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Crimes have been committed in a couple of Iowa campgrounds in the last few weeks. One of the campgrounds was in our own county. It unnerves me to think that families can’t be safe in their own tent or camper. New of these crimes brought back to me the days when our family first ventured out into the unknown world of camping. This was back in the late 1960s when we had two boys, 9 and 7 years old, and a 2-year-old little girl. We had purchased a used tent with some friends of ours and we took turns using the tent on weekends. Hubby was a truck driver, so we didn’t always have a good time to take off camping, but our first try was done in somewhat of a hurry.

Recent studies from the Reading & Literacy Discovery Center of Cincinnati's Children's Hospital were the first provide neurobiological evidence of the potential benefits of reading to children age five and younger and the potential detriments of screen time on the development of such youngsters' brains. Images released with the study indicated substantial growth in organized white matter in the language and literacy areas of the brains of children who were read to during the highly formative first five years of their lives. That's important, as the study noted that white matter is comprised of fibers that form connections between brain cells and the nervous system. Increasing and organizing that white matter, which reading to youngsters facilitates, increases the brain's functionality and ability to learn. While the study noted the value of reading to children age five and younger, it also showed how children who spent an average of two hours a day playing on screens were adversely affected by that behavior. In images of such children's brains, white matter was considerably underdeveloped and disorganized, which can contribute to slow processing and learning difficulties.

Dyslexia is a condition in which people have problems processing letters, symbols and words, potentially compromising their ability to read. According to Kids Health, a medical information site powered by Nemours, research has shown dyslexia is a byproduct of how the brain processes information. Those with dyslexia actually use different parts of the brain when they try to read than those without dyslexia, and these parts do not work efficiently.

Shade gardens are great places to be on hot summer days. Many plants are well-suited for shady gardens – and hostas aren’t the only options. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulturists answer common questions about selecting the best plants to grow in the shade and the care recommendations you need to create great shade gardens.