Growing a Lifelong Reader Sharon Kaspary November2012

Reading is a vital skill that is critical for success in school and beyond. Students who read well are more likely to succeed in other subjects by providing skills in vocabulary, comprehension, creativity, writing.

By making a few changes to your family’s daily routine, you can transform your child from a non-reader to an avid reader. Read to your child Label, label, label Read to live

Read To Your Child - Daily Make it a point to find at least 5 minutes a day to read to your child. Reading to your child… associates reading with attention and love. models fluency. enriches vocabulary and higher levels of language development. stimulates the imagination. stimulates curiosity. increases attention span and focus.

Label, Label, Label Provide your child with a print rich environment refrigerator magazine Provide your child with a print rich environment that familiarizes them with everyday household words. Labeling household items… associates the printed word with real objects. builds your child’s sight vocabulary. establishes reading as an integral part of their existence, not a task to be accomplished. improves spelling in older children. closet

Involve your child in your everyday reading experiences. Read To Live Involve your child in your everyday reading experiences. Have them … read the street signs and road signs as you are driving. find their dinner choice on the menu. read labels on products that they use. read recipes when cooking. read directions for games.

Please note… I didn’t say drill word lists. make flashcards. buy skills books. send your child off to read alone. pick books at your child’s reading level.

That’s because children love what they live… the sound of your voice, snuggling, pretending, discovering they can read, and imitating you. Being a lifelong reader is usually caught not taught.

Sources http://www.scholastic.com http://school.familyeducation.com/early-learning/reading/40729.html