Why Should I Read with my Child who is in Grade Six?

Asking where are your spelling words?  Thinking school just isn't the same.... 
Well you are right. And it shouldn't be.  

We are preparing children for the future- their future  -and many of the jobs or careers they will be in have not yet been created.  But we do know one thing- they need to read and there is only one way to get better at reading and that is to read more.  So reading with your child, talking about reading and modeling reading is the best way to start. 
When your child is reading at night-snuggle up and chat. 

Wondering how to help your son or daughter at night?  They are NOT too old or too cool to read with their parent/guardian AND discuss the reading with them.  In addition to using the advice on the Homework page of this site, try the following:

Ask them:

(if they are reading Fiction)    
If they can identify the characters, setting, problem, and how the problem was solved.
Tell them to look at the similarities and differences between their own lives and the characters in the story.
Push them to predict, infer, compare, synthesize, and evaluate.
Make connections to the text and the characters within the story.
What is the author's message?                

(if they are reading Non-fiction)
Identify the main topic.
Look at the table of contents and talk about how you can find specific information.
Discuss things like the habitat, preditors, extinction, environmental impact, materials used (natural and man made).
Notice time sequences, talk about how illustrations and graphics provide information and help the reader understand the concepts in the text.

Read a wide variety of things - newspapers, novels online, brochures, maps, lyrics to music, how-to books, comic books or graphic texts, short stories, poetry and scripts (just to name a few).  
If you can follow this reading with meaningful talk to support comprehension and increase retention  - you have spent time on 'good homework'.  Research also tells us some things about the benefit of reading- children who read have more sophisticated vocabulary, are better writers and will score 10% higher in tests and course grades.

Ideally, we need teachers and families working together as partners to support students' developing literacy.
Children learn from everything in their environment in which they live and work every day.  Be a part of it!

If you would like more information, try downloading this link.  This will give you more ideas on how to make a reader of your child.  In class we say that it is not good enough to be a "word caller" - anyone can read words - a reader thinks about and understands what they read.

To my students:  in your agenda, on Monday September 16, write the title and author of the book you are reading daily at home, then put your agenda in the IN BOX when you get to school on Tuesday morning!  :)