Hints on how to encourage children to read

• Keep a small basket filled with joke books, magazines, short stories, books of questions and answers, and books like Ripley’s Believe It or Not in each bathroom of your house.
  
• Put a map of the solar system, a map of the world, or a map of your local community on the wall. Refer to them often whenever possible, and create map quizzes or games to play with your kids.
  
• Take your children to the bookstores regularly. Make visiting bookstores your family recreation and eventually part of your “family culture”. Get books on many subjects and make them accessible for your children at all times.
  
• Secondhand bookstores, Salvation Army stores, Value Villages, yard sales and Book Events are the best places to fine inexpensive books.
  
• When it comes to teaching some “boring stuff”, like Math, Phonics and Grammar, a car is often the best place. Kids in car seats have nothing better to do than to pay attention and work out abstract lessons.
  
• Play with words and letters to explore word formation in the English language. Ask children to identify compound words like “playground”, “bathtub”. Or add “dis-” before some words, and “-less” after others to show the function of prefixes and suffixes.
  
• Always ask questions on a given subject to raise your child’s interest or inspire their curiosity before teaching something new.
  
• If your child declares that he or she does not want to learn, you can “play” instead. Incorporate your teaching into your play activities or game rules, and let your child win. This will increase their confidence.
  

Learning involves exploring and risk-taking; it is therefore exciting to a child if presented in the right way. With a good teacher, all children can learn to achieve.

Academic Achievers was founded by Ms. Ruowen Wang, a high school teacher and an English as a Second Language specialist. Ms. Wang taught for both Toronto Board of Education and North York Board of Education from 1988 to 1998, when she switched to a career into business administrations.

In 2001, Ms. Wang decided to become a full-time mother and started part-time home schooling her two young children, Kevin and Robin. Under Ms. Wang’s coaching Kevin’s book reports have earned him a great deal of respect from his English teacher. Robin started reading chapter books independently in Senior Kindergarten. (To read about Kevin and Robin’s academic achievements, please see Kid’s Press and Our Family Story on our web.)

Ms. Wang’s interest in home schooling fueled her plans to open a quality learning center for kids of all ages. Ms. Wang believes strongly in the concept of education as a lifetime investment. Early childhood education sets the stage for life.

Since there is no one-size-fits-all in teaching and learning, each child needs to be assessed as a unique individual. To discover, respect and follow a child’s own interest and learning style makes teaching and learning ten times more effective.

by Ruowen Wang

The Importance Of Reading

It is a well-known fact that when there were no televisions or computers, reading was a primary leisure activity. People would spend hours reading books and travel to lands far away-in their minds. The only tragedy is that, with time, people have lost their skill and passion to read. There are many other exciting and thrilling options available, aside from books. And that is a shame because reading offers a productive approach to improving vocabulary and word power. It is advisable to indulge in at least half an hour of reading a day to keep abreast of the various styles of writing and new vocabulary.

It is observed that children and teenagers who love reading have comparatively higher IQs. They are more creative and do better in school and college. It is recommended that parents to inculcate the importance of reading to their children in the early years. Reading is said to significantly help in developing vocabulary, and reading aloud helps to build a strong emotional bond between parents and children. The children who start reading from an early age are observed to have good language skills, and they grasp the variances in phonics much better.

Reading helps in mental development and is known to stimulate the muscles of the eyes. Reading is an activity that involves greater levels of concentration and adds to the conversational skills of the reader. It is an indulgence that enhances the knowledge acquired, consistently. The habit of reading also helps readers to decipher new words and phrases that they come across in everyday conversations. The habit can become a healthy addiction and adds to the information available on various topics. It helps us to stay in-touch with contemporary writers as well as those from the days of yore and makes us sensitive to global issues.

By Damian Sofsian

Not All Children Spell in the Same Way

The problem
It can be very frustrating to a child to write a beautiful story in his or her composition lesson, and then receive it back with lots of red marks with ‘Sp’. Can we help our children to eradicate this or at least reduce their errors?

How most children usually spell

Most of them use phonics – spelling according to sound. We teach them this method in kindergarten and many of them think that this is the only way to learn spelling. But quite a few problems come up because of this:

• Many English words are not spelt phonically.
• The child learns that certain letters have certain sounds and then is suddenly confused that the same letters have different sounds.
• This discovery leads to the belief that spelling is not logical.
• English is not like Malay, the Romanised form; in Malay all the letters behave themselves. They sound as they are written and always sound the same.
  

The more serious problem

The more serious problem, however, is not that English words do not always sound the way they are written but that children have different strategies for learning. The phonic method is only helpful for children who are ‘phonic’ or ‘audio’.

At this point, a little background explanation is required.

VAK

All of us communicate with the world with our five senses – sight, hearing, feeling, smell and taste. The world would have been an easier place – albeit a duller one – if all our five senses are equally powerful in all of us. Unfortunately, each of us uses the five senses in different measure. Some of us use ‘visual’ more; other’s use audio’ more; and still others use ‘kinaesthetic’ (feeling) more. For the purpose of this article, we will leave out the senses of smell and taste. This is because these two have little bearing on spelling.

Since we use all three senses unequally to communicate with the world, we fall under one of these six categories:

• VAK
• VKA
• AVK
• AKV
• KVA
• KAV

The senses in front would be strongest sense, and the sense at the end would be our weakest sense. Eg. If I am VAK, I would have ‘visual’ as my most preferred method of communication; ‘audio’ would be my second method and ‘kinaesthetic’ my last or weakest. If people communicated to me in my strongest preference I would understand the message very well; if in my second preference, I would understand fairly well and if in my third preference, I would be rather confused.

Let me illustrate this with an example:
Let us assume that we need to give directions to a friend to come to our home for tea. If the person is more ‘visual’ or ‘V’, we can just draw him a map or tell him our address and he will arrive safely by following the map at the bus-interchange. If the person is more ‘audio’ or ‘A’, he will understand the verbal instructions we give him and arrive safely. If the person is mostly ‘kinaesthetic’ or ‘K’, it would be advisable to fetch him from the bus-stop or perhaps even from the interchange!

