Encouraging Writing and Young Children

Tweet     One of the best ways to reinforce reading skills is through writing. Graves (1983) wrote children want to write. They want to write from the beginning of school. Before school, he continues, young children write on walls and pavement. Children may seem like they are scribbling, but there is meaning behind it; the children need only be asked what the scribbles mean (Graves, 1983). There are many ways...

Poetry and Young Children

Tweet   April is national Poetry Month and there are many great ways to share poetry with your child. Through poetry you can: Increase your child’s vocabulary Allow for your child’s creative abilities Encourage your child’s self-expression Stretch your child’s imagination Some ways to share poetry with your child are: A.  Read poetry aloud together B.   Have your child dictate a poem to you...

Helping Your Struggling Reader to Read More Books

Tweet It is always difficult to help your child who may be struggling to read to enjoy reading books for pleasure. We know that the more he/she reads, the easier it will become. However, getting your child to enjoy reading books for fun can be a challenge. Here are some tips to help you to get your Struggling Reader to read for his/her enjoyment: 1. Find several books you think he/she may like and let them choose which...

Best Reading Gift Ever

Tweet Best Reading Gift Ever I love to read a book before I go to sleep. I often would curl up with a blanket on the couch and read until I felt tired enough to go to bed. Now that winter is here, reading on the couch, even with a blanket was getting quite chilly. So on a recent shopping trip to the local mall, my husband bought a reading light for me to read in bed. It is a simple LED light that hooks on to the side or...

Sight Words

Tweet Sight Words A sight word is a word whose spelling is not straightforward and does not allow a beginning reader to determine what word it represents just by sounding it out according to the rules. Beginning readers recognize sight words from having memorized them or by drawing their meaning from the context in the text. Reading researcher Diane McGuinness estimates that there are approximately 100 common words in...