Language Arts 

Why Read with Your Child?

Student A reads 20 minutes five nights of every week 

Student B reads only 4 minutes a night ... or not at all  

Step 1: Multiply minutes a night x 5 times each week. 

Student A reads 20   minutes x 5 times a week = 100 minutes a week. 

Student B reads 4 minutes x 5 times a week = 20 minutes or less.

Step 2: Multiply minutes a week x 4 weeks each month.

Student A reads 400   minutes a month. 

Student B reads 80 minutes a month or less.

Step 3: Multiply minutes a month x 9 months in a school year. 

Student A reads 3600  minutes in a school year. 

Student B reads 720   minutes or less in a school year.

Student A practices reading the equivalent of ten   whole school days a year.  

Student B gets the equivalent of only two school days or less of reading practice

By the end of 6th grade if Student A and Student B maintain these same reading habits.

Student A will have read the equivalent of 60   whole school days.  

Student B will have read  the equivalent of only 12  school days or less 

One would expect the gap of information retained will have widened considerably and so, undoubtedly, will school performance. How do you think Student B will feel about him/herself as a student?

  Some questions to ponder: 

Which student would you expect to read better? Which student would you expect to know more? Which student would you expect to write better? Which student would you expect to have a better vocabulary? Which student would you expect to be more successful in school...and in life?