Sharing The Love of Reading!
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
THE SEVEN ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS EVERY CHILD NEEDS
Below is a list of the Seven Essential Life Skills and the selected books, by age group, that connect to each Skill. - See more at: http://www.fbmarketplace.org/mitm#sthash.jDsaxJXe.dpuf
FOCUS & SELF-CONTROL
Children need this skill in order to achieve their goals, especially in a world that is filled with distraction and information overload. It involves paying attention, remembering the rules, thinking flexibly and exercising self-control.
AGES 0 TO 2: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes and Elmo Says…
AGES 3 TO 5: The Carrot Seed and Whistle for Willie
AGES 6 TO 8: The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza and The Art Lesson
PERSPECTIVE TAKING
Perspective goes far beyond empathy: it involves figuring out what others think and feel, and forms the basis of children understanding their parents’, teachers’, and friends’ intentions. Children who can take others’ perspectives are also much less likely to get involved in conflicts.
AGES 0 TO 2: Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear? (Coming soon!) and Five Little Ducks
AGES 3 TO 5: Fish is Fish and Are You Ready to Play Outside? (Coming soon!)
AGES 6 TO 8: Freedom Summer and Actual Size
COMMUNICATING
Communicating is much more than understanding language, speaking, reading and writing – it is the skill of determining what one wants to communicate and realizing how our communications will be understood by others. It is the skill that teachers and employers feel is most lacking today.
AGES 0 TO 2: Baby! Talk! and Moo, Baa, La La La!
AGES 3 TO 5: The Cow That Went Oink and The Lion and the Mouse
AGES 6 TO 8: Martin's Big Words and The Storyteller’s Candle
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Making connections is at the heart of learning—figuring out what’s the same, what’s different and sorting these things into categories. Making unusual connections is at the core of creativity. In a world where people can Google for information, it is the people who can see the connections who can go beyond knowing information to using this information well.
AGES 0 TO 2: Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes and The Very Hungry Caterpillar (bilingual)
AGES 3 TO 5: Caps for Sale and Harold and the Purple Crayon
AGES 6 TO 8: I Am Different! Can you Find Me? and On the Same Day in March: A Tour of the World's Weather
CRITICAL THINKING
Critical thinking is the ongoing search for valid and reliable knowledge to guide beliefs, decisions, and actions.
AGES 0 TO 2: Blue Hat Green Hat and The Runaway Bunny
AGES 3 TO 5: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Are You My Mother? (Coming soon!)
AGES 6 TO 8: Grace for President and Nate the Great
TAKING ON CHALLENGES
Life is full of stresses and challenges. Children who are willing to take on challenges (instead of avoiding them or simply coping with them) do better in school and in life.
AGES 0 TO 2: Llama, Llama Red Pajama and My Truck is Stuck
AGES 3 TO 5: Owen and The Little Engine that Could
AGES 6 TO 8: Knuffle Bunny and Horton Hears a Who
SELF-DIRECTED, ENGAGED LEARNING
It is through learning that we can realize our potential. As the world changes, so can we, for as long as we live—as long as we learn.
AGES 0 TO 2: From Head to Toe and Where's Spot?
AGES 3 TO 5: My Five Senses and The Snowy Day
AGES 6 TO 8: Lemonade in Winter and Dinosaurs Before Dark
- See more at: http://www.fbmarketplace.org/mitm#sthash.jDsaxJXe.dpuf
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
ANOTHER REASON TO KEEP READING...
Readers of literary fiction are more creative and exercise better judgment, claim scientists
Research from the University of Toronto found that people who had just read a short story were able to think less rigidly and were more comfortable with disorder and uncertainty
People who are regular readers also appeared to be more creative thinkers and less prone to snap judgements
The study suggested reading literary fiction is a way to become more open-minded
By Alex Greig
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2342635/Readers-literary-fiction-better-thinkers-according-new-research.html#ixzz2WbwMXaC7
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Sunday, June 9, 2013
PICTURE BOOKS AID READING
Children learn to read after being captivated by pictures, Sir Quentin Blake has said, as he argues no-one should be compelled to try heavy texts too young.
