Strategies to Help Match Your Child to a Great Read!
By Ketra Cross
- Give lots of choices. There are so many types of books out there- try exposing your child to as many of them as you can, from fairy tales to mysteries to nonfiction books about gorillas. Cookbooks, magazines, and poetry are also great options. You never know which type of book will turn your child into a lifelong reader!
- Be supportive of your child's passions. You might not love comic books or thick readers on dinosaurs, but your child might. And kids are much more likely to become lifelong readers if you let them follow their interests.
- Know the 5-finger rule. Have your child open up a potential book to a random page. Each time (s)he comes to a word (s)he doesn't know, ask him or her to hold up one finger. If your child is holding up 0 or 1 fingers, the book may be too easy. If (s)he's holding up 4 or 5 fingers by the end of the page, the book may be too difficult for now, while 2 or 3 fingers signify a "just right" book.
- Read together! Research shows that reading together as a family makes a big difference in students' skills and interest level. Ask your child lots of questions as you read. If it seems like (s)he isn't interested in the story, feel free to put down the book and move on!
~Ideas taken from the Scholastic take-home pages.
