Washington Post
Family Newsletter for Washington Elementary
A Word from Mrs. Wolf
How can parents help their children grow as a reader?
There are so many skills needed for a child to become a fluent reader and many of those take place at school. However, there is still a place for lap reading at home. This isn't just something for very young children. Sitting with a child and reading a book is a wonderful activity.
- It strengthens the bond between parent and child, and it teaches children a great deal about the value and usefulness of literature.
- Research has shown that there is a strong correlation between how often children are read to and how much they enjoy reading as they grow up, so time spent reading to your child is not time wasted.
Lap reading can be made more powerful, though, and parents should know what they can do as they read to their child to make it as rich an experience as possible.
- First of all, parents should know that lap reading and bedtime reading are two different things. Lap reading should be an active, collaborative exploration of the text that you share with your child. To explore the text with you, the child should be alert and engaged. Bedtime reading, of course, is quite the opposite.
When you and your child engage in lap reading, you should:
- sit where both of you can see the text and pages clearly, and you should very explicitly model what you are doing as you read.
- Periodically use your finger to point to the text as you read and very explicitly show your child how you sound-out and pronounce each word.
- If you are reading a story, periodically stop and ask questions and make predictions about what will happen next.
- Ask the child to do the same. Tell the child what you are thinking as you read -- don't keep your thoughts to yourself, but instead, show your child what readers think about as they read.
- Talk about the child's own experiences and relate them to the story or the information in the book.
Keep in mind that lap-reading does not always mean reading a story -- sitting with your child and reading magazines, and newspapers, and informative text is an excellent lap-reading activity. They simultaneously gain information about the world (enhancing background knowledge), and they also begin to learn about the mechanics of text and learn the value of reading, and develop healthy reading comprehension skills that will substantially enhance their likelihood of success in school.
Research has shown:
- that the earlier that children develop reading skills, the better off they are in school. In fact, children who are still struggling to read grade-appropriate material by the second grade are at a very high risk for reading difficulties and for subsequent academic failure.
- that many parents believe that learning to read is something that children learn in the classroom (and not at home), and some parents, ironically, believe that they are disrupting their child's education by teaching literacy skills in the home. Not so, we welcome any interest and modeling of reading with rich discussion with a loved one.
Parents' Night Out at Red Dragon and Flight Academy
Do you need an evening to shop, go on a date, or have some adult time? Consider signing up for the Parents' Night Out. It benefits the school and the children are safe and being active. Must register first. Event is Friday, Dec 1 6:30-10. Pizza included.
https://www.iclassprov2.com/parentportal/flightathleticacademy/camps?camptype=6Coming soon:
Wednesday, Move 29-Birthdays with the Principals
November 29-December 6-Scholastic Bookfair
Dec 1 Red Dragon Parents Night Out fundraiser, registration required. See below.
Dec 4-7 Girls Family Life Classes for Fifth Grade
December 5th- LCF Field Trip to Rocky Mount
December 5th Tech Night 5:15-6:30 Tech Night and Family Book Fair event
December 13 Birthdays with the Principals
December 19th-LCF Celebration of Learning Performance 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM
December 20th Washington Troupe community tour