8/13/2019 How to Become a Good Reader

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100 Ways to Grow a Reader

1. Read, read and read some more! The number one way to grow a reader is to read tothem everyday.

2. Fill your house or classroom with reading material. Here are some ideas forbuilding a library on a budget.

3. Send notes in your childs lunchbox or bookbag for them to read. Here are somefun printable ideas from Teach Mama calledA Little More Lunchbox Love.

4. Talk withkids. Talking with kids builds language and vocabulary development.5. Give a magazine subscription. Kids love to get mail!6. Go on aletter dig.7.

Have kids create lists. Reading and writing go hand in hand.8. Usesensory play to extend stories.

9. Visit the library often.10.Developfamily reading rituals.11. Find books on topics that your kids are interested in at any given time.12. Dont get frustrated if your child doesnt love to read. Try some of the ideas on this

list for help!

13. Story magnets are a fun way to encourage storytelling. I love theUpcycledStory Magnetsfrom Sun Hats & Wellie Boots.

14. Label things with beginning readers. Use sticky notes or index cards to create labelsfor just about anything in your house or classroom.

15. Incorporate gross motor activities into learning yourletters.Check outJ is forJump from Teach Preschool.

16. Let kids read to their pet, a sibling or a neighbor to practice their reading fluency.17. Be a reader. Model reading. Kids need to see us read!18. Usereading pointersfor young readers who need help tracking print.19.Attend story time at local libraries or bookstores.20.Help young readers learn about word families. Check out this funLego Word

Families from Playdough to Plato.

21. Let kids pick out books for other kids to give as birthday presents.22.Encourage kids to find theirjust right reading spots.23.Start aFamily Dinner Book Club.24.Share books with out of town relatives or friends through Skype.25.Go on a picture walk with kids before reading the text. This is a great way to plant

new vocabulary, work on predictions and build background knowledge before

reading.

26.Read chapter books to children. This helps expose them to new vocabulary anddevelop visualization skills.

27.Draw attention to print everywhere (billboards, stores, playgrounds, etc.)28.Create some easy literacy games withmuffin tins.29.Read the same books over and over again! Repetition helps with comprehension,

fluency and developing a love of reading.

http://growingbookbybook.com/2012/09/10/building-a-library-on-a-tight-budget/http://growingbookbybook.com/2012/09/10/building-a-library-on-a-tight-budget/http://teachmama.com/little-more-lunchbox-love/#_a5y_p=1178830http://teachmama.com/little-more-lunchbox-love/#_a5y_p=1178830http://teachmama.com/little-more-lunchbox-love/#_a5y_p=1178830http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/07/02/dig-into-construction-sites-book-and-activity/http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/07/02/dig-into-construction-sites-book-and-activity/http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/07/02/dig-into-construction-sites-book-and-activity/http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/12/02/sensory-play-ideas-extending-stories/http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/12/02/sensory-play-ideas-extending-stories/http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/12/02/sensory-play-ideas-extending-stories/http://growingbookbybook.com/2014/01/08/3-family-reading-rituals/http://growingbookbybook.com/2014/01/08/3-family-reading-rituals/http://growingbookbybook.com/2014/01/08/3-family-reading-rituals/http://www.sunhatsandwellieboots.com/2011/05/diy-upcycled-story-magnets.htmlhttp://www.sunhatsandwellieboots.com/2011/05/diy-upcycled-story-magnets.htmlhttp://www.sunhatsandwellieboots.com/2011/05/diy-upcycled-story-magnets.htmlhttp://www.sunhatsandwellieboots.com/2011/05/diy-upcycled-story-magnets.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/Smethport-5330-Foam-Magnets-Letters/dp/B001ECI9EM?tag=groboobyboo-20&linkCode=ptl&linkId=eda64fd3-529f-4e97-aa7f-fbf50d1f3cadhttp://www.amazon.com/Smethport-5330-Foam-Magnets-Letters/dp/B001ECI9EM?tag=groboobyboo-20&linkCode=ptl&linkId=eda64fd3-529f-4e97-aa7f-fbf50d1f3cadhttp://www.amazon.com/Smethport-5330-Foam-Magnets-Letters/dp/B001ECI9EM?tag=groboobyboo-20&linkCode=ptl&linkId=eda64fd3-529f-4e97-aa7f-fbf50d1f3cadhttp://www.teachpreschool.org/2014/01/j-is-for-jump/http://www.teachpreschool.org/2014/01/j-is-for-jump/http://www.teachpreschool.org/2014/01/j-is-for-jump/http://www.teachpreschool.org/2014/01/j-is-for-jump/http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/07/22/reading-pointers/http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/07/22/reading-pointers/http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/07/22/reading-pointers/http://www.playdoughtoplato.com/2013/05/14/lego-word-families/http://www.playdoughtoplato.com/2013/05/14/lego-word-families/http://www.playdoughtoplato.com/2013/05/14/lego-word-families/http://www.playdoughtoplato.com/2013/05/14/lego-word-families/http://growingbookbybook.com/2011/12/12/just-right-reading-spot/http://growingbookbybook.com/2011/12/12/just-right-reading-spot/http://growingbookbybook.com/2011/12/12/just-right-reading-spot/http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/11/29/introducing-family-dinner-book-club/http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/11/29/introducing-family-dinner-book-club/http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/11/29/introducing-family-dinner-book-club/http://growingbookbybook.com/2011/10/31/muffin-tin-reading-games/http://growingbookbybook.com/2011/10/31/muffin-tin-reading-games/http://growingbookbybook.com/2011/10/31/muffin-tin-reading-games/http://growingbookbybook.com/2011/10/31/muffin-tin-reading-games/http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/11/29/introducing-family-dinner-book-club/http://growingbookbybook.com/2011/12/12/just-right-reading-spot/http://www.playdoughtoplato.com/2013/05/14/lego-word-families/http://www.playdoughtoplato.com/2013/05/14/lego-word-families/http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/07/22/reading-pointers/http://www.teachpreschool.org/2014/01/j-is-for-jump/http://www.teachpreschool.org/2014/01/j-is-for-jump/http://www.amazon.com/Smethport-5330-Foam-Magnets-Letters/dp/B001ECI9EM?tag=groboobyboo-20&linkCode=ptl&linkId=eda64fd3-529f-4e97-aa7f-fbf50d1f3cadhttp://www.sunhatsandwellieboots.com/2011/05/diy-upcycled-story-magnets.htmlhttp://www.sunhatsandwellieboots.com/2011/05/diy-upcycled-story-magnets.htmlhttp://growingbookbybook.com/2014/01/08/3-family-reading-rituals/http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/12/02/sensory-play-ideas-extending-stories/http://growingbookbybook.com/2013/07/02/dig-into-construction-sites-book-and-activity/http://teachmama.com/little-more-lunchbox-love/#_a5y_p=1178830http://growingbookbybook.com/2012/09/10/building-a-library-on-a-tight-budget/

