1. Tell children how proud you are of their efforts and skills.

Listening to your children read aloud provides opportunities for you to express appreciation of their new skills and for them to practice their reading. Most importantly, it's another way to enjoy reading together.

Family Reading Time

A quiet time for family members to read on their own may be the only chance a busy parent gets to read the paper.

What You'll Need

Your own reading materials.
Reading materials for your children.

What To Do

1. Both you and your child should pick out something to read.
2. Don't be concerned if your beginning readers pick materials that are easier than their school reading books. Practice with easy books (and the comics) will improve their fluency.
3. If you subscribe to a children's magazine, this is a good time to get it out. There are many good children's magazines, and youngsters often get a special thrill out of receiving their own mail.
4. Relax and enjoy while you each read your own selections.

A family reading time shows that you like to read. Because you value reading, your children will too.

Story Talk

Talking about what you read is another way to help children develop language and thinking skills. You don't need to plan the talk, discuss every story, or expect an answer.

What You'll Need

Reading materials

What To Do

1. Read slowly and pause occasionally to think out loud about a story. You can speculate: "I wonder what's going to happen next!" Or ask a question: "Do you know what a palace is?" Or point out: "Look where the little mouse is now."
2. Answer your children's questions, and if you think they don't understand something, stop and ask them. Don't worry if you break into the flow of a story to make something clear.
3. Read the name of the book's author and illustrator and make sure your children understand what they do.

Talking about stories they read helps children develop their vocabularies, link stories to everyday sense out of stories.

Write and Talk, Too

While reading with your child is most important, there are other activities that help to get children ready to read. With a solid foundation, your child will not only read, but will read with enthusiasm.

Learning to read is part of learning language. It's like a little leaguer learning to hit a baseball. The young hitter must learn to watch the ball when it is pitched, to step into it, and to swing the bat to make the hit. It's a single event made up of three acts. Baseball players learn to do all three at once.

The same is true of learning language. When we use language, we speak words out loud, we read words on paper, and we write. This section has activities that encourage your child to:

Begin long before you expect your child to actually read, and continue long after your child is an independent reader.

Now, turn the page and start enjoying language.

Tot Talk

What to do

1. As you get dinner ready, talk to your child about things that are happening. When your 2- or 3-year-old "helps" by taking out all the pots and pans, talk about them. Which one is the biggest? Can you find a lid for that one? What color is this one?
2. When walking down the street and your toddler stops to collect leaves, stop and ask questions that require more than a "yes" or "no" answer. Which leaves are the same? Which are different? What else grows on trees?
3. Ask "what if" questions. What would happen if we didn't shovel the snow? What if that butterfly lands on your nose?
4. Answer your children's endless "why" questions patiently. When you say, "I don't know, let's look it up" you show how important books are as resources for answering questions.
5. After your preschooler tells you a story, ask questions so you can understand better. That way children learn how to tell complete stories and know you are interested in what they have to say.
6. Expose your children to varied experiences--trips to the library, museum, or zoo; walks in the park; or visits with friends and relatives. Surround these events with lots of comments, questions, and answers.

Talking enables children to expand their vocabulary and understanding of the world. The ability to carry on a conversation is important for reading development. Remember, it is a better talk too much than too little with a small child.

What's in A Name?

Use your child's name to develop an interest in the world of print.

What you'll need:  Paper & Pencil, crayon, or marker

What to do

1. Print the letters of your child's name on paper.
2. Say each letter as you write it, "K...A...T...I...E" or "M...I...K...E."
3. When you finish, say, "That's your name!"
4. Have your child draw a picture.
5. When finished, say, "I have an idea! Let's put your name on your picture." As you write the letters, say them out loud.
6. If you have magnetic letters, spell out your child's name on the refrigerator door.
7. Print your child's name on a card and put it on the door of your child's room or special place.

It's hard to overemphasize the importance of writing and displaying your child's name.

World of Words

Here are a few words to create a home rich in words

What You'll Need

Paper
Pencils, crayons, markers
Glue (if you want to make a poster)
Newspapers, magazines
Safety scissors

What To Do

1. Hang posters of the alphabet on bedroom walls or make an alphabet poster with your child.
2. Label the things in your child's pictures. If your child draws a picture of a house, label it "house" and put it on the refrigerator.
3. Have your child watch you write when you make shopping or to-do lists. Say the words out loud and carefully print each letter.
4. Let your child make lists, too. Help your child form the letters and spell the words.
5. Look at newspapers and magazines with your child. Find an interesting picture and show it to your child as you read the caption out loud.
6. Create a scrapbook. Cut out pictures of people and places and label them.

