HOW TO TEACH AND CULTIVATE YOUR CHILD TO READ AT HOME

BY JACK HALFON

INTRODUCTION: • As a philanthropist and activist

for educational reform in South Africa, I cannot help but identify the problem that I am seeing in the educational sector.

• While we can attribute the large dropout rates in middle school and high school to today’s broken education system, much of the problems begin simply from home.

• So what can we do? How can we save our kids?

INTRODUCTION:• As a parent, it was imperative for me to press the

importance and value of education on my children at an early age.

• This type of mentality allowed them to develop and grow into the successful individuals today.

• Many people can insinuate that it social economics plays a role. While they are not wrong, developing that mentality starts simply by setting the foundation and expectation for reading.

WHY IS READING IMPORTANT

• No matter where you go, reading plays an integral role in every job that you go into.

• Whether it is a simple entry-level job or a managerial financial position, reading well sets the divider for those who are successful and those who are not.

INTRODUCTION

• Below I have set four various guidelines parents can utilize with their kids on a daily basis.

• This will begin them on their journey to learn and love reading. Following these guidelines will not just help your child read better, but inspire your child to read more.

1. READ ALOUD TO YOUR CHILD

• This practice itself requires exposure and consistency on a daily, if not weekly, basis.

• Usually many parents begin this process during infancy, where children are read various short stories and fairytales to help them sleep at night.

• As they grow, begin picking various stories that you know your child would like.

• Try and even incorporate other interests your child has from their exposure from family, friends, or television.

1. READING ALOUD TO YOUR CHILD

• While you read to them, try and be as enthusiastic as possible. Remember, you are their example. This will encourage them to begin visualizing and internalizing the characters and concepts of the story.

• If possible, try and have your child follow along with you. Show them the strategy of reading left-to-right and up-to-down so that they know how to properly read.

• Give them the opportunity to read aloud

2. ASK HIGHER ORDER THINKING QUESTIONS• Asking questions while reading to your child will not

only encourage stronger interaction with the text, but will also develop their reading comprehension skills.

• Sometimes, kids like to listen rather than internalize the text.

• Holding your child accountable for a text will provide them the necessary foundational reading skills to analytically break apart a text.

2. ASK HIGHER ORDER THINKING QUESTIONSSome questions to consider could be the following:

• Who are the characters?

• What are the characters problems?

• What is the setting?

• Provide a summary of what you just read

These questions can of course go into depth the stronger he or she gets with reading. For example, you can twist these questions by asking:

• Who is our main character?

• Describe our main character’s internal and external problems.

• How has the setting impacted our character / conflict?

3. IDENTIFY DIFFICULT WORDS

• This is probably one of the most important concepts parents usually miss when teaching their children to read efficiently and effectively.

• For these difficult words, not see this as an obstacle; see this as an opportunity.

• Teach the child the word, how to pronounce it, its definition, and how to use it in a sentence.

• If possible, begin a word bank in which your child can refer to like a notebook or flashcards. The more exposure your child has to this word, the better

4. WRITING THEIR THOUGHTS

• It would be to your biggest advantage if you had your child write down their thoughts about the story they have just read.

• They can answer Higher Order Thinking Questions

• They can write a summary

• They can write their own personal feelings

• This gives them a chance to internalize the text that they have just read and comprehend the story on a deeper level.

• Make sure you quickly read their work to see if they are actually writing about the story. If there are any mistakes or misunderstandings, be sure to correct them.