By Heather Carr September 2011
Reading success begins in the home. Local educators offer techniques for parents to use to develop their children’s reading skills.
In Dr. Seuss’ I Can Read with My Eyes Shut, a wise Cat in the Hat exclaims, “The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go!” This simple line from a children’s book expresses a great truth: reading is an undeniably essential skill. Research consistently shows that young children who learn to read well are far more successful throughout their academic careers (across all
subject areas), more confident in their abilities, and much less likely to drop out of school.
Unfortunately, in households across the country, reading is a source of tension, stress, and even tears, from kids and parents alike. Many struggling or reluctant readers suffer through the school day, only to come home to resist doing homework or spend excessive time on assignments that shouldn’t take nearly that long.
So, what can parents do to help a child for whom reading is a challenge and a chore? Two local educators provide the following tips for instilling positive reading habits and improving skills at home:
Be your child’s reading role model. Bibb County media specialist Sarah Mayberry suggests, “Let your children see how you use reading to support your everyday needs, from reading directions and road signs to reading for pleasure.”
Stock your home with a range of reading materials. “Make your home a text-rich environment with a variety of texts of interest to your child,” says Amy Fouse, Houston County Coordinator of Language Arts (6-12) and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages).
Let your child choose what he or she reads. Know your child’s interests and suggest reading materials to match. Encourage her to create a personal library of her favorite reading materials. Designating a special place for her books, such as her own shelf on the living room bookshelf, could boost her enthusiasm for the project.
Read what your child reads. If you read some of the same books as your child, you’ll be improving his reading skills and the bond between the two of you at the same time. Fouse advises, “Read literature written for young adults. Not only will you have books to talk about with your child, but these books may also provide you with insight into issues your child may face as an adolescent.”
Introduce and encourage your child to read in a variety of genres and formats. Think outside of the book. “Reading is no longer confined to print-based texts. Digital students of today enjoy reading e-books, blogs, messages from social networking sites, and other digital forms of communication,” Mayberry says.
Establish a family reading time in your home. Set aside a specific period of time for everyone in the family to read, even if it is just fifteen minutes a day. Read to or with younger children. Older children and adolescents may prefer to read by themselves. Don’t forget to model the habits you want your children to learn by reading yourself!
Harness the power of the web. The internet is filled with websites featuring interactive games and exercises designed to improve reading skills and comprehension for readers of all levels. For example, the Reading is Fundamental website (www.rif.org) features a free, searchable database of fun reading activities and games.
Recognize reading successes to build confidence. Mayberry says, “Parents need to praise their children for their reading successes. Helping a child develop a strong image of self-efficacy as a reader goes a long way when material becomes challenging.”