Parent's Reading Page

Welcome to the Parents' Page! It was created just for you. There are three sections on this page. First there is a Reading Choices section, which will link you to sites of recommended books. Then there is an FAQ section regarding children's literacy answered by Tierra Bonita's Reading Specialist, Donna Feith. The final section is a list of general resources for parents. Also be sure to check out the Accelerated Reader information.

Reading Choices | Frequently Asked Questions | General Resources

Reading Choices

In supporting your child's reading endeavors, you will want to encourage them to read good books that interest them. Below you will find nine sites that will provide you with a wealth of ideas. Simply click on the ones that interest you.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. My child is a struggling reader.  What can I do to help her?  Is there anything I can read that will help me understand more about this?  How do I find books for her?

    Research indicates that the best thing to do to improve fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension is to read. In order for students to benefit from reading practice, they should be able to read their books with just some challenge.  If they struggle to decode words, they are not understanding what they are "reading." When helping children choose books at an appropriate level, have them read a paragraph. If they have to stop and work on more than two or three words, tell them that another book may be a better choice, and then look for another one.

  Children sometimes resist working with their parents at the end of a long day. Rather than trying to do reading work with them, it may be more valuable to listen to them do their reading homework. Later, have a special time to enjoy a book together. Choose a book, maybe a classic, and read it to your child. Our listening comprehension is at a higher level than our reading comprehension, so children can enjoy listening to books which they wouldn't be able to read alone. This is how we can "hook" them on books. You may ask them why a character does something in the story, what they might do in a similar situation, what they think will happen next, and so forth. A good resource for understanding how we can assist young readers is the Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. (To see Trelease's website, click here.)

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2.  My son has reached a plateau and seems to be reading the same kinds of books all the time. What can I do to help him branch out?

   It is important to read different genres. One reason we invite authors to visit our school is to expose our students to various types of writing. Children are more interested in reading books written by someone whom they have met. If your child tends to choose the same type of books all the time, you may get him/her to try some books written by authors who have been to Tierra Bonita. In the last four years we have had Shelly Gill (non-fiction and realistic fiction about Alaska), Rick Walton (fiction), Pam Munoz Ryan (fiction and non-fiction, some multicultural subjects), and Brod Bagert (poetry). Books by these authors are available in our school library.

  If your child has enjoyed a book on a specific topic, you may encourage them to look for other books on the same topic or other books by the same author. This may lead to other types of writing.

  Your choice of read-aloud books may also be a way to help your child enjoy different genres. No matter how old your child is, he/she is not too old to be read to. As an adult in graduate school, our professors read to us in order to share current children's literature. We all looked forward to it. Your child will, too.

   Another point to remember is that even though your child is continuing to read the same type of books, he/she is reading. That is the ultimate goal, to have children develop habits for reading.

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3.  I want to stay involved in my child's reading.  Do you have any suggestions for how I can do this?

  There are several ways to stay involved in your child's reading. Ask what they are reading, what it is about, if they enjoy it, what they like about the book, and so on. Ask them to read aloud to you. Have family read-alouds in the evenings. Your children will come to love this and will choose it over TV, a computer game, and other such activities. Have read-alouds in the car/plane/etc. on trips. Different family members can take turns. Predict what the book will be about, what will happen next, talk about a situation in the book, and so forth.

   These are just a couple of ideas. I'm sure you can add to the list. The idea is to provide a nurturing time that includes a reading activity so that your child will connect reading to good feelings and good times. Reading will become a habit for your child, and as he/she reads more, various reading skills will improve.

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4.  Why have we gotten away from an emphasis on phonics?

  It seems that we've gotten away from phonics, when in fact, we've just changed the ways we approach phonics. In many cases, we've gotten away from workbooks and worksheets.  In most cases, this is not the most valuable method of instruction and practice. We now know that it is more valuable to relate information to something that gives us a purpose for learning it and which gives it meaning for us as learners.

  For example, if I do a worksheet which has pictures of items that begin with "p," I basically practice writing the letter "p"  under each picture. On the the other hand, let's say that I can read the word "pig." When I come to the word "party" in my reading, I recognize the "p" and know the sound because I know "pig." The next steps to solve the word use other strategies that work together with phonics. I look at the pictures to get an idea of what is happening, I think of what is happening in the story so far, what the context of the sentence is, and what word would make sense. Working this way embeds phonics in the the reading of text, and it is more meaningful to the learner.

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General Resources for Parents