Sir Quentin, the former children's laureate, said he had been put off reading temporarily after attempting to tackle challenging books too young.
He added children enthralled by pictures would then naturally move on to Dickens at an "appropriate age".
I am all for Sir Quentin Blake's comment- heavy texts are a total put off for some children, they can scare young children from reading while pictures ignite an hunger that only reading can satisfy.
Support Picture books today to aid Early Child Learning Development.
Friday, May 17, 2013
1 MAJOR REASON WHY YOUR CHILD IS NOT READING.
People complain that there's a decline in reading, the article below captures one of the major reasons, succinctly! I bid you to please read.
A Mother's Gift
---------------
I've written editorials around holidays before, but never on
Mother's Day. Since I am not a parent, Mother's Day generally
means remembering to send a card and/or flowers to my
mother-in-law. Rarely do I reflect upon what it means to me
"personally."
This year, however, as my mother-in-law is turning 90, we began a
family discussion of her many contributions to her family over
almost a century. One of the topics my husband raised was the ways
in which she encouraged his love of history and archaeology. And
that got me thinking about what may have been one of the best gifts
my mother gave me: The love of reading.
In fact, my mother was the person who TAUGHT me how to read. I'm
not sure why she decided that this shouldn't be left in the hands
of mere schools, but when I was about five, she set in with
flashcards and the first "Dick and Jane" book. When I'd mastered
that, she was able to get two more "Dick and Jane" books from the
school, and from there... well, from there, I don't suppose I ever
looked back.
But my love of reading didn't come from flashcards. (In fact, I
think I pretty much hated the flashcards!) It came from being a
part of a family where books were considered not just a normal but
an indispensable part of life. We had books everywhere, in every
room -- including the bathroom, where, perhaps unwisely, my father
actually installed a built-in bookshelf. This was stocked with a
selection of lurid mysteries and even more lurid true-crime tales.
I, of course, was forbidden to read such inappropriate material,
and of COURSE I obeyed... (Actually, I soon learned to go in
clutching an "authorized" book, e.g., something like Dr. Dolittle,
which would quickly be set aside as I perused the more intriguing
fare on the shelves. And I wonder why I gravitate toward shows
like "Forensic Files" today...)
Everyone in the family read, and read constantly. As a child, my
greatest desire was to be initiated into this fellowship of
readers. I knew what was IN books, because my mother read to me.
That was nice, but I wanted to be able to read to myself, to follow
a tale at my own pace and not have to wait until someone was free
to read the next chapter.
When I was four or so, I caused much amusement when I located a
discarded mystery novel in a box of books in the attic. It caught
my eye because it had something on the cover that I recognized: A
rasp, a tool my father used often. (The book was Philip
MacDonald's "The Rasp," which I managed to locate and actually READ
some 40 years later...) This became "my" book, and I carried it
with me everywhere. It was just the right size to fit in a
bathrobe pocket, this being the day when pocket books really did
fit into pockets. Carrying a book around like everyone else truly
made me feel like one of the "big people."
The point was, my family didn't turn me into a reader by insisting
that I read, or forcing books on me, or telling me what a good idea
it was to read or how much I'd enjoy it or that it was "good for
me." My family turned me into a reader by, simply, reading. I
watched the avidness with which everyone around me devoured books,
the joy they experienced in getting new books for Christmas and
birthdays, the pleasure they obviously took in being able to settle
down in a comfortable chair in the evening and read. (We had a
weekend cabin with no TV, which may have helped...) This was
clearly a major source of family fun, and I wanted to be able to
enjoy it too.
Today, we are given endless, gloomy statistics and factoids about
the decline of reading in children. We are also given endless
explanations for why fewer and fewer children are interested in
reading, with television and video games generally topping the
list. Meanwhile, child "experts" of every ilk weigh in on what
children ought to read, want to read, shouldn't read, won't read,
and so forth. I can recall reading many "expert" articles in
writing magazines declaring that "today's" children (which,
admittedly, are yesterday's children now) were too "sophisticated"
for fantasy stories. Today's children knew that magic wasn't real,
so of course they couldn't possibly be interested in reading about
something so "fanciful" -- give them stories of divorce and blended
families and diversity and bullies and all those other issues that
are so much more "relevant" than fairies and wizards. Then "Harry
Potter" came along and... wow, suddenly children started reading
again! (It must have been the dysfunctional families, diversity,
and bullies that did the trick...)
