Helping Your Child
Learn To Read
with activities for children
from infancy through age 10
By Bernice Cullinan and Brod Bagert
Foreword
"Why?"
This is the question we parents are always trying to
answer. It's good that children ask questions: that's the best
way to learn. All children have two wonderful resources for
learning--imagination and curiosity. As a parent, you can
awaken your children to the joy of learning by encouraging
their imagination and curiosity.
Helping Your Child Learn to Read is one in a series of
books on different education topics intended to help you make
the most of your child's natural curiosity. Teaching and
learning are not mysteries that can only happen in school. They
also happen when parents and children do simple things
together.
For instance, you and your child can: sort the socks on
laundry day-sorting is a major function in math and science;
cook a meal together-cooking involves not only math and science
but good health as well; tell and read each other
stories--storytelling is the basis for reading and writing (and
a story about the past is also history); or play a game of
hopscotch together playing physical games will help your child
learn to count and start on a road to lifelong fitness.
By doing things together, you will show that learning is
fun and important. You will be encouraging your child to study,
learn, and stay in school.
All of the books in this series tie in with the National
Education Goals set by the President and the Governors, The
goals state that, by the year 2000: every child will start
school ready to learn; at least 90 percent of all students will
graduate from high school; each American student will leave the
4th, 8th, and 12th grades demonstrating competence in core
subjects; U.S. students will be first in the world in math and
science achievement; every American adult will be literate,
will have the skills necessary to compete in a global economy,
and will be able to exercise the rights and responsibilities of
citizenship; and American schools will be liberated from drugs
and violence so they can focus on learning.
This book is a way for you to help meet these goals. It
will give you a short rundown on facts, but the biggest part of
the book is made up of simple, fun activities for you and your
child to do together. Your child may even beg you to do them.
At the end of the book is a list of resources, so you can
continue the fun.
Let's get started. We invite you to find an activity in
this book and try it.
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
The Basics
Start Young and Stay with It
Advertise the Joy of Reading!
Remember When You Were Very Young
Home Is Where the Heart Is
Important Things To Know
It's Part of Life
One More Time
Talking about Stories
The More the Merrier
How Do I Use This Book?
Read Along
Look for Books
Books and Babies
R and R: Repetition and Rhyme
Poetry in Motion
Read to Me
Family Reading Time
Story Talk
Write and Talk, Too
Tot Talk
What's in a Name?
World of Words
Book Nooks
Family Stories
Now Hear This
P.S. I Love You
Easy as Pie
Write On
TV
Make a Book
Make Your Own Dictionary
Parents and the Schools
A Postscript about Older Children
Resources
Acknowledgments
Introduction
When parents help their children lean to read, they help
open the door to a new world. As a parent, you can begin an
endless learning chain: You read to your children, they develop
a love of stories and poems, they want to read on their own,
they practice reading, and finally they read for their own
information or pleasure. They become readers, and their world
is forever expanded and enriched.
This book focuses primarily on what you can do to help
children up to 10 years of age. During these years you can lay
the foundation for your child to become a lifelong reader. In
the first section, you will find some basic information about
reading to your child. This is followed by suggestions that
guide you to
* read with your child and make this all-important time
together enjoyable;
* stimulate your child's interest in reading and language;
and
* learn about your child's school reading programs and find
ways to help.
While most of the book is for parents of children up to 10
years of age, there is a brief section for parents of older
children on how to help them continue to grow as readers.
Finally, there is a resource section. As you make reading
with your child a routine part of your lives, this section will
help you to find new ideas and a variety of books you both
might like.
You don't need to be an especially skillful reader
yourself to help your child. In fact, some public libraries
offer adult literacy programs that involve reading to children
as a way to improve literacy skills for the whole family. Nor
do you have to devote great amounts of time to reading with
your child. It's the quality of time that counts. Just be
consistent--give as much time as you can each day to help your
child. The activities suggested are designed to fit into busy
schedules.
Helping your child become a reader is an adventure you
will not want to miss. The benefits to your child are
immeasurable, and in the process you will find your world
becoming richer as well.
The Basics
There is no more important activity for preparing your
child to succeed as a reader than reading aloud together. Fill
your story times with a variety of books. Be consistent, be
patient, and watch the magic work.
Start Young and Stay with It
At just a few months of age, an infant can look at
pictures, listen to your voice, and point to objects on
cardboard pages. Guide your child by pointing to the pictures,
and say the names of the various objects. By drawing attention
to pictures and associating the words with both pictures and
the real-world objects, your child will learn the importance of
language.
Children learn to love the sound of language before they
even notice the existence of printed words on a page. Reading
books aloud to children stimulates their imagination and
expands their understanding of the world. It helps them develop
language and listening skills and prepares them to understand
the written word. When the rhythm and melody of language become
a part of a child's life, learning to read will be as natural
as learning to walk and talk.
Even after children lean to read by themselves, it's still
important for you to read aloud together. By reading stories
that are on their interest level, but beyond their reading
level, you can stretch young readers' understanding and
motivate them to improve their skills.
Advertise the Joy of Reading!
