Thursday August 14

When it comes to teaching preschoolers their ABCs, sticking with the basics might just be more effective. Despite the rise of digital tools and educational games, learning to read still begins with simple, hands-on work, such as writing letters and spotting words in everyday life.

New findings from Michigan State University researchers suggest that some popular approaches for learning may not be as practical as parents think. Preschoolers who played more literacy games scored lower on reading assessments, while those engaged in print-focused activities saw the most significant gains.

The study, published in the Journal of Research in Reading, was led by professors Lori Skibbe and Ryan Bowles in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the College of Social Science, as well as Nick Waters, a former postdoctoral researcher. Funding was supported by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institutes of Health.

Study background and methodology

The home literacy environment represents an important but small period when children in preschool learn literacy skills outside the classroom. It often represents activities related to print and shared book reading.

To understand how home routines shape early reading, the researchers identified three common types of literacy activities: print-focused activities, which includes direct work with letters and words, such as writing names, pointing out print on signs or practicing letter sounds; shared book reading, including reading picture books aloud, going to the library or discussing stories; and literacy games, which includes digital or analog games like flashcards, apps or alphabet videos.

The study included more than 1,000 children between the ages of 3 and 6, with a diverse sample of families from across one Midwestern state. About 800 of the children had typical development, while over 200 had speech and/or language impairments.

Skibbe and Bowles assessed children’s literacy development using three foundational skills: letter-nameknowledge, recognizing and naming letters; letter-sound knowledge, identifying the sounds letters make; and phonological awareness, or understanding how words break down into sounds, such as rhyming or segmenting syllables.

Parents completed surveys about how often they engaged in various literacy-related activities at home, including writing letters, reading books and using educational games or apps.

Key findings and implications

There were several key findings. Print-focused activities consistently predicted stronger early literacy skills in all children studied. Children who spent more time on literacy games scored lower on reading assessments across both groups. So heavier use of games was associated with worse literacy outcomes, regardless of a child’s developmental background.

But for the variable of shared book reading, it was only a significant predictor for children without speech and/or language impairments. So while the structure of the home literacy environment is similar for all children, there should be special attention when it comes to shared reading for those with disabilities.

The research challenges the assumption that more exposure to learning tools automatically means better results. Instead, it highlights the need for intentional, hands-on approaches. This doesn’t mean digital learning tools should be avoided; rather, they should be used more for supplemental learning rather than as a primary tool.

This research shows that both content and mode of delivery are important when considering how to strengthen children’s early literacy skills. Focusing on print directly, via meaningful interactions with caregivers, was most helpful for children in our work. Literacy games and digital media cannot replace the role of caregivers in helping children to learn these skills. This is particularly important for children who have speech and/or language impairment, as they might need more time and opportunities to understand how print works.

- Lori Skibbe, professor in MSU's Department of Human Development and Family Studies.

What parents should know about games

There are a few possible reasons why some games may not be helping. For example, certain games prioritize entertainment over education, employing flashy visuals and sounds that distract from the development of key skills.

For other games, even if high-quality, they lack personal, hands-on instruction, such as practicing writing or identifying real-world print — skills that are especially critical for children with speech and/or language challenges.

Teaching children early reading skills does not require expensive tools or programs. Everyday interactions with print learning opportunities are the most important. There are specific tips and actions that parents can take to encourage learning:

Spot letters together by finding letters on street signs, food packaging or menus.

Encourage writing and have your child write their name, draw letters or label pictures.

Make reading interactive by pointing to words, talking about letter sounds and asking questions while reading books.

Parents should be mindful of introducing games when children might be struggling. Thoughtfully integrate digital learning tools for supplemental learning.

Print-focused routines are especially important for children with learning impairments. 

-courtesy story & photo (MSU/Josh Johnson)

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Eastern Saginaw Bay: Very few anglers were out over the weekend targeting walleye. The few boats that were out fished over the bar and northeast of the shipping channel in 24 to 30 feet of water, with only a handful of walleye to show for their efforts. Fish were caught on both body baits and crawler harnesses. Anglers fishing nearshore caught and released largemouth bass using a variety of artificial baits.

Lake Erie: Walleye were reported to have moved into deeper water and for the most part, were holding outside of Michigan waters. Anglers were able catch one or two near bait balls if they were lucky enough to find them, usually in shallower water—around 10 feet. Yellow perch had yet to push into the Michigan side in any significant numbers. A few anglers caught some in the dumping grounds on the Michigan side, closer to shore in 10 to 14 feet of water, but no limits were reported. Smallmouth bass action was good, especially in areas with around 10 feet of water. Anglers found success using artificial soft plastic lures, including drop-shot rigs with finesse worms, tube baits dragged along the bottom, and swimbaits retrieved slowly over rocky structure. Largemouth bass activity remained slow.

