HELP FOR PARENTS OF: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Raising children that love to read

Reading is undoubtedly the most important skill your children will learn during the elementary years. When they learn to read well, all their other learning both in and outside the classroom becomes much easier.

A recent report by the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that children who read for pleasure, not just for school, are better readers. Those who read a wide variety of styles and genres are more likely to have fun with reading and to make it a regular part of their lives.

Frequent readers are also more likely to do well academically. According to a 2000 report by the National Center for Education Statistics, students who read for pleasure every day scored almost 10 percent higher on proficiency tests than those who don’t.

The way children become readers can seem a little mysterious. One day they aren ’t able to recognize their name in print, and then, as if someone flicked a switch in their brains, they are reading everything from street signs to directions for building complex Bionicles.

In reality, learning to read is part education—for example, learning to sound out words—and part practice—in other words, reading anything and everything.

The importance of reading with your children

“Nothing you do for your children is ever wasted.”– Garrison Keller, radio personality and author

Research has shown that reading together with your children for even a few minutes a day can help them learn basic reading skills more quickly and encourage them to make reading a life-long habit.

Unfortunately, after-school activities—though important pursuits—along with round-the-clock children’s television and portable computer games often leave little time for families to read together each day.

Following are some fun and creative ways to incorporate reading into your daily lives:

• Read aloud every day. Reading aloud to children has been called the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for reading success. Reading aloud helps children learn about written language, about the world around them, and about the connection between spoken and written words. Read aloud with your children even as they get older, and have your children read to you. Some families carve out a half hour of reading time before bed; others enjoy a book in the morning along with their Cheerios. Remember, too, to talk with your children about the books they read. Ask them about the story and help them with new vocabulary words.

• Eat your words. Who says reading has to happen at bedtime? For reluctant readers, getting to eat a luscious chocolate cake you’ve baked after reading a book about food can spark a lot of enthusiasm. Some great books to try with your eager readers/eaters include: 

  Sun Bread by Elisa Klevin

  Mr. Belinsky’s Bagels by Ellen Schwartz

  The Little Red Hen (Makes A Pizza) by Philemon Sturges

  Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath

  It's Disgusting and We Ate It!: True Food Facts from Around the World and Throughout History by James Solheim

  The Little House Cookbook by Barbara Walker

  Knead It! Punch It! Bake It! The Ultimate Breadmaking Book for Parents and Kids by Judith Jones 
  

• Take it on the road. Down time before soccer practice or a long wait at the orthodontist’s office are times when a good book comes in handy. Pack a bag of books and leave it in your car for these occasions.

• Let them choose what they want to read. Maybe you’d like them to fall in love with the Tales of Narnia just like you did as a kid. But to spark their interest in reading, you need to let them make their own choices, too (A note: Though you may not be able to stomach them, Justice League comics and Lizzie Maguire novels do count as well written choices!)

• Next stop, the library. Work in weekly trips to the library to stock up on books, and take advantage of the programs available for families. Introduce your children to the youth service librarians and ask for their help finding stories your children will like.

• Tie reading to summertime activities. There are so many wonderful fiction and non-fiction books that celebrate the seasons. A few about the summer include:

  Come on Rain by Karen Hesse

  Sun Dance, Water Dance by Jonathan London

  Summer: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur

  A Camping Spree With Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen

  Fudge-a-Mania by Judy Blume

  Letters from Camp: A Mystery by Kate Klise

If your family will be going on vacation this summer, consider taking along some books that relate to your journey. One parent whose family was headed for a week in Maine stocked up on picture and reference books about ocean life from the library.

Fighting prime time (and Gameboys/girls and GameCubes…)

Becoming a good reader, like any other skill, takes time and practice. By limiting television, computer use and video games, you give your children that much more opportunity to read along with you or read solo. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children’s use of TV, movies, and video and computer games be limited to no more than 1 or 2 hours per day.

Some facts about TV and reading:

• American children watch nearly four hours of television every day. Watching movies on tape and playing video games only add to time spent in front of the TV screen.

• Children spend more time in front of the tube each year than they do in school. 

• A 2000 study by Nielson Media research found that students who watched TV or played video games six or more hours per day earned the lowest average scores on reading proficiency tests, while students who watched an hour or less per day earned the highest average scores.

Learning disabilities and reading

Learning disabilities like dyslexia make it harder for children to learn to read through conventional teaching methods. While intervention at school is essential to help these children become successful readers, families also play an important role. If your child has been identified as having a learning disability related to reading, here are a few additional tips to keep in mind: 

• Tap into your children’s areas of strength. Though some children can have great difficulty reading, they might easily understand through listening. Take advantage of their strengths. Rather than forcing reading, which can set your children up to fail and learn to dislike books, let them listen to you read or play a book on tape.

• Make sure their books are at their reading level. Most children with learning disabilities will be reading below grade level. Today, there are plenty of good books that will keep their interest and yet not frustrate them.

Reading resources for parents

On the Net:

Read•Write•Now! – Age appropriate activities for reading and writing fun from the U.S. Department of Education: http://www.udel.edu/ETL/RWN/Encourage.html

The Children’s Literature Web Guide – http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/lists.html

Books:

How to Get Your Child to Love Reading by EsmŽ Raji Codell

The New York Times Parent’s Guide to the Best Books for Children by Eden Ross Lipson  

 > Back

  For permission to reprint this article, please contact the Capital Region BOCES Communications Service at (518) 464-3960.