Reading is the most important skill you can teach a child. Reading sits at the heart of a good education and a better life plus it is the door opener to the digital world of the 21st century. Students should read a minimum of 20 minutes EVERY night. Students have reading homework Monday - Thursday of every week--no question about it (unless you see a homework pass or note from me)! Reading over the weekend is optional.
As with any acquired skill, reading gets better with practice. Children grow more skillful, more confident, and more in love with reading by reading more often. But knowing how to read is just the beginning. Motivating children to keep reading so they strengthen their ability to think creatively is the end goal.
Children need access to great books and the opportunity to choose what they read. And they need time for reading. With parent involvement, we can inspire children to practice reading. TOGETHER, let's make a difference in their lives that will last a lifetime!
Give your child lots of opportunities to read aloud. Inspire your young reader to practice every day! The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader.
Try a new tip each week.
See what works best for your child.
■ Don’t leave home without it.
Bring along a book or magazine any time your child has to wait, such as at a doctor’s office.
Always try to fit in reading!
■ Once is not enough.
Encourage your child to re-read favorite books and poems. Re-reading helps kids read more
quickly and accurately.
■ Dig deeper into the story.
Ask your child questions about the story you've just read. Say something like, “Why do you think
Clifford did that?”
■ Take control of the television.
It’s difficult for reading to compete with TV and video games. Encourage reading as a
free-time activity.
■ Be patient.
When your child is trying to sound out an unfamiliar word, give him or her time to do so.
Remind your child to look closely at the first letter or letters of the word.
■ Pick books that are at the right level.
Help your child pick books that are not too difficult. The aim is to give your child lots of
successful reading experiences.
■ Play word games.
Have your child sound out the word as you change it from mat to fat to sat; from sat to sag to
sap; and from sap to sip.
■ I read to you, you read to me.
Take turns reading aloud at bedtime. Kids enjoy this special time with their parents.
■ Gently correct your young reader.
When your child makes a mistake, gently point out the letters he or she overlooked or read
incorrectly. Many beginning readers will guess wildly at a word based on its first letter.
■ Talk, talk, talk!
Talk with your child every day about school and things going on around the house. Sprinkle some
interesting words into the conversation, and build on words you’ve talked about in the past.
■ Write, write, write!
Ask your child to help you write out the grocery list, a thank you note to Grandma, or to keep
a journal of special things that happen at home. When writing, encourage your child to use the
letter and sound patterns he or she is learning at school.
