Shop UK Site 
Ready, Set, Read! Suggestions for Inspiring Young Readers
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Aug 12, 2017 | Reading
There are few “a-ha” moments in parenthood that really take the proverbial cake. Listening to your child read aloud for the first time might be one of them. But the road to reading isn’t always a smooth one. Being a parent to a beginning reader takes time, patience, and lots of cheerleading. Here are a handful of suggestions to get your little one on the path to loving the written word.
Save those baby board books
You continue to glance over to those ratty, over-used baby board books in your child’s room and think, “I really need to donate those…” Stop your urge to toss! Those books that feel “baby-ish” have large type and simple words, making an early reader feel like they’ve tackled an entire book. Your child will only think it’s too “baby” if you carry on about it. Dust them off and use them often.
Get to know your local library
While it seems like a great idea to let your kid loose in the library to select their own reading material, it’s likely both of you will end up discouraged. Kids are still kids and are attracted to pictures on the cover, which might send you home with a book that is too difficult to read. Talk to your child’s teacher or look up suggestions online for the most appropriate books for their grade level. Many libraries have their catalogs online and you can “shop” for books through your card number. Some libraries even have drive-thru windows! Too easy!
Leave books lying around
After you’re back from the library, don’t leave a tall, daunting stack of books by your child’s bedside. Place one book here or there in their play space, by their seat at the table, or even in the potty. Next thing you know, they’ve picked it up and begun paging through. Choosing their favorite characters from television or movies is particularly helpful with this technique. So many shows and movies offer up a series of “easy readers”, engaging your child with familiar faces.
Encourage them to read in unlikely places
Showing your child that reading is a part of each day helps them realize reading never stops, even when you aren’t holding a book. New words to discover are everywhere: menus, the grocery store, drive thru windows, billboards. Encourage your kids to read this material and freak out with praise when they do it on their own.
Keep a list of books they’ve finished
Keep a visible list of your child’s reading accomplishments. Just like a good behavior chart, perhaps finishing this list will prompt to some type of reward. Any way you choose to do it, keep it positive and in plain sight.
Pick the sing-a-long option
Many favorite shows or movies have an option to sing along with the characters. Memorized lyrics matching the words on screen? Otherwise known as reading!
Quizzing games
Ah, a great trick of parenthood: playing board games and using interactive devices that secretly teach lessons to your kids. Beat-the-clock competitions and contests against Mom, Dad, brother, or sister ignite a competitive spark, forcing the brain to think fast and use skills that are already there.
What are some things that you do at home to encourage reading? Share with us at blog@learningresources.com!
Modeling Independent Reading
Fostering a love of reading from an early age certainly boosts academic development, but also offers an opportunity for parents to connect with their children.
Classroom teachers often use the term ‘modeling’ when introducing a new skill or assignment. For example, if students are tasked with reading a sentence out loud, teachers will likely read aloud a sentence first so students can hear proper fluency. If students are writing a story in class, many teachers would write alongside their kids. The demonstration and commitment to practice is valuable to the learning process.
Whether your child is listening to a sibling read a board book, performing Shel Silverstein poetry for all to hear, or cuddled up with a chapter book on the couch, parents are encouraged to participate in this activity, too.
Learning Resources’ Reading Comprehension Cubes are a useful tool to spark discussion. The kit comes with six dice-like cubes with questions on each side. The red cubes list pre-reading questions, the blue cubes are for during reading, and the green cubes have post-reading prompts.
Examples: Red- “Predict what will happen in the story.”
Blue- “Where does the story take place?”
Green- “Summarize the story.”
Parents should take one cube of each color, and children should take the rest. While your child is independently reading, grab your book, too. Set a timer for 10 minutes while you both read silently. When the timer goes off, roll a cube. If the question is about the main character, you can share who the main character in your novel is, just like your child will describe the main character in their novel. Using familiar vocabulary such as “setting” or “conflict” will teach your child that stories have general characteristics. 
There are potentially three different types of reading skills that children may be practicing when they are reading at home: reading aloud, reading silently, and listening to reading. The Reading Comprehension Cubes can help improve and test children’s understanding within the different modalities. For example, a child may be able to clearly explain the conflict while they are listening to a story, but not when they are reading aloud. This would imply that more reading aloud and checks for comprehension would help strengthen that skill.
The Reading Comprehension Cubes can also be used as writing prompts. Instead of discussing, children can roll the dice, read the prompt, write their response, and then share what they wrote.
By adopting into your routine at least 20 minutes of reading each day, children are not only becoming stronger readers, but also stronger writers and thoughtful thinkers. They are witnessing firsthand how a story begins and ends, introduces characters, and develops settings. In addition, they will begin recognizing that the beginning of each sentence starts with a capital letter. The skills of reading and writing go hand in hand. Finally, they are learning to articulate their thoughts, ask insightful questions, and have a meaningful discussion.
Modeling independent reading demonstrates a lifelong love of literature.
READ MORE
5 Ways to Encourage Reading
READ MORE
