Supporting Your Student's Literacy

Reading is one of the most valuable skills you can help your child develop. It's not just fundamental to academic success - It's a gateway to imagination, knowledge, and connection with others. This guide will help you understand how to support your child's reading journey effectively. 

Reading Resources:

• iReady

• Read Works

• Common Lit

• Sora 

• Comics Plus

• Capstone Books

Many of these resources are available to your student through a partnership between GCPS and Gwinnett County Public Libraries.
These resources can be accessed through gwinnettpl.org. Students can use their student ID number as their username, and their birthdate (MMDD) as the password.  

• Read Aloud Daily
  Reading to your child builds vocabulary, comprehension, and creates positive associations with books. Even 15 minutes daily makes a difference.

• Follow Their Interests
  Encourage reading materials that align with your child's passions - whether dinosaurs, sports, or fantasy worlds. 

• Ask Questions
  Discuss stories by asking what might happen next, or how characters might feel, deepening comprehension. 

• Create a Reading Environment
  Provide diverse books and reading materials at home, and let your child see you reading too. 

Before Reading:

• Look at the title, cover, and illustrations/pictures. What do you think will happen in this book?

• What characters do you think might be in this book?

• Do you think there will be problems in the story? Why?

• Does the topic relate to you or your family? How?

During Reading: 

• What has happened so far in the story? Can you tell me using sequence words? (first, then, next, after, finally, etc.)

• What do you think will happen next?

• Why do you think the character did ________?

• How would you have felt if you were the character?

• What are you wondering about as you read? What questions do you have?

After Reading:

• If there was a problem, did it get solved? How did the character try to solve the problem?

• Did any of the characters change throughout the story? Who changed, and how did they change?

• Why do you think the author wrote this?

• What was your favorite part? Why?

• If you could change one part, what would you change?

• Can you retell the story in the sequence order? (use your fingers and sequence words: first, second, then next, etc.)

• Does this book remind you of another book you know?

• Does it remind you of something you've experienced in real life?