Literacy Changes Lives

 Reading doesn’t come naturally. You have to learn it.  Our alphabet has only 26 letters but it’s one of the most powerful tools on the planet.

 Spend time together with their children  Help hear sounds in words  Help learn ABCs  Help know what words mean  Help practice reading  Help understand what is read Reading can help our dreams come true.

Know that reading together is more than just saying the words. They realize… Children learn words by just seeing them.

 Talk about the book (real or made up)  Talk about the words and sounds (rhyme)  Talk about the story (characters, happen next)  Talk about how the story “connects” to the child (experiences, other books, movies, etc)  Talk about new words (meaning, use in sentence)

Remember these important points: Every minute spent reading and talking with your child pays off. In grades kindergarten – 2, students learn to read. In grades 3 and up, students read to learn.

Understand that boys’ performance toward reading and writing is a critical fact in developing their achievement.

 Reads a bedtime story, even if tired.  Encourages his child to read to him.  Are positive. He praises his child for trying hard at reading. It’s all right to make mistakes.  Knows it’s not just books. He points out words on labels on food, street signs, etc.  Reads himself. He sets a good example by reading for pleasure and talking about the reading he does at work and home.

phonemic awareness  Know that “phonemic awareness” is knowing how language sounds phonics  Know that “phonics” is how letters represent sounds vocabulary  Know that “vocabulary” is the knowledge of words and what they mean fluency  Know that “fluency” is the ability to read accurately and quickly comprehension  Know that “comprehension” is the ability to understand what you read

Know reading lets us into the whole world.

power. Know reading is power.

 Ontario Ministry of Education. Me Read? No Way! A Practical Guide To Improving Boys’ Literacy Skills.  Knowles, Elizabeth and Martha Smith. Boys and Literacy: Practical Strategies for Librarians, Teachers, and Parents.Three Rivers Press, New York  National Literacy Trust. Reading Advice for families of Primary School Aged Children. rents/primary.html

 Zimmermann, Susan and Chryse Hutchins. The Seven Keys to Comprehension. How to Help Your Kids Read It and Get It. Three Rivers Press  International Reading Association: Reading Today: Boys and Books. ay/samples/RTY-0408-boys.html ay/samples/RTY-0408-boys.html  National Institute for Literacy. Dad’s Playbook: Coaching Kids To Read. www. nifl.gov