Of course this is an over-simplification and there is much more to the concept of ‘VAK’. I would like to recommend anyone interested in wanting to know more to read books on NLP (neuro-linguistic programming). I would particularly recommend ‘Awaken the Giant Within’ by Anthony Robbins or ‘Manifest your Mind, Design your Destiny’ by Adam Khoo and Stuart Tan.
How can we quickly identify if a child is mostly ‘V’ ‘A’ or ‘K’?

We can make a quick survey by observing and listening to the child. If the child cares a lot about looking good, being neat and tidy with a good handwriting, than he is probably a ‘V’. We can confirm this by listening to the words he uses. If he uses words like ‘I see’, ‘let me take a look’ or other words related to ‘seeing’ he is probably a ‘V’. An ‘A’ child can be identified by what he does too. He would talk a lot and be a keen listener. He would appreciate music or want you to tell stories rather than read. You can confirm by listening to the words he uses. An ‘A’ child would use words related to hearing like ‘I hear’ what you mean and may even point to his ears. A ‘K’ child would be one who likes to play with clay, run about a lot, likes to cuddle up to you and is usually very sensitive. The words he uses would be ‘feeling’ words like ‘I catch what you mean’; ‘I have a bad feeling about this’ and so on.

The Phonic (Audio) method
Of the three, our usual method of teaching spelling, the phonic method - where the child breaks the words down into syllables and keeps repeating it – will work very well for the ‘A’ child. All he needs to do is keep saying ‘c-at’ cat, ‘b-at’ bat etc and he will master spelling. If your child is doing very well using this method, he is probably an ‘AVK’ or AKV’. He could also be a ‘VAK’ or KAV” where ‘A’ is his second preferred sense. However, he is unlikely to be a ‘KVA’ or VKA’. A child whose ‘A’ is at the end, is likely to have problems learning spelling in this way. The disadvantage of this method is that children will still make mistakes in spelling; this is because there are just so many English words which are not phonic. An ‘A’ child who is a poor speller is probably following the sound and spelling ‘knife’ as ‘naif’.

The Visualisation (Visual) Method
A child whose main sense is ‘V’, ie ‘VAK’ or ‘VKA’ will need to use this method to master spelling. A child who is ‘KVA’ or ‘AVK’ will also benefit. The visualisation method is basically where the child looks at the picture of the word in his mind and reads out what he sees. Eg when spelling ‘mother’ the child will look up and a little to the left and ‘see’ the word ‘m-o-t-h-e-r’ and read out what he sees. In fact if a child is able to make a good picture of the word, he will actually be able to spell the words backwards!

The visualisation method is the best method and we should teach it to all our children – even to those who are good phonic spellers. This is because it even works for spelling words which are spelled the way they sound. A child who uses the visualisation method will spell ‘knife’ correctly and not ‘naif’. This is because he ‘sees’ the word and does not depend on the sound of the letters.

How to teach the visualisation method

We should begin with helping the child to develop his visualisation skills. Incidentally, all children are at visualisation so we do not have to try very hard. Play a game with a child. Let him look intently at a picture and then ask him to describe it by ‘looking’ at it in his mind. Some children may want to keep their eyes closed; this is acceptable of course. From the pictures, we could change to words – at first simple familiar words and then to more complicated words. To test whether the child is picturing the words correctly, have him look at his mind picture and read out the spelling of the words backwards. If he can do this he is visualising correctly; if not he is conning you – he is memorising and pretending to visualise!

Steps to visualisation
Guide your child to:

• Get a clear internal image of the word broken into syllables. Eg. Dic-tion-a-ry
• Look at the internal message and spell backwards. This is to test if the image is accurate.
• Pronounce it syllable by syllable – by ‘looking’ at the image of the word in his mind.
• Now spell the word backwards from the image ie. from right to left.
• If they can see the image they should be able to spell backwards.
• If they cannot spell backwards, it means they have not got the strategy yet. They cannot really see the words.
• Keep practising until they can.
• Make it full of fun and laughter.

The Kinaesthetic Method
If neither of the above methods works on your child, then he must be strongly kinaesthetic. (There is absolutely nothing wrong with a ‘K’ child; in fact, a lot of the world’s geniuses come from this group.)For a strongly ‘K’ child, it is good to let him write out the words as he learns them. He may use his finger to write on the table or even ‘skywrite’ and say out the letters.
Usually the visual method works for most children but there are exceptions. If it does not, try the other strategies. Use all three strategies. Find out which works best for your child.

Use Rewards Only to Motivate a Child

• Simple rewards for success
  – A hug
  – A ‘high five’
  – A biscuit
  – Collect tokens to exchange for bigger rewards.

No punishment please!

• A child punished for spelling will learn to hate spelling or become afraid of it.
• If that happens, we really have a problem!
• Positive motivation always!

A parting word about the ‘K’ child

The strongly ‘K’ child may have to struggle through school. This is mainly because the school system uses ‘V’ and ‘A’ which favour the other two groups rather than the ‘K’ group which are a minority. Actually this is no big problem. Most children adjust themselves in using the senses they are not strong in rather well. After all, millions of left-handed people seem to thrive in a right-handed world. We can help by helping the ‘K’s to adjust. The ‘visualisation with pictures’ games would be helpful. Another way is to let them watch movies or read books and then tell the stories. Rewards will encourage them to go a long way. We would do well to remember that many of the geniuses of the world – like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Honda and Bill Gates – are probably ‘K’ people as are top sportsmen.

By Rajamanikam K

Creating a Reading Environment at Home

RIF considers family involvement essential to any child's success as a reader. Research has shown that by talking, singing, and reading to children, parents are turning on brain cells that are essential for a healthy child. Parents can build reading skills by interacting with their children. By encouraging babies and young children to communicate, parents are laying the foundation for later reading success.

Parents and other family members need to be involved in children's reading throughout their school years. Schools recognize the importance of parent involvement in students' progress and are increasingly encouraging parents to play a more active role.




Below are a few simple things that parents can do to create a healthy reading environment.

