Tips for Parents of Beginning Readers:
A re you the parent of a beginning reader? If so, Read these tips below. Create a "print-rich" home with books, magazines, and newspapers. Read and discuss them with your child. Read aloud to your child and with your child. Stop to ask simple and thought provoking questions . Develop family routines that encourage reading. Read and discuss the newspaper. Visit the library as a family every week. Invite your child to bring a friend along. Listen together to books on tape. Have a daily reading time with your child. Make reading a special time. Visit book stores together. When you see your child reading, pick up a book or magazine and join him/her. Give books as gifts. Let your child see you read. Talk about what you read. Encourage your child to look at the pictures for clues to the story.
Here are some more tips for encouraging your child's first attempts at reading: Reading is hard! Encourge your child to try, even if it's not right every time. Practice letter sounds together. Practice writing and reading letters and words. When you get to a word that your child doesn't know, look together for clues in the pictures that might provide the answer. If your child has trouble reading a word, skip over it, read the rest of the sentence, and try to determine what word might make sense. Choose books that rhyme, that repeat familiar phrases, or that have a predictable story. Applaud your child's efforts! Do not dwell on mistakes, and give plenty of encouragement. Every new word your child learns is a step toward reading and deserves your attention and praise. |