar, just comment a ? below!

10/04/2026

👋🏻 Hi, I’m Michelle and I’ve done a lot of things in my life but what has always made me happiest is being a mom and stepmom who built strong family bonds. So now I’ve taken my 20+ years of being a parent (and 30+ being a teacher!) and brought it all together here to help you raise kids who know they are deeply loved.

If you’re here to find ways to make your family connection even stronger, welcome to my page! I share must read books, conversation starters and family traditions that all help your family grow closer together.

I’m so glad you’re here! 🥰

10/04/2026

I love learning about our amazing brains! Definitely trying this the next time I am annoyed. 😑

10/04/2026

Screen time is taking away the experiences former generations had that shaped their literacy development—specifically being read to by a parent.

The statistics are dismal:
➡️ 42% of 12 month olds in the UK spend 1-3 hours a day on a screen.
➡️ In the US, that same age group averages 53 minutes per day and it jumps to 150 minutes a day by age 3.

Reading aloud has often been suggested as the number one thing you can do to nurture a love of reading in your child. It builds vocabulary and background knowledge — two key factors in later reading success. You only need a few minutes per day to see the benefits.

If you are wondering which books to choose, I share book recommendations often, as well as many other creators. But the best source you’ll ever find is your local library. It is literally their job to recommend great books!

If you have other questions about building a read aloud routine with your child, I’ve created a free guide to help parents of young children with just that. All you have to do is comment GUIDE to get yours!

*Source: Education Week, 2025.

10/03/2026

Winding down at the end of the day can be especially challenging for young children, so I’ve got three tips to help you get your child calmed down and ready for a good night’s sleep. It’s another way to connect with them at the end of the day.

If you want more support with other ways to connect as a family, I’ve designed a free 5 day Family Connection Challenge. All you have to do is comment the word “CHALLENGE” to get your copy!

Address

Normal, IL

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Michellemartinez.Family posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category