Teaching and Learning News
May 2019
Summer Sunshine, Fun, and Summer Reading
Why Reading to Young Children Is Important . . .
"Kids who have their parents read them one book a day hear 296,600 words before entering kindergarten. Children whose parents read them between three and five books a week hear 169,520 words, and children whose parents read to them one or two books a week hear 63,570 words before starting kindergarten. Children who are never read to hear only 4,662 words before the age of 5, according to the researchers’ calculations." (Mujezinovic & Mujezinovi, 2019, p. 1). This often leads to what has been referred to as the thirty million word gap (Colker, 2018). This is the disparity that occurs between the children who hear books and those who do not. When books are read to children, they are exposed to a multitude of new words, and in addition, they often talk about the words with the reader.
Nothing can predict future student success i.e. high school graduation and college enrollment more than students being able to read on grade level by the time they reach third grade; therefore, reading to your children throughout their childhood and beyond can truly give them a great start!
3 Ways to Help Your Child Read
- Use the "five finger rule"; have your child open a book and read the first page; if he or she struggles with five words, the book is probably too hard. It is okay to struggle with one or two words.
- Help your child find books of interest. Not every child enjoys stories. Great selections include books about sports, biographies, and more.
- Read mail, magazines, comics, and more.
Reading 15 Minutes Each Day Can Improve Reading Ability
How Much Time Do Most Kids Read Each Day?
"Between kindergarten and twelfth grade, students with an average daily reading time of 30+ minutes are projected to encounter 13.7 million words. At graduation, their peers who averaged less than 15 minutes of reading per day are likely to be exposed to only 1.5 million words. The difference is more than 12 million words (Renaissance, 2018, p. 4).
Istation Home Component for Students in Grades K-5
Reading Recommendations
Resources
Colker, L. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2019, from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/feb2014/the-word-gap
Ehmke, R., & Child Mind Institute. (n.d.). How to Keep Kids Reading This Summer. Retrieved May 18, 2019, from https://childmind.org/article/how-to-keep-kids-reading-this-summer/
Mujezinovic, D., & Mujezinovic, D. (2019, April 05). Study: Children Whose Parents Don't Read To Them Enter Kindergarten With A 'Million-Word' Vocabulary Gap. Retrieved May 17, 2019, from https://www.inquisitr.com/5377216/parents-reading-children-books-vocabulary/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
Renaissance Learning. (2018, March 22). The magic of 15 minutes: Daily reading practice and reading growth. Retrieved May 18, 2019, from https://www.renaissance.com/2018/01/23/blog-magic-15-minutes-reading-practice-reading-growth/
Scripps Media. (2017, February 14). How reading 20 minutes a day impacts your child. Retrieved May 17, 2019, from https://www.wcpo.com/brand-spotlight/how-reading-20-minutes-a-day-impacts-your-child-amazon-kindle