Make Reading Materials Available
To create a healthy reading environment, start with a good supply of reading materials—newspapers, magazines, books, and catalogs. It doesn't matter if they're owned or borrowed, new or used. What's important is that reading materials are a natural part of your home and everyday life. Set aside a spot in your home for a family library. You don't need much space; a corner of a room with a bookshelf, comfortable furniture, and adequate lighting will do. In choosing materials, remember that variety counts. Instead of focusing on the number of books, keep in mind the interests of each family member. A small collection of books thoughtfully gathered over time is better than a large collection that goes unread. Paperback and hardcover books, a dictionary, an atlas, songbooks, magazines for parents and kids, newspapers, and catalogs all have a place. Make sure your library includes something for everyone at every reading level.

Make books inviting to everyone. Sturdy bookcases, built-in shelves, and open magazine racks are ideal, but an orange crate works too. Be sure to put reading material for youngest readers on the lowest shelves.

Be Reading Role Models
As much as they may deny it, most children want to be like their parents. Their lifelong habits start to form at the earliest ages, often by mimicking older members of the family. If they see you reading daily—both for function and for pleasure—they will more likely become avid readers themselves. If children see parents visiting libraries and checking out books, giving and receiving books as gifts, and borrowing and loaning books to friends, they will know their parents place a high value on reading.

Read Aloud to Children
Reading to children, even for a few minutes each day, prepares them to read and encourages a positive attitude toward reading. Children who are read to at home learn to read more easily, have a higher vocabulary, and are more likely to develop a love for reading than those who are not read to on a regular basis. Simply put, this cannot be done too early or too often.

Encourage Personal Libraries
Children often want their own place to keep books that have special meaning for them. By encouraging children to set aside their personal favorites, you are helping them express their affection and respect for books. Here are some tips for helping children set up collections:

• Find a special place for books. If your child's room doesn't have a bookshelf or bookcase, use a box, basket, or other sturdy container. Plastic stacking cubes work well.
• As often as possible, let your children choose the books they want to add to their collection. A book-buying trip to a yard sale or bookstore is a fun Saturday activity.
• Take your children to the library regularly. Even a child with a well-stocked bookshelf needs a fresh supply of books. Encourage children to treat library books with the same care they show their own.
• Give your children books or magazine subscriptions as gifts.
• For babies and young toddlers, choose sturdy books that will survive rough handling. Board books, for example, have thick pages that can be turned easily and wiped clean.
  

Limit Television, Computers, and Video Games
For generations, education experts have been sounding the alarm about the harmful effects of too much television. The rise in popularity of the Internet and computer and video games only adds to the din of distractions pulling children away from more literary pursuits. While excellent educational programs and software exist, consumption of electronic media must be kept in check by parents. Limit children's television and computer use to make time for other activities, such as reading. Try not to use television and computers as rewards for reading (or denying them as punishment for not).

Source: RIF Motivational Activities Handbook

How do crawlers and walkers learn?

Marcus picks up a book with cardboard pages and a duck on the cover. He puts the book in his mouth for a moment, then waves it in the air.

Marcus looks at his big sister, Maria, and makes noises that sound a lot like words. Maria says, "Do you want to read? Bring the book to me. We can read together."

With book in hand, Marcus crawls to Maria. She lifts Marcus into her lap and holds the book so that he can see it. She points to the duck on the cover. "That's a duck. Let's see what's inside."
Marcus turns the page. He pats the picture and says something that sounds like words. "That's right," says Maria. "The baby is in the bathtub."

After looking at a few more pages, Marcus squirms and wiggles. "Okay," says Maria. "Have you read enough? Let me help you down." She puts Marcus on the floor and he crawls away.

How do young babies learn?

Katie is in the bathtub splashing in the water with both hands. Her father sits on the floor next to the tub making sure she is safe.

"Katie, Katie," he says as he picks up a washcloth. "Are you ready to play our special game?"
Katie looks up and sees her father's smiling face. She smiles at him and laughs. He says, "Let's play Peek-a-Boo,"; and puts a washcloth in front of his face.

Katie reaches out and pats the top of his head. Her father says, "Peek-a-Boo, Katie, I can't see you." He lowers the washcloth so his eyes are no longer covered. Katie squeals with delight. He covers his eyes again and says, "Peek-a-Boo, Katie, I still can't see you."

Katie's father holds the washcloth out toward her, saying, "Your turn, Katie." She takes the washcloth from his hand and puts it in front of her face. Her father says, "Where's Katie?"
Katie drops the washcloth in the water and splashes with her hands. She babbles to her father, "Dadadada. Babababa." He says, "I think you're saying that you're tired of playing Peek-a-Boo. Let's play with your sponges."

Like many young babies, Katie is learning about language:

• She knows that it's fun to play with another person.
• She looks up when her father says her name.
• She smiles when her father smiles at her.
  

Katie's father helps her learn about language:

• He talks with her during a daily activity--bathtime.
• He says her name again and again so that she will learn to recognize it.
• He takes several turns in their game and then encourages her to take a turn.
• He responds to her babbles as if he knows what she is saying.

by : www.rif.org

What Can Families Do to Keep Children Reading During the Summer?

As children's first and most important teachers, families have a major role to play in motivating children to read during the summer months. There are many strategies families might employ to encourage summertime reading. Here are tips offered by Reading Is Fundamental:

• Combine activities with books.
  Summer leaves lots of time for kids to enjoy fun activities, such as going to the park, seeing a movie, or going to the beach. Why not also encourage them to read a book about the activity? If you're going to a baseball game, suggest your child read a book about a favorite player beforehand. In the car or over a hot dog, you'll have lots of time to talk about the book and the game.
  
• Visit the library.
  If your child doesn't have a library card, summer is a great time to sign up. In addition to a wide selection of books to borrow, many libraries have fun, child-friendly summer reading programs.
  
• Lead by example.
  Read the newspaper at breakfast, pick up a magazine at the doctor's office, and stuff a paperback in your beach bag. If kids see the adults around them reading often, they will understand that literature can be a fun and important part of their summer days.
  
• Talk it up.
  Talking with your kids about what you have read also lets them know that reading is an important part of your life. Tell them why you liked a book, what you learned from it, or how it helped you—soon they might start doing the same.
  
