Jacqueline Kennedy once said, “There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.” Unfortunately, some children have not yet developed a love of reading. Even before the pandemic interrupted regular school learning, some children found reading to be a struggle. Now even more students are feeling the frustration of lost time, causing them (and maybe their parents) to just about give up.
Whether you are a parent, grandparent, or a special person to a child, you want nothing more than to see that child grow healthy and happy. It is disheartening to watch a child struggle, especially with something as important as reading skills.
This article provides tips, activities, and program information to guide you in helping your child, age infant to high school, on their path to being a better reader. If you do not have a child in your life who needs help, we are also providing information on programs that need volunteers to help young people succeed.
The most important thing to remember is that reading should be fun. If your child feels stressed and pressured, they are less likely to achieve their goals. Below are activities that will help you avoid frustrating your child and become part of the process to developing better reading skills.
Preschool
According to Literacy Project, children who are read to at least three times a week are almost two-times as likely to score in the top 25 percent in reading. Experts agree that children should be read to regularly starting in the first weeks of life. The example you show in valuing books and making story time a priority, will help guide your child into a lifetime of reading. At this age, books do not need to be extensive; simple picture books will serve to teach children reading fluency and vocabulary. Books with repetitive patterns and rhyme will help children learn sounds and sight words and become comfortable cadence and expression.
Children will often have books that are their favorites, but you want to introduce new stories to keep your child interested. The public library is a great source for books and a fun outing for your child. Fuquay-Varina Community Library offers a program called Inside @ the Library, a regular event featuring stories, music, and other fun activities. While you are there, you can pick up books to read at home with your child. If in-person activities aren’t a good fit for your family, you can visit the library website, https://www.wakegov.com/departments-government/libraries, and reserve books online for pick-up.
The more you read with your child, the better prepared they will be for kindergarten. Leigh Ann Fenn, kindergarten teacher at LaFayette Elementary School, explained that children are expected to enter kindergarten knowing their ABCs and letter sounds. “Long ago, we would teach children their alphabet and sounds, a letter a week,” said Leigh Ann. “Now, if the children don’t have these skills, they are already behind as we will begin working on reading sight words and fluency immediately.”
If it is difficult for you to find regular time to read with your child, Leigh Ann suggested using educational programs like Literacy Footprints, Tumble Books, and Storyline Online. For children who love music, you can search online for songs from Jack Hartman, which are educational and catchy.
With the pandemic lasting more than two years, many parents have been reluctant to send their children to preschool. Leigh Ann recommended working on pre-kindergarten skills at home, such as reading and discussing the story characters and setting, working on cutting a straight line with scissors, rolling Play-Doh into letters, holding a pencil correctly, and writing their first name with correct upper- and lowercase letters.
All these activities will not only help your child prepare for success in school and beyond but will also show your child that you are their partner and cheerleader in their educational journey.
Elementary School
Elementary school is the time when children transition from reading picture books and early reading books to chapter books. In the first few years of school, the children are learning to read, then the focus becomes reading to learn. It can be difficult to read for longer periods of time, to gain fluency in reading, and to learn new vocabulary. Some children will become frustrated, and some may want to avoid reading altogether. When this happens, parents can play an integral role in helping their child find their way to reading success. First, be sure to discuss any issues your child is having with reading with her teacher, who will have insight into what is expected at your child’s age and ideas on how to achieve set goals. At home, you can support your child in very positive and meaningful ways.
Sarah Frankland, fourth grade teacher, said that parents should associate what their children love with what they are reading. “What are they interested in?” asked Sarah. “Find a book on their reading level that they will find interesting.”
Sarah recommended finding a book series because that gives the child automatic next choices. For help with finding books based on interest, your child’s school librarian and the public library are at your service. The Fuquay-Varina Community Library offers two programs to help kids (and adults) find books to match their interests. Janet West, library manager, echoed Sarah’s advice on getting the kids hooked on a book series because of the large quantity of material. You can speak to a librarian in person, or you can visit the Wake County Public Library website to fill out a request to have a librarian choose books based on your interest for pick up or send you a list of recommended titles based on interest for check out.
If your child is reluctant to read a book, there are alternatives that may capture attention while still developing reading skills. Listening to audio books or read-alouds can help with fluency. Watching videos or television shows with the volume muted and the closed captioning on or reading digital books may keep your child’s interest longer. Magazines are a good tool as well if the subject matter interests your child. The Fuquay-Varina Community Library offers digital books through their website, and many students have access to online reading programs through their school, such as Read Theory, Epic, and MyOn.
