• READ! READ! READ! TIPS: Give your child lots of opportunities to read aloud. Inspire your young reader to practice every day! The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week. See what works best for your child.

    ■ Don’t leave home
    without it.
    Bring along a book or magazine any time your
    child has to wait, such as at a doctor’s office.
    Always try to fit in reading!

    ■ Once is not enough.
    Encourage your child to re-read favorite books
    and poems. Re-reading helps kids read more
    quickly and accurately.

    ■ Dig deeper into the story.
    Ask your child questions about the story you've
    just read. Say something like, “Why do you think
    Clifford did that?”

    ■ Take control of the television.
    It’s difficult for reading to compete with
    TV and video games. Encourage reading as a
    free-time activity.

    ■ Be patient.
    When your child is trying to sound out an
    unfamiliar word, give him or her time to do so.
    Remind your child to look closely at the first
    letter or letters of the word.

    ■ Pick books that are at the right level.
    Help your child pick books that are not too
    difficult. The aim is to give your child lots of
    successful reading experiences.

    ■ Play word games.
    Have your child sound out the word as you
    change it from mat to fat to sat; from sat to sag to
    sap; and from sap to sip.

    ■ I read to you, you read to me.
    Take turns reading aloud at bedtime. Kids enjoy
    this special time with their parents.

    ■ Gently correct your young reader.
    When your child makes a mistake, gently point
    out the letters he or she overlooked or read
    incorrectly. Many beginning readers will guess
    wildly at a word based on its first letter.

    ■ Talk, talk, talk!
    Talk with your child every day about school and
    things going on around the house. Sprinkle some
    interesting words into the conversation, and
    build on words you’ve talked about in the past.

    ■ Write, write, write!
    Ask your child to help you write out the grocery
    list, a thank you note to Grandma, or to keep
    a journal of special things that happen at home.
    When writing, encourage your child to use the
    letter and sound patterns he or she is learning
    at school.

    Visit www.ReadingRockets.org for more information on
    how you can launch a child into a bright future through reading.


    Practice your vocabulary words!
     
    grandparents, parents and children reading together