Ways to encourage your child to read

“Ways to Encourage Your Child to Read” is a parent workshop which offers ways to help parents to connect the home life with making reading an important life skill.

Purpose

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Reading

Ask about your child’s new library books Create a reading corner Visit the public library Read with your child Give books as gifts Enroll your child with a book of the month

club

Encouraging Your Child to Read

Provide a reading atmosphere, free of distractions Build reading time into your schedule Maintain a reading ritual Keep books everywhere Cuddle while you read

In the Home

Read a recipe out loud while you cook together.

Read and interpret the directions of a game or manual etc.

Read shopping lists and package ingredients together.

Connect reading with life skills

Tell stories about your childhood. Help your child make their own book. Play word games together. Cook with your child. Listen to books on tape or CD.

Skill Building

Fairy tales Rhyming and poetry books Counting and ABC books Unusual books which include books with flaps to lifts,

tabs to pull etc. Books that are about your child’s personal interest Science books Reference books Wordless books Television and movie tie ins

What to read

Recognize your child’s interests and suggest books, and magazines relating to the topic.

Watching a good movie is a starting point for pleasure reading.

Traveling and planning a family vacation can spark interest in reading.

Being a good role model and reading yourself. Setting up an activity which includes searching

for information.

Motivating your child to read

Bring the story to life Discuss the pictures, inviting interaction with

the story. Introduce the book before you begin. Slow down while you are reading the story. Ask for predictions in a story. Discuss the characters, plot and setting of

the story.

Read Aloud Skills

Book Adventures created by the Sylan learning Foundation is an online reading motivation program for children grades K-8. Children create their own book lists, take multiple choice quizzes and earn points and prizes. http://bookadventure.com/

Web Site

Raising Eager Readers is a web site that views advice and book recommendations from the Eager Readers website. http://eagerreaders.com/

Web Site

Reading Rockets web site can help parents find the right books, fun activities to use with reading. http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/parents

Web Site

Monthly changing web sites can encourage reading and activities.

Activities a parent can work with a child to develop verbal and reading skills.

http://www.highlightskids.com/default.asp

Highlights Magazine

Visit web sites that celebrate the author being read. Support reading programs in school

Bucks County Reading Olympics After school Village Library Program

Make a board game from a book Plan a trip and visit an author’s home, etc. Be familiar with what your child is reading at school. Promote journaling or scrape booking

Deepening Reading Experiences

Do not make the excuse I am not a good reader. Only 50% of the parents reported to actual read to their children.

Another excuse, my child is not interested in reading. It is to our advantage to teach children to discover the joy, freedom and the power of reading.

It is important to connect reading with pleasure, which will help to sow the seeds of an enthusiastic reader.

Food for thought

Greater emphasis on read aloud stories. Most children listening skills are stronger than their reading skills.

Dyslexic children can learn phonics. They need a structured, multi-sensory reading program.

Teach children to look and listen for the 5 W’s when reading. Who are the main characters? Where does the story take place? When does the story take place? What is the conflict in the story? Why do the characters do what they do in the story?

Children with Special Needs

Keep reading with your child. Keep setting a good example. Provide a warm and inviting reading

atmosphere. Never withhold books or use them as a

threat. Encourage reading in bed. Keep good reading material available in the

home. Encourage the giving of books as gifts.

Middle School Students

The Wrightstown Library Web page includes monthly library letters and books for parents and teachers.

Library Web Page