One of the saddest features of life in the United States, with its unmatched prosperity, is that 40% of those born into the bottom economic 5th stay there as adults (Kahlenberg, 2004). If we want to end this cycle of inequity and intergenerational poverty, education is our surest route. The gateway to a good education is literacy.
Albert Einstein wisely joked, "if you want your children to be brilliant, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more brilliant, read them more fairly tales." Poor readers will continue to be low academic achievers until they learn to read. Students who read significantly below grade level are like lumberjacks with dull saws- they work harder and achieve less. The cycle of poverty and personal pain will continue for those whom we condemn to live surrounded by information they cannot access. Reading is the key that unlocks doors.
Skilled readers do well in our society. This is true from the time they start their first job as students until they retire from their jobs in business and industry six decades later. Unskilled readers struggle in our society. They struggle every time they come in contact with print.
Reading is a cornerstone for a child's success in school and, indeed, throughout life! Without the ability to read well, opportunities for personal fulfillment and job success inevitably will be lost.
As parents, educators, and as a society we have a moral obligation in today's globally competitive economy, to instill in all our children the academic skills and personal attributes necessary for them to live happy, successful, and productive lives.
What can you do?
Reading for a child is like a fingerprint; each child has unique reading characteristics that make them successful or lead to struggles. Speaking with your child's teacher is a great way to gain insight into that fingerprint and ways of helping your child grow as a reader. Listening as your child reads to you is another excellent way of understanding your child's unique reading fingerprint.
At Kreeger Elementary we teach children methods for finding books so that they are a "Just Right" fit. Choosing literature because of the cover art or because of popularity is not a good way to grow as a reader. If you happen to be in a store shopping for a book with your child, a great way to help them is to have them pick up the text and read a page to you. As you sit shoulder to shoulder watch as they read across the page. Are they reading fluently? Does it pass a simple ear test? If your child is making four or more significant errors on the page or reading too slowly, that text is most likely too difficult.
The good news is that helping your child grow as a reader is well within your reach.
* establish a working relationship with our Kreeger teachers
* work thoughtfully to match your child with an appropriate book
* monitor your child's reading once a week to help them make meaning and know how to process text
* set aside 20 minutes or more each night to READ...after all, we only get good at things if we do them!
Albert Einstein wisely joked, "if you want your children to be brilliant, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more brilliant, read them more fairly tales." Poor readers will continue to be low academic achievers until they learn to read. Students who read significantly below grade level are like lumberjacks with dull saws- they work harder and achieve less. The cycle of poverty and personal pain will continue for those whom we condemn to live surrounded by information they cannot access. Reading is the key that unlocks doors.
Skilled readers do well in our society. This is true from the time they start their first job as students until they retire from their jobs in business and industry six decades later. Unskilled readers struggle in our society. They struggle every time they come in contact with print.
Reading is a cornerstone for a child's success in school and, indeed, throughout life! Without the ability to read well, opportunities for personal fulfillment and job success inevitably will be lost.
As parents, educators, and as a society we have a moral obligation in today's globally competitive economy, to instill in all our children the academic skills and personal attributes necessary for them to live happy, successful, and productive lives.
What can you do?
Reading for a child is like a fingerprint; each child has unique reading characteristics that make them successful or lead to struggles. Speaking with your child's teacher is a great way to gain insight into that fingerprint and ways of helping your child grow as a reader. Listening as your child reads to you is another excellent way of understanding your child's unique reading fingerprint.
At Kreeger Elementary we teach children methods for finding books so that they are a "Just Right" fit. Choosing literature because of the cover art or because of popularity is not a good way to grow as a reader. If you happen to be in a store shopping for a book with your child, a great way to help them is to have them pick up the text and read a page to you. As you sit shoulder to shoulder watch as they read across the page. Are they reading fluently? Does it pass a simple ear test? If your child is making four or more significant errors on the page or reading too slowly, that text is most likely too difficult.
The good news is that helping your child grow as a reader is well within your reach.
* establish a working relationship with our Kreeger teachers
* work thoughtfully to match your child with an appropriate book
* monitor your child's reading once a week to help them make meaning and know how to process text
* set aside 20 minutes or more each night to READ...after all, we only get good at things if we do them!
A Parent Reading Routine Strategy
What does your child do before bedtime?
March 26, 2013
Parents know the value of a good bedtime routine. Dinner, bath, books and bed was the routine around here for years and years, and for the most part, our girls went to bed and fell right to sleep. But as kids get older, electronics and television seem to find their way into kids' hands closer and closer to bedtime. These habits, unfortunately, can make it harder for kids to fall asleep, resulting in less sleep overall. Inadequate sleep is associated with several school issues, including poor concentration, hyperactivity and obesity.
An interesting study in the journal Pediatrics examined the relationship between pre-sleep activities and the length of time it takes to fall asleep. More than 2,000 individuals in New Zealand, ages 5-18, reported their pre-sleep activities for the 90 minutes prior to going to bed. Television watching was the most commonly reported activity, followed by usual bedtime activities including changing clothes, brushing teeth and washing hands. Reading lying down was 9th, reading sitting up was 15th. Researchers compared pre-sleep activities to the time of sleep onset. Not surprisingly, those with fewer screen-based activities fell asleep more quickly. It took more time for those with screen-based activities to fall asleep.
For me, this study falls into the realm of "common sense that I sometimes ignore." But no more! I'll be monitoring our before-bed activities a little more closely, including my own!
Source: Reading Rockets @ http://www.readingrockets.org/
What does your child do before bedtime?
March 26, 2013
Parents know the value of a good bedtime routine. Dinner, bath, books and bed was the routine around here for years and years, and for the most part, our girls went to bed and fell right to sleep. But as kids get older, electronics and television seem to find their way into kids' hands closer and closer to bedtime. These habits, unfortunately, can make it harder for kids to fall asleep, resulting in less sleep overall. Inadequate sleep is associated with several school issues, including poor concentration, hyperactivity and obesity.
An interesting study in the journal Pediatrics examined the relationship between pre-sleep activities and the length of time it takes to fall asleep. More than 2,000 individuals in New Zealand, ages 5-18, reported their pre-sleep activities for the 90 minutes prior to going to bed. Television watching was the most commonly reported activity, followed by usual bedtime activities including changing clothes, brushing teeth and washing hands. Reading lying down was 9th, reading sitting up was 15th. Researchers compared pre-sleep activities to the time of sleep onset. Not surprisingly, those with fewer screen-based activities fell asleep more quickly. It took more time for those with screen-based activities to fall asleep.
For me, this study falls into the realm of "common sense that I sometimes ignore." But no more! I'll be monitoring our before-bed activities a little more closely, including my own!
Source: Reading Rockets @ http://www.readingrockets.org/
