More Tips for Improving Your Child's Literacy

This is the second half of last Thursday's list found here.

1. Plant books in high-traffic areas and make bookshelves accessible to short legs.

2. Subscribe to magazines. Classics Illustrated is a publication that has put classic novels such as The Three Musketeers into comic book format. Also Zoobooks and National Geographic for Kids are two other magazines I'd recommend.

3. Cut back on television. Unless you don't have one you're probably watching too much.

4. Practice what you preach. Children imitate and they'll be more inclined to read when you are reading. Talk about and share the stories you are reading.

5. Don't force a child to finish a book. It's okay to discard, in the time it takes to plod through something they've lost interest in they could have read two others that they like.

6. Don't discourage children from following the text with their finger. They will stop this automatically as they gain confidence and experience.

7. Don't assume that everything in print, or award-winning, is worthwhile. Pick books that both the reader and listener will enjoy.

8. Don't force a taking turns policy where readers alternate reading different paragraphs. This can cause anxiety and break up the text's meaning for new readers. Let them decide how much they want to read and then follow along when you are reading.

9. Don't force your child to read every word. Adults gain much of their information by scanning and children can too.

10. Don't insist on certain books--though don't hesitate to censor inappropriate material--variety is best encouraged through availability and example.

11. Don't be concerned if your child is hung up on one book or one series. Subsequent readings are usually beneficial for deeper understanding.

12. Don't feel you must spend money on books for your child to enjoy reading. If you have a good library nearby, picking out a book can encourage a child's independence. Go through school book orders and see which are offered at your local library or through an inter-library loan system. Try local used books stores or on-line stores like Powells and Alibris.

13. Don't quit reading out loud once your child can read alone. They joy of a shared experience can be found at any age.

For further discussion on this subject I'd recommend the following:

* Erica at Littlemummy discovered a book with a year's worth of read aloud stories.

* 5 Minutes for Mom lists another online resource for teachers and parents teaching children to read.

* Valued Minds.com is a new site that lists books by content, theme and genre. A great place to search for new books for your children.

* Starfall is a new website with games designed to promote reading. I haven't reviewed it yet but if you're trying to wean off of computer games and into books, this might be a good tool.

Technorati Tags: literacy, children, reading, books, education, parenting, Thursday Thirteen