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Special THANKS to Ms Courtney Arozena, Librarian at Elitha Donner Elementary for some of these ideas. She was a nominee for the 2023 Elk Grove Education Superhero Award!
Many parents tell us, "My child doesn't like to read! I've bought them so many new and beautiful books! I've taken them to the library. Nothing works." We always start with, "What about you? Do YOU like to read?" Children's first and primary role models for reading are the adults in their home. Here are some tips for inspiring your children to read and making it a fun process:
Make sure the adults in the home are role modeling reading! If you normally read at bedtime when the kids are asleep, schedule 1-2 reading times a week to let them see you reading after dinner or on the weekend.
Give your child "real life" opportunities to read. When you're at a restaurant, ask your child to read the menu and recommend some choices. At the grocery, ask for help reading your grocery list, the signs for each aisle, product descriptions, etc. This helps children understand the importance of reading in day to day life!
Make it fun! For younger kids, write clues to a treasure hunt or silly jokes and hide them around for them to find and read. Simple reading games like, "how many animal words can you find in this page?" make reading more playful and less of a chore.
Read TOGETHER. A family that reads together...reads more! Set a weekly reading hour for the whole family (and make sure phones are put away). Serve some fun snacks and finish it off with sharing about what each of you are reading.
Have your child to read TO YOU. Parents often default to reading out loud to their children, but forget that even older children benefit from practicing their reading out loud skills. They also gain confidence and pride as they build their reading skills.
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Not sure how your child is doing academically? Call us at: (916) 585-3823 and schedule a full academic evaluation - we'll assess your child's skills in reading, phonics, vocabulary, writing, and math and give you a full report!
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