Well, I've already pointed out that I don't have children, so I do
not claim to be an expert of any sort. But I DO remember my own
childhood, and I do have a theory. I suspect that one reason
children's reading levels are declining is the same reason that ALL
reading levels are declining: More and more adults consider
themselves "too busy" to read. Even adults who love reading may
feel that they don't have much time for it anymore. Our time is
increasingly consumed by all the things we "must" do to keep up --
checking e-mail, surfing the web, catching up on the day's work
during the evening, getting ready for the next day's work. I
suspect that, for many parents, "reading" is a luxury that they
feel they can no longer afford.
Perhaps it's time to take a step back and start asking, not why
kids "don't read," but why kids do ANYTHING. One reason is to be
like Mom and Dad. When I was four and carrying around "The Rasp"
in my bathrobe pocket, that was my goal -- to be like everyone else
in the family. When I was five, my goal was to be able to share in
an activity that was clearly a major source of pleasure for
everyone else. By the time I hit the teen rebellion and wanted to
be NOTHING like Mom or Dad, it was too late; I simply showed my
rebellion by choosing DIFFERENT BOOKS.
The gift my mother gave me wasn't simply teaching me how to read.
A teacher would have done that, eventually. Her gift was teaching
me WHY to read. It was demonstrating that this was perhaps the
most wonderful way that one could spend one's time -- that I would
love reading because reading was something to be loved.
Perhaps, if more parents recall this lesson from their own
childhood, they'll find that reading time isn't an unaffordable
luxury, but an indispensable necessity. And, quite possibly, one
of the best gifts they can ever give.
Moira Allen is the editor of Writing-World.com (http://www.writing-world.com) and the author of more than 350 published articles. Her books on writing include Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer, The Writer's Guide to Queries, Pitches and Proposals, and Writing to Win: The Colossal Guide to Writing Contests.
http://www.writing-world.com/coffee/coffee63.shtml
Monday, January 2, 2012
IMPORTANCE OF PRESCHOOLS
To cut crime, raise education and income levels, and reduce addiction rates among the poor, no program offers more bang for the buck than preschool, as a new study published in Science demonstrates.
The long-term study followed 1,539 children born in 1979-80. They lived in the lowest-income neighborhoods of Chicago, where nearly 40% of residents live below the poverty line; most of the children were African American.
More than 950 of the families in the study participated in Chicago's Child-Parent Center Education Program, the second oldest federally funded preschool program in the country, which focuses on school-readiness, including listening skills and math and reading preparation. The kids who attended preschool started at age 3-4. Their parents were actively involved in the program. The rest of the kids in the study did not attend preschool but participated in full-day kindergarten.
After tracking the children to age 28, researchers found that those who had attended preschool were 28% less likely to develop alcohol or other drug problems or to wind up in jail or prison in adulthood, compared with kids who did not go to preschool. What's more, their odds of being arrested for a felony were cut by 22% and they were 24% more likely to attend a four-year college. Incomes in adulthood of those who attended preschool ere also higher than those for the children who did not.
"We don't see these kind of results from routine programs implemented on a large scale," says lead author Arthur Reynolds, director of the Chicago Longitudinal Study, which has now followed these children for more a quarter century.
"Just funding preschool doesn't mean it's going to be effective," he adds. "You have to follow the principles of quality."
That means having qualified teachers and providing a structured but nurturing environment. In addition to the quality of the program itself, another reason the Chicago preschools may have had such a large impact is that they helped parents feel that they were part of a community and kept them involved with their children's school. This cut the number of parents who frequently moved their children from one school to another by half.
"School mobility is associated with dropout and other problem behavior," says Reynolds. "These children experienced fewer transitions. The families were more satisfied and less likely to change schools. Another mechanism is that stability and predictability in the learning [environment is] a key feature in positive child development outcomes."
"It's kind of like a chain reaction," he says. "The cognitive advantage and family support leads to a later advantage in terms of school commitment and ultimately, these kids don't get involved in the justice system."
