Family Support of Readers - B
Family Support: Bridging Reader (ages 8-10)
- Continue reading aloud to your child. You can model fluent reading.
- Provide a reading routine when everyone in the family reads (30 minutes).
- Children at this age often delve into series books, such as Goosebumps, Nancy Drew, The Baby-Sitter’s Club, or Animorphs. This comfort zone helps build fluency. Go to the library with your child to get the next book in the series!
- Invite your child to read more challenging books, as well as books at his/her level.
- Encourage your child to try new genres of reading (poetry, fantasy, and nonfiction).
- Have your child keep a list of “Books I’ve Read” or Favorite Books.”
- Talk together about why you like or dislike certain books or authors.
- Talk about interesting words and language.
- Look up new words together in the dictionary.
- Talk about the characters, theme, and exciting or favorite parts in movies or books.
- Go to a local children’s theater. If the play is based on a book, read it together before you go, then compare the books and the play.
- Encourage your child to read aloud a favorite book, poem, or story to friends, relatives or to younger children.
- Subscribe to children’s magazines that match your child’s interests, such as Sports Illustrated for Kids, American Girl, or Zillions: Consumer Reports for Kids.
- Discuss facts and opinions about community events or world news.
- When your child asks questions, seek answers together in books, encyclopedias, the newspaper, or on the Internet.
Family Support: Fluent Reader (ages 9-11)
- Continue reading aloud to your child. This type of shared reading opens the door for conversation about reading and life.
- Provide time for your child to read (30-40 minutes per day) on a regular basis. Research shows a direct correlation between how much a students reads during the day and reading achievement and success in school.
- Provide a quiet place for homework, writing, and reading.
- Listen to books on tape in the car, especially on long trips.
- Visit the public library regularly to check out books and tapes and to find information.
- Help your child find books. Keep up with new children’s books by talking to teachers, friends, librarians, and bookstore staff. Encourage your child to try new genres and types of books.
- Read book reviews in newspapers and magazines, then look for those books in the library.
- Talk about the books and materials you read and how you find new books.
- Help your child find information in books, in articles, and on the Internet.
- Look up the meaning of an interesting word together. Talk about the interesting words you find as you read.
- Ask your child to read aloud a favorite book, poem or story into a tape recorder and sent the tape to a younger child far away as a gift.
- Encourage your child to participate in community programs that include reading and writing, such as writing contests, summer reading programs or reading your younger children at the library.
- Point out what your child does well as a reader and celebrate successes.
Family Support: Proficient Reader (ages 10-13)
- Continue reading aloud to your child. Read young adult novels together. It’s an important way to stay connected as your child grows into adolescence.
- Read the newspaper and magazines and discuss articles together.
- Provide a quiet place for homework, writing, and reading.
- Help your child make time for reading and set goals as a reader.
- Visit the public library regularly to check out books and do research.
- Help your child find books. Keep up with new young adult and children’s books by talking to teachers, friends, librarians, and bookstore staff. Read some of the books yourself so you can talk about them with your child.
- Join a parent/child book club.
- Collect books by a favorite author. Have your child write to the author. Send the letter to the publisher listed near the copyright information in the front of the book.
- Encourage wide reading of different genres and types of texts.
- Provide support as your child begins to read informational texts in different subject areas.
- Do crossword puzzles together.
- Discuss the concepts, symbols, well-written passages, and the author’s craft as you read. Reading a book together also provides an opportunity to talk about issues.
- Talk about deeper levels of meaning in song lyrics.
- Talk about multiple perspectives and the complexity of issues in the news.
Family Support: Connecting Reader (ages 11-14) and Independent Reader
- Continue reading aloud to your child. Read young adult or adult novels together. This may be the only time you can have genuine conversations with your teenager!
- Read the same books your child is reading so you can talk about the books together.
- Continue to visit the public library.
- Talk about the books and materials you are reading. Acknowledge your teen’s mature interest and recommend appropriate adult books.
- Discuss the concepts, symbols, well-written passages, and the author’s craft as you read.
- Help your child make time for reading and set goals as a reader.
- Help your child find books. Keep up with new books by talking to teachers, friends, librarians, and bookstore staff. Share book reviews.
- Encourage wide reading of many genres, titles, and authors.
- Ask your child to explain why he or she likes or dislikes a book or author.
- Discuss articles and editorials from the newspaper. Share the sports page or entertainment section.
- Have your child read the map when you’re going somewhere new.
- Provide support as your child reads informational texts in many subject areas.
- Provide encouragement as your child tackles challenging reading projects.
- Give your child a subscription to a teen or adult magazine based on his or her interest. Even if you might prefer a different subject matter, it will keep your child reading at an age when reading tends to decline.
- Start a mother-daughter book club with friends (or father-daughter, mother-son, etc.).
