Teaching Children to Love Learning while Learning Good Things
 

The American Academy of Pediatrics calls exposure to media violence a “media-related health risk.” As a parent, you want to minimize your children’s exposure to that violence, as well as to the sexual content and bad language that are rife in today’s media. You need to counteract the bad behavior that’s glorified in movies and books, and make sure that what your children are reading and learning reinforces the values that are important to you.

It’s not easy to find books, movies, and activities that have positive values messages. On top of that, your family’s active life and hectic schedule can leave little time for reviewing and selecting appropriate reading and viewing material for your children.

Discovery Journey can help you navigate the waters of today’s media and can guide you and your family toward materials that will ignite a love of reading and learning while reinforcing the values that you hold dear.

By joining Discovery Journey, you and your family will reap the benefits of:

·         Book and Movie Reviews - We evaluate the content of each children’s book and movie for positive and negative examples of the following ten traits: self-discipline, compassion, responsibility, friendship, work, courage, perseverance, honesty, loyalty, and faith. The more strongly a book or movie presents these values-oriented messages, the higher it scores. Points are deducted for negative behavioral influences, such as violence, bad language, nudity, sexual content, scary elements, and the use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. The result is a Character Score, ranging from zero to 100, that you can use to select media that have integral values messages.

·         Family Experiences – We develop activities that coordinate with each book and movie that we review. Our recipe and directions for making salt-water taffy make the book, The Wedding Planner’s Daughter, come alive. A covered wagon trip for the family gives added depth and understanding to the book, Little House in Brookfield. Our suggestions for home activities and family trips make the printed words leap off the page and ignite your child’s imagination.

·         Monthly Newsletters – Each month, we send an email newsletter to our subscribers. The Treasure Map is full of tips to supplement your child’s literary experience, as well as our latest book and movie reviews.

·         Online Articles – As parents ourselves, we have a solid perspective on topics of concern to parents of children and teens. Our online articles cover everything from teaching the concept of courage to the challenges and rewards of home schooling.

·         On Demand Reviews – Although we add up to 50 new reviews to our site each month, we understand that you may need information on a book or movie that hasn’t yet been reviewed. If that’s the case, simply send us a request, and we will complete our review within seven days – guaranteed!

·         Our Team of Guides – Each member of our team brings his or her expertise to the reviewing process. We believe that the variety of unique perspectives – from educators and psychologists to ten-year-old triplets – adds depth and breadth to our reviews.

·         The Experience of Other Parents – Discovery Journey subscribers can rate each book and movie, as well as add their own comments, and can participate in our online forum.

By using the tools that Discovery Journey provides, you will be able to:   Embark on a journey of character-based education, and in the process teach your child sophisticated concepts such as courage, loyalty, justice, respect, hope, honesty, and love.   Make reading an interactive experience, where your child has the opportunity to ask questions about things they don’t understand.

Promote creative thinking in your child, so he or she can learn to critically appraise what he or she reads and to think beyond the words on the page.   Find the ideal book for your child; plan learning experiences that match the book; read the book as a family; and talk about the characters, the traits they possess, and the decisions they make.   Discover books and movies that you and your child can enjoy together, and create a unique family experience that educates while it entertains.   Bring the joy of reading to your child in a way that will translate into better learning habits at school, better behavior at home, and better citizenship in the world.   Discuss issues of importance to you with other parents in our online forum and add your own ratings and comments to books and movies.

Get Started

Find ideal children's books for your child   Plan a learning experience that enhances the story   Read the children's book with your child as a family   Talk about the characters, their decisions, their particular traits, and the lessons learned   Live the book experience in a way that takes it "off the page!"   Repeat the process, time and again, with books and movies, making your child's education entertaining and creating that passion for learning!

Founders:  Susan & Brent Sitton

Discovery Journey

12400 Hwy 71 W Suite 350-251

Austin, TX 78738

512.809.2983

9:00 am - 5:00 pm CST