What Can I Do?
Here are some things you can to at home to help your child gain essential beginning literacy skills:
Practice reading daily. For younger readers, try 15-30 minutes a day depending on their age, ability, and stamina. Decades of research has shown that students who read more, read better. They develop better vocabularies, achieve higher levels of reading and writing development, and score highest on standardized tests. This is particularly true for students who have daily opportunities to read, year after year.
Practice reading phonics words and nonsense words. Phonics is the key to learning to read!
Practice phonics/spelling words: Give your child the word. Then have you child stretch out the word-name all of the sounds in the word. For example: Step- “What are the sounds in step?” Your child should say /s/-/t/-/e/-/p/ and then orally spell or write the word.
Here are some additional things you can try at home to foster a life-long love for reading:
Read aloud to your child as much as possible! Research shows that reading aloud to children substantially improves their reading and comprehension skills, as well as their written, oral, and auditory skills. In addition, children that are read aloud to have an increased positive attitude towards reading.
Use technology to help. Students at DES have access to www.raz-kids.com (find your teacher’s name and login). This is by far the easiest way to practice leveled reading at home! Other good websites are www.pbskids.org and www.starfall.com
Apps: Super Why, Booksy, Reading Raven, Bob Book Reading Magic Sight Words, Touch and Write Phonics, and Raz-kids (also available as an app)
Write poems and stories together. Make mini books by stapling half or quarter sheets of paper together. Fill these books with made- up or real stories. Have your child write the story or draw the pictures.