How Can a Parent-Teacher Help Develop a Child’s Interest in Reading?
Okay, I hear you screaming parents…I cannot take this anymore! Please let my child go back to in person learning NOW! Parents have been doing a wonderful job stepping in as their child’s teacher during this pandemic. But there needs to be breaks in online learning time. A child cannot spend eight hours a day online. I still maintain however, that online learning must, and will, become an integral part of every child’s learning journey going forward. I just do not think online screen time is good for many hours per day.
So much of online and even in person classroom learning requires a child to read! With so much time at home right now may be a great time to develop your child’s reading. Take a break from the computer screen. Many of you may be saying to yourself, “but my child does not like to read, what can I do?”
Yes, many children are reluctant to read for the fun of it! What can you as a parent do? Here are some tips for developing your child’s interest in reading.
TIP 1: Read to your child because this builds their interest in reading. Reading to your child is not just for younger elementary age kids. Believe it or not, upper elementary and even middle schoolers enjoy being read to!
TIP 2: Have your child design their own bookmark. Trace around an existing bookmark for a template or go online for free downloads, or have your child create their own…perhaps a favorite animal shape?
TIP 3: Tape record your child’s favorite story so they can play it and follow along in the book as they listen.
TIP 4: Choose a special word from one of your child’s favorite books. Write a string of random letters which include the ‘special word’ several times in the string. Say, “I can see the word ‘dad’ four times in these letters, can YOU?” [For small children write the special word on a card so they can see it to match it in the random string]
Here is an example: Pbcdadmnotdadafeghdadrslqdad
TIP 5: Decorate a special container(s) [baskets, boxes, expandable file folders…] for storing your child’s books. Use several containers and label by ‘category’ so they can collect and store reading material about their favorite things(s).
TIP 6: At the restaurant or supermarket, identify a letter and have your child see how many words they can find that begin with that letter. For variation, look for last letters or middle letters or word endings…you get the idea.
Reading is the foundation to all learning but TAKE A BREAK! It cannot and should not all be done online. Set aside some off-screen time every day for your child to develop their reading just for fun.
How Can a Parent-Teacher Help Develop a Child’s Interest in Reading? Was first published on NutsAboutReading.com.
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