Ways to encourage your child to read

Purpose “Ways to Encourage Your Child to Read” is a parent workshop which offers ways to help parents to connect the home life with making reading an important life skill.

Reading Reading to your child

Encouraging Your Child to Read Ask about your child’s new library books Create a reading corner Visit the public library Read with your child Give books as gifts Enroll your child with a book of the month club

In the Home Provide a reading atmosphere, free of distractions Build reading time into your schedule Maintain a reading ritual Keep books everywhere Cuddle while you read

Connect reading with life skills Read a recipe out loud while you cook together. Read and interpret the directions of a game or manual etc. Read shopping lists and package ingredients together. Reading Internet websites.

Skill Building Tell stories about your childhood. Help your child make their own book. Play word games together. Cook with your child. Listen to books on CD, play away, Kindles or any other electronic device.

What to read Fairy tales Rhyming and poetry books Counting and ABC books Unusual books which include books with flaps to lifts, tabs to pull etc. Books that are about your child’s personal interest Science books Reference books Wordless books Television and movie tie ins Newbery and Caldecott Medal Winners and Honor books Book Flix –Power Library web site

Motivating your child to read Recognize your child’s interests and suggest books, and magazines relating to the topic. Watching a good movie is a starting point for pleasure reading. Traveling and planning a family vacation can spark interest in reading. Being a good role model and reading yourself. Setting up an activity which includes searching for information.

Read Aloud Skills Bring the story to life Discuss the pictures, inviting interaction with the story. Introduce the book before you begin. Slow down while you are reading the story. Ask for predictions in a story. Discuss the characters, plot and setting of the story.

Web Site Book Adventures created by the Sylvan Learning Foundation is an online reading motivation program for children grades K-8. Children create their own book lists, take multiple choice quizzes and earn points and prizes. http://bookadventure.com/

Web Site Raising Eager Readers is a web site that views advice and book recommendations from the Eager Readers website. http://eagerreaders.com/

Web Site Reading Rockets web site can help parents find the right books, fun activities to use with reading. http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/parents

Highlights Magazine Monthly changing web sites can encourage reading and activities. Activities a parent can work with a child to develop verbal and reading skills. http://www.highlightskids.com/default.asp

Deepening Reading Experiences Visit web sites that celebrate the author being read. Support reading programs in school Bucks County Reading Olympics After school Village Library Program Make a board game from a book Plan a trip and visit an author’s home, etc. Be familiar with what your child is reading at school. Promote journaling or scrape booking

Food for thought Do not make the excuse I am not a good reader. Only 50% of the parents reported to actual read to their children. Another excuse, my child is not interested in reading. It is to our advantage to teach children to discover the joy, freedom and the power of reading. It is important to connect reading with pleasure, which will help to sow the seeds of an enthusiastic reader.

Children with Special Needs Greater emphasis on read aloud stories. Most children listening skills are stronger than their reading skills. Dyslexic children can learn phonics. They need a structured, multi-sensory reading program. Teach children to look and listen for the 5 W’s when reading. Who are the main characters? Where does the story take place? When does the story take place? What is the conflict in the story? Why do the characters do what they do in the story?

Middle School Students Keep reading with your child. Keep setting a good example. Provide a warm and inviting reading atmosphere. Never withhold books or use them as a threat. Encourage reading in bed. Keep good reading material available in the home. Encourage the giving of books as gifts.