Summer is almost here and it’s very important to keep your children on the right educational track even though school will be out for a few months. Continuing to read will help both weak and strong readers improve. It’s important to instill the love of reading in your child, even if you don’t have it yourself. Face it, reading will get you farther in life. The best “test takers” are the higher level readers. The better you can read, the better you will understand what is being asked of you throughout a test. Reading skills, affect comprehension skills, which in turn affect everyday life skills.
As a child, I can remember kids saying “reading is for nerds.” I wonder where they are now? Did they ever catch on?
The following post was written by Tammy Hanford, an experienced teacher from Michigan. Tammy has written past posts on the mom blog. She is back on the mom blog to share a few reading facts. Feel free to leave her a comment on the bottom of this post. She loves to hear from her readers.
Important Reading Facts For Parents
An Amazing Fact…
“Children need to hear a thousand stories read aloud before they begin to learn to read for themselves.” (Mem Fox, internationally respected literacy expert and children’s author)
Think about that quote for a moment and ask yourself, “What can I do for my child that will help him/her grow as a better reader?”
Reading aloud:
* Establishes reading as a fun and enjoyable activity
* Allows children to hear language
* Develops vocabulary used day-to-day as well as in story and written formats
* Exposes children to develop their listening and comprehension skills
* Provides a venue for art appreciation
* Provides a base for imaginative and critical thinking
* Provides a base for social and behavioral development through situations presented in the story
What can you do?
* Read to your child. You will find this quality time spent with your child to be very rewarding no matter the age of your child.
* Choose appropriate books for your child’s age level.
* Mix picture books along with chapter books for older children. Even 10 – 12 year olds like to be read to.
* Tell your child to make a movie in their mind as you read. Visualizing what is being read will help your child comprehend, make sense out of, what is being read.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact your child’s teacher or myself. We’d be glad to assist you in helping your child become the best reader he/she can be!
This is a great post to remind us of the critical role that reading plays in a child's development. Thanks for posting!!
We all have to remember, that even older children like to be read to by their parents / teachers.