Let's Read!

When parents help their children learn to read, they open the door to a big, exciting world. When you read to your children, they develop a love of stories, they want to read on their own, they practice reading, and finally, they read for their own information or pleasure. When children become readers, their world is forever wider and richer!

We cannot emphasise enough the importance of parents reading to their children as well as having your children read to you.

Here are some suggestions to make reading enjoyable at home:

Read aloud to your child: books, newspaper and magazine articles, the back of the cereal box, labels on cans or directions.
Read poems aloud together to learn about rhythm and repeated sounds in language.
Point to the words on the page when you read. Move your finger from left to right.
Listen to your child read their favourite stories to you.
Go to the library together and check out books. Be sure to ask the librarian for good books or to help you find what you need.
Have books, magazines, and papers around the house, and let your child see that you like to read too.
Encourage older children to read to younger children.
Help them talk, draw and/or write about what they read.

Take Home Books

Your child will begin to bring home a book each night before the end of Term 1. We encourage students to read every night and remind parents that the take home books are supposed to be EASY texts. This is very important as it allows the reading to be enjoyable and encourages fluency, phrasing and the use of expression. If your child is sometimes tired or reluctant to read it is perfectly okay for you to share the reading or to read to your child. We will inform all families about take home books, later in the term.