Our goal is to motivate children to want to read so they
will practice reading independently and, thus, become fluent
readers. That happens when children enjoy reading. We parents
can do for reading what fast food chains do for hamburgers...
ADVERTISE! And we advertise by reading great stories and poems
to children.
We can help our children find the tools they need to
succeed in life. Having access to information through the
printed word is an absolute necessity. Knowledge is power, and
books are full of it. But reading is more than just a practical
tool. Through books we can enrich our minds; we can also relax
and enjoy some precious leisure moments.
With your help, your children can begin a lifelong
relationship with the printed word, so they grow into adults
who read easily and frequently whether for business, knowledge,
or pleasure.
Remember When You Were Very Young
Between the ages of 4 and 7, many children begin to
recognize words on a page. In our society this may begin with
recognition of a logo for a fast food chain or the brand name
of a favorite cereal. But, before long, that special moment
when a child holds a book and starts to decode the mystery of
written words is likely to occur.
You can help remove part of the mystery without worrying
about a lot of theory. Just read the stories and poems and let
them work their wonders. There is no better way to prepare your
child for that moment when reading starts to "click," even if
it's years down the road.
It will help, however, if we open our eyes to some things
adult readers tend to take for granted. It's easier to be
patient when we remember how much children do not know. Here
are a few concepts we adults know so well we forget sometimes
we ever learned them.
* There's a difference between words and pictures. Point to
the print as you read aloud.
* Words on a page have meaning, and that is what we learn to
read.
* Words go across the page from left to right. Follow with
your finger as you read.
* Words on a page are made up of letters and are separated
by a space.
* Each letter has at least two forms: one for capital
letters and one for small letters.
These are examples of hieroglyphics.
Imagine how you would feel if you were trying to interpret
a book full of such symbols. That's how young readers feel.
But, a little patience (maybe by turning it into a puzzle you
can solve together) is certain to build confidence.
Home Is Where the Heart Is
It's no secret that activities at home are an important
supplement to the classroom, but there's more to it than that.
There are things that parents can give children at home that
the classrooms cannot give.
Children who are read to grow to love books. Over the
years, these children will have good memories to treasure. They
remember stories that made them laugh and stories that made
them cry. They remember sharing these times with someone they
love, and they anticipate with joy the time when they will be
able to read for themselves.
By reading aloud together, by being examples, and by doing
other activities, parents are in a unique position to help
children enjoy reading and see the value of it.
Important Things To Know
It is important to keep fun in your parent-child reading
and to let joy set the tone and pace. Here is a story to keep
in mind.
Shamu is a performing whale, to the delight of many.
However, she sometimes gets distracted and refuses to do her
tricks. When that happens, her trainers stand around in
dripping wetsuits and wait for her stubbornness to pass. They
know that when a 5,000-pound whale decides she doesn't want to
flip her tail on cue, there is very little anyone can do about
it. But whales like to play, and sooner or later Shamu returns
to the game of performing for her audience. Shamu's trainers
know this so they're always patient, they're always confident,
and they always make performing fun.
While helping your child become a reader is certainly
different from training a whale, the same qualities of
patience, confidence, and playfulness in your approach will get
results. If, from time to time, your child gets distracted and
loses interest, take a break. Children love to learn. Give them
a little breathing room, and their interest will always be
renewed.
It's Part of Life
Although the life of a parent is often hectic, you should
try to read with your child at least once a day at a regularly
scheduled time. But don't be discouraged if you skip a day or
don't always keep to your schedule. Just read to your child as
often as you possibly can.
If you have more than one child, try to spend some time
reading alone with each child, especially if they're more than
2 years apart. However, it's also fine to read to children at
different stages and ages at the same time. Most children enjoy
listening to many types of stories. When stories are complex,
children can still get the idea and can be encouraged to ask
questions. When stories are easy or familiar, youngsters enjoy
these "old friends" and may even help in the reading. Taking
the time to read with your children on a regular basis sends an
important message: Reading is worthwhile.
One More Time
You may go through a period when your child favors one
book and wants it read night after night. It is not unusual for
children to favor a particular story, and this can be boring
for parents. Keep in mind, however, that a favorite story may
speak to your child's interests or emotional needs. Be patient.
Continue to expose your children to a wealth of books and
eventually they will be ready for more stories.
Talking about Stories
It's often a good idea to talk about a story you are
reading, but you need not feel compelled to talk about every
story. Good stories will encourage a love for reading, with or
without conversation. And sometimes children need time to think
about stories they have read. A day or so later, don't be
surprised if your child mentions something from a story you've
read together.
The More the Merrier
From time to time, invite other adults or older children
to listen in or join in reading aloud. The message is: Reading
is for everybody.
How Do I Use This Book?
There are two types of activities in this book to help
* make reading with your child enjoyable and
* increase writing, talking, and listening to boost your
child's love of language.
Most of the activities are for children who range in age
from 3 to 10 years, with a few for babies. The symbols next to
the activities can guide you.
Infant up to 2 years
Preschooler (ages 3-5)
Beginning reader (ages 6-7)
Developing reader (ages 8-10)
Enjoyment is essential in the process of helping your
child become a reader. All of the activities are written with
this thought in mind. So, if you and your child don't enjoy one
activity, move on to something else and try it again later.
