Read to and with
your children for 30 minutes every day.
It is very important to read out loud to your
children before they start school. Help your children to
read with you. Ask them to find letters and words on the
page and talk with your children about the story.
Talk with infants
and young children before they learn to read.
Talk with your children all day long, using
short, simple sentences. Talking with them even before they
can speak will help them later when they learn to read and
write.
Help your
children to read on their own.
Reading at home helps children do better in school. Have
lots of children's books in your home and visit the library
every week. Help your children get their own library cards
and let them pick out their own books.
If your child has
a developmental delay, your child may find reading
frustrating. Have books on tape in
your home. Borrow or buy a tape player that is easy to work.
If you cannot find recordings of your child's favorite
books, you or a family member could make recordings of them
for your child to listen to while looking at the books.
Help your child
to see that reading is important.
Suggest reading as a free-time activity. Make sure your
children have time in their day to read. Set a good example
for your children by reading newspapers, magazines, and
books.
Set up a reading
area in your home. Keep books that
interest your children in places where they can easily reach
them. As your children become better readers, make sure that
you add harder books to your collection.
Give your
children writing materials.
Children want to learn how to write and to practice writing.
Help them learn by having paper, pencils, pens, or crayons
for them in your home. Help your children write if they ask
you. If your child has a special learning or physical need,
regular pens and pencils may not be the best choice. Ask
your pediatrician or people who work with your child at
school or at the child care center to suggest other writing
materials your child can use.
Read and write
with your children in their native language.
Practicing their first language will help
your children learn to read and write English.
Talk with your
children as you do daily activities together.
When you take your children places, talk with them about
what you are doing and ask them questions. If your child
cannot hear, use whatever form of communication your child
usually uses.
Ask your children
to describe events in their lives.
Talking about their experiences makes children think about
them. Giving detailed descriptions and telling complete
stories also helps children learn about how stories are
written and what the stories they read mean.
Restrict the
amount and kind of TV your children watch.
Watch educational TV programs with your children that teach
letter sounds and words or give information about nature and
science.
Keep track of
your children's progress in school.
Visit your children's classrooms to learn how your children
are doing in school and how you can help your children
become better students. Ask about the school's reading
program and where your children need help.
Become a learning
partner/reading tutor to a child in your neighborhood or
from your local elementary school.
Volunteer to read with or to a child for 30 minutes a week
for at least eight weeks. Take the child to the library to
get him or her a library card.
Help start a
community reading program. A good
way to begin is to help set up an America Reads Challenge:
READ*WRITE*NOW! program. Offer to volunteer as a reading
tutor or serve as a community contact/coordinator for the
program. Call 1-800-USA-LEARN
for America Reads Challenge: READ*WRITE*NOW!
materials.