What it sounds like…<\/p>\n
- \n
- It reminds me of when I read… because…<\/li>\n
- It reminds me of a time I… because…<\/li>\n
- It reminds me of something I heard about because…<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This comprehension technique helps the reader have a deeper understanding about the characters or ideas they read because they have related it to a life experience, be it something else they read of something they have first hand knowledge about.<\/p>\n
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Math facts!????<\/p>\n
It is a “fact” when students have a solid understanding of basic math facts math is easier. \u00a0Mathematical education is changing. \u00a0Students are asked to go beyond just knowing basic facts. \u00a0They are now being asked to truly apply those facts to problem solving, team work and critical thinking.<\/p>\n
Knowing simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division is going to really, really, really help them in the long run. \u00a0Here is a link to some activities that may help you provide more exciting ways to practice and learn math facts.<\/p>\n
Happy Counting!<\/p>\n
Link to Parent’s toolkit for math facts<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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Reading 20 minutes a night is sometimes a difficult thing to make happen. \u00a0This image puts into perspective some of the benefits reading 20 minutes a day can bring.<\/p>\n
![\"why-cant-i-skip-reading\"](\"https:\/\/iblog.dearbornschools.org\/randalc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/712\/2016\/10\/why-cant-I-skip-reading-232x300.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIf your child isn’t an independent reader yet, make time in your routine to read to your child. \u00a0Even if they are independent, kids often like to hear chapter books and others read by their parents!<\/p>\n
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This article is about reading with your child and why it works! \u00a0You may find something you didn’t know.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n11 Ways Parents Can Help Their Children Read<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n\n\nSeptember 9, 2015<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nParents often ask how they can help their children learn to read; and it\u2019s no wonder that they\u2019re interested in this essential skill. Reading plays an important role in later school success. One study<\/a> even demonstrates that how well 7-year-olds read predicts their income 35 years later!<\/p>\n
Here are 11 practical recommendations for helping preschoolers and school-age students learn to read.<\/p>\n
1. Teaching reading will only help.<\/h3>\n
Sometimes, parents are told early teaching is harmful, but it isn\u2019t true. You simply can\u2019t introduce literacy too early. I started reading to my own children on the days they were each born! The \u201cdangers of early teaching\u201d has been a topic of study for more than 100 years, and no one has ever found any convincing evidence of harm. Moreover, there are hundreds of studies showing the benefits of reading to your children when they are young.<\/p>\n
2. Teaching literacy isn\u2019t different than teaching other skills.<\/h3>\n
You don\u2019t need a Ph.D. to raise a happy, healthy, smart child. Parents have been doing it for thousands of years. Mothers and fathers successfully teach their kids to eat with a spoon, use a potty, keep their fingers out of their noses, and say \u201cplease.\u201d These things can be taught pleasantly, or they can be made into a painful chore. Being unpleasant (e.g. yelling, punishing, pressuring) doesn\u2019t work, and it can be frustrating for everyone. This notion applies to teaching literacy, too. If you show your 18-month-old a book and she shows no interest, then put it away and come back to it later. If your child tries to write her name and ends up with a backwards \u201cD,\u201d no problem. No pressure. No hassle. You should enjoy the journey, and so should your child.<\/p>\n
3. Talk to your kids (a lot).<\/h3>\n
Last year, I spent lots of time with our brand new granddaughter, Emily. I drowned her in language. Although \u201cjust a baby,\u201d I talked \u2014 and sang \u2014 to her about everything. I talked about her eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and fingers. I told her all about her family \u2014 her mom, dad, and older brother. I talked to her about whatever she did (yawning, sleeping, eating, burping). I talked to her so much that her parents thought I was nuts; she couldn\u2019t possibly understand me yet. But reading is a language activity, and if you want to learn language, you\u2019d better hear it, and eventually, speak it. Too many moms and dads feel a bit dopey talking to a baby or young child, but studies have shown that exposing your child to a variety of words<\/a> helps in her development of literacy skills.<\/p>\n
4. Read to your kids.<\/h3>\n