Read Along
The following is intended to help you become a parent who
is great at reading with your child. You'll find ideas and
activities to enrich this precious time together.
Children become readers when their parents read to them.
It really is as simple as that. And here's the good news: It's
easy to do and it's great fun. With a little practice you will
be making the memories of a lifetime, memories both you and
your child will cherish.
It is best to read to your child early and often. But it's
never too late to begin. Start today. Although the activities
in this section are designed to enhance reading aloud with
preschoolers and beginning readers, a child is never too old to
be read to.
With youngsters, remember that reading is a physical act,
as well as a mental one. It involves hand-eye coordination. So,
when you read, involve your child by
* pointing out objects in the pictures;
* following the words with your finger (so your child
develops a sense that the words go from left to fight on
the page); and
* having your child help turn the pages (to lean that the
pages turn from fight to left).
Look for Books
The main thing is to find books you both love. They will
shape your child's first impression of the world of reading.
What to do
1. Ask friends, neighbors, and teachers to share the names of
their favorite books.
2. Visit your local public library, and as early as possible,
get your child a library card. Ask the librarian for help
in selecting books. (Also see the resources section at the
end of this book.)
3. Look for award-winning books. Each year the American
Library Association selects children's books for the
Caldecott Medal for illustration and the Newbery Medal for
writing.
4. Check the book review sections of newspapers and magazines
for recommended new children's books.
5. As soon as they're old enough, have your children join you
in browsing for books and making selections.
6. If you and your child don't enjoy reading a particular
book, put it aside and pick up another one.
Keep in mind your child's reading level and listening
level are different. When you read easy books, beginning
readers will soon be reading along with you. When you read more
advanced books, you instill a love of stories, and you build
motivation that transforms children into lifelong readers.
Books and Babies
Babies love to listen to the human voice. What better way
than through reading!
What you'll need
Some baby books (books made of cardboard or cloth with flaps to
lift and holes to peek through)
What to do
1. Start out by singing lullabies and folk songs to your
baby. At around 6 months, look for books with brightly
colored, simple pictures and lots of rhythm. (Mother Goose
is perfect.) At around 9 months, include books that
feature pictures and names of familiar objects.
2. As you read, point out objects in the pictures and make
sure your baby sees all the things that are fun to do with
books. (Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt is a classic
touch-and-feel book for babies.)
3. Vary the tone of your voice, sing nursery rhymes, bounce
your knee, make funny faces, do whatever special effects
you can to stimulate your baby's interest.
4. Allow your child to touch and hold cloth and sturdy
cardboard books.
5. When reading to a baby, be brief but read often.
As you read to your baby, your child is forming an
association between books and what is most loved -- your voice
and closeness. Allowing babies to handle books deepens their
attachment even more.
R and R: Repetition and Rhyme
Repetition makes books predictable, and young readers love
knowing what comes next.
What you'll need
Books with repeated phrases*
Short rhyming poems
* A few favorites are: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible.
No Good , Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst; Brown Bear, Brown
Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.; Horton Hatches
the Egg by Dr. Seuss; and The Little Engine That Could by
Watty Piper. There are many good booklists that highlight
those books with repetitive refrains. (See the resources
section.)
What to do
1. Pick a story with repeated phrases or a poem you and your
child like.
2. For example, read:
Wolf Voice: Little pig, little pig,
Let me come in.
Little Pig: Not by the hair on my
chinny-chin-chin.
Wolf Voice: Then I'll huff and I'll puff,
And I'll blow your house in!
After the wolf has blown down the first pig's house, your
child will soon join in with the refrain.
3. Read slowly, and with a smile or a nod, let your children
know you appreciate their participation.
4. As children grow more familiar with the story, pause and
give them the chance to "fill in the blanks."
5. Encourage your children to pretend to read, especially
books that contain repetition and rhyme. Most children who
enjoy reading will eventually memorize all or parts of a
book and imitate your reading.
When youngsters anticipate what's coming next in a story
or poem, they have a sense of mastery over books. When children
feel power, they have the courage to try. Pretending to read is
an important step in the process of learning to read.
Poetry in Motion
When children act out a good poem, they love its rhyme,
rhythm, and the pictures it paints with a few well-chosen
words. They grow as readers by connecting emotion with the
written word.
What you'll need
Poems that rhyme, tell a story, and are written from a child's
point of view
What to do
1. Read a poem slowly to your child, and bring all your
dramatic talents to the reading. (In other words, ham it
up.)
2. If there is a poem your child is particularly fond of,
suggest acting out a favorite line. Be sure to award such
efforts with delighted enthusiasm.
3. Then suggest acting out a verse, a stanza, or the entire
poem. Ask your child to make a face of the way the
character in the poem is feeling. Remember that facial
expressions bring emotion into the performer's voice.
4. Again, be an enthusiastic audience for your child.
Applause is always nice.
5. If your child is comfortable with the idea, look for a
larger setting with an attentive, appreciative audience.
Perhaps an after-dinner "recital" for family members would
appeal to your child.