By exposing your child to words and letters often, your child will begin to recognize the shapes of letters. The world of words will become friendly.

Book Nooks

With very little effort, parents can introduce children to the wide world of books.

What to do

1. Visit the library. Get a library card in your child's name and one for yourself if you don't have one. Go to the children's section and spend time reading and selecting books to take home. Check out books yourself to show your child everyone can use and enjoy books and the library. Be sure to introduce your child to the librarian and ask about special programs the library has for children.
2. Start your own home library. Designate a book case or shelf especially for your child. Encourage your child to arrange the books by some method--books about animals, holiday books, favorite books.
3. Keep an eye out for inexpensive books at flea markets, garage sales, used book stores, and discount tables at book stores. Many public libraries sell old books once a year. You will find some real bargains!
4. Make your own books. (See activity under Make a Book.) Child- made books become lasting treasures and part of your home library.

When collecting books in an important family activity, parents send the message that books are important and fun.

Family Stories

Family stories enrich the relationship between parent and child.

What to do

1. Tell your child stories about your parents and grandparents. You might even put these stories in a book and add old family photographs.
2. Have your child tell you stories about what happened on special days, such as holidays, birthdays, and family vacations.
3. Reminisce about when you were little. Describe things that happened at school involving teachers and subjects you were studying. Talk about your brothers, sisters, or friends.
4. Write a trip journal with your child to create a new family story. Recording the day's special event and pasting the photograph into the journal ties the family story to a written record. You can also include everyday trips like going to the market or the park.

It helps for children to know that stories come from real people and are about real events. When children listen to stories, they hear the voice of the storyteller. This helps them hear the words they learn to read aloud or read silently.

Now Hear This

Children are great mimics. When you tell stories, your child will begin to tell stories, too.

What to do

1. Have your child tell stories like those you have told. Ask: "And then what happened?" to urge the story along.
2. Listen closely when your child speaks. Be enthusiastic and responsive.
3. If you don't understand some part of the story, take the time to get your child to explain. This will help your child understand the relationship between a speaker and a listener and an author and a reader.
4. Encourage your child to express himself or herself. This will help your child develop a wide vocabulary. It can also help with pronouncing words clearly.

Having a good audience is very helpful for a child to improve language skills, as well as poise in speaking. Parents can be the best audience a child will ever have.

P.S. I Love You

Something important happens when children receive and write letters. They realize that the printed word has a purpose.

What You'll Need

Paper
Pencil, crayon, or marker

What To Do

1. Send your child little notes (by putting them in a pocket or lunch box, for example). When your child shows you the note, read it out loud with expression. Some children will read the notes on their own.
2. When your child expresses a feeling or thought that's related to a person, have your child write a letter. Have your child dictate the words to you if your child doesn't write yet.

For example:

Dear Grandma,

I like it when you make ice cream. It's better than the kind we buy at the store.

Your grandson,

Darryl

P.S. I love you.

3. Ask the people who receive these notes to respond. An oral response is fine--a written response is even better.
4. Explain the writing process to your child: "We think of ideas and put them into words; we put the words on paper; people read the words; and people respond."

Language is speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Each elements supports and enriches the other. Sending letters will help children become writers, and writing will make them better readers.

Easy as Pie

Preparing meals is another good way for children to practice language skills.

What You'll Need

Paper
Pencil
Cookbook or recipes
Food supplies

What To Do

1. Ask children to help you prepare a grocery list.
2. Take them to the market and have them find items on the list.
3. Have them help put away the groceries and encourage them to read the labels, box tops, and packages as they store them.
4. Have them read the ingredients from a recipe.
5. Prepare a meal together and let them take needed items from shelves and storage areas.
6. Talk about the steps in preparing a meal--first, second, and so on.
7. Praise the efforts of your early reader and encourage other family members to do the same.

The purpose of reading is to get meaning from the page. By using reading skills to prepare a meal, children see positive results from reading.