• Help kids find time to read.
  Summer camp, music lessons, baseball games, and videos are all fun things kids like to do during the summer. However, by the end of the day, children may be too tired to pick up a book. When planning summer activities with children, remember to leave some time in their schedules for reading. Some convenient times may be before bedtime or over breakfast.
  
• Relax the rules for summer.
  During the school year, children have busy schedules and often have required reading for classes. Summer is a time when children can read what, when, and how they please. Don't set daily minute requirements or determine the number of pages they should read. Instead, make sure they pick up books for fun and help find ways for them to choose to read on their own. You may even want to make bedtime a little bit later if you find that your child can't put down a book.
  
• Have plenty of reading material around.
  Storybooks aren't the only thing that kids can read for fun. Be sure to have newspapers, magazines, and informational material on hand that might spark the interest of a young reader.
  
• Use books to break the boredom.
  Without the regular school regimen, adults and kids need more activities to fill the hours. Books that teach kids how to make or do something are a great way to get kids reading and keep them occupied. Don't forget to take your kids' favorite reading series along on long road trips.
  
• Read aloud with kids.
  Take your children to see a local storyteller or be one yourself. The summer months leave extra time for enthusiastic read-alouds with children, no matter what their age. Don't forget to improvise different voices or wear a silly hat to make the story that much more interesting!

Author: Laura J. Colker, Ed. D.

Providing a Literacy-Rich Home Environment

Literacy development is a continuous process that begins in infancy when babies are first exposed to language, books, and stories. Its roots are in the home, with branches extending to other environments.

Books are the key ingredient to creating a literacy-rich home environment. Families can support language and literacy learning by creating a home atmosphere in which reading, writing, talking, and listening are a natural part of daily life.




In literacy-rich homes, families:

1. Establish a regular time and place for daily read-aloud sessions, such as before bed or during bath time.
2. Keep on hand a variety of reading materials: picture books, chapter books, atlases, dictionaries, magazines, and newspapers. They also get library cards for everyone and use them often.
3. Share their love of books and reading. Parents may say to children, "This was my favorite book when I was your age," or "I can't wait to start my new book."
4. Talk about what they read and encourage children to think, solve problems, and make predictions. Parents may discuss the books a child is reading, then ask questions such as, "Did you ever...?" or "How would you feel if that happened to you?"
5. Have plenty of paper and writing tools.
6. Store books and writing materials in places children can reach.
7. Have frequent conversations with each child, as well as with the family as a whole. Parents should encourage everyone to express their ideas, opinions, and feelings.
8. Reinforce language and literacy skills by doing puzzles and playing games that reinforce literacy, such as Lotto, Candyland, Old Maid, Concentration, Scrabble, and Trivial Pursuit.
9. Model reading and writing for pleasure and for specific uses, such as making a shopping list.
10. Respond positively to children's reading and writing efforts.
11. Set aside plenty of time for reading, by balancing time devoted to sports, television, and other activities.

All of the above strategies tell children that reading and writing are important lifelong activities that are fun and useful. Families also can show children how much they value reading and writing by building partnerships with child development programs and schools.

Source: RIF Exchange Show

How Can You Find Books that Interest You?

What they say is true: the more you read, the better you read. In other words, stepping up the reading you do for yourself will make other reading tasks less of a chore.




So, give reading another chance. Here are some pointers for finding the kinds of books that will interest you personally:

• Decide what you're in the mood for. High adventure? Romance? Perhaps you enjoyed a recent movie or TV mini-series; chances are it was based on a book you'd enjoy also.
• Ask around. Ask friends, a favorite teacher, or your coach to suggest books they enjoyed.
• Check out the library. It won't cost you anything, and the choice is virtually unlimited. Don't be shy about asking a librarian a question like, Do you have any books on rock music?
• Browse in a bookstore. Find the section that interests you—fantasy, cars, computers, or whatever. Treat yourself to an inexpensive paperback, or just have a look around. And don't overlook used bookstores. They are treasure troves for those who like to dig.
• Consult a list of books other teenagers have enjoyed. Ask for a book list at your school or public library, or write for your own.
• Don't judge a book by its cover. What you see on the cover is not necessarily what you get. Read the short reviews printed inside a dust jacket, or skim the first chapter to find out what a book is really about.
• Try a few pages. If the books not for you, put it aside and try another, until you find a winner.
• Read at your own pace. Reading isn't a contest. So what if you read slowly or skip words here and there? If you're interested, you'll read to the end, and that's what counts. And you'll probably find yourself picking up speed along the way.
• Let one good thing lead to another. When you read something that really speaks to you, you may be sorry to have it end. But the end is never really the end for a person who reads. You can always open another book, and another, and another.

by : Author: Laura J. Colker, Ed. D.

Teenagers and Reading

Perhaps the teenager in your family was once an avid reader, but now hardly ever opens a book, or perhaps your child never liked reading in the first place.

You know that reading is important, and you obviously want to make sure that your teenager grows into adulthood with all the skills he or she needs to succeed.




What can you do?
In this article, RIF suggests how parents can help their teenagers decide for themselves that reading is important to their lives.

With that in mind, half of this article speaks directly to young people. We encourage you to share it with the teens in your family.

Try to Avoid...
Before we list ways to encourage teen reading that do work, here are a few tactics that don't work:

• Pressuring, nagging, or bribing. Encourage your kids, but don't hound them.
• Criticizing what your teens read. Explain what troubles you about certain types of reading materials after reading them yourself. Forbid as little as possible. And whenever you can, accept differences of opinion as just that.
• Lavishing too much praise. If you catch your youngster reading, show interest, but don't make a big deal out of it. Teens need to know that they're reading for their own pleasure—not for your approval.

Reading: What's In It for Teenagers?The following suggest ideas for teens from RIF.

If you're a teenager who has lost interest in reading or never liked it much, this is for you.

We're about to make a pitch for reading—reading things that interest you, at your own pace, apart from schoolwork and other obligations.

Why read?
People who like to read do it because reading does something for them. It sends chills down their spine, brings tears to their eyes, or turns on the lightbulb in their brain.

And, let's face it: they need reading, just as you do. You need reading now for school, and you're going to need it even more later on, when you take on a job and other adult responsibilities. Good reading skills are a must. Ask any employer!

