Bright Ideas: How to Keep Kids Reading Over the Holidays

Here are some great tips from  SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) http://www.getsmartoregon.org/smart-reading-tips-for-the-holidays/

SMART Reading Tips for the Holidays

Winter break is right around the corner, and holidays can get pretty hectic! Routines can fly out the window with celebrations, travel and out-of-town guests. As your family prepares for the holidays, use these tips for keeping kids engaged in learning and reading over winter break.

1. Read for fun! Whether your child is in the mood for holiday stories or the newest installment from a favorite series, winter break provides the perfect opportunity to set aside school books and read for fun. Make time for bedtime stories to create the routine and enjoy books on a daily basis.
2. Stock up on books at the local library. Help your child pick out books they’re interested in reading over the winter break. Libraries may also have fun, free holiday activities throughout the break.
3. Make the most of travel time. Turn travel time to or from a holiday get-together into an opportunity to practice reading. You can look for license plates from different states, try to find the alphabet on the license plates, or count the number of red (or white or green) cars you see. Read street signs and billboards you see along the way.
4. Create a new tradition. A little predictability is comforting for kids. Starting a special Winter Break Story Time can be a new tradition that links reading with happy memories. Hot cocoa and your favorite stories will have the whole family feeling comfy and cozy, while creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Remember, you don’t have to be an expert to help your child with reading. By simply interacting with children around books, you can show them that books are important and worthy of our attention.

Bright Ideas: Repeated Readings to Build Fluency

During the first part of January, our students will be tested again on their reading skills using the DIBELS test.  One of the main things that will be tested is reading fluency.  Fluency includes reading smoothly and at a natural pace -- "like speaking".  "The primary technique for building fluency is repeated readings, where the student reads the same passage aloud with an adult or a student partner who can provide guidance. A substantial amount of research supports that rereading the same passage helps build fluency not only in that passage, but other passages as well." (see website below)
 Parents can encourage their children to reread to build fluency by doing one of the following:
-Choral read a book or passage together the first time, then have the child read it himself.
-Have children find a favorite passage and practice reading it with feeling and expression.
-Get the whole family involved by asking the child to read a favorite part to several different family members.
-Challenge the child to see how many different voices she can use to read the passage (high, low, soft, loud, mouse voice, monster voice, etc.)
-Record your child reading.  Ask him to practice several times first, so he is ready.  Let him listen and re-record if he wishes to make improvements.
Learn more on pages 247 - 256 of the document found at
http://www.ousd.org/cms/lib07/ca01001176/centricity/domain/133/ive_dibeld_now_what_exerpt.pdf

Bright Ideas: Why Should My Child Read 20 Minutes a Day at Home?

 Let's face it . . . life is busy!  There are so many 

things to fit into our schedules each day!  So why

is it so critical for children to spend 20 minutes 

every day reading at home?  Here are a few of the 

ways that research has shown that this daily reading 

benefits children.

Reading is “brain food” Our brains develop as we “feed” them with experiences. You integrate new information learned through reading further strengthening and growing your network of knowledge. Reading provides one of the most enriching and complex brain activities available in life.

Practice makes perfect  Generally, the more time you are exposed to something and the more time you spend practicing it, the better you’ll become at performing it. This is absolutely true for reading. Research shows that children who have repeatedly been exposed to books from birth generally exhibit strong reading abilities.

Reading improves academic performance  There is a strong correlation between a child’s ability to read and her academic performance. Because so much of our schooling relies on our abilities to read, children must have strong reading skills to succeed and thrive in school.

Reading just makes “cents”  For every year that a person spends reading, his/her lifetime earning potential goes up considerably. For a time investment of 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week, you can increase your child’s ability to support him or herself in the future considerably.

Reading improves relationships  Because we are busy it is difficult to have “quality” one-on-one time with our children without distractions. Building 20 minutes into each day for reading together provides this important bonding time.  Spending 20 minutes reading independently provides you with quiet, uninterrupted time together engaged in the same activity.

Go to http://www.k12reader.com/why-read-20-minutes-a-day/ to learn more.

Bright Ideas: Reading at Home

Here are some reading helps from "Tips for Parents:  How to Support your Child's Reading at Home". .at http://www.buncombe.k12.nc.us/Page/15710.

Make sure your child is reading for about 20 minutes each night and reading an appropriate level book.  As a general rule, if the student is missing more than five words per page, it's too difficult.

Reading out loud frequently is especially important for beginning readers up through the second grade level.  To help your child understand what he/she is reading, have your child retell the story in order.  If it is a fiction title, make sure the setting, characters, problem, events and solution are included in the retelling.  It is also important for you to read aloud to your child.  When you do so, you are modeling what good reading sounds like.  Keep reading aloud to your child, even after the primary grades. 

Summer Reading Tips

Children who continue to read throughout the summer will gain skills, rather than lose them during the break.  Here are some ideas for encouraging your child to read:
1. Read aloud every day -- maybe outside, at the beach, or at the park for a change.
2. Set a good example for the kids by reading yourself.
3. Read the same book as your child and discuss it.
4. Let kids choose what they would like to read.
5. Go to the library regularly to check out new books.
6. Buy or borrow audio books.
7. Subscribe to children's magazines.
8. Encourage your child to be a pen pal to a friend who lives out of town.
9. Participate in a summer reading program at your library or through local businesses -- Barnes and Noble's program can be found at https://dispatch.barnesandnoble.com/content/dam/ccr/pdf/2017/summer-reading/BN_SummerReading_Journal.pdf?x=y
10. Help kids make and write in a summer scrapbook or journal.
For more ideas, visit http://www.readingrockets.org/article/summer-reading-tips-parents andhttp://www.learningunlimitedllc.com/2013/05/13-parent-ideas/.

Reading Incentive

Enterprise Elementary is very fortunate to have a wonderful PTA!  They have been so supportive of our school's Reading Incentive program!  This year, as in years past, they will sponsor an end-of-year party at Fiesta Fun Center in St. George for all of the students in grades 1-6 who meet certain reading goals.  We encourage everyone to read throughout the year and to accurately record and turn in their reading minutes.  For those who do this, there are several incentives such as fun monthly parties, drawings for prizes, and the chance to be one of the monthly "Principals for the Day".  The Fiesta party, however, is a special privilege for students who have met the extra requirements outlined  in the "Reading is a Party Program" letter. Not all students will qualify to go to Fiesta . . . only those who have gone above and beyond the basic expectation. In all fairness to the PTA who is footing the bill for the party, as well as to the other students who have worked extra hard to qualify for the Fiesta trip, we would encourage parents and students to honor the rules of the program. If you have any questions, check the "Reading is a Party Program" letter on this blog page.  Thank you for your support!  Let's keep reading!