Reading at Home

Dear Parents,
A recent commentary printed in the Teachers Leadership Network Forum, reinforced the importance of students reading at home. The report plainly states that reading at home is one of the most important indicators of educational success, beyond working hard. Students who read the most perform better in school. They are the best readers, of course, but they are also the best writers, spellers, possess the best vocabulary, and perform better in content-heavy areas like science and social studies. Clearly, reading is important, and the students who read the most possess the highest academic potential (Miller, 2010).
Teachers have tried many techniques to motivate or encourage students to read more at home. Both of my boys have brought home the reading log sheet or the famous "Book It" (get a free pizza for reading 400 minutes). Here are some simple ideas in which promotes the "love" of reading:
1. Parents should carve out reading time for their children each day. This time should be allotted for reading only. In our house, the entire family stops and reads for 30 minutes. My wife often enjoys reading chapter books with our children. Julie will read a few pages and then Jordan will read the next few pages. This technique is a great bonding experience, helps your children read more difficult text without fatigue and you can ask your children questions throughout the reading.
2. Find books that interest your child. Even if the reading material seems a little too easy, let your child just relax and have fun reading that interest them.
3. Encourage, encourage, encourage your children to read. Ask them what their favorite book is or the last book the read. Discuss with your details about the book.

Email me some suggestions that you use to encourage reading at home.

Jason Ulbrich, Education Director