The biggest positive effects were seen in boys and in the children of the least educated parents. Reynolds says that because boys are generally less prepared to start school than girls are, the early intervention gives them a particular advantage. Likewise, children of less educated parents are more likely to benefit from the enriched cognitive environment of preschool.
Funding preschool — as well as other early intervention programs like the Nurse Family Partnership, which starts working with mothers during pregnancy — isn't especially sexy and doesn't get voters excited the way "cracking down on crime," does. But if results are what we want, preschool wins.
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/09/how-to-cut-crime-alcoholism-and-addiction-its-not-elementary-but-preschool/#ixzz1UF8fg500
The long-term study followed 1,539 children born in 1979-80. They lived in the lowest-income neighborhoods of Chicago, where nearly 40% of residents live below the poverty line; most of the children were African American.
More than 950 of the families in the study participated in Chicago's Child-Parent Center Education Program, the second oldest federally funded preschool program in the country, which focuses on school-readiness, including listening skills and math and reading preparation. The kids who attended preschool started at age 3-4. Their parents were actively involved in the program. The rest of the kids in the study did not attend preschool but participated in full-day kindergarten.
After tracking the children to age 28, researchers found that those who had attended preschool were 28% less likely to develop alcohol or other drug problems or to wind up in jail or prison in adulthood, compared with kids who did not go to preschool. What's more, their odds of being arrested for a felony were cut by 22% and they were 24% more likely to attend a four-year college. Incomes in adulthood of those who attended preschool ere also higher than those for the children who did not.
"We don't see these kind of results from routine programs implemented on a large scale," says lead author Arthur Reynolds, director of the Chicago Longitudinal Study, which has now followed these children for more a quarter century.
"Just funding preschool doesn't mean it's going to be effective," he adds. "You have to follow the principles of quality."
That means having qualified teachers and providing a structured but nurturing environment. In addition to the quality of the program itself, another reason the Chicago preschools may have had such a large impact is that they helped parents feel that they were part of a community and kept them involved with their children's school. This cut the number of parents who frequently moved their children from one school to another by half.
"School mobility is associated with dropout and other problem behavior," says Reynolds. "These children experienced fewer transitions. The families were more satisfied and less likely to change schools. Another mechanism is that stability and predictability in the learning [environment is] a key feature in positive child development outcomes."
"It's kind of like a chain reaction," he says. "The cognitive advantage and family support leads to a later advantage in terms of school commitment and ultimately, these kids don't get involved in the justice system."
The biggest positive effects were seen in boys and in the children of the least educated parents. Reynolds says that because boys are generally less prepared to start school than girls are, the early intervention gives them a particular advantage. Likewise, children of less educated parents are more likely to benefit from the enriched cognitive environment of preschool.
Funding preschool — as well as other early intervention programs like the Nurse Family Partnership, which starts working with mothers during pregnancy — isn't especially sexy and doesn't get voters excited the way "cracking down on crime," does. But if results are what we want, preschool wins.
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/09/how-to-cut-crime-alcoholism-and-addiction-its-not-elementary-but-preschool/#ixzz1UF8fg500
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Young Authors Project 2012
We have started to work towards our 2012 project. Please contact us if you would like to be a part of this project.
Participating schools will be updated in due course.
Participating authors, illustrators and mentors will be updated.
Participating Publishers will be updated.
Bookshops interested in the project would have to contact the schools. directly. RCF will not partake in the sales of books.
To be a part of this please contact us @ readculturefoundation@gmail.com.
Participating schools will be updated in due course.
Participating authors, illustrators and mentors will be updated.
Participating Publishers will be updated.
Bookshops interested in the project would have to contact the schools. directly. RCF will not partake in the sales of books.
To be a part of this please contact us @ readculturefoundation@gmail.com.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
THE READING BILL OF RIGHTS
A child's right to read....
Today we live in a world full of digital information. Yet reading has never been more important, for we know that for young people the ability to read is the door opener to the 21st century: to hold a job, to understand their world, and to know themselves. That is why we are asking you to join our Global Literacy Call to Action: We call this campaign: “Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life.” We are asking parents, teachers, school and business leaders, and the general public to support their children’s right to read for a better life in the digital world of the 21st century.
