Summer! The perfect time to carry around a book and spend time with favorite or new characters and subjects. This is # 3 in my 8-part series on Summer Literacy. Remember, your local library may have a summer reading program where kids are encouraged to read, record their book titles and then participate in awards… Read More »
Summer! The perfect time to carry around a book and spend time with favorite or new characters and subjects. This is # 2 in my 8-part series on Summer Literacy. To be effective readers, kids need to read for 30 minutes every day. Set aside a block of time for silent reading (15-20 minutes) as… Read More »
Summer! The perfect time to carry around a book and spend time with favorite or new characters and subjects. This is # 1 in my 8-part series on Summer Literacy. If we want to install a love of reading, we need to help students finds books they can read alone. We need to help them… Read More »
Reading is a vital part of literacy development. Here are 6 ways to become a reading family. Have a designated reading area. It needs comfy places to sit, good lighting, freedom from electronics (unless you are using an e-reader) and bookshelves or crates of books close by. Those books may be owned favorites, borrowed from… Read More »
Lots happens between kindergarten and third grade: students learn to read and write, develop basic math skills and become independent learners. So, what do these look like?? Here are a few details to look at when deciding if a child is ‘at grade level’. Of course, we all learn at different pacesm, but these are… Read More »
A couple of interesting reading facts to consider: 71% of parents feel reading is a vital skill, yet only 31% of kids read for fun 5-7 day each week. While we teach kids to walk, talk and eat and practice sports, we seldom get involved in helping them learn their letters and numbers. (If you… Read More »
Whether it’s for school or home, what do we need to create a kids reading corner? Not a whole bunch: a corner, an alcove, a loft, or even a closet floor books (library loans, yard sale, new or used will do) comfortable, kidsize seating plus maybe a soft pillow and a blanket a bookcase or… Read More »
I have a friend who’s seven year-old son has the most incredible vocabulary. In his case, he loves words. But, all kids need to be encouraged to own a great vocabulary through our use of strong and/or specific words, regardless of their age. Since words reflect concepts and content, it’s important to the rounded development… Read More »
I saved an article from last spring by Jamie Littlefield entitled, Promote Reading: Share Books. Here are a few of her suggestions that bear repeating. The bad news: 21,000,000 Americans can’t read… 45,000,000 Americans are marginally illiterate… Fewer than 1/2 of Americans read literature… In some libraries, the copyright date on non fiction books is… Read More »
Close reading is engaged reading. It’s the opposite of read-as-fast-as-you-can. It encourages readers to read for deeper meaning and requires taking time to understand what is read. Here are a few tips to focus your thinking about close reading: Practice close reading yourself. As you read ask why questions and open-ended questions to move beyond… Read More »