So, besides the practical reasons, what's in it for you? Consider the possibilities. Through reading you can:

• Become an expert. An expert on any subject you like—from sports stats to spelunking, coins to carburetors, or anything in between.
• Live dangerously. Through reading you can share the challenges, fears, thrills, and achievements of those you're reading about without the risk.
• Have a few laughs. Sit down with a book by your favorite stand-up comedian, a collection of jokes or cartoons, or a humor magazine.
• See the world. Without leaving your room, you can visit places that fascinate you.
• Travel through time. Explore the frontiers of the Old West or the frontiers of space. Historical fiction and science fiction move you back and forth in time.
• Use your brains. Solve a mystery by figuring out whodunit, outwit a crafty villain, or think yourself out of a perilous situation. Your first clue: look up Mysteries in the library catalog or ask for detective fiction at a bookstore.
• Get some free advice. Lots of novels feature teenage characters who have problems and pressures like the ones you're dealing with. Check out the Young Adult section of the library or bookstore.
• Discover new interests. Through reading, you may develop an interest in something you knew nothing about before.
• Find a cause. Get smart on an issue that matters to you. Read about people and organizations that support your cause, and get involved.
• Escape. Noise, tension, or boredom getting you down? Give yourself a break. Leave everything behind as you escape into a book.
• Grow up. If you find that you're outgrowing some of the books and magazines written for teens, ask to borrow some of the books and magazines your parents are reading.

from : RIF Parent Guide Brochure www.rif.org

Keep Kids Reading This Summer -- Take Them to the Library!

Many local libraries host summer programs that encourage and reward preschool and school-age children for summer reading. Encourage parents to see if their local library has a summer club or story hours. Recommend checking out the library calendar for special summer reading-related activities and events, such as arts and crafts, puppet shows, concerts, and magic shows.

Whether parents engage their children in organized library activities or simply let kids choose their own reading materials from the library, children will be inclined to keep reading and building important skills that could otherwise be lost during the summer months.




Summer library visits offer a wide range of benefits for the whole family. Here are just a few reasons (besides air-conditioning) why families should incorporate regular trips to the library into their summer plans.

Parental Perks

• Going to the library takes the guesswork (and pressure) out of choosing books for kids. Librarians and other professionals and volunteers are available to assist parents and guide children in their reading selections.
• Library visits give parents a chance to spend quality time with their kids.
  

Benefits for Kids

• Participating in a summer reading program can be fun, rewarding, and challenging.
• When children are given the opportunity to choose what they want to read, they're more likely to enjoy reading and make it a habit.
• Library visits may give kids an opportunity to use computers, research on the internet, and socialize with peers.Something for Everyone: Teens, Too!
• Some libraries have summer reading programs just for teens, with activities that appeal to their specific interests and educational needs. Some activities may include mystery nights, creative dramatics, poetry slams, arts and crafts, or talent shows.
• Libraries often recruit teens to volunteer in their youth summer reading programs as storytellers, administrative assistants, or helpers for organized activities.
  

Bringing Families Together

• The library is a place the whole family can visit together.
• Parents and kids can check out books, or books-on-tape, to take on family vacations.
• Older children may also want to read library books to younger siblings.

Reading Tips for Kids

Summer is a really great time to pick up a new book and read! Try these ideas for keeping summer reading exciting.

• Go somewhere new. The place where you read a book can make the story even more meaningful. Take books about animals along on camping trips or sit under a tree while reading an adventure tale.
• Read "around the house." See how much reading material can be found around the house without opening a book. Read newspapers, magazines, Web sites, cereal boxes, toothpaste labels, or mail that comes to your house. Words to read are everywhere—you just have to look!
• Take a trip through a book. Read about the places you are planning to go this summer, before you get there. You'll know more about what you're going to see before the rest of the family even packs their bags.
• Read books from A-Z. Don't know where to start for summer reading? Let the alphabet help you. Start with an author whose last name begins with A and see how close to Z you can get by the end of the summer.
• Keep a reading journal. Write about the books that you read in a summer reading journal. At the end of the season you can see how much and what you've read. Best of all, you'll never forget what the best part about a book was. You can even use your reading journal to make book recommendations to your friends.
• Read aloud with adults. Adults need to read just as much as kids do. Reading aloud before bedtime or after a meal is a fun way to spend some time with your parents. Whether you're the reader or they are, don't forget to improvise different voices or wear a silly hat to make the story more fun!
• Start a book club. Neighborhood kids love to do things in groups during the summer. Why not start a book club with your friends? Just agree to read the same book, then set some time to talk about the book either after you finish a few chapters or at the end.
• Find a fun series. Find a series of books by an author who you enjoy. By the end of the summer you'll find you know the characters almost as well as you know your friends from school.

Summer Reading Tips for Families

Combine activities with books.
Summer leaves lots of time for kids to enjoy fun activities such as going to the park, seeing a movie, or going to the beach. Why not also encourage them to read a book about the activity? If you're going to a baseball game, suggest your child read a book about his or her favorite player beforehand. In the car or over a hot dog, you'll have lots of time to talk about the book and the game.




Visit the library.
If your child doesn't have a library card, summer is a great time to sign up. In addition to a wide selection of books to borrow, many libraries have fun, child-friendly summer reading programs.

Lead by example.
Read the newspaper at breakfast, pick up a magazine at the doctor's office, and stuff a paperback in your beach bag. If kids see the adults around them reading often, they will understand that literature can be a fun and important part of their summer days.

Talk it up.
Talking with your kids about what you have read also lets them know that reading is an important part of your life. Tell them why you liked a book, what you learned from it, or how it helped you -- soon they might start doing the same.

Help kids find time to read.
Summer camp, music lessons, baseball games, and videos are all fun things kids like to do during the summer. However, by the end of the day, children may be too tired to pick up a book. When planning summer activities with children, remember to leave some time in their schedules for reading. Some convenient times may be before bedtime or over breakfast.

Relax the rules for summer.
During the school year, children have busy schedules and often have required reading for classes. Summer is a time when children can read what, when, and how they please. Don't set daily minute requirements or determine the number of pages they should read. Instead, make sure they pick up books for fun and help find ways for them to choose to read on their own. You may even want to make bedtime a little bit later if you find that your child can't put down a book.