6. Mistakes are a fact of life, so ignore them.
Poems are often short with lots of white space on the
page. This makes them manageable for new readers and helps to
build their confidence.
Read to Me
It's important to read to your children, but equally
important to listen to them read to you. Children thrive on
having someone appreciate their developing skills.
What you'll need
Books at your child's reading level
What to do
1. Listen attentively as your child reads.
2. Take turns. You read a paragraph and have your child read
the next one. As your child becomes more at ease with
reading aloud, take turns reading a full page. Keep in
mind that your child may be focusing on how to read, and
your reading helps to keep the story alive.
3. If your children have trouble reading words, you can help
in several ways.
* Tell them to skip over the word, read the rest of the
sentence, and ask what word would make sense in the story.
* Help them use what they know about letters and sounds.
* Supply the correct word.
4. Tell children how proud you are of their efforts and
skills.
Listening to your children read aloud provides
opportunities for you to express appreciation of their new
skills and for them to practice their reading. Most
importantly, it's another way to enjoy reading together.
Family Reading Time
A quiet time for family members to read on their own may
be the only chance a busy parent gets to read the paper.
What you'll need
Your own reading materials
Reading materials for your children
What to do
1. Both you and your child should pick out something to read.
2. Don't be concerned if your beginning readers pick
materials that are easier than their school reading books.
Practice with easy books (and the comics) will improve
their fluency.
3. If you subscribe to a children's magazine, this is a good
time to get it out. There are many good children's
magazines, and youngsters often get a special thrill out
of receiving their own mail.
4. Relax and enjoy while you each read your own selections.
A family reading time shows that you like to read. Because
you value reading, your children will too.
Story Talk
Talking about what you read is another way to help
children develop language and thinking skills. You don't need
to plan the talk, discuss every story, or expect an answer.
What you'll need
Reading materials
What to do
1. Read slowly and pause occasionally to think out loud about
a story. You can speculate: "I wonder what's going to
happen next!" Or ask a question: "Do you know what a
palace is?" Or point out: "Look where the little mouse is
now."
2. Answer your children's questions, and if you think they
don't understand something, stop and ask them. Don't worry
if you break into the flow of a story to make something
clear.
3. Read the name of the book's author and illustrator and
make sure your children understand what they do.
Talking about stories they read helps children develop
their vocabularies, link stories to everyday life, and use what
they know about the world to make sense out of stories.
Write and Talk, Too
While reading with your child is most important, there are
other activities that help to get children ready to read. With
a solid foundation, your child will not only read, but will
read with enthusiasm.
Learning to read is part of learning language. It's like a
little leaguer leaning to hit a baseball. The young hitter must
learn to watch the ball when it is pitched, to step into it,
and to swing the bat to make the hit. It's a single event made
up of three acts. Baseball players learn to do all three at
once.
The same is true of learning language. When we use
language, we speak words out loud, we read words on paper, and
we write. This section has activities that encourage your child
to
* speak
* read
* write
* listen
Begin long before you expect your child actually to read,
and continue long after your child is an independent reader.
Now, turn the page and start enjoying language.
Tot Talk
What's "old hat" to you can be new and exciting to
preschoolers. When you talk about everyday experiences, you
help children connect their world to language and enable them
to go beyond that world to new ideas.
What to do
1. As you get dinner ready, talk to your child about things
that are happening. When your 2- or 3-year-old "helps" by
taking out all the pots and pans, talk about them. Which
one is the biggest? Can you find a lid for that one? What
color is this one?
2. When walking down the street and your toddler stops to
collect leaves, stop and ask questions that require more
than a "yes" or "no" answer. Which leaves are the same?
Which are different? What else grows on trees?
3. Ask "what if" questions. What would happen if we didn't
shovel the snow? What if that butterfly lands on your
nose?
4. Answer your children's endless "why" questions patiently.
When you say, "I don't know, let's look it up," you show
how important books are as resources for answering
questions.
5. After your preschooler tells you a story, ask questions so
you can understand better. That way children learn how to
tell complete stories and know you are interested in what
they have to say.
6. Expose your children to varied experiences--trips to the
library, museum, or zoo; walks in the park; or visits with
friends and relatives. Surround these events with lots of
comments, questions, and answers.
Talking enables children to expand their vocabulary and
understanding of the world. The ability to carry on a
conversation is important for reading development. Remember, it
is better to talk too much than too little with a small child.
What's in a Name?
Use your child's name to develop an interest in the world
of print.
What you'll need
Paper
Pencil, crayon, or marker
What to do
1. Print the letters of your child's name on paper.
2. Say each letter as you write it, "K...A...T...I...E"
3. When you finish, say, "That's your name!"
4. Have your child draw a picture.
5. When finished, say, "I have an idea! Let's put your name
on your picture." As you write the letters, say them out
loud.
6. If you have magnetic letters, spell out your child's name
on the refrigerator door.
7. Print your child's name on a card, and put it on the door
of your child's room or special place.
It's hard to overemphasize the importance of writing and
displaying your child's name.
World of Words
Here are a few ways to create a home rich in words.
