Five Tips for Supporting Reading at Home:

1. Read with your children

If you have the time or are able to, try to read with your child every day or as soon as possible. Even though your child is in middle school, reading with family at home is still a great way to improve their reading performance at school. You can read to your child, you can listen to them read, or you can encourage them to read to younger siblings.

2. Ask your child about what they are reading

Your child will likely be reading books on their own. Even if you haven't read what they're reading, ask them to describe it to you! The more that students talk about what they reading, the better they will understand and remember what they've read.

3. Visit the public library regularly

Take advantage of the resources at your local Austin Public Library. You can take your child there to find books to read, to have a quiet space to read together, or to attend special events. Click here to visit the Austin Public Library website for information about the closest branch to your house and how to get a library card for you or your family.

4. Encourage writing

Any and all writing at home can help your child's overall literacy skills, including their reading skills. Encourage your child to write things like notes at home, entries in a journal or diary, letters to family who live outside of Austin, or their own creative stories. Anything that they write will help!

5. Play games that involve words and reading

If you have time at home, play games with your child that involve words, such as Scrabble, Boggle, or crosswords. These might be physical games that you play at home, or digital games that your child plays on a phone, computer or other device. Several digital games are linked in the section below.