Suggestions for FAMILIES
To Build Literacy Skills:
Family Members play a significant role in their children's reading growth through 2 key practices:
- Model Reading
- Practice reading throughout the summer months
- When reading with your child(ren), consider several options
- Shared Reading (you read a paragraph and your child reads a paragraph or read a page apiece); select a character - each time that character is using dialogue, your child reads their part - this helps to keep children engaged following along in text, teaches that dialogue is presented on its own line and is identified by the quote marks.
- Discuss the book while reading. Be sure to read the pictures/illustrations/graphs, read the words, practice retelling the story or information, summarize in your own words (both you and your child), predict what might happen next, ask questions before, during and after reading, respond to what you have read together.
- Encourage and model time reading alone, getting in the practice of finding a cozy place to read. The cozy feelings of snuggling up with an important family member reading together works to create a positive experience with reading.
- Make reading a daily practice.
- Visit the public library and/or book stores. Get a library card. Use a Kindle, Nook, or other e-reader. Some libraries have books that can be signed out through download to your computer. Ask the librarian for book suggestions.
- To encourage your child to stay connected with school through the summer months, I encourage students to contact me via e-mail. I will be checking my e-mail most days throughout the summer. It is my intention to support student reading and writing through e-mail discussions about the books students are reading. I can be reached at [email protected]
Check out these Book Choice links: cool book choices for grades 4-6.
http://www.scholastic.com/100books/
http://www.reading.org/Resources/Booklists.aspx
*** Please also check out the Homework page and the Resource page (this page has book resources, as well as online Reading and Math resources, Behavior support, and even How to Teach Your Child to Tie Shoes in 5 Minutes!