Once your child has reading material to meet his interest, the next step is to make it fun. Sarah suggested creating a special spot for reading, like a book nook, building a reading fort, or even having a reading campout.
After the reading time is done, parents can reinforce good reading skills in several ways. The first is to simply discuss the story with your child. Ask questions about characters and the plot. If you are at a loss for questions, many books have review questions and activities online. Chances are your child will become more interested in reading because they will look forward to discussing the story with you.
Sarah also advised creating a project based on the reading. After they read, create a diorama, slide show or movie, or comic book, write an alternative ending, or draw a picture. “Make it something they think is fun that also shows they understand what they read,” said Sarah.
Middle and High School
By the time students get to sixth grade and beyond, good reading skills have become essential to being successful in school. If your child is frustrated in her classes, or her grades are low, the culprit may be difficulty in reading. The good news is, it is not too late to improve and even to enjoy reading. Reading Intervention Specialist at Fuquay-Varina Middle School, Tom Bellucco works with students who have been identified as needing extra support in reading. “There are paths to getting proficient in reading,” said Tom. “It is not too late, even if you have an older student.”
Tom explained that, just like younger students, the key is to find reading material in which the student finds interest. Not only are kids going to be drawn in by the subject, like sports, technology, or superheroes, they may be drawn to different mediums, such as magazines, podcasts, or online articles. Many of the schools offer free online reading programs for older students, such as Read Theory, which offers quizzes to complete after reading. Check with your child’s teacher for access to these programs. Once you find what works for your child, they won’t want to stop reading.
While the teachers are guiding the students at school, the parents will need to be involved at home. “A lot will happen in the classroom,” said Tom, “but a good chunk will come from the attitude at home. Kids need to be encouraged and they need help finding productive ways to engage in information.”
Tom suggested setting aside discussion time with your student to talk about what they are reading and to give them encouragement. “It is tough at this age because kids have so many other options for their time, such as sports and video games,” said Tom. “If parents spend time working with their kids on reading, it will be evident in the long run.”
Designating time away from distractions to connect with your child about their reading will spur great discussions and will demonstrate how important it is to develop good reading skills. Ask questions that will show your child’s understanding of the elements of the story, such as characters, plot, and message. If you need help with this, many books have online tutorials.
As kids advance in school, they will be working on research papers, essays, standardized test preparations, and college applications. In addition to the resources provided at their school, the Fuquay-Varina Community Library offers tools to help students navigate these requirements. Through the library website, students can access workshops and one-on-one meetings on topics such as test preparation, essay writing, basic computer skills, and resume and cover letter writing. The library also offers help with research by suggesting and gathering research material and through access to databases with research sources.
Heroes Read
There are several programs available for children who need extra support in reading, and many could use the help of adult volunteers. Heroes Read is a program within the Wake County School System that pairs volunteers, or Heroes, with teacher-identified students from kindergarten through third grade. The goal is to reinforce that reading is fun and to instill a love of reading in each child they mentor.
The Heroes Read volunteer meets with his or her assigned student once a week in a special classroom decorated with comfortable couches and chairs, bright wall decorations, and stuffed animals. The program even uses specially trained therapy dogs with reading certification to help encourage the students. Initially, the Heroes read to their students, but within a few meetings the student is running into the classroom to choose books to read to their Hero.
“In 16 years of teaching, the Heroes Read program is one of the most rewarding things I have done,” said Molly Groves, Heroes Read Program Coordinator. “In the five years we have been offering this program, I have never had a child say they don’t love to read after participating in the program.”
The success of the program is evident in the 80 percent growth in the students’ reading benchmarks from the beginning of the school year to its close. Currently, the Heroes Read program is in five elementary schools, including Lincoln Heights Elementary. With the help of volunteers, Molly is hoping to see the program implemented in all Wake County elementary schools. If you would like more information for your child, or to volunteer, contact Molly Groves at mgroves@wcpss.net.
Additional programs to help your child, or to volunteer, include the Read and Feed program, https://readandfeed.org/, an after-school program which provides healthy meals, tutoring and books to low-income families in Wake County; and the NC State Summer Reading Program, https://projects.ncsu.edu/mckimmon/cpe/reading/, which teaches reading skills to school children.
Whether your child is at the storytelling stage or applying for college, your involvement in their reading progress is essential. All the educators interviewed for this article agreed that parents should avoid putting pressure on their child because it only adds to their frustration. The best way to work towards success is to make reading fun and interesting. As your child reads what he likes, his understanding of concepts and vocabulary will develop, making it easier to understand the class materials. Your encouragement and participation will make all the difference in turning reading stress into reading success.
