Thursday, September 10, 2015

How to Raise a Good Reader


I just recently saw the movie A Walk in the Woods starring Nick Nolte and Robert Redford.    There was something that Redford’s character said that I keep thinking about.  He said, “Books are television for smart people.”  He kept talking about how much reading had made a difference in his life.    As I thought more about the character in the movie I began to think about how I as an educator really work hard with students to encourage them to love reading.  There are many things parents can do too even if your child is not a natural born bookworm. 

            Keep reading together, regardless of your child’s age.  Even older students like to read aloud to someone.   It gives everyone the opportunity to discuss the likes and dislikes about the book and will also increase vocabulary. 

The goal is enjoyment and understanding.  Put away books that seem too difficult and save them for later.  While it might seem like a good thing to push your child, you first need and want them to like the books which, in turn makes them want to read more.

Listen to audio books in the car.  The public library offers many audio books to check out instead of watching movies or playing games on IPADS.

Check out www.bookadventure.com.    It’s a great site that matches books to kids according to their interests and age level.  It also provides short quizzes on the book to prep them for their AR quiz at school.

Parents and teachers together can work to raise a good reader!

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