Some Tips for Building a Literar y-Rich Home
(1) ABC’S. SAY IT DON’T JUST SING ABOUT IT Begin with ABC’s. But don’t just sing the ABC song. Rather, help your child recognize each letter, the sound of each letter and how that letter sounds in a word. By doing this, your child will begin to recognize the relationship between letters and sounds. This "Alphabetic Principle" is the foundation of phonics. Here’s a great website to help your children develop alphabetic recognition and fluency: http://www.starfall.com/n/ level-k/index/load.htm?f (2) BUILD A VOCABULARY Start with simple words that feature one vowel sound (e.g., cat, bat, sat, rat). Have your child practice saying and spelling the words. Introduce at least 10 new words each week. Speak to your child. Children build much of their vocabulary by listening to adults. By first grade, an advantaged student (i.e. a literate student) knows about twice as many words as a disadvantaged student. Quite often, this gap does not close which translates into huge learning deficiencies and lifelong achievement gaps. (3) READ, READ, READ..... With a basic understanding of letter-sound relationships and the beginning of a basic vocabulary, your child can start to read. Start by reading with your child for at least 15 minutes a day. Sit beside your child when s/he reads, not across from them, so you can follow along as they read. For emerging readers, make them read aloud and pause, where appropriate, where there are periods and commas. Intonation, expression, inflection and rate all matter. Practice makes perfect.
(4) TAKE BABY STEPS Be sure to use some books that are easy for your children to read. Your child will be afraid to read again for you if they fail continually. Teach your child how to pick a book (many poor readers don't have this skill). Choose one on a topic they like or by an author whose other works they've enjoyed. Always introduce a book before beginning to read. Show them the book front; review the title and author's name. If the book has a cover, read the summary inside or look for a summary on the back of the title page with the copyright information. Experts say that the chance a child will enjoy a book doubles or triples when the child chooses that book for him or herself. (5) MAKE IT FUN! Don't be afraid to have fun - find the funniest, silliest books you can and laugh together. Suggested titles are any of the Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park (good for kindergarten through 3rd grade), the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey for 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade boys, Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, Parts by Tedd Arnold (any age), How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell (4th grade and above), and A Pizza the Size of the Sun by Jack Prelutsky (fun poetry for all). (6) WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOUR READ Ask your child to write short 1-5 sentence summaries about the books s/he is reading. Share those summaries with your child’s teacher.
(7) ASK FOR HELP - BUT PARENTS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT TEACHERS Ask your child’s teacher to suggest books or literacy-related activities that you and your child could enjoy together. Remember: your child’s learning only begins in the classroom. What parents do or do not do in the home is the single most important factor in a child’s academic success. (8) LET THEM DO IT Don't over-explain or over-correct. Say the minimum amount needed to assist your child. Ideally, you should not have to correct your child more than 5 times per page. (9) OCCASIONALLY PUSH THE ENVELOPE As your child becomes more confident, don’t be afraid to push the envelope. Occasionally, read a book 1-2 levels above your child’s reading level (with you doing most of the reading but your child following along). Most children have a higher listening vocabulary than they have reading vocabulary. From time to time, stop and ask your child comprehension questions or whether they recognized the meaning of a particular word which you think they might not know. Use this time to expand vocabulary. (10) CARVE OUT A SPECIAL READING TIME
Turn off the television. Limit time playing video games; especially on school nights. Establish a regular reading time every night if you can. Have fun with the books you read, by giving the characters distinct voices, or acting out scenarios from the stories. Have conversations about what you read. Ask your child questions about the stories and encourage your child to ask questions in return. Asking questions is the paramount skill in reading comprehension—the end goal of all reading instruction. (11) CELEBRATE THE SMALL STUFF Children learn to read through a long series of tiny steps. When your child reads even just a few words, be proud! Celebrate these small successes. It will motivate your child and open a world of knowledge. (12) DON’T BREAK THE BANK Creating a literary-rich home does not have to break the bank. Use your local library to keep new reading material coming into your house. Visit used bookstores and trade books with other parents. (13) KEEP A VARIED SELECTION Make reading material constantly accessible to your child. Keep it varied. Keep it within arms reach. Children can (and will) learn from an array of sources: magazines, newspapers, postcards, audio books, comic books, (approved) Internet sites, dictionaries and encyclopedias.