As parents/guardians, reading with your child or helping your child READ is probably the best thing you can do to help your child succeed in school. Reading books builds vocabulary, builds background knowledge, and can help build empathy, too.
Just read with your kid. It sounds easy...that is, until you have soccer practice and maybe a work meeting, dinner to cook, laundry to fold, and maybe a sibling or two that need something else at the same time. Finding time to read at home can be a challenge. Here are some tips, from one parent to another:
1) For children who can read independently, build it in as part of a routine. For example, reading might be one of the things that must be done before the TV is turned on. Kids will typically fight you at first, but adjust fairly quickly.
2) Find a book you WANT to read to your child. 1st and 2nd graders (and older) love listening to chapter books. As a child, I loved the Boxcar Children. Because I looked forward to sharing the stories with my kids, it was easier to find 15 minutes to give to read them a couple chapters most nights. What were some books YOU loved as a kid? I started reading The Robber Hotzenplatz to my 1st grader...and before I knew it my 3rd grader took over, reading out loud to him and then silently to herself. Our excitement can be contagious.
3) It's OK to vary the length or amount you read. Some nights we skip stories--sleep is more important. Other nights we read 3-4 stories because we have more time. The important part is giving time to reading and discussing books together.
Our main school growth goal this year continues to be around reading. Last year, we focused on strengthening our phonemic awareness, phonics, and word study instruction. This year, we're continuing with that work, and also focusing on comprehension. Specifically, how do we use what we already know to help understand what we read? At home, you can help by asking your child questions like the below before they start reading:
Fiction
- Looking at this book, what do you think the problem in the story will be?
- Who are the characters?
- What is the setting?
Non-fiction
- What do you think you'll learn in this book?
Thank you for all your support!