Have plenty of reading material around.
Storybooks aren't the only thing that kids can read for fun. Be sure to have newspapers, magazines, and informational material on hand that might spark the interest of a young reader.

Use books to break the boredom.
Without the regular school regimen, adults and kids need more activities to fill the hours. Books that teach kids how to make or do something are a great way to get kids reading and keep them occupied. Don't forget to take your kids' favorite reading series along on long road trips.

Read aloud with kids.
Take your children to see a local storyteller or be one yourself. The summer months leave extra time for enthusiastic read-alouds with children no matter what their age. Don't forget to improvise different voices or wear a silly hat to make the story that much more interesting!

Keeping Kids Off the Summer Slide

Something is waiting for many children this summer, and their parents don’t even know it’s out there. It's called the "summer slide," and it describes what happens when young minds sit idle for three months.




As parents approach the summer break, many are thinking about the family vacation, trips to the pool, how to keep children engaged in activities at home, the abrupt changes to everyone's schedule—and how to juggle it all. What they might not be focusing on is how much educational ground their children could lose during the three-month break from school, particularly when it comes to reading. Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation's oldest and largest children's literacy organization, believes there is no better time than this summer to begin helping our children bridge the gap in learning between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next one. "Motivating children to read throughout the year is essential to building lifelong readers," says Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO of RIF. "And reading is the doorway to all other learning."

Experts agree that children who read during the summer gain reading skills, while those who do not often slide backward. According to the authors of a November 2002 report from Johns Hopkins Center for Summer Learning: "A conservative estimate of lost instructional time is approximately two months or roughly 22 percent of the school year.... It's common for teachers to spend at least a month re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer. That month of re-teaching eliminates a month that could have been spent on teaching new information and skills." Furthermore, they note that family income plays a significant role in determining the magnitude of this summer slide. Students from low-income families "...experience an average summer learning loss in reading achievement of over two months."

Not only do these students suffer greater sliding during the summer, they also experience cumulative effects of greater learning loss each summer. Sociologists Karl Alexander and Doris Entwisle have shown that the cumulative effect of summer learning differences is a primary cause of widening achievement gaps between students of lower and higher socioeconomic levels. Research demonstrates that while student achievement for both middle- and lower-income students improves at similar rates during the school year, low-income students experience cumulative summer learning losses throughout their elementary school years.




Summer slide affects millions of children each year in this country—but it doesn't have to. To help prevent children from losing ground to summer slide, RIF has compiled a variety of activities that parents, caregivers, and members of community organizations can use to keep learning fun throughout the summer break.

• Summer Reading Tips for Families
• Summer Reading Tips for Kids
• Tips for Keeping Kids Reading This Summer—Take Them to the Library

Getting Your Child to Love Reading

Helping Your Child Use the Library. Office of Educational Research and Improvement. U.S. Department of Education. Helping your children to enjoy reading is one of the most important things you can do as a parent and it's well worth the investment of your time and energy. Kids will learn reading skills in school, but often they come to associate reading with work, not pleasure. As a result, they lose their desire to read. And it is that desire—the curiosity and interest—that is the cornerstone to using reading and related skills successfully.

By far the most effective way to encourage your children to love books and reading is to read aloud to them, and the earlier you start, the better. Even a baby of a few months can see pictures, listen to your voice, and turn cardboard pages.

Make this time together a special time when you hold your kids and share the pleasure of a story without the distractions of TV or telephones. You may be surprised to find that a well-written children's book is often as big a delight to you as it is to the kids.

And don't stop taking the time to read aloud once your children have learned to read for themselves. At this stage, encourage them to read to you some of the time. This shared enjoyment will continue to strengthen your children's interest and appreciation.

Simply having books, magazines, and newspapers around your home will help children to view them as part of daily life. And your example of reading frequently and enjoying it will reinforce that view.While your children are still very small, it's a good idea to start a home library for them, even if it's just a shelf or two. Be sure to keep some books for little children to handle freely.

Include specially made, extra durable books for infants, and pick paperbacks and plastic covers for kids who are older but still not quite ready for expensive hardbacks. Allowing little children to touch, smell, and even taste books will help them to develop strong attachments.

How you handle books will eventually influence how your kids treat them. Children imitate, so if they see that you enjoy reading and treat books gently and with respect, it is likely that they will do the same.

When you read aloud together, choose books that you both like. If a book seems dull, put it down and find one that is appealing. There are, however, so many children's books in print that making the best selections may seem a formidable task.

One approach is to look for award-winning books. There are two famous awards for children's literature made each year by the American Library Association that are good indicators of quality work: the Caldecott Medal for illustration and the Newbery Medal for writing. But these are given to only two of the approximately 2,500 new children's books published each year.

Fortunately, there is a lot of other good help available. For instance, there are lists of books recommended by the American Library Association and the Library of Congress and some excellent books to guide parents in making selections.The best help of all, though, is at your neighborhood library. If you are not familiar with the library, don't hesitate to ask for help. The children's librarian is trained to help you locate specific books, books that are good for reading aloud, and books on a particular subject recommended for a particular age group.

The library also has many book lists, including ones like those mentioned above and probably some published by the library itself.In addition, your library will have several journals that regularly review children's books, including The Horn Book and Booklist. These will give you an idea of what's new and worth pursuing.

And there's nothing like just browsing through the many books available at your library until you find ones that appeal to you and your kids.

If your children are school-aged, keep in mind that the school library is an excellent source for a wide variety of materials and the school librarian is knowledgeable about children's literature. Encourage your kids to bring home books from their school library for pleasure as well as for their studies.

Author: Kathryn Perkinson

What Won't Work

Parents have told us that the following tactics only strengthen a child's resistance to reading:

• Nagging. Avoid lecturing about the value of reading, and hounding a child who is not reading. Your child will only resent it.
  
• Bribing. While there's nothing wrong with rewarding your child's reading efforts, you don't want your youngster to expect a prize after finishing every book. Whenever possible, offer another book or magazine (your child's choice) along with words of praise. You can give other meaningful rewards on occasion, but offer them less and less frequently. In time, your child will experience reading as its own reward.
  