Here is what we believe about reading in the second decade of the 21st century.
We call this The Reading Bill of Rights:
WE BELIEVE that literacy – the ability to read, write and understand – is the birthright of every child in the world as well as the pathway to succeed in school and to realize a complete life. Young people need to read nonfiction for information to understand their world, and literature for imagination to understand themselves.
WE BELIEVE that the massive amounts of digital information and images now transmitted daily make it even more important for a young person to know how to analyze, interpret and understand information, to separate fact from opinion, and to have deep respect for logical thinking.
WE BELIEVE that literature and drama, whether on printed pages, screens, on stage or film, help young people experience the great stories of emotion and action, leading to a deeper understanding of what it means to be truly human. Without this literacy heritage, life lacks meaning, coherence and soul.
WE BELIEVE every child has a right to a “textual lineage” – a reading and writing autobiography which shows that who you are is in part developed through the stories and information you’ve experienced. This textual lineage will enable all young people to have a reading and writing identity which helps them understand who they are and how they can make their lives better. In short, “You Are What You Read.”
WE BELIEVE every child should have access to books, magazines, newspapers, computers, e-readers, and text on phones. Whatever way you read, you will need to figure out what the facts are or what the story tells you. No matter how and where you get access to ideas, you will need the skills of reading to understand yourself and your world.
WE BELIEVE that reading widely and reading fluently will give children the reading stamina to deal with more challenging texts they will meet in college, at work and in everyday life. And every child should be able to choose and own the books they want to read, for that choice builds literacy confidence – the ability to read, write and speak about what they know, what they feel, and who they are.
WE BELIEVE that every child has the right to a great teacher who will help them learn to read and love to read. Children need teachers who provide intentional, focused instruction to give young people the skills to read and interpret information or understand great stories they will encounter throughout life.
WE BELIEVE that in the 21st century, the ability to read is necessary not only to succeed but to survive—for the ability to understand information and the power of stories is the key to a life of purpose and meaning.
Courtesy Scholastic @ http://www.scholastic.com/.
Today we live in a world full of digital information. Yet reading has never been more important, for we know that for young people the ability to read is the door opener to the 21st century: to hold a job, to understand their world, and to know themselves. That is why we are asking you to join our Global Literacy Call to Action: We call this campaign: “Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life.” We are asking parents, teachers, school and business leaders, and the general public to support their children’s right to read for a better life in the digital world of the 21st century.
Here is what we believe about reading in the second decade of the 21st century.
We call this The Reading Bill of Rights:
WE BELIEVE that literacy – the ability to read, write and understand – is the birthright of every child in the world as well as the pathway to succeed in school and to realize a complete life. Young people need to read nonfiction for information to understand their world, and literature for imagination to understand themselves.
WE BELIEVE that the massive amounts of digital information and images now transmitted daily make it even more important for a young person to know how to analyze, interpret and understand information, to separate fact from opinion, and to have deep respect for logical thinking.
WE BELIEVE that literature and drama, whether on printed pages, screens, on stage or film, help young people experience the great stories of emotion and action, leading to a deeper understanding of what it means to be truly human. Without this literacy heritage, life lacks meaning, coherence and soul.
WE BELIEVE every child has a right to a “textual lineage” – a reading and writing autobiography which shows that who you are is in part developed through the stories and information you’ve experienced. This textual lineage will enable all young people to have a reading and writing identity which helps them understand who they are and how they can make their lives better. In short, “You Are What You Read.”
WE BELIEVE every child should have access to books, magazines, newspapers, computers, e-readers, and text on phones. Whatever way you read, you will need to figure out what the facts are or what the story tells you. No matter how and where you get access to ideas, you will need the skills of reading to understand yourself and your world.
WE BELIEVE that reading widely and reading fluently will give children the reading stamina to deal with more challenging texts they will meet in college, at work and in everyday life. And every child should be able to choose and own the books they want to read, for that choice builds literacy confidence – the ability to read, write and speak about what they know, what they feel, and who they are.
WE BELIEVE that every child has the right to a great teacher who will help them learn to read and love to read. Children need teachers who provide intentional, focused instruction to give young people the skills to read and interpret information or understand great stories they will encounter throughout life.