Lower Saginaw Bay: Walleye fishing slowed down in the inner bay, and yellow perch fishing had been very spotty at best. Some yellow perch were caught in 14 feet of water in front of Linwood Marina, and a few were caught near sailboat buoy H.

Southwest Lower Peninsula

South Haven: Salmon anglers had a tough week. The best waters were around 120 feet of water. The fish that were caught were decent-sized; there just hadn’t been many caught. Pier fishing was slow for all species, and perch fishing had also been very slow.

St. Joseph: Salmon fishing slowed down this week. The best waters were very deep, but overall, the fishing was slow. Pier fishing was slow for all species, and perch fishing was very inconsistent. Anglers caught a few fish around 40 feet of water. However, they had a very hard time catching fish across multiple days and depths.

Muskegon: Boat anglers continued to find decent action for salmon. The best action was 60 to 100 feet down in 90 to 160 feet of water. Glow plugs, green meat rigs, and glow spoons worked well. Pier anglers casting for salmon were unsuccessful.

Grand Haven: Salmon action was good for boat anglers. The best action was 60 to 110 feet down in 100 to 180 feet of water. Green or yellow meat rigs worked well, along with glow spoons. Pier action had slowed down significantly for salmon due to the warmer water temperatures. Anglers caught largemouth bass on live bait and crankbaits.

Northeast Lower Peninsula

Cheboygan: Salmon anglers trolled spoons, J-plugs, and flasher-fly combinations near the second buoy marker from the mouth of the Cheboygan River. The best depths were between 55 and 75 feet of water. Lake trout anglers had the most success at Spectacle Reef when using Spin-N-Glos. In the Cheboygan River, anglers caught walleye, smallmouth bass, and rock bass. Worms were the most used bait for these species. Good areas to target them included beside the pedestrian walkway bridge by the baseball fields, the State Street drawbridge near the Cheboygan DNR field office, and along the parking lot by the Plaunt’s Transportation ferry.

Tawas/Au Gres: Fishing was slow, with mostly recreational boaters out. Boat anglers who were fishing for walleye did not have much luck, with only 1 to 7 fish being caught. The fish that were caught were in deep water due to the heat causing water temperatures to rise. No yellow perch were caught. Freshwater drum and catfish were caught alongside the few walleye that were landed.

Oscoda/Au Sable: Anglers fishing in 70 to 115 feet of water caught walleye 15 to 30 feet down while trolling Jr. Silver Streaks or smaller spoons. A handful of coho salmon and Atlantic salmon were caught 50 to 60 feet below the same depth range.

Harrisville: Anglers fishing in 80 to 100 feet of water caught walleye 20 to 35 feet down. A few coho salmon, along with the occasional Atlantic salmon, were also caught at this depth while pulling 5 to 7 colors of leadcore with spoons. Lake trout were caught by anglers targeting 170 to 250 feet of water, trolling spoons and Spin-N-Glos off the bottom.

Rogers City: Fishing was slow. The lake had turned over and scattered the fish—though at least there was cold water. Anglers were fishing all over the place—straight out, south toward Swan Bay and Adams Point, and even toward Forty Mile Point. Anglers were mostly catching the occasional lake trout, Chinook salmon, and walleye. The best depths ranged from 50 to 120 feet of water. Running lines throughout the water column yielded the best results. Anglers deployed Dipsey Divers, leadcore, downriggers, and copper across various depths. A variety of baits were used, including spoons, flasher-fly combinations, meat rigs, and J-plugs. Productive colors included green, white, black, purple, blue, and glow patterns—especially during early morning and late evening hours.

Presque Isle: The cold water benefitted nearshore anglers. Anglers caught a mixed bag of lake trout, Chinook salmon, walleye, and the occasional coho salmon, Atlantic salmon, and steelhead. The best depths ranged from 50 to 120 feet of water. Productive areas included the waters between the lighthouses and north toward Black Point. Anglers started fishing near Stoneport and False Presque Isle. Running lines throughout the water column produced the best results. Anglers used spoons, flasher-fly combinations, meat rigs, and J-plugs. Effective colors included green, blue, orange, white, black-and-white, and glow patterns during early morning and late evening hours.

Port Sanilac: A few lake trout and the occasional walleye were caught while trolling north off of Forester in 110 to 130 feet of water, with baits running 45 to 90 feet down.

Alpena: Fishing slowed down significantly. Anglers who were out looking for walleye brought back less than their limit or no fish at all. One group caught just under their limit of lake trout while jigging.