What you'll need
Paper
Pencils, crayons, markers
Glue (if you want to make a poster)
Newspapers, magazines
Safety scissors
What to do
1. Hang posters of the alphabet on bedroom walls or make an
alphabet poster with your child.
2. Label the things in your child's pictures. If your child
draws a picture of a house, label it "house" and put it on
the refrigerator.
3. Have your child watch you write when you make shopping or
to-do lists. Say the words out loud and carefully print
each letter.
4. Let your child make lists, too. Help your child form the
letters and spell the words.
5. Look at newspapers and magazines with your child. Find an
interesting picture and show it to your child as you read
the caption out loud.
6. Create a scrapbook. Cut out pictures of people and places
and label them.
By exposing your child to words and letters often, your
child will begin to recognize the shapes of letters. The world
of words will become friendly.
Book Notes
With very little effort, parents can introduce children to
the wide world of books.
What to do
1. Visit the library. Get a library card in your child's name
and one for yourself if you don't have one. Go to the
children's section and spend time reading and selecting
books to take home. Check out books yourself to show your
child everyone can use and enjoy books and the library. Be
sure to introduce your child to the librarian and ask
about special programs the library has for children.
2. Start your own home library. Designate a bookcase or shelf
especially for your child. Encourage your child to arrange
the books by some method--books about animals, holiday
books, favorite books.
3. Keep an eye out for inexpensive books at flea markets,
garage sales, used book stores, and discount tables at
book stores. Many public libraries sell old books once a
year. You will find some real bargains!
4. Make your own books. (See activity on page 46.) Child-made
books become lasting treasures and part of your home
library.
When collecting books is an important family activity,
parent send the message that books are important and fun.
Family Stories
Family stories enrich the relationship between parent and
child.
What to do
1. Tell your child stories about your parents and
grandparents. You might even put these stories in a book
and add old family photographs.
2. Have your child tell you stories about what happened on
special days, such as holidays, birthdays, and family
vacations.
3. Reminisce about when you were little. Describe things that
happened at school involving teachers and subjects you
were studying. Talk about your brothers, sisters, or
friends.
4. Write a trip journal with your child to create a new
family story. Recording the day's special event and
pasting the photograph into the journal ties the family
story to a written record. You can also include everyday
trips like going to the market or the park.
It helps for children to know that stories come from real
people and are about real events. When children listen to
stories, they hear the voice of the storyteller. This helps
them hear the words when they learn to read aloud or read
silently.
Now Hear This
Children are great mimics. When you tell stories, your
child will begin to tell stories, too.
What to do
1. Have your child tell stories like those you have told.
Ask: "And then what happened?" to urge the story along.
2. Listen closely when your child speaks. Be enthusiastic and
responsive.
3. If you don't understand some part of the story, take the
time to get your child to explain. This will help your
child understand the relationship between a speaker and a
listener and an author and a reader.
4. Encourage your child to express himself or herself. This
will help your child develop a wide vocabulary. It can
also help with pronouncing words clearly.
Having a good audience is very helpful for a child to
improve language skills, as well as poise in speaking. Parents
can be the best audience a child will ever have.
P.S. I Love You
Something important happens when children receive and
write letters. They realize that the printed word has a
purpose.
What you'll need
Paper
Pencil, crayon, or marker
What to do
1. Send your child little notes (by putting them in a pocket
or lunch box, for example). When your child shows you the
note, read it out loud with expression. Some children will
read the notes on their own.
2. When your child expresses a feeling or thought that's
related to a person, have your child write a letter. Have
your child dictate the words to you if your child doesn't
write yet.
For example:
Dear Grandma,
I like it when you make ice cream. It's better than the
kind we buy at the store.
Your grandson,
Darryl
P.S. I love you.
3. Ask the people who receive these notes to respond. An oral
response is fine--a written response is even better.
4. Explain the writing process to your child: "We think of
ideas and put them into words; we put the words on paper;
people read the words; and people respond."
Language is speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Each element supports and enriches the other. Sending letters
will help children become writers, and writing will make them
better readers.
Easy as Pie
Preparing meals is another good way for children to
practice language skills.
What you'll need
Paper
Pencil
Cookbook or recipes
Food supplies
What to do
1. Ask children to help you prepare a grocery list.
2. Take them to the market and have them find items on the
list.
3. Have them help put away the groceries and encourage them
to read the labels, box tops, and packages as they store
them.
4. Have them read the ingredients from a recipe.
5. Prepare a meal together and let them take needed items
from shelves and storage areas.
6. Talk about the steps in preparing a meal--first, second,
and so on.
7. Praise the efforts of your early reader and encourage
other family members to do the same.
The purpose of reading is to get meaning from the page. By
using reading skills to prepare a meal, children see positive
results from reading.
Write On
Writing helps a child become a better reader, and reading
helps a child become a better writer.
What you'll need
Pencils, crayons, or markers
Paper or notebook
Chalkboard
What to do
1. Ask your preschooler to dictate a story to you.
It could include descriptions of your outings and
activities, along with mementos such as fall leaves,
birthday cards, and photographs. Older children can do
these activities on their own.
2. Use a chalkboard or a family message board as an exciting
way to involve children in writing with a purpose.
