The most frustrating part of my week is when I ask students to turn in their reading logs on Friday!They don’t like to do them,
because they simply “don’t like” reading. As we aim to reach our goals in the “Reach for the Stars” program and in their general classes, please help stress at home what the teachers at this school are trying to get your child to understand: reading is an important, indispensible skill that people need and use every single day! Take the following information from the National Education Association into consideration:
*Children who read at home have higher reading test scores AND higher math scores!
*Middle school children spend more time reading for pleasure than any other age group.
*80% of the prison population is illiterate.
*75% of children who are poor readers continue to struggle with reading into their high school years.
*The average test scores were higher for students who were exposed to many different types of reading materials: books, newspapers, magazines, and good old-fashioned encyclopedias.
So, what do you do to get your child to pick up something other than the video game controller? Try these tips:
*Invest in books—Show your child that their reading skills are important to you by purchasing books in lieu of toys or gadgets. You do not have to spend a ridiculous amount of money, either. Ed McKay’s (Battleground Ave.) is a great resource for used books-they even have some for free! Barnes and Noble (Friendly Center) now has a used-book table with nothing over $4.
*Share the burden--If your child is a slower reader or gets easily frustrated, work out a deal where he/she will read one page of text and you will read the next page as they follow along. They will get through their reading assignment quicker and with better comprehension if you can help them through the reading successfully.
*Let your child see YOU read something—Put down the television remote and pick up something to read. It demonstrates the importance of the written word and it sets an example. And, of course, keeping the mind active is one of the best ways to ward of dementia and Alzheimer’s later in life.
*Let your child choose books and reading material that interest them—Encourage your child to choose an author or a style that appeals to them so that they can relate to the text. As a Language Arts teacher, it is important to me that my students read something! Words are words so it doesn’t matter much what the context is, just as long as they are doing it and having a good time.
**What kinds of tips do you need? What topics can I cover that would help your family? Got some things that work for you that you feel other parents should know? Let me know at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Mrs. Cannon, Middle School Language Arts Teacher