I know everyone says this, but it really is a good idea \u2014 at least with preschoolers. One of my colleagues refers to this advice as the \u201cchicken soup\u201d of reading education. We prescribe it for everything. (Does it help? It couldn\u2019t hurt.) If a parent or caregiver can\u2019t read or can\u2019t read English, there are alternatives, such as using audiobooks; but for those who can, reading a book or story to a child is a great, easy way to advance literacy skills. Research shows benefits<\/a>for kids as young as 9-months-old, and it could be effective even earlier than that. Reading to kids exposes them to richer vocabulary than they usually hear from the adults who speak to them, and can have positive impacts on their language, intelligence, and later literacy achievement. What should you read to them? There are so many wonderful children\u2019s books. Visit your local library, and you can get an armful of adventure. You can find recommendations from kids at the Children\u2019s Book Council website<\/a> or at the International Literacy Association Children’s Choices site<\/a>, as well as free books online at other websites like Search Lit<\/a> or Unite for Literacy<\/a>.<\/p>\n
5. Have them tell you a \u201cstory.\u201d<\/h3>\n
One great way to introduce kids to literacy is to take their dictation. Have them recount an experience or make up a story. We\u2019re not talking \u201cMoby Dick\u201d here. A typical first story may be something like, \u201cI like fish. I like my sister. I like grandpa.\u201d Write it as it is being told, and then read it aloud. Point at the words when you read them, or point at them when your child is trying to read the story. Over time, with lots of rereading, don\u2019t be surprised if your child starts to recognize words such as \u201cI\u201d or \u201clike.\u201d (As children learn some of the words, you can write them on cards and keep them in a \u201cword bank\u201d for your child, using them to review later.)<\/p>\n
6. Teach phonemic awareness.<\/h3>\n
Young children don\u2019t hear the sounds within words. Thus, they hear \u201cdog,\u201d but not the \u201cduh\u201d-\u201caw\u201d- \u201cguh.\u201d To become readers, they have to learn to hear these sounds (or phonemes). Play language games with your child. For instance, say a word, perhaps her name, and then change it by one phoneme: Jen-Pen, Jen-Hen, Jen-Men. Or, just break a word apart: chair\u2026 ch-ch-ch-air. Follow this link to learn more about language development milestones in children<\/a>.<\/p>\n
7. Teach phonics (letter names and their sounds).<\/h3>\n
You can\u2019t sound out words or write them without knowing the letter sounds. Most kindergartens teach the letters, and parents can teach them, too. I just checked a toy store website and found 282 products based on letter names and another 88 on letter sounds, including ABC books, charts, cards, blocks, magnet letters, floor mats, puzzles, lampshades, bed sheets, and programs for tablets and computers. You don\u2019t need all of that (a pencil and paper are sufficient), but there is lots of support out there for parents to help kids learn these skills. Keep the lessons brief and fun, no more than 5\u201310 minutes for young\u2019uns. Understanding the different developmental stages of reading and writing skills<\/a> will help to guide your lessons and expectations.<\/p>\n
8. Listen to your child read.<\/h3>\n
When your child starts bringing books home from school, have her read to you. If it doesn\u2019t sound good (mistakes, choppy reading), have her read it again. Or read it to her, and then have her try to read it herself. Studies show that this kind of repeated oral reading makes students better readers, even when it is done at home.<\/p>\n
9. Promote writing.<\/h3>\n
Literacy involves reading and writing. Having books and magazines available for your child is a good idea, but it\u2019s also helpful to have pencils, crayons, markers, and paper. Encourage your child to write. One way to do this is to write notes or short letters to her. It won\u2019t be long before she is trying to write back to you.<\/p>\n
10. Ask questions.<\/h3>\n
When your child reads, get her to retell the story or information. If it\u2019s a story, ask who it was about and what happened. If it\u2019s an informational text, have your child explain what it was about and how it worked, or what its parts were. Reading involves not just sounding out words, but thinking about and remembering ideas and events. Improving reading comprehension skills early<\/a> will prepare her for subsequent success in more difficult texts.<\/p>\n
11. Make reading a regular activity in your home.<\/h3>\n
Make reading a part of your daily life, and kids will learn to love it. When I was nine years old, my mom made me stay in for a half-hour after lunch to read. She took me to the library to get books to kick off this new part of my life. It made me a lifelong reader. Set aside some time when everyone turns off the TV and the web and does nothing but read. Make it fun, too. When my children finished reading a book that had been made into a film, we\u2019d make popcorn and watch the movie together. The point is to make reading a regular enjoyable part of your family routine.<\/p>\n
Happy reading!<\/p>\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Ritchie, S.J., & Bates, T.C. (2013). Enduring links from childhood mathematics and reading achievement to adult socioeconomic status. Psychological Science<\/em>, 24, 1301-1308.<\/p>\n
Karass J., & Braungart-Rieker J. (2005). Effects of shared parent-infant reading on early language acquisition. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology<\/em>, 26, 133-148.<\/p>\n
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