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Studies about reading skills show the significance of building good reading habits at home. School age children need to continue reading over the summer to maintain reading skills. The practice of summer reading will maintain and even improve performance when returning to school. Libraries make reading fun through the annual Summer Reading Club so head to your nearest library for more information.
And remember to set an example at home; everyone in the family should read too!
Summer Reading Tips for Parents
- Help your child set a realistic goal for the summer. Try to encourage a goal that is challenging but does not make reading become a chore. The goal might be to read at least 15 minutes a day.
- Establish a regular time for reading in your home for all members of the family.
- Offer to share stories at bedtime or as dinner conversation.
- Show genuine interest in the stories or programmes your child discovers during the summer.
- Appreciate all books the child selectes, even the ones that look "too easy". Summer is a time for fun, after all. You can always guide your child to a more challenging book the next time you visit the library. Ask your librarian for suggestions.
- Read to your child. Even if children can read themselves, they still enjoy hearing good stories read to them.
- Let your child help "read" the story by turning pages or reciting from memory words or sentences.
- Talk together about the stgories, illustrations and meaning of words.
- Have fun! Use different voices for different characters.
- Read yourself! And make sure your child knows that you enjoy reading. There is nothing like a good role model.
- Help children visit the library and attend special library programmes. Many children appreciate going with friends. Your child might like to invite a friend or two to come along to visit the library as well.
Tips for Parents of Preschoolers Learning to Read
As a parent you play a vital role in helping your child develop reading skills. Research has shown that when children have been read to on a regular basis as preschoolers, they enter school with larger vocabularies, longer attention spans, greater understanding of books and print, and consequently have the fewest difficulties in learning to read. When you read aloud to your children:
- they learn to listen
- they learn new words
- they learn the structure of a story
- their imaginations grow
- they discover whole new worlds
Sharing picture books can be a warm and enriching experience for both you and your child. There is no substitute for reading and telling stories to your child!
- Let your child help "read" the story by turning pages or reciting words and sentences from memory.
- Let your child choose the books he or she would like to read.
- Talk together about the stories, illustrations, and meaning of words.
- Read books on your own--remember that you are the role model.
- Have fun! Use difference voices for different characters.
- Show your enthusiasm. Let your children know you are interested in stories and books.
Reading can be done anywhere, anytime. Read our book suggestions for preschoolers, babies and toddlers. Take books along and read together at the park, on the beach or visit your local library!
Most libraries offer preschool storytime programmes. Your preschooler may also wish to participate in the preschool Read to Me Club which is part of the annual Summer Reading Club. Ask for details regarding this club at your local library.
Try some of these ideas:
ABC BOOKS
Children learn to recognize letters by sight, but it is more important to know what sound that letter stands for. Alphabet books can show children that "A" stands for "apple" as well as "happy", "ate", and "can". Use as many different ABC books as possible.
MAKE YOUR OWN ABC BOOKS
Together with your child, go though old magazines, greeting cards, etc. and cut out appropriate pictures for each letter of the alphabet. Paste in a scrapbook. Help the child print the letters him/herself.
PICTURE DICTIONARIES
Look at some picture dictionaries together with your child. Many chidlren enjoy seeing new words in print with pictures accompanying them.
WORDLESS BOOKS
Read a picture book with your child and together you can make your own story to go with the book; write the story down.
JOKES AND RIDDLES, TONGUE-TWISTERS AND SONGS
Use your child's natural love of funny stories, poems, jokes and tongue-twisters, and cartoons. Copy out the words to your child's favourite songs and poems.
CASSETTE/BOOK KITS
Have your child listen to the tape and follow along in the book. The kids entertain and supplement the "learning process". Check out your local public library for these read-along cassette/book kits.
MAGAZINES
Many magazines such as Highlight, Owl, Chickadee and Cricket have beginning-to-read activites with parent/teacher guides and suggestions.
HOW TO TEACH YOUR CHILD TO READ BOOKS
There are many parents' guides available at your local public library. Ask the children's librarian at your library for help if you don't know where to look.
GAMES
Play games such as Scrabble Alphabet Game or Alphabet Bingo with your child. Make up your own games, e.g. "Words beginning with the same sound", "Words that end with the same sound", "Words that rhyme" etc., or buy a box of Alphabet Cereal and see how many words that you can make from one handful.
LABELS AND SIGNS
You can label your child's possessions or his favourite collections; for example, signs in one child's room--"Rock Collection," "Toys", "Fish Tank", "Clothes" etc.
KEEP READING
Continue to read to your child while they are learning to read and even when they read well. Share your stories with each other. Read aloud the funny or interesting parts of books, newspaper or magazines. Encourage your child. Most important--keep it light and have fun!
WEB RESOURCES
Kids need to develop essential critical thinking skills in order to make the most of the Internet. Parents are the best source for this guidance and should begin by knowing the risks and the advantages to being online. But most parents are unaware of the issues. A first stop is Media Awareness, a Canadian advocacy and lobby group for the safety of children online.
More resources for parents and kids are available on our related links page.Please read this important notice regarding Internet Safety for adults and children.
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