Last blog post I gave 3 ideas that you can do to help your child become a reading rock star. You can check that article out here. This time I am picking up where I left off with 3 more suggestions based on my over 16 years of teaching elementary school and helping my own children learn to read when they were young.
4. Read to your child daily or at least several times weekly. When they are old enough, let them read a little to you. Don't interrogate them, but ask some basic questions about what they read. I will say that some very young children may not want to be read to and that's okay. When my son was around two years old, he did not want to slow down long enough for me to read him a story. So I starting leaving baby and preschool picture books on the couch , on his bed, in his play area and other places where he spent time. He would pick them up on his own time, look at the pictures and gather his own understanding of the story As he got a little older, he began to enjoy sitting with me and listening to a story.
5. Follow their enthusiasm. Find books about basketball, dinosaurs, teddy bears, ballet, race cars or whatever your child likes. Take them to the library or bookstore to find grade level and/or age appropriate books that make them excited.
6. If your child is reading below their grade level, if at all possible, get them extra help. The further a student falls behind, the harder it is to catch up. A reading tutor can provide valuable one on one or small group assistance. Find out from their teacher what specific areas need improving and let the tutor know. The tutor can be a college student or retired person or anyone who has the patience to work with the child. (If you know you don't have patience, try to find someone else to assist your child so both you and your child can stay positive and calm).
Ask the teacher for some extra homework that will fill in the gaps. They may struggle with his assignments because most classwork and homework is based on the current grade. If a student is reading below grade level, he or she needs additional work on the skills that are lacking.
You can also get some commercial reading workbooks and activity books for their grade level and the grade level below them. Let them work a one or two pages a day. These books are available at school supply stores such as The School Box or through Amazon or bookstores such as Barnes & Noble.
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