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Manistee: Warm water moved into the area, and salmon were found deeper. Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and a few steelhead were caught straight out and to the south while fishing in 100 to 140 feet of water, targeting depths of 80 to 100+ feet with plugs, spoons, and some flies. Only a few Chinook salmon were caught off the piers with spoons before the water warmed up.

Ludington: Chinook salmon and coho salmon were caught at Big Sable Point in 150 feet of water when fishing 70 to 80+ feet down. Salmon and steelhead were also caught to the south, off the projects, in 80 to 120 feet of water when fishing deep. Spoons, flasher/fly combos, and plugs all caught fish.

Frankfort/Lake Michigan: This week’s high winds pushed the temperature break down to around 85 to 95 feet in 120 to 140 feet of water. Anglers who ventured out found good numbers of Chinook salmon on spoons and meat rigs. The best bite was in the early mornings. Coho salmon started hitting in the same areas as the kings, with anglers reporting several hit-and-run strikes. Anglers jigging in the harbor and fishing off the wall picked up Chinook salmon during the evening hours.

Leland: Lake trout and Chinook salmon fishing continued to be productive. Anglers targeting Lake trout had good success fishing the second bank and near both Manitou Islands while using white cowbells and red/white, green, or orange spoons. Those targeting Chinook salmon had great success fishing near Pyramid Point in 180 to 200 feet of water and on both the first and second bank in 80 to 120 feet of water while trolling various baits. Green, blue, and orange spoons, J-plugs, and meat rigs were also productive, especially at night.

Suttons Bay: Lake trout and Chinook salmon were being caught throughout the Suttons Bay area. Anglers who jigged small white spoons in 80 to 100 feet of water near Stoney Point found great success catching Lake Trout in the early morning. A few Chinook salmon were caught by anglers trolling north from Stoney Point.

Charlevoix: Fishing pressure increased, with Chinook salmon, Lake trout, and smallmouth bass being caught. Anglers reported success trolling for Chinook salmon around Medusa in 120 to 150 feet of water using a combination of meat rigs, flies, spoons, and plugs. Lake trout were caught trolling in 250 to 350 feet with spoons. More salmon were caught later at night before sunset. Smallmouth bass were caught off the pier throughout the day, with the most success reported while drifting worms in the current.

Little Traverse Bay: Fishing pressure increased, with reports of Chinook salmon and Smallmouth bass being caught. Chinook salmon were caught just off the drop-offs in Harbor Springs and Petoskey. Success was reported while trolling in 120 to 150 feet of water using a combination of flies, meat rigs, and plugs. More salmon were caught later at night. A few smallmouth bass were caught while fishing in the mouth of the Bear River, casting artificial bottom-oriented rigs.

East Grand Traverse Bay: Chinook salmon were caught throughout the bay. Anglers had success while trolling at the southern end of the bay in 100 to 130 feet of water. Those fishing the Elk River caught smallmouth bass while drifting fishing with worms.

Onekama/Lake Michigan: Anglers who headed straight out to 100 to 150 feet of water reported moderate numbers of Chinook salmon, hitting on a variety of spoon colors and trolling in the top 80 feet. Anglers in front of the golf course also reported moderate numbers of Chinook salmon and a few lake trout.

Upper Peninsula

Ontonagon River: The river saw a fair amount of fishing effort. Anglers reported that walleye were caught in fair numbers by those trolling and jigging alike. Anglers had the best luck finding fish in the early morning hours.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Angling efforts in Ontonagon were good over the past week. Efforts out of Union Bay and Silver City were slightly lower. Fishing on the lake was productive, with anglers recently reporting good numbers of lake trout. Anglers found success while trolling across a variety of water depths.

Black River Harbor: Angling efforts out of the harbor were fair to low over the past week. Reported catches consisted of lake trout in fair to good numbers. Catches of coho salmon were also reported on fewer occasions. Successful trips appeared to result from spending longer periods on the water.

Little Bay de Noc: There were some reports of successful walleye trips where a few fish were caught. Anglers trolled crawler harnesses and cast jigs with crawlers or reaction-style snap jigs. Overall, fishing was slow for most, and the bites proved hard to come by. Anglers targeting smallmouth bass reported good numbers of catches while casting toward structure or areas with a presence of gobies. Some anglers caught smallmouth bass on nightcrawlers, while others caught fish with soft plastics. Yellow perch anglers reported fair to good fishing.

Big Bay de Noc: Smallmouth bass anglers reported good fishing when going out of Nahma and Ogontz. Anglers using natural-colored artificial baits reported good fishing, as did those fishing with nightcrawlers.

Fairport: Chinook salmon anglers reported catching good numbers of bites. Most of the fish caught were smaller, and anglers generally reported fewer adult fish around the Fairport fishing grounds, suggesting that some of the adult salmon were headed toward river mouths. Steelhead were caught by anglers targeting salmon.