3. Keep supplies of paper, pencils, markers, and the like
within easy reach.
4. Encourage beginning and developing writers to keep
journals and write stories. Ask questions that will help
children organize the stories, and respond to their
questions about letters and spelling. Suggest they share
the activity with a smaller brother, sister, or friend.
5. Respond to the content of children's writing, and don't be
overly concerned with misspellings. Over time you can help
your child concentrate on learning to spell correctly.
When the children begin to write, they run the risk
criticism, and it takes courage to continue. Our job as parents
is to help children find the courage. This we can do by
expressing our appreciation of their efforts.
TV
Television can be a great tool for education too. The keys
are setting limits, making good choices, taking time to watch
together, discussing what you view, and encouraging follow-up
reading.
What to do
1. Limit your child's television viewing time and make your
rules and reasons clear. Involve your child in choosing
which programs to watch. Read the TV schedule together to
choose.
2. Monitor what your child is watching, and whenever
possible, watch the programs with your child.
3. When you watch shows with your child, discuss what you
have seen so your child can better understand the
programs.
4. Look for programs that will stimulate your child's
interests and encourage reading (such as dramatizations of
children's literature and programs on wildlife, natural
history, and science).
Many experts recommend that children watch no more than 10
hours of television each week. Limiting television viewing
frees up time for reading and writing activities.
It is worth noting that captioned television shows can be
especially helpful with children who are deaf or
hard-of-hearing, studying English as a second language, or
having difficulty learning to read.
Make a Book
Turn your child's writing into a homemade book. The effect
will be powerful. Suddenly books become a lot more human and
understandable.
What you'll need
Construction paper
Yarn or ribbon
Heavy paper or cardboard
Colorful cloth or wrapping paper
Paste
Safety scissors
What to do
1. Paste pages of your child's writings onto pieces of
construction paper.
2. Discuss the order the writings should go in. Should all
the writings about animals go in one section and the
writings about holidays in another? Which writings are the
most important and where should they be placed in the
book?
3. Number the pages.
4. Make a table of contents.
5. Make covers for the book with heavy paper or cardboard.
You might want to paste colorful cloth or wrapping paper
onto the covers.
6. Punch holes in the pages and the covers.
7. Bind the book together by lacing the yarn or ribbon
through the holes. Make knots in the loose ends or tie
them in a bow, so that the yarn or ribbon won't slip out.
8. Add pages to this book as more writings are completed or
start a new book.
Making a book is a multi-step process from planning to
writing to producing a final product.
Make Your Own Dictionary
A letter dictionary is a long-term project.
What you'll need
Notebook
Pencil, pen, crayons, or markers
Old magazines
Safety scissors
Paste
What to do
1. Help your child head every page or two with a letter of
the alphabet.
2. Cut out pictures of things from old magazines that start
with the letters and paste them on the appropriate pages.
3. Help your child label the pictures.
If it stops being fun, you can come back to the project at
a later time. When you come back to it, don't worry if your
child forgets something. That's the nature of young children.
Parents and the Schools
Success in school depends, in large part, on your child's
ability to read, and your role in helping your child become a
reader extends into the classroom. The kind of support you
provide will, of course, change as your child grows older.
Your involvement and monitoring your child's progress in school
can help your child become a better reader.
Involvement in school programs can take many forms, from
attending PTA meetings to volunteering in school activities.
Through action, not just words, you demonstrate to your child
that school is important.
In monitoring your child's progress in learning to read,
you need to look at both the programs offered at school and
your child's performance. Below is a checklist for different
levels of schooling. There is much more information available
to help you evaluate school reading programs. (See the
Resources section, "For Parents.")
Kindergarten
* Do teachers frequently read aloud?
* Are favorite stories read over and over again and is
"pretend" reading encouraged?
* Are there story discussions with opportunities for
children to talk and listen?
* Are there good materials available for children to read
and have read to them?
* Do teachers discuss with children the different purposes
of reading?
* Do children have opportunities to write? Do they compose
messages to other people?
Beginning Reading Programs
When children start school, they receive their first
formal instruction in reading. At this stage, they learn to
identify words--by translating groups of letters into spoken
words.
* Does the program include teaching the relationship between
letters and sounds (phonics)?
* Are children reading stories that encourage them to
practice what they are learning?
* Are children's reading materials interesting? Do they
accommodate a child's limited reading vocabulary and the
need to practice word identification with exciting
stories?
* Are teachers still reading stories aloud to children and
including good children's literature?
Developmental Reading Programs
* Do reading and writing activities occur in every classroom
and in every subject studied? As you walk through the
school, do you see displays of children's writing on
bulletin boards?
* Are teachers providing direct instruction--teaching
strategies that help students become better readers?
* Are there plenty of opportunities for children to practice
reading? (For third and fourth graders, this should
include at least two hours a week of independent reading
in school.)
* Are there well-stocked school or classroom libraries?
(Schools may enrich their collections by borrowing from a
local public library.)
* Are children encouraged to write meaningfully about what
they read? It is not enough to fill in the blanks on
worksheets; the point is to have children think about what
they read, relate it to what they already know, and
communicate these thoughts to others.
