On the road again…

Last summer, we drove to southwest Florida to visit my sister and her family. I give the credit for us getting there to Jim Dale and Harry Potter.

A fine voice reading an exciting story (even though we'd all individually read the books) allowed us to avoid conflict over which kind of music to listen to and to share a different kind of experience.

This year we're planning another road trip, even though the price of gas is keeping us closer to home.

I'm better prepared these days. I try to remind myself of easy games to play in the car (which are also a good way to keep the driver alert). I found a neat website that reminded me of familiar games, organized by age.

And now — even without a family vacation on the horizon — I keep a few audio books in the car. (I borrow them from my library. Many libraries even have downloadable books for MP3s or iPods these days.) They're a great way to enhance reading skills whether your child is a typical or a special learner.

It's always good to have a few tricks up your sleeve to keep everyone engaged and maybe even stimulate a bit of learning, maybe overall awareness of language — all the while sharing some fun.

And just think, you just may not hear that usually whiny question (that is really more of a complaint) — "Are we there yet?"

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