Home Reading
The goal of home reading is to strengthen reading skills and to foster a love of reading. We also want to build reading stamina. Your child should read at least four evening a week for at least 15 minutes at the beginning of the year and work towards 40 minutes of sustained reading by the end of the year. Many grade four students love reading and are already reading much more than this in one sitting. If your child finds it difficult to get hooked into a book there are a few things that you can do at home to help foster an enjoyment of reading.
The Summer Slide
The goal of home reading is to strengthen reading skills and to foster a love of reading. We also want to build reading stamina. Your child should read at least four evening a week for at least 15 minutes at the beginning of the year and work towards 40 minutes of sustained reading by the end of the year. Many grade four students love reading and are already reading much more than this in one sitting. If your child finds it difficult to get hooked into a book there are a few things that you can do at home to help foster an enjoyment of reading.
- Read with your child. Make it a positive experience. Read the first chapter to your child so that they have a chance to get hooked into the novel. Next take turns reading. You read a page or a paragraph and then have your child do the same. Make sure you take time to talk about the story as you go. Enjoy the story together.
- When your child stumbles over a word, give them time to self correct. Do not jump in quickly to correct them. You want them to take ownership of reading. If they are having difficulty pronouncing a word ask them if they would like help then give them some hints on how to sound it out.
- The book your child is reading should be at a level that is not to difficult for him or her. If there are more than five words on the page that your son or daughter can't pronounce or understand then the book is too difficult and you should encourage them to try something else.
- For fantastic advice on helping your child with their reading have a look at http://www.springboard.org.uk/data/files/Parents/parents-little-guide.pdf
The Summer Slide