Wiley Wednesday
Teaching and Learning
Read, Read, Read!
1. Time Together
Because we are busy it is difficult to have “quality” one-on-one time with our children without distractions. Building 20 minutes into each day for reading together provides this important bonding time. There is nothing more wonderful than snuggling a young child on your lap while reading a few storybooks aloud. Even if your child is beyond the “snuggling” stage, spending 20 minutes reading independently provides you with quiet, uninterrupted time together engaged in the same activity. (via Scholastic)
2. Developing a Love of Reading
According to Jim Trelease, author of the best-seller, The Read-Aloud Handbook: “Every time we read to a child, we’re sending a ‘pleasure’ message to the child’s brain… You could even call it a commercial, conditioning the child to associate books and print with pleasure” Isn't that the ultimate goal? We all want to raise a child with a love of reading and learning, where reading isn’t a means to an end, but the actual experience he or she enjoys. And raising a love of reading now will only cement it further when he’s an adult.
3. Greater Comprehension Skills
Each time you read together, an in-depth discussion about characters, plotline, or style doesn't always have to follow. However, you may be surprised at how your conversations evolve after you read together for some time. You can begin by just “thinking aloud”—every few pages, share your thoughts about the text out loud. Your child will hear how you think about and process text as you read, and soon he or she will begin to do the same. Over time, incorporate oral comprehension questions or thought-provoking statements and discuss them with your child.
But we are so busy ...
Here are some tips to squeeze in some reading even on your busiest days:
1. Keep books everywhere (in your car, in your child's backpack, in the bathroom, etc.).
2. Listen to audiobooks when traveling to and from school.
3. Download books on your iPad for travel times and running errands.
4. Read during afternoon snack or mealtimes. You don't always have to wait until before bed.
5. Read everything and anything - recipes, signs, food boxes, magazines, menus.
6. Read in waiting rooms, waiting in lines, or in restaurants.
7. Listen to audiobooks at bath time.
8. Have your child read to a neighbor, a friend, or a sibling when he or she cannot read with you.