Write On

Writing helps a child become a better reader, and reading helps a child become a better writer.

Pencils, crayons, or markers
Paper or notebook
Chalkboard

What To Do

1. Ask your preschooler to dictate a story to you. It could include descriptions of your outings and activities, along with mementos such as fall leaves, birthday cards, and photographs. Older children can do these activities on their own.
2. Use a chalkboard or a family message board as an exciting way to involve children in writing with a purpose.
3. Keep supplies of paper, pencils, markers, and the like within easy reach.
4. Encourage beginning and developing writers to keep journals and write stories. Ask questions that will help children organize the stories, and respond to their questions about letters and spelling. Suggest they share the activity with a smaller brother, sister, or friend.
5. Respond to the content of children's writing, and don't be overly concerned with misspellings. Over time you can help your child concentrate on learning to spell correctly.

When children begin to write, they run the risk of criticism, and it takes courage to continue. Our job as parents is to help children find the courage. This we can do by expressing our appreciation of their efforts.

TV

Television can be a great tool for education too. The keys are setting limits, making good choices, taking time to watch together, discussing what you view, and encouraging follow-up reading.

What To Do

1. Limit your child's television viewing time and make your rules and reasons clear. Involve your child in choosing which programs to watch. Read the TV schedule together to choose.
2. Monitor what your child is watching, and whenever possible, watch the programs with your child.
3. When you watch shows with your child, discuss what you have seen so your child can better understand the programs.
4. Look for programs that will stimulate your child's interests and encourage reading (such as dramatizations of children's literature and programs on wildlife, natural history, and science).

Many experts recommend that children watch no more than 10 hours of television each week. Limiting television viewing frees up time for reading and writing activities.

It is worth noting that captioned television shows can be especially helpful with children who are deaf and hard of hearing, studying English as a second language, or having difficulty learning to read.

Parents and the Schools

Success in school depends, in large part, on your child's ability to read, and your role in helping your child become a reader. The kind of support you provide will, of course, change as your child grows older. Your involvement and monitoring your child's progress in school can help your child become a better reader.

Involvement in school programs can take many forms, from attending PTA meetings to volunteering in school activities. Through action, not just words, you demonstrate to your child that school is important.

In monitoring your child's progress in learning to read, you need to look at both the programs offered at school and your child's performance. Below is a checklist for different levels of schooling. There is much more information available to help you evaluate school reading programs. (See the resources section "For Parents.")

Kindergarten

Beginning Reading Programs

When children start school, they receive their first formal instruction in reading. At this stage, they learn to identify words--by translating groups of letters into spoken words.

Developmental Reading Programs

Evaluating Your Child's Progress

It is important to monitor your child's progress through reports from the teacher. Also, it is important to attend school open houses or similar events where teachers are available to explain the program and discuss children's progress with their parents.

If you think your child should be doing better, consider meeting privately with the teacher. In most cases, the teacher and principal will be able to shed light on your child's progress and what you might do to help. Your school system may have access to special resources such as a reading specialist and guidance counselor or to materials to address your child's needs.

You may want additional help for your child. A good starting point is the nearest college or university. Most have reading tutorial services that are available on a sliding-fee scale. If not, there may be faculty or graduate students interested in tutoring. Then monitor your child's progress the same way you would his progress in school. If you do not see a difference in performance in 6 to 8 weeks, discuss the program with your child's tutor. Can the tutor explain the goals of the program and document your child's progress? If not, you may wish to consider another course of action.

Some children struggle with reading problems where the cause is readily identifiable. Some of the more widely recognized causes of reading problems are vision and hearing impairments and poor speech and language development. But there are other school children who have problems reading because of a learning disability. Whatever the cause or nature of a child's reading problem, the earlier the difficulty is discovered and additional help provided, the better the child's chances are of becoming a successful reader. (See the resources section "For Parents.")

The good news is that no matter how long it takes, with few exceptions, children can learn to read. One of the most important roles you can play in relation to your children's schoolwork is that of cheerleader. Applaud their efforts and their successes. Help them have the courage to keep trying.

A Postscript about Older Children

You can't put a teenager on your lap and read stories every night. But you can still help older children become enthusiastic and fluent readers by adapting many of the same principles that work with the little ones. It is especially important to continue the following efforts: