Tips For Parents And Their Young Learner
The ABC's Of Reading To And With Your Child
(From The MAILBOX Bookbag • Dec/Jan 1998-99)
Ask questions while reading together such as "What do you think will happen next?"
Buy books as gifts for birthdays, Christmas, or other holidays.
Chat about what is happening in the book and how it relates to everyday life.
Drop everything and read. Set aside 20 minutes a day during which the whole family reads.
Examine book illustrations in detail. Select books that have large, bright pictures.
Find books that interest your child. Make suggestions, but don't turn reading into work.
Give hints when your child gets stuck on a word.
Have fun. Smile and enjoy the story. Read with a slow, relaxed voice and be expressive.
Invite your child to the bookstore. Take time to lounge in the chairs and browse the books.
Join in your child's reading successes. Celebrate every small step with sincere praise.
Kids love to receive mail. Send your child a magazine subscription in an area that interests him or her.
Learn to read with, and not just to, your child daily. Read aloud, share ideas, and answer questions.
Model reading. Share with your child, whether you are reading for information or for entertainment.
Never force your child to read. If you are both too tired or discouraged to read, take a break.
Offer your child a variety of reading materials, such as books, magazines, cereal boxes, comics, and newspapers.
Predict story elements, draw conclusions, and retell the story with your child.
Quiz your child at the end of a story on elements such as title, author, characters, setting, problem and solution.
Reread books to familiarize your child with words and to build self-confidence.
Sing songs, recite poetry, and do fingerplays to help develop language and listening skills.
Try to help your child understand that it's okay to make mistakes.
Understand that reading is developmental and that it takes time and practice to become fluent.
Visit your local library on a regular basis. Sign your child up for his or her own library card.
Welcome wordless picture books into your collections. They generate conversation and allow the nonreader to create his or her own stories.
"X"hibit patience when your child is selecting books. Your support is empowering.
You are the most important person in helping your child develop a lifelong love of reading.
Zealous readers are the result of supportive and nurturing role models.
________________________________________________________________________________
Why Can't I Skip My Twenty Minutes of Reading Tonight?
(shared on mailring by Emmy Ellis; source unknown)
Let's figure it out -- mathematically!
Student A reads 20 minutes five nights of every week;
Student B reads only 4 minutes a night...or not at all!
Step 1: Multiply minutes a night x 5 times each week.
Student A reads 20 min. x 5 times a week = 100 mins./week
Student B reads 4 minutes x 5 times a week = 20 minutes
Step 2: Multiply minutes a week x 4 weeks each month.
Student A reads 400 minutes a month.
Student B reads 80 minutes a month.
Step 3: Multiply minutes a month x 9 months/school year
Student A reads 3600 min. in a school year.
Student B reads 720 min. in a school year.
Student A practices reading the equivalent of ten whole school days a year. Student B gets the equivalent of only two school days of reading practice.
By the end of 6th grade if Student A and Student B maintain
these same reading habits, Student A will have read the equivalent of 60 whole school days Student B will have read the equivalent of only 12 school days.
One would expect the gap of information retained will have widened considerably and so, undoubtedly, will school performance. How do you think Student B will feel about him/herself as a student?
Some questions to ponder:
Which student would you expect to read better?
Which student would you expect to know more?
Which student would you expect to write better?
Which student would you expect to have a better vocabulary?
Which student would you expect to be more successful in school....and in life?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(From The MAILBOX Bookbag • Dec/Jan 1998-99)
Ask questions while reading together such as "What do you think will happen next?"
Buy books as gifts for birthdays, Christmas, or other holidays.
Chat about what is happening in the book and how it relates to everyday life.
Drop everything and read. Set aside 20 minutes a day during which the whole family reads.
Examine book illustrations in detail. Select books that have large, bright pictures.
Find books that interest your child. Make suggestions, but don't turn reading into work.
Give hints when your child gets stuck on a word.
Have fun. Smile and enjoy the story. Read with a slow, relaxed voice and be expressive.
Invite your child to the bookstore. Take time to lounge in the chairs and browse the books.
Join in your child's reading successes. Celebrate every small step with sincere praise.
Kids love to receive mail. Send your child a magazine subscription in an area that interests him or her.
Learn to read with, and not just to, your child daily. Read aloud, share ideas, and answer questions.
Model reading. Share with your child, whether you are reading for information or for entertainment.
Never force your child to read. If you are both too tired or discouraged to read, take a break.
Offer your child a variety of reading materials, such as books, magazines, cereal boxes, comics, and newspapers.
Predict story elements, draw conclusions, and retell the story with your child.
Quiz your child at the end of a story on elements such as title, author, characters, setting, problem and solution.
Reread books to familiarize your child with words and to build self-confidence.
Sing songs, recite poetry, and do fingerplays to help develop language and listening skills.
Try to help your child understand that it's okay to make mistakes.
Understand that reading is developmental and that it takes time and practice to become fluent.
Visit your local library on a regular basis. Sign your child up for his or her own library card.
Welcome wordless picture books into your collections. They generate conversation and allow the nonreader to create his or her own stories.
"X"hibit patience when your child is selecting books. Your support is empowering.
You are the most important person in helping your child develop a lifelong love of reading.
Zealous readers are the result of supportive and nurturing role models.
________________________________________________________________________________
Why Can't I Skip My Twenty Minutes of Reading Tonight?
(shared on mailring by Emmy Ellis; source unknown)
Let's figure it out -- mathematically!
Student A reads 20 minutes five nights of every week;
Student B reads only 4 minutes a night...or not at all!
Step 1: Multiply minutes a night x 5 times each week.
Student A reads 20 min. x 5 times a week = 100 mins./week
Student B reads 4 minutes x 5 times a week = 20 minutes
Step 2: Multiply minutes a week x 4 weeks each month.
Student A reads 400 minutes a month.
Student B reads 80 minutes a month.
Step 3: Multiply minutes a month x 9 months/school year
Student A reads 3600 min. in a school year.
Student B reads 720 min. in a school year.
Student A practices reading the equivalent of ten whole school days a year. Student B gets the equivalent of only two school days of reading practice.
By the end of 6th grade if Student A and Student B maintain
these same reading habits, Student A will have read the equivalent of 60 whole school days Student B will have read the equivalent of only 12 school days.
One would expect the gap of information retained will have widened considerably and so, undoubtedly, will school performance. How do you think Student B will feel about him/herself as a student?
Some questions to ponder:
Which student would you expect to read better?
Which student would you expect to know more?
Which student would you expect to write better?
Which student would you expect to have a better vocabulary?
Which student would you expect to be more successful in school....and in life?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________