Prevention is the key

Parents of struggling readers are often at a loss on how to help their child.  The problem is that they don't understand some of these problems could of be prevented.  There are several things parents can do to help their child to read from the time they bring the baby home from the hospital.  The first is to just talk to your child.  Oral language development is key to helping your child develop the basic understanding of our language and increases their vocabulary.  Speaking is the building blocks of reading.  "One of the most basic skills that children need in order to succeed in school is the ability to use language. By the time children start school, those who are unable to use language well enough to make themselves easily understood are less likely than other children to meet the learning requirements of their age group" (taken from a study)

Did you know 80% of children of low income families have a delayed vocabulary development?  Reading books, even to infants, expose children to a world filled of new vocabulary.  Simple things you learn from reading a book, like knowing print is read from left to right and how to turn pages, are important in literacy development.  Reading opens the door to new worlds children that may not be exposed too.  I can read about monkeys in the trees in Africa and my child will make a connection that our backyard has trees therefore monkeys live in them!  Reading to your child also fosters a relationship between you and your child.  Studies have shown reading to your children help their school performance!

There are resources for parents to use to help their young readers.  The Department of Education have put together reading tips along with activities to help parents.  Follow the link and click on Reading Tips for Parents and Helping Your Child Become a Reader.  These are great articles that can help you become a better parent to your child!

Teacher Resources!!!

I hit the jackpot on this resource.  This website has Informational Text Reading Inventory.  It is through Indiana University's website (Go Hoosiers!).  I has a complete printable resources for diagnostic assessment, Language Arts Introductions, student lessons, teacher manual, and follow-up assessments.  These documents allow informative texts (social studies and science) to integrate Reading skills like compare and contrast through the readings.  All grades are available!  I know this blog is for young readers, but I couldn't ignore this awesome resource!