Family Resource
How to Help
Your Young Child
Do Well
in Reading...
Parents can play an important role
in helping their children learn to read
1. Help your child
When your child is small, play sound and
word games, sing songs, and read alphabet
books and books with rhymes.
• As she gets older, help her take words apart,
listen to their sounds, and recognize and write
the letters and words including her name.
• When she is older still, talk with her at mealtimes
and during walks and car or bus rides.
• At any age, read aloud to your child at least
20 minutes every day and talk about pictures,
words, and stories. Use new and interesting
words and explain what they mean.
2.Learn about your child’s reading program.
• The U.S. Department of Education has free
brochures, books, and other materials to help
parents understand the basics of learning
to read.
• A Child Becomes a Reader is for parents of
children birth through preschool. Put Reading
First is for parents of children preschool
through third grade.
• Order these materials by phone (800-228-8813),
e-mail (edpuds@inet.ed.gov) or on-line
(www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading) .
3.Get to know your child’s teacher.
• Your child’s teacher can help you understand
the science behind teaching children to read
and write.
• Prepare a list of questions about your child’s
reading and writing program. Ask for ideas
about how you can help your child practice
what she learns at school.
• The more you understand what it takes for
your child to learn, the better.
4.Take reading and writing seriously.
• Reading and writing are the building blocks
on which success in school rests.
• Follow your child’s progress. Get her extra
help if she needs it. Ask if your school or a
program in your community has tutoring or
academic support services.
5.Turn off the TV.
• Limit TV watching and video games.
• When the TV is on, watch educational
programs and talk about them with your
child. For example, the show Between the
Lions reinforces your child’s reading program
and can get her wild about reading.
6.Use what’s out there.
• There are resources in the community to help
you help your child.
• Visit the library often and borrow books that
your child likes. Find out about story times
and other activities.
• Go on family trips to museums, parks,
the zoo, or the airport. Use new words to
describe what you see. This helps your child
understand the world.
7.Stay involved.
• The first three years of reading instruction
build the foundation for reading success but
it’s regular reading practice that builds strong
readers.
8.Keep talking and reading.
• Know your child’s interests. Make sure
she has reading materials about things that
interest her.
• As your child starts reading, give her a chance
to read to you. Ask her to tell you the story in
her own words and explain why she likes – or
doesn’t like – it.
• It takes many hours to become a good reader,
so spend lots of time on this practice.
• Don’t be surprised if your child wants to read
the same book over and over.
9.Be a model for your child.
• Fill your home with reading and writing
materials such as books, newspapers,
magazines, notebooks, markers, and crayons.
Have your child help you make lists, signs,
labels, notes, photo albums, and scrapbooks.
• Show her you enjoy reading and writing.
Tell her about favorite books from your
childhood. If possible, give her books as
gifts she can give to her own children.
10.Keep looking ahead.
• For more ideas about how to help your child
practice reading, speak to your local librarian
about recommended books and activities.
• Visit Web sites about reading such as
www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading or
www.pbskids.org/lions or Web sites that
support your child’s interests in things like
science and nature.
THE MASSACHUSETTS READING FIRST PLAN
The Reading Office
Massachusetts Department of Education
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
781-338-3000
www.doe.mass.edu
With Funding from:
U.S. Department of Education
To request copies,
send an e-mail with your name, the number of copies you need,
and your mailing address to: reading@doe.mass.edu
Helpful Web Sites:
Massachusetts Department of Education – www.doe.mass.edu
• Reading Office – www.doe.mass.edu/read
• Adult and Community Learning Services –
www.doe.mass.edu/acls
• Special Education – www.doe.mass.edu/sped
Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care –
www.eec.state.ma.us
Massachusetts Family Literacy Consortium –
www.doe.mass.edu/familylit
Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement –
www.ciera.org
Reach Out and Read – www.reachoutandread.org
Get Ready to Read – www.getreadytoread.org
U.S. Department of Education – www.ed.gov |