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Practice at least 15 minutes EVERY night! According to the National Institute for Literacy, when children become good readers in the early grades, they become better learners throughout their school years.

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PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE Learning to read is hard work. It takes PRACTICE! Becoming a good reader takes more practice than students can get during the school day. Additional practice is essential in order for children to be successful readers.

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Parents lay the foundation & give children the tools! Parents….. YOU are your child’s first and most important teacher! Here are some ideas for you……..

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Set a purpose for reading…… Before reading, talk to your child about the purpose for the book. For example, in a book about ocean animals, talk about how fish are different from mammals & why they have to live in the water. Talk about your trip to the pet store and the fish you saw there. Look through the book for vocabulary that may be new for your child.

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Read more…. watch less TV Your child’s listening vocabulary is much larger than his/her reading vocabulary. When you read books that interest a child, reading and writing vocabulary increase.

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Read & think aloud Good readers make visual images in their minds. Think aloud about the pictures you see or questions that arise. Here’s a good example:

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Talk about it….. The title of this book is Bobby: The Bravest Boxer. There is a picture of a dog on the cover so that tells me Bobby is a boxer dog instead of a man that boxes. I wonder what the dog did that proved his bravery. I need to read ahead and find out. Oh, on the next page it says, “Bobby got very nervous when the children were playing outside all alone, especially if they are near the street.” That tells me that Bobby may do something to protect one of the children in the family. But how? I have to read on to find out more

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Let your child teach you! As you read, take turns coming up with predictions, asking questions, and summarizing. You be the student and let your child be the teacher!

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Somebody Wanted But So……. Here’s an easy comprehension retell strategy: Somebody Wanted But So.. Cinderella wanted to go to the ball, but she had nothing to wear, so her fairy godmother made her a beautiful dress. Somebody = Cinderella Wanted = to go to the ball But = she had nothing to wear So = her fairy godmother made her a beautiful dress

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QAR---QAR---QAR QAR:QuestionAnswerRelationship QAR was developed as a tool to help children clarify text and answer questions. It helps them realize the need to consider both information in the text and information from their own background.

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Right There Questions Right There Questions: Literal questions whose answers can be found in the text. Often the words used in the question are the same words found in the text. For example- Read: Ben planted seeds. Ask: What did Ben plant?

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Think & Search Think and Search Questions: Answers are gathered from several parts of the text and put together to make meaning. Example- Read: Ava rode her bike to the park. She played with her friends and went home to have lunch. Ask: How did Ava get home?

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Author & You Author and You: These questions are based on information provided in the text but the student is required to relate it to their own experience. Although the answer does not lie directly in the text, the student must have read it in order to answer the question. Ask: Would you have made the same choice the character made?

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On My Own On My Own: These questions do not require the student to have read the passage but he/she must use their background or prior knowledge to answer the question. Ask: Do you what it’s like to feel envious?