WE BELIEVE that in the 21st century, the ability to read is necessary not only to succeed but to survive—for the ability to understand information and the power of stories is the key to a life of purpose and meaning.
Courtesy Scholastic @ http://www.scholastic.com/.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Bedtime Reading with Children Starting To Read by Themselves.
Sharing a story at bedtime is a chance for you and your child to relax and enjoy a special moment together. Children will benefit immensely if you read aloud with them, even once they have started to read themselves. They will learn new words that are beyond their reading ability and will love the time you spend with them. Try to read the books brought home from school and maybe borrow some from the library.
Make it something to look forward to – and remember to have fun!
What books should I choose?
- Share books with rhyme, rhythm and repetition – hearing rhyming words will encourage them to join in. Let a child say words out loud and leave space in the story for them to fill in.
- If your child brings a reading book home from school, encourage them to share their book with you first, so that you can help with any words they find difficult.
- Involve your child by letting them choose the book - don’t worry if you think it’s too young!
- You can sometimes limit the choice, so that you get a bit of variety too!
- Start to share exciting books with chapters – continue reading aloud even when they can read by themselves as this helps them learn new words.
- Children love to revisit stories they enjoyed when they were younger. This is a sure sign that they have enjoyed you reading aloud to them and they may have a go at reading some of them to you.
Where should we read?
- You don’t have to be in bed as long as you can cuddle up together. Being physically close is still important as children get older. Try to make sure there aren’t any distractions — best to switch off the TV.
How do I go about it?
- Share fiction books, poetry and books about things that excite them like trains, diggers, fairies. Point to the pictures and talk about them.
- You don’t always have to ‘read’ a book. Pictures are very important and help to tell the story.
- Point to the pictures and talk about them. Discussing the book encourages your child to become the story teller. Try asking questions like: ‘Can you tell me what happened to …’ ‘What do you think will happen next?’ ‘How do you think she feels about that?’ ‘Tell me what’s happening in this picture….’
- Let them ask questions - it’s a great way for children to learn to understand what’s happening in a story – an essential part of learning to read.
It’s great to relate a story to real life: ‘Do you remember when we saw a dog like that…?’
What else could I do?
- Try telling a story. Children love old classics like fairy tales, or you could make one up together.
- If a child keeps asking you to read the same book again and again, celebrate! You have a child who loves books and who is on the way to becoming an enthusiastic reader.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Top Tips For Bedtime Reading With Babies
Sharing a story at bedtime is a chance for you and your baby to relax and enjoy a special moment together. As part of a bedtime routine they will love to cuddle and hear your voice and will know that it’s time to wind down ready for sleep. Just ten minutes a day will help you bond and also greatly help their development.
Make it something to look forward to – and enjoy this time together!
What books should I choose?
- Choose bright and touchy-feely books with different textures and colours. Encourage your baby to touch the book as you read and talk about the pictures – they’ll like the look and feel of it. At this stage babies enjoy playing with their books!
- Choose books with rhyme, rhythm and repetition – hearing rhyming words will help them later when they learn to read. Say the words a little more slowly than you usually talk to help your baby hear the sounds you are making.
Where should we read?
- Why not start at bathtime? Share bath books and rhymes together – try Row Row Your Boat, 5 Little Ducks or make one up about splashing.
- Snuggle up together, somewhere cosy. It doesn’t have to be in bed and it’s best to switch off the TV.
How do I go about it?
- Read your baby’s favourite books over and over again. Try to use funny voices and make silly noises. Your child loves the sound of your voice so don’t worry and enjoy it together.
- Singing or saying rhymes to your baby is another great way to end the day and will sooth your baby for a great night’s sleep. Why not try Twinkle Twinkle Little Star – a great favourite.
What else could I do?
- You don’t always have to ‘read’ a book. Pictures are also very important and help to tell the story. Ask questions about the pictures or the characters, like ‘Can you see the cow?’ ‘Does the bear look tired?’ At this age you’ll be giving the answers yourself but you will be helping your baby to learn lots of new words.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
20 Ways to Encourage Reading
1. Scout for things your children might like to read. Use their interests and hobbies as starting points.
2. Leave all sorts of reading materials including books, magazines, and colorful catalogs in conspicuous places around your home.