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30.Let kids choose books they want to read.31. Make reading homework time stress free with theseReading Homework Tips for a

Stress-Free School Year.

32.Expose children to lots of different reading genres.33.Music and literacyare great partners. Incorporate musical experiences into your

childs life.

34.Set reading goals with your children.35.Let babies and toddlers handle books (hold them, turn pages, point to pictures,

etc.). This is a great way to help them learn about concepts of print.

36.Create puppets and have lots and lots ofpuppet shows.37.When teaching letters of the alphabet, start with the letters in your childs name.38.Incorporate experiences into your reading life. If you are reading about the park,

take a fieldtrip to the park.

39.Have your childs vision checked. Its hard to learn if you cant see the words.40.Go on alistening walk.41. Never leave home without something to read! Take reading material in the car, to

the doctors office or a restaurant.

42.Encourage relatives and friends to give books as gifts for holidays and birthdays.43.Limit television and video game time so there is more time for reading.44.Play the gameRunaway Letter.45.Beginning readers need just right books to practice their reading. These are books

at their independent level.

46.Tell stories.47.Talk about how words relate to each other.48.Collect words. Place a jar in a prominent location. As you discover new words

together, collect them in the jar.

49.Develop avivacious vocabulary.50.Start reading from day one with babies.51.Ask questions about what your child is reading and how they are enjoying what they

are reading.

52.PlaySight Word Horseplay!53.Get your child their own library card.54.Play the alphabet game in the car. Who can find an a as we are travelling. Keep

going until you get to z.

55.Have reading celebrations.

56.PlaySuperhero Inferring.57. Increase the amount of non-fiction reading.58.Graphic novels really help motivate reluctant readers. Pragmatic Mom has a great

series calledABCs of Graphic Novels.

59.Praise your childs effort in becoming a reader.60.Dont stop reading aloud to a child once they can read on their own.61. Modelcomprehension strategies.62.All reading doesnt have to be from books. Cereal boxes, magazines, flyers,

billboard signs, street signs, etc. are all opportunities waiting to be read.

63.Selectholiday giftsthat promote literacy.

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64.Check on your childs progress. If they are in school, talk to their teachers. If youhomeschool, do some diagnostic and performance assessments.

65.Once in a while, let kids stay up late to read a good book!66.Seek out good quality literature. TheThe Jim Trealese Read-Aloud Handbookis

just one resource for finding great books.

67.Read a book under a shady tree.68.Let beginning readers reread familiar text over and over again.69.As a family or class, design and record commercials about books and reading.70.Read wordless books. Check out the postHow to Read Wordless Picture Books

from What Do We Do All Day for ideas?

71. Keep a list of books that you enjoy each year. Its always fun to revisit old favoritesfrom when the kids were younger. I kept track of the first 100 books we read to

each of our kids. I figured it would be a fun list someday for the 100th day of

school!

72.Create a list of literacy activities that you are interested in from Pinterest. Checkout myliteracy activities Pinterest board.

73.Let your child help someone else read. They say you dont truly understandsomething until you can teach it!

