Simple Things Families Can Do to Encourage Their Children to Become Better Readers
By Alayne Fix - Reading Specialist M.ed (Reading,) M.A.T. (English as a Second Language)
Learning to read well is the cornerstone of a sound education.
1. Read to your children every day for 30 minutes. It is especially important for pre-schoolers to hear the rhythm and structure of language before they start school. 2. Talk to infants and young children before they learn to read. Build a foundation for reading by talking to young children in short, simple sentences. 3. Help your child to learn to read on his or her own. Visit the library once a week and provide a variety of children's books.
Allow your child to choose his or her own reading material. 4. Help your child see that reading is important. Set a good example for your children by reading books, magazines and newspapers. 5. If your child has a developmental delay, reading may be frustrating for him. Offer books on tape and a tape recorder for the child, so that he or she can access stories by listening to them. Then, tape some of your child's own stories. 6. Read and write
with your child in his or her native language. Practice in reading and writing in any language will help your child learn English. 7. Request that your child describe events in his or her life. Talking about experiences helps children think about them in detail and in succession. 8. Keep track of your child's learning in school. Visit your child's classroom and learn how your child is doing in school. Find out how he or she can be a better reader. 9. Restrict the amount of time that your child spends watching television. Make a habit of watching informative television programs that teach about letters, sounds, nature, science and history. 10. Become a learning partner with your child's neighborhood school. Volunteer to read with a child for 30 minutes for eight weeks.
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