Reading Ideas for Parents
- Have your child read every day and make it fun! Reading related activities should never be used as punishment.
- Show interest in your child's reading. Help them select appropriate reading material (Lexile Level) (but respect your child's reading choices within the bounds of reason).
- MAke sure your child sees you enjoying a wide variety of reading materials such as newspapers, books, magazines, etc.
- Check your child's comprehension of the story by asking questions.
- Fact questions: What were the characters names? Where did the story take place?
- Sequence questions: What came first, second, etc. in the story?
- Critical questions: How did you like the story? What do you think happened after the story ended? Would you have liked to be one of the characters in the story? Why?
- Encourage your child to ask questions about the reading they are doing.
- Give your child opportunities to read many different kinds of print: grocery lists, road signs, restaurant menus, maps, etc.
- Encourage word-play activities such as rhyming words, words that begin or end the same, words that mean the same or opposite, words that fit in the same categories, etc.
- Go to the Library. Let your child participate in their Summer Reading Program.
- Make a special effort to praise your child for improvement no matter how small the gain. (Each individual has unique abilities and interests.)
- Read aloud to your child each day even if they are able to read themselves. (You can select materials that interest them but are written at a slightly higher reading level than they are currently reading.)