SUNNYSIDE Sunnyside Elementary
SCOOP FEBRUARY, 2016
Principal Points: Cultivating a Love of Reading As a parent I love it when I see one of my own children grab a book and go sprawl out on the couch to read. Often it’s silently, but there are times when they will call me over and say, “Dad, I’ve got to read you this part of the book.” Seeing an excitement in children when they read brings us excitement as well. As February is I Love to Read Month, I’d like to share out a few ideas to help you encourage your children to foster a love of reading. Read. Simple first step! If we're going to encourage kids to read we need to do it too. Read for pleasure, information, instructions, connecting with others, and so on. Share your reading experiences. Share what you’re reading with your children. Tell them what you've been reading, what you've gained or learned from these texts, what you recommend. As an educator, I very intentionally and regularly told my students, and my own kids, what I was reading. Invite your children to socialize around reading. Set up book clubs, reading groups, literature circles. Many students need to interact with others around the text they are reading. It greatly enhances their comprehension and makes it so much more enjoyable. Read Aloud - Children love hearing us read to them. My oldest daughter is now in middle school, and she still loves when my wife or I will take the time to read a book aloud. I will often create voices for different characters in the story as it helps them visualize and develop an image of the character in the book they may have not otherwise. There are times when my kids have watched a movie of a book we’ve read and they will tell me, “That’s not how I imagined” different characters in the book as the voices I gave them helped create different images. This leads to great conversations as well. Take a field trip. This is another way to make reading social and exciting. Visit your local library, a university library or a bookstore. It's not about checking out or buying books -- it's about being surrounded by thousands of books, touching their pages, seeing the world of possibility in print, and getting excited over what there is to know and explore.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Listen to audio books. Parents have often asked me if listening to an audiobook counts as reading. Absolutely! While children are not developing decoding or fluency skills, they are acquiring vocabulary, applying comprehension strategies, and enjoying stories or accruing information. Our family will often check-out audio book cd’s from the library and listen to them in the car when we travel. It’s amazing how well behaved kids can become in the car when they are engrossed in a story.
Artsonia
Teach reading strategies. Finally, I believe everyone should be responsible for teaching reading to children, teachers and parents alike. Kids won't enjoy reading if they can't do it -- no one loves doing something that's really hard. We must give them the skills to read at the same time that we cultivate an attitude.
Highview Musical
Read on! NATHAN FLANSBURG
Science Fair Upcoming Events Chess Club Library News Science Olympiad