1. Read aloud with and to your child every day
Experts recommend 30 minutes a day
Pick books that are too long or difficult for your child to read on his own
Choose genres that your child prefers
2. Create a print rich home environment
Include both books (and books on tape) and writing materials
Include newspapers and child-oriented versions of popular magazines (e.g., Time for Kids, National Geographic for Kids)
Set aside a special reading area in your homeand make sure everyone uses it
3. Model reading and writing
Make use of the family reading area on your own
Let your child see you reading for work or to learn something
Let your child see you reading for pleasure
4. Read and write with your children in your home language
Let your child see you reading and writing in the language(s) which are most comfortable to you
Stock your home library with books in English and books in your home language
Let your child read at home for fun in whichever language she prefers
5. Cook with your child to develop literacy
Read recipes together
Read the labels on ingredients together
Make a family cookbook of favorite recipes
6. Explore books together
Ask your child questions
Point out new vocabulary and ideas
Explore the characters motivations and relate them to your familys life
7. Tell stories together
Talk together about your family history and perhaps, do a geneology chart
Look at old vacation photos and discuss your memories of the trip
Tape your storytelling
8. Write with your child
Provide lots of writing materials and papers
Encourage your child to draw and write on her own
Encourage your child to write thank you notes to grandparents, make to do lists, write signs such as Torys roomkeep out! and the like
9. Communicate regularly with your childs teacher about his literacy development
Find out what is happening at school
Ask questions about your child and what you can do to support her
Volunteer and/or observe in your childs classroom
10. Visit the library often
Encourage your child to get her own library card
Take advantage of library programs such as family book clubs
Find out who are your childs favorite authors and genres and go with him to the library in search of interesting books
Proud Mama To
- Attend back-to-school nights, student exhibitions and other school events. Get to know the teachers and other school personnel. Listen to their plans, know what they hope to accomplish with their students, and understand why they chose these goals.
- Attend parent organization meetings. Voice your hopes and concerns for your child and for the school. Help organize parent-teacher meetings around your interests and those of other parents.
- Offer to tutor students. If you are comfortable with technology, volunteer to be a computer tutor for both students and teachers, or ask if there are other ways that you can help the school to use technology.
- Offer to help in the office or the cafeteria or to chaperone field trips and other outside events.
- Agree to serve on parent and community advisory groups to your school. They may consider everything from school policies and programs to the kinds of parent involvement activities the school plans.
- Work in a parent resource center or help start one. In these school centers, parents may gather informally, borrow materials on parenting and children's schoolwork, and get information about community services.
- If you are unable to volunteer in the school, look for ways to help at home: Call other parents to tell them about school-related activities, edit the school newsletter or make educational materials for teachers. If you are bilingual, help translate school materials or interpret for non-English speaking parents in your school.
Proud Mama To
- Set up a conference early in the school year. Let the teacher know that you are interested in your child's education and that you want to be kept informed of his progress. If English is your second language, you may need to make special arrangements, such as including in the conference someone who is bilingual.
- If possible, also arrange to observe the teaching in your child's classroom. Afterward, talk with the teacher about what you saw and how it fits with your hopes for your child and your child's needs.
- Before a conference, write out questions you want to ask and jot down what you want to tell the teacher. Be prepared to take notes during the conference and ask for an explanation if you don't understand something.
- Talk with the teacher about your child's talents, hobbies, study habits and any special sensitivities he might have, such as concerns about weight or speech difficulties.
- Tell the teacher if you think your child needs special help and about any special family situation or event that might affect your child's ability to learn. Mention such things as a new baby, an illness or a recent or an upcoming move.
- Tell the teacher what kind of person you want your child to become and what values are important to you.
- Ask the teacher for specific details about your child's work and progress. If your child has already received some grades, ask how your child is being evaluated.
- Ask about specific things that you can do to help your child. At home, think about what the teacher has said and then follow up. If the teacher has told you that your child needs to improve in certain areas, check back in a few weeks to see how things are going.
- Approach the teacher with a cooperative spirit. If you disagree with the teacher about an issue, don't argue in front of your child. Set up a meeting to talk only about that issue. Before that meeting, plan what you are going to say. Try to be positive and remain calm. Listen carefully. If the teacher's explanation doesn't satisfy you, and you do not think you can make progress by further discussion with the teacher, arrange to talk with the principal or even the school superintendent.
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- Have children choose their own books as soon as they start showing a preference for one over another.
- Find the children's section of your local library. Get to know the librarian, who can be a great resource.
- Find out what your child is interested in, and help choose books that are related to his or her interests.
- Ask friends, family, and teachers what books their children have enjoyed; try a book swap.
- If your child does not like a book you are reading together, put it away. Reading is a fun time to share, not a time to fight.
- Again, Again, Again! Children may want to read the same book many times, even if you think they have outgrown it.
- Use book lists generated by various literacy organizations; they usually have good suggestions. For example: American Library Association, International Reading Association, Children's Book Guild
- Look for books that you will like reading aloud. Your enjoyment will shine through and become contagious.
- Try out different kinds of books to see what appeals to your children.
