Notes From Your WES Reading Coach

Read, Read, Read, and Read some more!

Research shows that spending just 20-30 minutes a night will help increase your child's knowledge in all areas-critical thinking, vocabulary, stamina, writing, and even math.

Another great idea is to have your child listen to audio books. This is great for kids that may be reading below level, because they are still getting to experience on-level and above texts.

Graphic novels and picture books are also wonderful for practicing inferencing skills and kids usually LOVE reading them! The only thing about this, is to make sure that these are not the ONLY type of books your child is reading. We want them to expand their horizon and push themselves to be challenged in what they are reading.

Click for K-5 Reading Resources

https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/ Free online books for your child to listen and read.

http://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com This website will work on phonics in a fun way! This is great for readers that are not reading fluently at a 4th grade reading level or for students that struggle with spelling. Your child will love this site.

https://storylineonline.net Storyline Online is a children's literacy website created by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, which provides free storytelling videos and resources for parents and teachers to foster a love of reading in children.

www.starfall.com Starfall is a children's website that teaches basic English reading and writing skills through fun games focusing primarily on phonics.

https://pbskids.org/ This site offers educational games and videos from Curious George, Wild Kratts and other PBS KIDS shows.

www.ixl.com IXL uses insights from student work in the curriculum and the Real-Time Diagnostic to generate personalized guidance for each learner. These personalized action plans seamlessly link students to the skills that will help them build on their knowledge and remediate gaps in understanding.

https://www.readingrockets.org/audience/parents Reading Rockets is a national public media literacy initiative offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help.

www.abcya.com Educational games for grades PreK through 6 that will keep kids engaged and having fun.

• Read to and with your child at least 20 minutes each day Your child will gain awareness of reading and even the very young will gain vocabulary. Running your index finger under the print as you read will help your child notice that printed words have meaning. Gradually you can ask her to identify letters and sounds.
• Sing songs and recite poems and rhymes that have repetitive sounds Repetition makes it easier for your child to pick up on the patterns in the sounds you make.
• Model good reading habits Help your child understand that reading is important by letting him see you reading maps, books, recipes, and directions. Suggest reading as a free-time activity. Keep books that are of interest to your child in an easy place for him to reach.
• Keep a variety of reading materials in the house Make sure to have reading materials for enjoyment as well as for reference.
• Encourage your child to practice reading aloud Frequently listen to your child read out loud and praise your child as he/she does so. Offer to read every other page or even every other chapter to your child. Have conversations and discussions about the book with your child.
• Write short notes for your child to read Write down his weekly household responsibilities for your child to keep track of or put a note in his lunch bag.
• Encourage activities that require reading
• Cooking (reading a recipe), constructing a kite (reading directions), or identifying a bird's nest or a shell at the beach (reading a reference book) are some examples.
• Talk with your child Talking makes children think about their experiences more and helps them expand their vocabularies. Ask your child to give detailed descriptions of events and to tell complete stories.