Parents,
We hope that you will ask your children what they are reading. Discussing
books is a great learning tool for your child.
Things to do:
1. Look closely at how time is being used in your home if your child is not
reading regularly or enough. Being a good reader at this age means
doing lots of reading outside of school.
2. Be clever about creating time for reading—allow a later bedtime or
excuse children from a chore like washing dishes if he is reading.
3. Discuss bits and pieces of books that you read with your child. Find out
about what she is reading by asking nonthreatening questions like,
“What’s happening in your book now?” or “What are the characters like
in the book you are reading?”
4. Play games like Scrabble, Spill and Spell, Scattergories, and Balderdash
together—they are fun and they reinforce reading skills.
5. Limit television viewing to 14 hours a week. Gradually reducing TV
time can increase time for reading.
6. Make time for the library. Encourage your kids to find different types of
books—nonfiction informational books, and poetry, history, travel, and
cookbooks—at the library to increase awareness of topics and subjects.
7. Encourage children this age to read to younger children and siblings.
8. Give gifts that encourage reading and writing: reading lamps, magazine
subscriptions, books, stationary, pens, and blank books.
9. Agree with your child on the time and place for homework. Make sure
your child knows this is a high priority. If there are problems staying
focused on homework, start a study group, get a tutor, or make a plan.
10. Be confident that it is worth the effort and your child’s complaints to do
all it takes to help your child be successful in reading and writing.
Current Favorites at SSMS: the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer,
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer, and the
Bone series by Jeff Smith.