Keweenaw Bay/ Huron Bay: Anglers reported that lake trout fishing was fair. They had success trolling spoons and flasher flies in 100 to 120 feet of water. Anglers also reported that salmon fishing was more productive last week, with coho salmon and Chinook salmon being caught.

Marquette: Lake trout were still being caught consistently north of White Rocks in 200 to 250 feet of water. Anglers trolling from northwest of the White Rocks out toward north of Granite Island were still doing well in deeper waters, but it seemed like most of the fish were suspended at around 120 feet during the week. Anglers were seeing fish throughout the water column, but they were in deeper water before they started catching fish. If baitfish were marked, those areas tended to produce good results.

The Clay Banks fishing was very slow. Lake trout were caught in Marquette this week, with a few coho salmon here and there. The lake trout were caught in depths ranging from 80 to 120 feet, while the coho salmon were found a bit shallower, in 40 to 60 feet of water.

Au Train: Warm, windy weather pushed the lake trout fishing out deeper that week, but anglers caught good sized fish about 10 miles out from the boat launch. Anglers willing to travel a bit farther than the usual flats northwest of Au Train Island found good success. They were either trolling for Lake Trout in around 150 to 180 feet of water northeast between Au Train Island and the Wood Island Reef or in approximately 200 feet of water.

Traverse Bay/Portage Entry: Anglers reported catching good numbers of lake trout while trolling spoons and flasher flies. These fish were caught in 60 to 150 feet of water, with most being caught near the bottom. Anglers also reported that jigging for lake trout had been productive over the past week. Very few coho and Chinook salmon were caught; these were taken using spoons and flasher flies down 60 to 80 feet in 100 to 120 feet of water.

Munising: Fishing activity was slow due to inclement weather this past weekend, but boating anglers caught lake trout near Grand Island while trolling and jigging. I started to see some Chinook and coho salmon being caught by boating anglers trolling the bay and around Grand Island. The splake bite was also good for boating anglers trolling the bay.

Grand Marais: Fishing activity was slow due to inclement weather this past weekend, but boat anglers did well on lake trout, both trolling and jigging for them at deeper depths.

St. Ignace: Anglers were advised to try trolling spoons, J-plugs, or flasher-fly combinations as the salmon prepared to stage outside of Nunns Creek and the Carp River. There were no reports of walleye from the Carp or Pine rivers.

Les Cheneaux/DeTour: Anglers in Hessel caught lake trout out of the middle entrance in the big waters, as well as a few small Chinook salmon. A few smallmouth bass were caught within the Hessel area as well, but they were tight-lipped. Good numbers of pike were caught and released in both Hessel and Cedarville while casting artificial baits. Perch fishing was non-existent, with very few people having any luck. Water temperatures within the islands seemed to stay between 76 and 81 degrees. In DeTour, anglers caught lake trout in the flats when the weather allowed them to go out that far. A few Atlantic salmon and Chinook salmon were also caught while trolling around the lighthouse.

-courtesy story

 LANSING, Mich. – Grant Judkins fired 7 2/3 innings, setting a new professional high, and the Lansing Lugnuts (18-25, 54-55) scored two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to beat the Dayton Dragons (13-27, 34-71), 4-3, on Wednesday afternoon at Jackson® Field™.

Judkins, the Midwest League’s leader with 116 1/3 innings pitched, surpassed his previous high of seven innings with a tidy 90-pitch, three-hit, four-K gem before yielding to Blaze Pontes for the final out of the eighth.

Trailing 2-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Lugnuts rallied to take a 3-2 lead on a Cameron Leary RBI fielder’s choice and Ryan Lasko RBI infield single.

An inning later, Leary drew a bases-loaded to walk for an insurance run – one that proved significant when a pair of errors from second baseman Casey Yamauchi and closer Mark Adamiak allowed the Dragons to pull within one on a Carter Graham RBI single.

Adamiak set down Yerlin Confidan on a foulout and Peyton Stovall on a flyout to finish off his league-leading 18th save and halt Lansing’s four-game losing streak.

In the win, Yamauchi went 2-for-3 with a walk and his 12th stolen base.

The Lugnuts and Dragons will next play a special Coors Light Thirsty Thursday doubleheader beginning at 5:05 p.m. (with gates opening at 4 p.m.) to make up Tuesday night’s rainout. Fans with tickets to Tuesday’s game can exchange those tickets in person at the stadium box office for tickets of equal or lesser value to one of the 11 remaining home gates in the Lugnuts’ 2025 season.

For more information, visit the stadium box office at 505 E. Michigan Ave. in downtown Lansing, call (517) 485-4500 during office hours, or visit lansinglugnuts.com. 

-courtesy story