• Read aloud to your child EVERY DAY.
• Have him/her read aloud to you, siblings, or the family pet.
• Read for fun and make sure your kids see you read.
• Discuss reactions, thoughts, and feelings about what is read…don’t quiz!
• DADS: Read to your boys!
• MOMS: Read to your girls!
• Don’t be afraid to stop reading if you or your child is losing interest. Pick something else.
• Provide a wide variety of engaging reading materials: books, newspapers, magazines, comics, cereal boxes...it’s ALL good!
• Find material at school and public libraries, university libraries, bookstores, used books sales, garage sales…
• Set aside a time every day for reading.
• Limit TV time, but when it’s on… Turn your TV’s Closed Captioning ON and turn the volume OFF. (Really. Give this a try.)
FOR MORE IDEAS CHECK OUT...
1. A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
Ideal for: grades PreK-2
“It’s the first day of school and Camilla Cream is worried. She loves lima beans, but is afraid of what others will think of her. She’s so worried that she stops eating them. The only problem is Camilla Cream gets a bad case of the stripes! Will anyone or anything be able to help her? This book is a great read for younger students. It shows them that it’s OK to be who they are. A funny book with a great message.” – Early Core Learning
2. Aunt Isabel Tells a Good One by Kate Duke
Ideal for: grades K-2
“A great book that introduces kids to story elements in a fun and entertaining way. Aunt Isabel tells the kids about what a good story needs in order to make it great. It’s got bad guys, action, and a little faux scariness. As an SLP, I’ve always used this book with kids in intervention and have read it to all sorts of other kids.” – Susan Berkowitz
3. The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak
Ideal for: grades K-3
“I LOVE a good picture book, but The Book with No Pictures shows that children’s books don’t need illustrations to be hilarious. The story makes kids literally laugh out loud as the reader must read the words on the page, no matter how goofy they may be. Without realizing it, kids learn about text features and practice fluency as they laugh their way through this silly book!” – iHeartLiteracy
4. The Worm by Elise Gravel
Ideal for: grades 1-4
“This is part of a series of humorous books about disgusting creatures. The text is a look at the earthworm. It covers topics including the worm’s habitats (such as living inside other animals), its anatomy (its muscle tube), and its history (worms have been on earth for 120 million years). The illustrations are fabulous. It will make kids who love worms love them even more!” – Sandra Naufal
5. What Do You Do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada
Ideal for: grades 1-5
“It’s a picture book, but there’s a lot of value in the story for all ages! What do you do with ideas that are big or unusual? You care for them and share them! The sweet message in this picture book is important for children big and small.” – Edventures at Home
6. My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Ideal for: grades 2-5
“A brave and resourceful young hero rescues a baby dragon from a passel of wild animals using nothing more than his wits and a backpack full of odds and ends!” – Carla Hoff