How do I help my child become a life-long reader?

This is compliments of Mrs. Newhouse our Reading Specialist....

How do I Help My Child Become a Life-Long Reader?

3 Tried and True Ways to Help Older Elementary Students to Love Reading!

#1—READ TO THEM!!!—You must “Capture” them in a good story or a non-fiction book that has a topic that interests them: sports, outdoors, wildlife, fantasy, science fiction, history, whatever their passion is.  Then…read to them almost every night!  Make it a priority, a special time with your child (you can have all your children listening!). Make sure you bring the passion to it because they will pick up on that passion!  Don’t make it work for them. You must show them the wonders of just reading for pure enjoyment!

Here are some resources for finding great books:

1.     Your child’s teacher(s).  

2.     Your local library (talk to a librarian!).  

3.     Websites: Scholastic Books Parent Resources (www.scholastic.com/parents/), Random House Children’s Books (www.randomhousekids.com), The Best Children’s Books (www.the-best-childrens-books.org). 

#2—LISTEN TO THEM READ!—Have it be a book of their choice. Within that book, do some shared reading:  They read a page, you read a page.  If they need to work on their fluency, have them read that page (or even a paragraph) again until it is read smoothly and effortlessly. Throw in some comprehension questions. Have them give you a retell.  Say, “Now, tell me all about the story that you just read.”  Listen for them to state the main idea and give 3 or more details in a meaningful sequence. If you are reading non-fiction, have them list important facts they have learned.  Go deeper and ask them who, what, why, when, where, how, I wonder questions.

#3-LISTENING AND READING TO BOOKS ON TAPE/CD—Your local library has many books on CD.   Have your child choose one that they would like to listen to and/or read along with. A great time to do this is in the car on short or long trips.  In addition to listening to the book, have a copy of the book so your child can read along.  Having them read aloud will help them hear and practice good fluency. 

For all 3 of these, make the reading process an enjoyable experience.  Push them to do their best (read the exact words that are on the page!) and think beyond the text.  Do not make “Not reading” an option.  Make it a part of your everyday life!  Set the example by reading yourself and sharing with them what you are reading.  Take your books, magazines, newspapers, etc. with you when you go to appointments, ballgames, the beach, and more!!