Welcome to Reading Improvement
by Kathleen Janke
Reading Specialist
Phone: (815) 444 - 4288
Email: kjanke@dist46.org
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
~ Joseph Addison~
Reading Tips
It is important to read with your child everyday. Research shows that students who read more, read better. They develop more expansive vocabularies and achieve higher levels of reading and writing development. This is particularly true for students who have daily opportunities to read, year after year. Reading, like shooting baskets and playing the piano, is a skill. Like other skills, it gets better with practice. Researchers have found that children who spend at least 30 minutes a day reading for fun - whether they read books, newspapers, or magazines - develop the skills to be better readers at school.
Some things to consider:
• Reread familiar books – Children need practice reading comfortably and with expression using books they know.
• Build reading accuracy – As your child is reading aloud point out words he missed and help him read words correctly. If you stop to focus on a word, have your child reread the whole sentence to be sure he understands the meaning.
• Build reading comprehension – Talk with your child about what he is reading. Ask about new words. Talk about what happened in a story. Ask about the characters, places, and events that took place. Ask what new information he has learned from the book. Encourage him to read on his own.
What you can do at home:
• Go to the library – Schedule regular trips to the library. While you are there, read a book yourself.
• Read Aloud to your child – It is important for your child to hear the natural language and expression of a story, even when they are able to read themselves.
• Give books as gifts – Find a special place for your child to keep their own library.
• Make reading a privilege – Say: “You can stay up 15 minutes later tonight if you read in bed.” Or you might say: “Because you helped with the dishes, I have time to read you an extra story.”
Picking books:
• Try to select an enjoyable core of books your child can choose from. Do they have bright, colorful pictures? Does the language flow in an enjoyable way as you read it, or does it sound unnatural and halting? Are the stories about topics of interest to your child?
• For your child to read to you, choose books he can read and wants to read. Be sure that he can read and figure out almost all of the words. Be sure he understands what he is reading. Can he tell you in his own words what the story is about or what he is learning? Does the reading sound smooth?
