Find ways to read, write, and tell stories together with
your child. Always applaud your young reader and beginning story writer!
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Tell
family tales.
Children love to hear stories about their family. Tell your child
what it was like when you or your parents were growing up, or talk
about a funny thing that happened when you were young.
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Create
a writing toolbox.
Find a special box and fill it with drawing and writing materials.
Think of everyday opportunities for your child to write — the
family shopping list, thank-you notes, birthday cards, or signs
for the bedroom door.
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Be
your child's #1 fan.
Show interest in your child's homework and writing assignments.
Ask your child to read out loud what he or she has written. Be an
enthusiastic listener.
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One
more time with feeling.
When your child has figured out an unfamiliar word, have him or
her re-read that sentence one more time. Often children are so busy
figuring out a word that they lose the meaning of what they've just
read.
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Create
a book together.
Make a handmade book together by folding pieces of paper in half
and stapling them together. Your second grader can write his or
her own story, with different sentences on each page. Ask your child
to illustrate the book with his or her own drawings.
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Do
storytelling on the go.
Take turns adding to a story the two of you make up while riding
in a car or bus. Either one of you could start. Try making the story
funny or spooky. This will stretch the imagination and foster a
love for stories. It's fun, too!
-
Point
out the relationship between words.
Show your child how words relate and how this helps with both spelling
and word meanings. If your child is having a hard time spelling
a word like knowledge, for example, point out that it is
related to the word know.
-
Invite
an author to class.
Volunteer to invite a published author to talk to your child's class
about the writing process. Young children often think they aren't
smart enough if they can't sit down and write a perfect story on
the first try. It can be very helpful for them to hear an author
discuss how important revising and editing is to good writing.
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Use
a writing checklist.
Have your child create a checklist to always use when writing a
first draft. The checklist could contain reminders such as, "Do
all of my sentences start with a capital? Yes/No." You might want
to show the checklist to your child's teacher. That way you both
can be sure that you're giving your child the same instructions.
-
Quick,
quick.
Once a child can read a word, you can use it in lively speed drills.
Show the word along with other words that your child has learned
recently. Either use flash cards or a computer game. Make it fast
so he or she doesn't get bored. These drills sometimes help children
automatically recognize and read certain words, especially those
that are used frequently.
By second grade, many kids are beginning to write their
own stories. Their writings are filled with the made-up spellings of
words that are based on what they hear. These misspellings are often
cute and are also a clue as to how well a child hears and understands
language.
To become better readers and writers, kids must soon learn
the conventional spelling of words. Learning about spelling rules and
patterns is helpful. So is having your child do a lot of reading and
writing on his or her own.
Reading and writing skills go hand in hand. Reading gives
kids models of good writing they learn about punctuation, capitalization,
grammar, storytelling, and vocabulary. And writing builds important
thinking skills such as how to organize, sequence, and express ideas
in a way that makes sense.
Try some of the tips above to sneak in ways to get your
child to read and write. What you want to avoid is making reading and
writing a chore. Without a doubt, one of the most important roles you
play is that of cheerleader. Applaud your child's efforts and successes.
Give him or her the courage and motivation to keep at it!
Reading and literacy are important issues for public television.
More information about reading is available at the new PBS Parents web site. Or check the main Reading
Rockets web site at http://www.readingrockets.org/
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