Dear Parents:

What is the most important thing you can do to ensure you child's school
success? Read to your child on a daily basis. The National Commision of
Reading found adults reading to children to be the most important factor in
reading success. Reading aloud to children improves listening and language
skills, stimulates imagination, expands understanding of the would, builds
comprehension, and increases vocabulary.

Jim Trelease, author of the ever-popular The Read Aloud Handbook, says
that "people are not illiterate as much as they are lazy, and they're lazy
because they have no pleasure associations with reading." Create those
associations with your child. The investment in reading aloud need not be
great - 15 minutes per day is all that's needed to reap these rewards.
Carving out that time on a daily basis is the challenge. Regarding reading
aloud as essential, not as a frill, is a good first step. Some strategies to
help with read-aloud sessions are:

Preview the book - Talk about the title, author, and illustrator each time.
Look at the cover and predict what the story might be about.

Read with expression - Make the reading interesting by changing your voice to
match the dialogue and adding emphasis where needed. Ham it up. A common
mistake when reading, however, is to read too fast. Give your child time to
visualize what you are reading.

Take time to talk - Ask questions that might have more than one answer to
encourage thinking. Let your child ask questions, too. Draw your child's
attention to details and help your child redict what might happen next in the
story. Above all, follow your child's lead. He or she may not want to stop
and talk at certain points.

Troubleshoot - If your child loses interest, take a break. Don't expect your
child to "be quiet and listen" all the time. Find stories you and your child
will both enjoy. Discontinue reading a book if it is obviously a poor
choice. Don't start a read-aloud session if you don't have time to give it
justice.

Make good choices - When an adult reads to a child at his or her own interst
level, which may be beyond the child's reading level, it stretches the
child's understanding and makes the child want to improve reading skills.
Steer clear of books above you child's emotional level; however, don't be
afraid of reading a book over and over. A favorite book most likely appeals
to your child's interest or emotional needs.

Read-aloud time is a perfect opportunity to slow down and show no sign of
hurry. Your child will never forget the hours you spend together reading.

Reading tips for when your child is reading:

1. Use the five finger rule. If five or more words on a page are unfamiliar to your child,
the book is too difficult.

2. Read easier text to practice fluency and expression.

3. Take turns reading pages with your child. When you read, you are demonstrating
good reading behaviors.

4. Ask your child questions as your read together to check for comprehension.

5. Make frequent trips to your local library to get new books to practice reading.
Students are more likely to read, when the books are about something they enjoy.

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Hall