• Judging your child's performance. Separate school performance from reading for pleasure. Helping your child enjoy reading is a worthwhile goal in itself.
  
• Criticizing your child's choices. Reading almost anything is better than reading nothing. Although you may feel your child is choosing books that are too easy or that treat subjects too lightly, hide your disappointment. Reading at any level is valuable practice, and successful reading helps build confidence as well as reading skills. If your differences are simply a matter of personal taste, respect your child's right to his or her own preferences.
  
• Setting unrealistic goals. Look for small signs of progress rather than dramatic changes in your child's reading habits. Don't expect a reluctant reader to finish a book overnight. Maybe over the next weekwith your gentle encouragement.
  
• Making a big deal about reading. Don't turn reading into a campaign. Under pressure, children may read only to please their parents rather than themselves, or they may turn around and refuse to read altogether.

Why Some Kids Don't Like to Read

Do any of these statements have a familiar ring? They are the reasons children frequently give for not reading:

• It's boring. Don't despair if your children have this response to reading that is assigned at school. You can expose them to another kind of reading at homereading that is related to their interests.
• I don't have the time. Kids are busy. School, friends, sports, homework, television, and chores all compete for their time. Some children need your help in rearranging their schedules to make time for reading.
• It's too hard. For some children, reading is a slow, difficult process. If your child is having a hard time reading, talk with their or her reading teacher. Ask about how you can find interesting books and materials written at a level that matches your childs reading ability.
• It's not important. Often children don't appreciate how reading can be purposeful, or relevant to their lives. Parents can take it upon themselves to find reading materials on subjects that do matter to their kids.
• It's no fun. For some children, especially those who have difficulty reading, books cause anxiety. Even for children with strong reading skills, pressure from schools and home that emphasize reading for performance can make reading seem like a chore. Our advice: take the pressure off reading so that your children can enjoy it.

If you or someone else in your family has had problems reading, there is a greater likelihood your children will experience these difficulties, too. Speak to a reading teacher if you have reason to suspect a learning problem. Early testing administered at your child's school can identify a learning disability and alert the school to your childs need for special teaching.

How to Lead Reluctant Readers Age 9-13 Back to Books

Source: RIF Parent Guide BrochureStudies show what common sense tells us: the more kids read, the better they read and the more pleasure they get out of reading.Unfortunately, the reverse holds true: children who read very little usually have poor reading skills. Reading is a struggle for them, and they avoid it whenever possible.




Is there anything that you can do to encourage your children to read? First, it's helpful to know your child's reasons for not liking or wanting to read. These reasons can help you decide what will work best in motivating your child to discover or rediscover how much fun reading can be.

Advertise the Joy of Reading!

Our goal is to motivate children to read so they will practice reading independently and become fluent readers. That happens when children enjoy reading. We parents can do for reading what fast food chains do for hamburgers...ADVERTISE! And we advertise by reading great stories and poems to children.




We can help our children find the tools they need to succeed in life. Having access to information through the printed word is an absolute necessity. Knowledge is power, and books are full of it. But reading is more than just a practical tool. Through books we can enrich our minds; we can also relax and enjoy some precious leisure moments.

With your help, as your children begin a lifelong relationship with the printed word, they can grow into adults who read easily and frequently whether for business, knowledge, or pleasure.

Remember When You Were Very Young

It will help, however, consider some things adult readers tend to take for granted. It's easier to be patient with children when we remember how much they don't know. Here are a few concepts we adults know so well that we forget sometimes we ever had to learn them.

• There's a difference between words and pictures. Point to the print as you read aloud.
• Words on a page have meaning, and that is what we learn to read.
• Words go across the page from left to right. Follow with your finger as you read.
• Words on a page are made up of letters and are separated by a space.
• Each letter has at least two forms: one for capital letters and and one for small letters.

Imagine how you would feel if you were trying to interpret a book full of such symbols. That's how young readers feel. But, a little patience (maybe by turning it into a puzzle you can solve together) is certain to build confidence.

Talking About Stories

It's often a good idea to talk about a story you're reading, but you needn't feel compelled to talk about every story. Good stories will encourage a love for reading, with or without conversation. And sometimes children need time to think about stories they've read. A day or so later, don't be surprised if your child mentions something from a story you've read together.

One More Time

You may go through a period when your child favors one book and wants it read night after night. It is not unusual for children to favor a particular story, and this can be boring for parents. Keep in mind, however, that a favorite story may speak to your child's interests or emotional needs.




Be patient. Continue to expose your children to a wealth of books and eventually they will be ready for more stories.

It's Part of Life

Although the life of a parent is often hectic, you should try to read with your child at least once a day at a regularly scheduled time. But don't be discouraged if you skip a day or don't always keep to your schedule. Just read to your child as often as you possibly can.




If you have more than one child, try to spend some time reading alone with each child, especially if they're more than 2 years apart. However, it's also fine to read to children at different stages and ages at the same time. Most children enjoy listening to many types of stories. When stories are complex, children can still get the idea and can be encouraged to ask questions. When stories are easy or familiar, youngsters enjoy these "old friends" and may even help in the reading.

Taking the time to read with your children on a regular basis sends an important message: Reading is worthwhile.

Start Young and Stay With It

At just a few months of age, an infant can look at pictures, listen to your voice, and point to objects on cardboard pages. Guide your child by pointing to the pictures, and say the names of the various objects. By drawing attention to pictures and associating words with both pictures and real-world objects, your child will learn the importance of language.




Children learn to love the sound of language before they even notice the existence of printed words on a page. Reading books aloud to children stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. It helps them develop language and listening skills and prepares them to understand the written word. When the rhythm and melody of language become a part of a child's life, learning to read will be as natural as learning to walk and talk.

Even after children learn to read by themselves, it's still important for you to read aloud together. By reading stories that are on their interest level, but beyond their reading level, you can stretch young readers' understanding and motivate them to improve their skills.

Home is Where the Heart Is

It's no secret that activities at home are an important supplement to the classroom, but there's more to it than that. There are things that parents can give children at home that the classroom cannot give.