- Have fun! Show your children the joy of reading and how it can open up a brand new world!
Proud Mama To
- Poetry Placemats
Have children write poems about RIF or their favorite storybook characters on large sheets of paper. On the back of each decorated poster, attach a letter with information about RIF and how people can get involved in your program. Laminate each poster, and ask a neighborhood restaurant to use them as placemats during the month of April.
- Gift of Poetry
Have children write thank-you poems to RIF volunteers. Decorate or wrap each poem and give it to a community member who volunteered this year. (This is also a nice way to recognize volunteers during National Volunteer Week)
- Poetry Contest
Ask a bookstore or other retailer to sponsor a poetry contest for kids. Stores can donate gift certificates as prizes, or winners can participate in a poetry reading at the store.
- Rhyming Bookmarks
Ask kids to write short poems on strips of cardboard, and then decorate them. Laminate the strips if possible, and arrange to have them distributed at the public library or a bookstore (with a purchase).
- Publish an Anthology
Organize a poetry contest, in collaboration with your local newspaper, bookstore, or school paper. First prize could be to have the poem printed in the paper, or posted at the bookstore. All winning entries, including honorable mentions, could be included in an anthology produced by the sponsoring publisher, with a copy given to each contributing child, and copies given to local school and public libraries.
- Poetry Cafe
Hold a poetry slam (a performance competition for writers and readers of poetry), a poetry reading, or a discussion group in a local coffee shop or restaurant. Or transform a room at your RIF site into a caf and invite members of the community to attend and participate in the event.
- Writing Poetry
Kids sometimes have trouble getting started writing poems. Look for fresh idea-starters on www.gigglepoetry.comincluding fill-in-the-blank poems, and help writing nursery rhymes, limericks, and list poems. Look for lively tips for writing (or teaching) poetry provided by Jack Prelutsky, Karla Kuskin, and Jean Marzollo on www.teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/
poetry/index.htm. And check out www.rif.org/educators/articles/poetry.mspx for more poetry resources including activities, booklists, information about poetry slams, and tips for exploring nursery rhymes and poetry with kids.
Proud Mama To
1. Scout for things your children might like to read. Use their interests and hobbies as starting points.
2. Leave all sorts of reading materials including books, magazines, and colorful catalogs in conspicuous places around your home.
3. Notice what attracts your children's attention, even if they only look at the pictures. Then build on that interest; read a short selection aloud, or simply bring home more information on the same subject.
4. Let your children see you reading for pleasure in your spare time.
5. Take your children to the library regularly. Explore the children's section together. Ask a librarian to suggest books and magazines your children might enjoy.
6. Present reading as an activity with a purpose; a way to gather useful information for, say, making paper airplanes, identifying a doll or stamp in your child's collection, or planning a family trip.
7. Encourage older children to read to their younger brothers and sisters. Older children enjoy showing off their skills to an admiring audience.
8. Play games that are reading-related. Check your closet for spelling games played with letter tiles or dice, or board games that require players to read spaces, cards, and directions.
9. Perhaps over dinner, while you're running errands, or in another informal setting, share your reactions to things you read, and encourage your children to do likewise.
10. Set aside a regular time for reading in your family, independent of schoolwork, the 20 minutes before lights out, just after dinner, or whatever fits into your household schedule. As little as 10 minutes of free reading a day can help improve your child's skills and habits.
11. Read aloud to your child, especially a child who is discouraged by his or her own poor reading skills. The pleasure of listening to you read, rather than struggling alone, may restore your child's initial enthusiasm for books and reading.
12. Encourage your child to read aloud to you an exciting passage in a book, an interesting tidbit in the newspaper, or a joke in a joke book. When children read aloud, don't feel they have to get every word right. Even good readers skip or mispronounce words now and then.
13. On gift-giving occasions, give books and magazines based on your child's current interests.
14. Set aside a special place for children to keep their own books.
15. Introduce the bookmark. Remind your youngster that you don't have to finish a book in one sitting; you can stop after a few pages, or a chapter, and pick up where you left off at another time. Don't try to persuade your child to finish a book he or she doesn't like. Recommend putting the book aside and trying another.
16. Treat your children to an evening of laughter and entertainment featuring books! Many children (parents, too) regard reading as a serious activity. A joke book, a story told in riddles, or a funny passage read aloud can reveal another side of reading.
17. Extend your child's positive reading experiences. For example, if your youngster enjoyed a book about dinosaurs, follow up with a visit to a natural history museum.
18. Offer other special incentives to encourage your child's reading. Allow your youngster to stay up an extra 15 minutes to finish a chapter; promise to take your child to see a movie after he or she has finished the book on which it was based; relieve your child of a regular chore to free up time for reading.
19. Limit your children's TV viewing in an effort to make time for other activities, such as reading. But never use TV as a reward for reading, or a punishment for not reading.
20. Not all reading takes place between the covers of a book. What about menus, road signs, food labels, and sheet music? Take advantage of countless spur-of-the-moment opportunities for reading during the course of your family's busy day.
Proud Mama To
