Reading Time Tips

Talking with parents, I have a common question: "How can I help at home?"

I love that question!  Just like learning language to speak, use expressions beyond literal meaning, and conversational vocabulary, our kids learn a lot from the way we interact with written text.   When we read a book, magazine, or newspaper or if we read on a device, it is a great time to include our kids in a conversation.  

Pick a topic that is a high interest and share the reading with your child.  Create the space to share the text in a comfortable and fun way.  There is no need to quiz and check for understanding.  Instead, engage a conversation about the text.  "What do you think about this?"  "If you could add something, what would you say?"  "Do you have something that would challenge the writer's thinking here?"

Words are fun to investigate!  Choose a key word of interest that has meaning to explore, or is spelled in a curious way.  Out loud, wonder what that word means.  Wonder, why is it spelled that way.  Are there parts of the word that you can peel off to reveal the base word?

Here is a great resource that I use every day.  This link etymonline.com is a very powerful and special "dictionary."  It reveals the story behind the word that you are searching.  You can discover where the word came from and the spellings from the language of origin (which often clears up the spelling mystery). 

​Biggest tip:  Make the shared reading experience enjoyable.  Reading is a life-long skill, one which continues to strengthen and build beyond the years in school.  Building the confidence and desire to engage with the page is the key!



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