One of the biggest questions I'm always asked is, "How do I get my child to read at home?" Reading is an essential life-long skill, and we want our kids to love books not just equate reading with filling in bubbles and taking tests!
One of the best ways to get your child reading is to have lots of things for them to read at home. Each time your child picks up a piece of reading material, it gives them an opportunity to practice one of our four CAFE reading skills:
Comprehension - I understand what I read.
Accuracy - I can read the words on the page.
Fluency - I can read the words on the page, at a good pace, and I understand what I'm reading.
Expand Vocabulary - I look for, read and use new and interesting words.
So what should your child be reading? ANYTHING with words. This might include:
picture books
chapter books
comic books
graphic novels (like Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
magazines
newspapers
websites
invitations
your shopping lists
comics
advertisements
You get the picture, right? Anything your child reads is perfect. If they are reading on their own, books or information slightly lower than their reading level is a great way to practice and master skills. If they are reading with you, then you want to use more difficult text and talk with your child about the vocabulary and the meaning of what was read.
There are many, many great resources online that suggest books for kids, but this is one of my favorites. James Patterson, a famous author of both adult and young adult books, has created ReadKiddoRead to give parents and teachers suggestions for kids of all ages. If you're looking to get books of all shapes and sizes for any of your kids, and reading activities you can do with your children, this would be a great place to start.
I'm looking forward to working with all of you and seeing your children grow as readers throughout the year!
No comments:
Post a Comment