Evaluating Your Child's Progress
It is important to monitor your child's progress through
reports from the teacher. Also, it is important to attend
school open houses or similar events where teachers are
available to explain the program and discuss children's
progress with their parents.
If you think your child should be doing better, consider
meeting privately with the teacher. In most cases, the teacher
and principal will be able to shed light on your child's
progress and what you might do to help. Your school system may
have access to special resources such as a reading specialist
and guidance counselor or to materials to address your child's
needs.
You may want additional help for your child. A good
starting point is the nearest college or university. Most have
reading tutorial services that are available on a sliding-fee
scale. If not, there may be faculty or graduate students
interested in tutoring. Then monitor your child's progress the
same way you would his progress in school. If you do not see a
difference in performance in 6 to 8 weeks, discuss the program
with your child's tutor. Can the tutor explain the goals of the
program and document your child's progress? If not, you may
wish to consider another course of action.
Some children struggle with reading problems where the
cause is readily identifiable. Some of the more widely
recognized causes of reading problems are vision and hearing
impairments and poor speech and language development.
But there are other schoolchildren who have problems reading
because of a learning disability. Whatever the cause or nature
of a child's reading problem, the earlier the difficulty is
discovered and additional help provided, the better the child's
chances are of becoming a successful reader. (See the Resources
section, "For Parents.")
The good news is that no matter how long it takes, with
few exceptions, children can learn to read. One of the most
important roles you can play in relation to your children's
schoolwork is that of cheerleader. Applaud their efforts and
their successes. Help them have the courage to keep trying.
A Postscript about Older Children
You can't put a teenager on your lap and read stories
every night. But you can still help older children become
enthusiastic and fluent readers by adapting many of the same
principles that work with the little ones. It is especially
important to continue the following efforts:
* Encourage reading for the fun of it and as a free-time
activity.
* Create an environment rich with books.
* Talk and listen to your children. Language is like a
four-legged stool: Speaking, listening, reading, and
writing are its parts, and each supports the other.
* Read with your children every chance you get--even if it's
just part of a newspaper article at the breakfast table.
* Encourage children to write by responding to the ideas
they try to communicate in writing.
* Set the example--put a book in your hands and be sure your
children know you read for enjoyment and to get needed
information.
* Monitor your children's schoolwork and applaud their
efforts.
Resources
For Children
What follows is a sampling from the wealth of children's
literature available.
Listed by age groups are three kinds of children's
materials.
* Books that relate to real-life events
* Poems
* Magazines
There are many other excellent lists of children's books.
For more information, see the next section, "Resources for
Parents."
Children's Books and Real-Life Events
One sure way to get children to love to read is to make
connections between books and what happens in their lives. If
the book relates to what happened in real life and children see
themselves in it, both the story and the event take on greater
meaning. There are numerous books that deal with almost any
event in a child's life. We present here a few illustrative
topics to show the relation between books and life. Topics
chosen include celebrating family occasions; the very personal
experience of a loose tooth; a new baby; and knowing more about
explorations in outer space.
Family Celebrations Ages 4 to 8
Clifton, Lucille. Some of the Days of Everette Anderson; Ness,
Evaline, illustrator. Henry Holt & Company.
Greenfield, Eloise. Honey, I Love and Other Love Poems; Dillon,
Diane and Leo, illustrators. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Ringgold, Faith. Tar Beach. Crown.
Say, Allen. Tree of Cranes. Houghton Mifflin.
Zolotow, Charlotte. Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present; Sendak,
Maurice, illustrator. HarperCollins Children's Books.
______. Over and Over; Williams, Garth, illustrator.
HarperCollins Children's Books.
Ages 7 to 12
Adoff, Arnold. In for Winter, Out for Spring; Pinkney, Jerry,
illustrator. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Baylor, Byrd. I'm in Charge of Celebrations; Parnall, Peter,
illustrator. Macmillan Children's Book Group/Scribners.
Goble, Paul. Her Seven Brothers. Bradbury Press.
Esbensen, Barbara J. The Star Maiden: An Ojibway Tale; Davie,
Helen K., illustrator. Little, Brown and Company.
Loose Tooth
Ages 5 to 8
Bate, Lucy. Little Rabbit's Loose Tooth; De Groat, Diane,
illustrator. Crown.
Birdseye, Tom. Air Mail to the Moon. Gammell, Stephen,
illustrator. Holiday.
Brown, Marc. Arthur's Tooth. Little, Brown and Company/Joy
Street.
Carson, Jo. Pulling My Leg; Downing, Julie, illustrator.
Orchard.
Cole, Joanna. Missing Tooth; Hafner, Marilyn, illustrator.
Random House.
McCloskey, Robert. One Morning in Maine. Viking Press.
McPhail, David. The Bear's Toothache. Little, Brown and
Company/Joy Street.
New Baby
Ages 5 to 8
Alexander, Martha. Nobody Asked Me If I Wanted a Baby Sister.
Dial Press.
Byars, Betsy. Go and Hush the Baby; McCully, Emily,
illustrator. Puffin/Penguin.
Clifton, Lucille. Everette Anderson's Nine Month Long;
Grifalconi, Ann, illustrator. Henry Holt & Company.
