Promote Reading for Primary Grade Children

• Read aloud to your child every night for fifteen minutes. Make it a family reading time for everyone. Take turns picking the books for the evening.

• Model "pretend reading" where you show your child how to hold the book and turn the pages.

• Talk about your favorite books and what you like about them. Ask your children to tell you about the characters (plot, etc.) in their favorite books.

• Model reading by subscribing to newspapers, magazines, or reading for information on Internet sites like CNN. Talk to your child about why it is important.

• As your child gains confidence with reading, have her read to you at home. It should be for short periods of time and with material that is not too difficult.

• Look at a picture book and have your child explain what is happening in the story. This helps encourage powers of observation and a habit for using picture clues.