74.Allow lots of time for kids to read independently.75. Have kids research things that interest them. For example, if they want a new

electronic device, have them read reviews about different options. A great way to

show that reading is important!

76.Start a shared journal with your child. You each take turns writing back and forthto each other. Not only are you working on reading skills, but writing too.

77. Develop recognizing letter sounds. Try thisBeginning and Ending SoundsListening Activitiesfrom This Reading Mama.

78.Watch a movie based on a book. Build up a to the movie night by reading the bookbefore watching the movie. Then, compare the two versions.

79.Encourage kids to write their own books.80.Play pattern games with babies and toddlers. Recognizing patterns will help when

they become readers and writers.

81. Share conversation at the dinner table. Here are 365table topicsto get theconversation rolling!

82.Let your kids meet authors. You can attend bookstore or library signings. If a livevisit isnt possible, Youtube has lots of videos of authors and illustrators talkingabout their work.

83.Dont pressure your child. Every child develops and meets milestones at their ownpace. Be patient!

84.Teach kids how to treat books. Thisbook ambulance might come in handy!85.Celebrate the holidays with books. Incorporate reading theme related books into

your holiday traditions.

86.Is your child a sports fanatic? Let them keep up with statistics and stories in thenewspaper during the season their favorite sport is played.

87.Celebrate authors birthdays. Its a great way to showcase different authorswork. Happy Birthday Authorblog is a fun one to follow to gather ideas.

88.Have your kids join a book club. If you cant find one, start your own!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014312160X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=014312160X&linkCode=as2&tag=groboobyboo-20http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014312160X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=014312160X&linkCode=as2&tag=groboobyboo-20http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014312160X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=014312160X&linkCode=as2&tag=groboobyboo-20http://www.whatdowedoallday.com/2013/04/tips-for-reading-wordless-picture-books.htmlhttp://www.whatdowedoallday.com/2013/04/tips-for-reading-wordless-picture-books.htmlhttp://www.pinterest.com/growingbbb/literacy-activities/http://www.pinterest.com/growingbbb/literacy-activities/http://www.pinterest.com/growingbbb/literacy-activities/http://thisreadingmama.com/2013/12/10/beginning-and-ending-sounds-listening-activities/http://thisreadingmama.com/2013/12/10/beginning-and-ending-sounds-listening-activities/http://thisreadingmama.com/2013/12/10/beginning-and-ending-sounds-listening-activities/http://thisreadingmama.com/2013/12/10/beginning-and-ending-sounds-listening-activities/http://growingbookbybook.com/literacy-activities/table-topics/http://growingbookbybook.com/literacy-activities/table-topics/http://growingbookbybook.com/literacy-activities/table-topics/http://growingbookbybook.com/2012/01/02/book-ambulance/http://growingbookbybook.com/2012/01/02/book-ambulance/http://www.happybirthdayauthor.com/http://www.happybirthdayauthor.com/http://growingbookbybook.com/2012/01/02/book-ambulance/http://growingbookbybook.com/literacy-activities/table-topics/http://thisreadingmama.com/2013/12/10/beginning-and-ending-sounds-listening-activities/http://thisreadingmama.com/2013/12/10/beginning-and-ending-sounds-listening-activities/http://www.pinterest.com/growingbbb/literacy-activities/http://www.whatdowedoallday.com/2013/04/tips-for-reading-wordless-picture-books.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014312160X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=014312160X&linkCode=as2&tag=groboobyboo-20

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89.Reluctant and/or older readers may prefer reading on an electronic device such as aNook or Kindle.

90.Dont take a vacation from reading during the summer. Check out the summerliteracy fun we had last year. We called itAlphabet Summer Fun. We even made a

book of all our fun to remember the good times all year long.

91. Speaking of summer, plan aliteracy vacation!92.Incorporate books and writing activities into pretend play. For example, have

menus and bills in a restaurant dramatic play area.

93.Cooking with kids provides lots of literacy opportunities. Here are some of ourfavoritecookbooks for kids.

94.When reading a chapter book, have kids draw a picture after each chapter in a mini-book about what they read (or heard if its a read-aloud). Its a great

comprehension tool.

95.Help your child learn decoding strategies. Imagination Soup has a handyprintablestrategy reminder bookmark that goes beyond sound it out.

96.Create a word wall in your home or classroom. There are lots of different kinds ofword walls (high frequency words, vocabulary, math, etc.) Add just a few words a

week.

97.Make story of my day placemats for your dining table. A great way to practicesequencing and build language skills. I like theDinnertime Doodle Mats from

Positively Splendid.

98.Go on a reading picnic. Bring a basket full of books and spread out the blanket inthe grass and read!

99.Participate inVirtual Book Club for KidsorPoppins Book Nookeachmonth. Virtual Book Club for Kids features books by a certain author each

month. Poppins Book Nook features books by various authors on different themes

each month.

100. Read with your child 15-20 minutes each day. This truly is the best gift youcan give to a reader!

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