Reading With Your Child

There is no more important activity for preparing your child to succeed as a reader than reading aloud together. Fill your story times with a variety of books. Be consistent, be patient, and watch the magic work.

Author: Bernice Cullinan & Brod Bagert Source: Helping Your Child Learn to Read. (1996). Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education.

Reading Aloud to Your Children: The Loving, Personal Gift

Without doubt, reading aloud is a gift you can freely give your children from the day you bring them home from the hospital until the time they leave the nest. Children's reading experts agree that reading aloud offers the easiest and most effective way to turn children into lifelong readers. And it's as much fun for you as it is for your children.

A child whose day includes listening to rhythmic sounds and lively stories is more likely to grow up loving books. And a child who loves books will want to learn to read them.

To spark that desire in your children, we have collected some useful tips for you to consider. Feel free to make use of those that work well for you and your children, and to add your own ideas.

Where
In addition to the usual reading places—a couch, an overstuffed armchair, a child's bed—consider less traditional ones:

• Outside under a shady tree, in a sandbox or a hammock, or at a nearby park.
• Toss a sheet over a clothesline or table to create a reading hideaway.
• Keep a book in the glove compartment of your car for long road trips or traffic delays.
• Spread a blanket on the floor for an indoor reading picnic.
• Use your imagination. Almost every room in your house offers exciting reading possibilities.

When

• Start right from the cradle! Reading aloud can help calm a fussing baby or entertain a quiet one, and it can do wonders for you, too. Reading aloud can give you and your baby many moments you will long treasure.
• Continue reading aloud even after your children learn to read. Young readers will enjoy listening to many books that they can't yet master on their own, and many teenagers like to hear old favorites.
• Set aside a special time every day to read aloud to your children. Before school, naptime, or at bedtime are some obvious choices, but do whatever works best for you.
• Take advantage of times when the family is together—for example, at breakfast or dinner. Ask a child to read to you while you tackle the dinner dishes, or read aloud from the morning newspaper while your children eat their breakfast.
• Be aware of your children's reactions. If they are restless, they may be trying to tell you they are at the limit of their attention span. Stop reading and try another activity.

What

• Read whatever is at hand. Books, magazines, and newspapers are great for reading aloud; but so are road signs, menus, mail order catalogs, billboards, cereal boxes, and dozens of other everyday items.
• Mother Goose rhymes and other traditional rhymes and songs are especially good for reading (or singing) aloud because they contain the basic rhythms of the language. Young children love to join in on favorite verses.
• For very young children, look for picture books with stories and artwork that are simple, clear, and colorful.
• After you've got the hang of it, be creative with the stories you've read. Substitute your child's name for the name of a character in the story. Make up your own stories.
• Vary your selections, returning to old favorites and introducing your children to new works.
• Occasionally try reading stories that are slightly beyond your children's reach. But if they seem frustrated rather than challenged, put the stories aside for another day.
• Newspapers offer a broad range of read-aloud possibilities, from news stories, to advice columns, to letters to the editor, to the funnies, to photo captions.
• Poetry makes an excellent read-aloud selection for all ages. Rhythm and rhyme help sustain a youngster's interest.
• Be flexible. If a child doesn't seem to like the book you're reading, drop it and try another. Ask questions to discover the kinds of books your children would like to hear.

How

• It helps to look over a book before you read it aloud. Shorten or skip overly descriptive passages.
• It takes time to learn how to take pleasure in reading aloud. And your children need time, too, to learn how to listen.
• Read slowly and with expression. Don't be afraid to ham it up!
• Make sure your children sit where they can see the book clearly, especially if it's a picture book. Of course, some children just don't like to sit still and listen—yours may prefer to draw or play quietly while you read.
• Allow time for a child to settle into a story, and allow time after reading aloud to talk about the story.
• As you read aloud, encourage your children to get into the act. Invite them to describe pictures, read bits of text, or guess what will happen next. Dramatize roles in the story with them.
• Expect lots of questions, especially from young children. Take time to answer these as you go along.
• Children like a sense of completion, so finish what you begin, or at least find an appropriate stopping point, like the end of a chapter.
• Keep reading aloud to your children even after they go to school. There is no age at which the fun and benefits of reading aloud end.
• Teenagers may enjoy reading aloud to a younger brother or sister. And you can often whet teenagers' appetites for reading by sharing aloud short selections from books or articles that might interest them.

Source: RIF Parent Guide Brochure

What Benefits Does Reading Aloud Offer Children?

Young children learn much when books are read aloud to them. From birth they learn about language, whether in Spanish, English, or another language.

As children grow, the more they are read to and read aloud themselves, they will learn how to write and spell. Later, they can master reading and writing at an earlier age. Students who have been read to and who can read at early ages achieve higher grades in language arts and higher scores on standardized tests.




Reading stories aloud to children helps them learn empathy for others, to see other sides to a situation. They may feel what the main character is going through (whether person or animal), be it fear, anger, or humility. Depending on the story, children can learn life lessons, like how to ask for forgiveness or how to share what they own with others.

Reading stories to children also provides opportunities for them to discover persons not in their immediate environment, for example the elderly or people from a different ethnic background or social status.

Through books, children can travel to far away lands, learn about life in the jungle or on a cattle ranch. Books about a different culture teach children what is considered proper or appropriate behavior for that culture. They also might learn about another culture's holiday celebrations or the different games children play in other countries.

When reading aloud fairy tales or modern fantasy, children learn how to use their imagination, to view their world from a heightened perspective.

Finally, to assure your children a better future, visit a public library to select some books—and read aloud to your children.

What is Young Children's Literature?

A way to remedy the loss of the personal stories and recollections of family members is to introduce young children to age-appropriate literature. Young children's literature includes a variety of genres, or types. What is common to all is that they are of interest to young children, from infants to 8 years of age. They include poems, rhymes, legends, and picture books. The books contain many illustrations that support the story and add to its meaning.




Topics in children's literature can include traditional stories (fairy tales or legends), modern fantasy (talking animals, miniature children or people), realistic fiction (poverty, sibling rivalry), historical fiction, or biographies. Information books about topics such as electricity and volcanoes are also available.