Dear Parents,

Did you know that students who read daily 15 to 20 minutes score higher on tests than classmates who read less often?  Students who read for 15 to 20 minutes every day increase their reading comprehension and vocabulary by 500,000 words!  Children become successful readers by developing several important skills.  They need to learn letters and letter sounds, identify familiar words and learn new ones, and comprehend what they read.

Here are a few ideas for improving your child’s ability to understand what he/she reads:

• Ask a few simple questions before, during, and after he/she reads:
  • What do you know? (Use the title, cover of the book, pictures)
  • What do you want to know?
  • What did you learn?
• Use your child’s interests, experiences, and reading level.
  • Example: If your child enjoys art, look for books about artists and museums.
• Give your child information about the topic when he/she is reading about something new.
  • Example:  If the story takes place in another country, show your child where the country is located using a map or globe.
• Provide a challenge by giving your child something to search for while he/she reads.
  • Example:  If he/she is reading a book about baseball, see if he/she can tell you why Babe Ruth is famous or how Babe Ruth got his nickname.
• Help your youngster connect what he/she’s reading to their own experiences.
  • Example:  Talk about how the characters are like people he/she knows.
• Have a variety of books, magazines, newspapers, etc. to help your child to read widely and increase their reading ability.
• Most importantly, make reading together enjoyable, relaxed, and consistent.

It is my hope that you and your family will make a new year’s goal to increase reading time on a weekly basis.  What would happen if you had “NO TV Night” once a week?

Setting aside time to read will benefit everyone by at least 500,000 words and help your child become more successful at school.

Sincerely,
Miss Ginnetti,
Principal