3. Notice what attracts your children's attention, even if they only look at the pictures. Then build on that interest; read a short selection aloud, or simply bring home more information on the same subject.
4. Let your children see you reading for pleasure in your spare time.
5. Take your children to the library regularly. Explore the children's section together. Ask a librarian to suggest books and magazines your children might enjoy.
6. Present reading as an activity with a purpose; a way to gather useful information for, say, making paper airplanes, identifying a doll or stamp in your child's collection, or planning a family trip.
7. Encourage older children to read to their younger brothers and sisters. Older children enjoy showing off their skills to an admiring audience.
8. Play games that are reading-related. Check your closet for spelling games played with letter tiles or dice, or board games that require players to read spaces, cards, and directions.
9. Perhaps over dinner, while you're running errands, or in another informal setting, share your reactions to things you read, and encourage your children to do likewise.
10. Set aside a regular time for reading in your family, independent of schoolwork, the 20 minutes before lights out, just after dinner, or whatever fits into your household schedule. As little as 10 minutes of free reading a day can help improve your child's skills and habits.
11. Read aloud to your child, especially a child who is discouraged by his or her own poor reading skills. The pleasure of listening to you read, rather than struggling alone, may restore your child's initial enthusiasm for books and reading.
12. Encourage your child to read aloud to you an exciting passage in a book, an interesting tidbit in the newspaper, or a joke in a joke book. When children read aloud, don't feel they have to get every word right. Even good readers skip or mispronounce words now and then.
13. On gift-giving occasions, give books and magazines based on your child's current interests.
14. Set aside a special place for children to keep their own books.
15. Introduce the bookmark. Remind your youngster that you don't have to finish a book in one sitting; you can stop after a few pages, or a chapter, and pick up where you left off at another time. Don't try to persuade your child to finish a book he or she doesn't like. Recommend putting the book aside and trying another.
16. Treat your children to an evening of laughter and entertainment featuring books! Many children (parents, too) regard reading as a serious activity. A joke book, a story told in riddles, or a funny passage read aloud can reveal another side of reading.
17. Extend your child's positive reading experiences. For example, if your youngster enjoyed a book about dinosaurs, follow up with a visit to a natural history museum.
18. Offer other special incentives to encourage your child's reading. Allow your youngster to stay up an extra 15 minutes to finish a chapter; promise to take your child to see a movie after he or she has finished the book on which it was based; relieve your child of a regular chore to free up time for reading.
19. Limit your children's TV viewing in an effort to make time for other activities, such as reading. But never use TV as a reward for reading, or a punishment for not reading.
20. Not all reading takes place between the covers of a book. What about menus, road signs, food labels, and sheet music? Take advantage of countless spur-of-the-moment opportunities for reading during the course of your family's busy day.
Source: RIF Parent Guide.
2. Leave all sorts of reading materials including books, magazines, and colorful catalogs in conspicuous places around your home.
3. Notice what attracts your children's attention, even if they only look at the pictures. Then build on that interest; read a short selection aloud, or simply bring home more information on the same subject.
4. Let your children see you reading for pleasure in your spare time.
5. Take your children to the library regularly. Explore the children's section together. Ask a librarian to suggest books and magazines your children might enjoy.
6. Present reading as an activity with a purpose; a way to gather useful information for, say, making paper airplanes, identifying a doll or stamp in your child's collection, or planning a family trip.
7. Encourage older children to read to their younger brothers and sisters. Older children enjoy showing off their skills to an admiring audience.
8. Play games that are reading-related. Check your closet for spelling games played with letter tiles or dice, or board games that require players to read spaces, cards, and directions.
9. Perhaps over dinner, while you're running errands, or in another informal setting, share your reactions to things you read, and encourage your children to do likewise.
10. Set aside a regular time for reading in your family, independent of schoolwork, the 20 minutes before lights out, just after dinner, or whatever fits into your household schedule. As little as 10 minutes of free reading a day can help improve your child's skills and habits.
