From Kimberly L. Keith,
Your Guide to Parenting of K-6 Children.
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Follow the lead of literacy educators to enrich your child's reading skills at home. The National Reading Panel 2000 Report on Teaching Children to Read lists the following building blocks of reading and writing. Parents can find creative ways at home to give the child opportunities to:

Build spoken language by talking and listening - dramatic play, mutual storytelling, family conversation, learning songs and poems, playing games that require talking, listening, following and giving spoken directions

• Ideas and Activities to Build Spoken Language

Learn sbout print and books/being read to and reading on their own - Buy children's books, borrow books from the library, read magazines and other printed materials

• Ideas and Activities to Learn About Print and Books

Learn to relate the sounds of spoken language to the letters of the alphabet(Phonics) - guided reading, letter and sand trays, rhymes, letter sound of the week

• Ideas and Activities to Build Phonics Skills

Be able to recognize words when they see them/learn to spell and write words - sight word walls, spelling games, writing activities

• Ideas and Activities to Learn to Recognize Sight Words
• Ideas and Activities to Learn to Spell and Write Words

Learn new words and build their knowledge of what words mean (Vocabulary) - word games; vocabulary activities, parent reading more advanced books to child

• Ideas and Activities to Build Vocabulary

Develop the ability to read quickly and naturally (Fluency) - read books and other printed material at the right level of reading development, frequent opportunities for reading, reading the same book several times

• Ideas and Activities to Build Fluency

Build their ability to understand what they read (Comprehension) - discuss what they read, tell the story in their own words, comprehension activities

• Ideas and Activities to Build Comprehension

Build their knowledge of the world - travel, learning other subjects such as science and history, Internet exploration, reading to learn

Next > A Home Learning Plan for Elementary Reading