Henkes, Kevin. Julius, the Baby of the World. Greenwillow
Books.
Williams, Vera B. More, More, More, Said the Baby. Greenwidow
Books.
Ages 7 to 12
Ellis, Sarah. A Family Project. Macmillan Children's
Books/McElderry.
Galbraith, Kathryn O. Roommates and Rachel; Graham, Mark,
illustrator. Macmillan Children's Books/McElderry.
Greenwald, Sheila. Alvin Webster's Surefire Plan for Success
(and How It Failed). Little, Brown and Company/Joy Street.
Space Exploration
Ages 4 to 8
Barton, Byron. I Want to Be an Astronaut. Crowell.
Branley, Franklyn M. The Sky Is Full of Stars; Bond, Felicia,
illustrator. Crowell.
Marshall, Edward. Space Case; Marshall, James, illustrator.
Dial Press.
Minarik, Else H. Little Bear; Sendak, Maurice, illustrator.
HarperCollins Children's Books.
Murphy, Jill. What Next, Baby Bear! Dial Press.
Wildsmith, Brian. Professor Noah's Spaceship. Oxford.
Ages 8 to 12
Apfel, Necia H. Nebulae: The Birth and Death of Stars. Lothrop.
Blumberg, Rhoda. The First Travel Guide to the Moon: What to
Pack, How to Go, and What to See When You Get There. Four
Winds.
Branley, Franklyn M. The Planets in Our Solar System; Madden,
Don, illustrator and photographer. Crowell.
______. Rockets and Satellites, 2nd revised edition; Maestro,
Giulio, illustrator. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Cole, Joanna. The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System;
Degen, Bruce, illustrator. Scholastic, Inc.
Embury, Barbara, and Crouch, Tom D. The Dream Is Alive: A
Flight of Discovery Aboard the Space Shuttle; with photographs
from Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. HarperCollins Children's
Books.
Fox, Mary Virginia. Women Astronauts: Aboard the Space Shuttle;
revised edition. Messner.
Lauber, Patricia. Seeing Earth from Space. Orchard.
Livingston, Myra Cohn. Space Songs; Fisher, Leonard Everett,
illustrator. Holiday House.
Ride, Sally, and Okie, Susan. To Space and Back. Lothrop.
Simon, Seymour. Look to the Night Sky: An Introduction to Star
Watching; illustrations and star charts. Puffin/Penguin.
Celebrate the Joy of Poetry
Ages 5 to 12
Bagert, Brod. Let Me Be... the Boss, Poems for Kids to Perform;
Smith, G.L., illustrator. Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.
Bryan, Ashley, ed. All Night, All Day: A Child's First Book of
African-American Spirituals; Thomas, David Manning, musical
arranger. Atheneum.
Ciardi, John. The Monster Den: or Look What Happened at My
House--and To It; Gorey, Edward, illustrator. Wordsong/Boyds
Mills Press.
______. You Know Who; Gorey, Edward, illustrator.
Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.
de Regniers, Beatrice S., ed. Sing a Song of Popcorn: Every
Child's Book of Poems; illustrated by nine Caldecott Medal
artists. Scholastic, Inc.
Esbensen, Barbara J. Cold Stars and Fireflies: Poems of the
Four Seasons; Bonners, Susan, illustrator. HarperCollins
Children's Books.
Giovanni, Nikki. Spin a Soft Black Song, Martins, George,
illustrator. Hill & Wang/Farrat, Straus and Giroux.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett. Happy Birthday; Knight, Hilary,
illustrator. Simon & Schuster.
______. On the Farm; Molk, Laurel, illustrator. Little, Brown
and Company.
Lewis, Claudia. Up in the Mountains: And Other Poems of Long
Ago; Fontaine, Joel, illustrator. HarperCollins Children's
Books.
Lewis, J. Patrick. Earth Verses and Water Rhymes; Sabuda,
Robert, illustrator. Atheneum.
Prelutsky, Jack. For Laughing Out Loud: Poems to Tickle Your
Funnybone; Priceman, Marjorie, illustrator. Alfred A. Knopf.
______, ed. The Random House Book of Poetry for Children;
Lobel, Arnold, illustrator. Random House.
Sky-Peck, Kathryn, ed. Who Has Seen the Wind? An Illustrated
Collection of Poetry for Young People; with photographs of
paintings from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Rizzoli
International Publications.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. A Child's Garden of Verses; Le Mair,
Henriette Willebeek, illustrator. Philomel.
Children's Magazines
General Interest for Ages 2 to 12
Cricket, the Magazine for Children, P.O. Box 52961, Boulder, CO
80322-2961.
Highlights for Children, 2300 West Fifth Avenue, Columbus, OH
43272-0002.
Story Magazines for Ages 4 to 9
Chickadee, Young Naturalist Foundation, P.O. Box 11314, Des
Moines, IA 50340.
Ladybug, Cricket Country Lane, Box 50284, Boulder, CO
80321-0284.
Sesame Street Magazine, Children's Television Workshop, One
Lincoln Plaza, New York, NY 10023.
Science, Nature, Sports, Math & History for Ages 7 to 12
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