Tips for Parents of Junior Students - Reading with your Reader
Make books special
Turn reading into something special. Take your kids to the library, help them get their own library card, read with them, and buy them books as gifts. Have a favorite place for books in your home or, even better, put books everywhere.
Get them to read another one
Find ways to encourage your child to pick up another book. Introduce him or her to a series like The Boxcar Children or Harry Potter or to a second book by a favorite author, or ask the librarian for additional suggestions.
Crack open the dictionary
Let your child see you use a dictionary. Say, "Hmm, I'm not sure what that word means... I think I'll look it up."
Talk about what you see and do
Talk about everyday activities to build your child's background knowledge, which is crucial to listening and reading comprehension. Keep up a running patter, for example, while cooking together, visiting somewhere new, or after watching a TV show.
First drafts are rough
Encourage your child when writing. Remind him or her that writing involves several steps. No one does it perfectly the first time.
Different strokes for different folks
Read different types of books to expose your child to different types of writing. Some kids, especially boys, prefer nonfiction books.
Teach your child some "mind tricks"
Show your child how to summarize a story in a few sentences or how to make predictions about what might happen next. Both strategies help a child comprehend and remember.
"Are we there yet?"
Use the time spent in the car or bus for wordplay. Talk about how jam means something you put on toast as well as cars stuck in traffic. How many other homonyms can your child think of? When kids are highly familiar with the meaning of a word, they have less difficulty reading it.
Tips for Parents of Primary Students - Reading with your Child
Talk to your child
Ask your child to talk about his day at school. Encourage him to explain something they did, or a game he played during recess.
Say silly tongue twisters
Sing songs, read rhyming books, and say silly tongue twisters. These help kids become sensitive to the sounds in words.
Read it and experience it
Connect what your child reads with what happens in life. If reading a book about animals, relate it to your last trip to the zoo.
Use your child's name
Point out the link between letters and sounds. Say, "John, the word jump begins with the same sound as your name. John, jump. And they both begin with the same letter, J."
Play with puppets
Play language games with puppets. Have the puppet say, "My name is Mark. I like words that rhyme with my name. Does park rhyme with Mark? Does ball rhyme with Mark?"
Trace and say letters
Have your child use a finger to trace a letter while saying the letter's sound. Do this on paper, in sand, or on a plate of sugar.
Write it down
Have paper and pencils available for your child to use for writing. Working together, write a sentence or two about something special. Encourage her to use the letters and sounds she's learning about in school.
Play sound games
Practice blending sounds into words. Ask "Can you guess what this word is? m - o - p." Hold each sound longer than normal.
Read it again and again
Go ahead and read your child's favorite book for the 100th time! As you read, pause and ask your child about what is going on in the book.
Talk about letters and sounds
Help your child learn the names of the letters and the sounds the letters make. Turn it into a game! "I'm thinking of a letter and it makes the sound mmmmmm."
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