Tips for Parents

1. Read to your child every night for at least 10-15 minutes...more is better.

2. Ask your child to tell you who the main characters are, where the story is taking place (i.e. on a farm, in outer space, in a house, outdoors, etc.), and when the story takes place (i.e. in the future, in the morning, in the daytime or nighttime, etc.). Also ask them what the story is about. Characters, Setting & Plot are very important to help children gain a better understanding of what they're reading. Most children's stories have some type of problem for the main character. The main character has to find a solution to the problem usually with the help of other characters.

3. If your child is reading chapter books, you read one chapter to them, then have them read one to you. Talk about what might happen next in the story (make a prediction), then continue reading to see if your prediction was right. Discuss what's happening in the story and try to relate it to another book, to your child's life, to a family event, an event in school, or relate it to a movie or T.V. show.

4. If your child comes across unfamiliar words, try to help them sound them out by breaking the word into parts, using the context surrounding the word, deciding whether the word has a long or short vowel sound, or look it up in the dictionary to help with pronounciation and meaning. Make a list of unfamiliar words and make sure your child knows the meaning. This will help with comprehension of the story.

5. Ask a lot of questions and encourage your child to ask questions while reading.

6. Whenever possible, take your child on a "field trip" to a museum, attend a play, go on a hike in the woods and identify trees, plants, flowers, etc. And, of course, make frequent trips to the library to pick up some good books!

As we continue to build this site, please look for more helpful tips and links to reference sites.