11. Read aloud to your child, especially a child who is discouraged by his or her own poor reading skills. The pleasure of listening to you read, rather than struggling alone, may restore your child's initial enthusiasm for books and reading.
12. Encourage your child to read aloud to you an exciting passage in a book, an interesting tidbit in the newspaper, or a joke in a joke book. When children read aloud, don't feel they have to get every word right. Even good readers skip or mispronounce words now and then.
13. On gift-giving occasions, give books and magazines based on your child's current interests.
14. Set aside a special place for children to keep their own books.
15. Introduce the bookmark. Remind your youngster that you don't have to finish a book in one sitting; you can stop after a few pages, or a chapter, and pick up where you left off at another time. Don't try to persuade your child to finish a book he or she doesn't like. Recommend putting the book aside and trying another.
16. Treat your children to an evening of laughter and entertainment featuring books! Many children (parents, too) regard reading as a serious activity. A joke book, a story told in riddles, or a funny passage read aloud can reveal another side of reading.
17. Extend your child's positive reading experiences. For example, if your youngster enjoyed a book about dinosaurs, follow up with a visit to a natural history museum.
18. Offer other special incentives to encourage your child's reading. Allow your youngster to stay up an extra 15 minutes to finish a chapter; promise to take your child to see a movie after he or she has finished the book on which it was based; relieve your child of a regular chore to free up time for reading.
19. Limit your children's TV viewing in an effort to make time for other activities, such as reading. But never use TV as a reward for reading, or a punishment for not reading.
20. Not all reading takes place between the covers of a book. What about menus, road signs, food labels, and sheet music? Take advantage of countless spur-of-the-moment opportunities for reading during the course of your family's busy day.
Source: RIF Parent Guide.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Tips For Choosing Good Books.
Children’s reading interests and needs change as they grow.
Here are some basic things to look for as you help kids choose good books.
PRESCHOOLERS (AGES 3 TO 5)
YOUNG READERS (AGES 6 TO 11)
Knowing how to choose good books is a skill your children will keep for the rest of their lives. Take time to show them how. Encourage them to select books on their own as soon as they show preferences.
Here are some basic things to look for as you help kids choose good books.
INFANTS AND TODDLERS (BIRTH TO AGE 2)
- Books with big, bright, colorful pictures of familiar objects.
- Durable books made of cardboard,plastic, or washable cloth. These books are usually a good size and shape for small children to handle.
- Books that appeal to their senses, suchas fabric books, books with textures, and books with scents. Stories told in short, simple sentences with pictures that explain the text.
- Poems and rhymesthat are fun forparents to read aloud.
PRESCHOOLERS (AGES 3 TO 5)
- Illustrations and photos that are clear, colorful, and engaging.
- Simple, fun plots. The action should move quickly, so each book can be read in one sitting.
- Lively rhymes and repetition that childrencan repeat and remember.
- Stories about everyday life and events.The stories should encourage childrento ask questions and explore their world.
- Stories that review basic concepts, such as letters, numbers, shapes, and colors.
- Main characters who are your child’s age or slightly older.Playful animals, both real andimaginary, willalso hold a child’s attention.
YOUNG READERS (AGES 6 TO 11)
- Clear text that is easy to read.
- Colorful, attractive illustrations and photosthat bring the text to life and give cluesto the meaning of unfamiliar words.
- Books that appeal to your child’s interests.
- “How-to,” craft, and recipe books with clear, simply worded instructions and helpful illustrations.
- Other books by your child’s favorite authors and illustrators.
- Books with your child’s favorite characters.
- Stories your child enjoyed hearing when he or she was younger. These are great books for children to begin reading on their own.
- Books that encourage discussion.
- Chapter books that can be read over several days instead of in one sitting.
- Books about subjects that interestyour child.
- Novels that might help your child cope with daily challenges of growing up by featuring characters dealingwith similar experiences.
- Books that introduce new experiences and opportunities.
- Fact books, such as world recordbooks, trivia books, and almanacs.
- Biographies, classics, folk tales, historical fiction, and mythology.
Knowing how to choose good books is a skill your children will keep for the rest of their lives. Take time to show them how. Encourage them to select books on their own as soon as they show preferences.
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