Library News
Reading with your tweens
Did you know that by the tween years, children are less likely to read for enjoyment? But the academic, social, and emotional benefits of reading for pleasure don’t diminish, so it’s important to continue encouraging our tweens and teens to read.
How is Kalinda encouraging tween reading?
Grade 5s and 6s at Kalinda are exposed to a wide variety of texts and text types, both within the classroom and during their library sessions. Students are encouraged to read for pleasure every day, as well as reading texts as part of the curriculum - individually, in small groups, or as a class. Kalinda teachers also regularly read aloud to and with our senior students, whether it be a class novel, an informational text, or a picture book.
In 2024, our senior classrooms are also becoming home to amazing classroom libraries. These libraries have been carefully curated with a variety of text types, levels, topics and styles to ensure that every child always has access at their fingertips to books on a topic that interests them, at the right level. We are so excited to have this whole new world open up to our year 5s and 6s!
These classroom libraries will complement the students’ regular library sessions, where they will be able to exchange books from the class libraries, and also borrow books to bring home.
What can you do at home?
Monday 5th February was World Read Aloud Day! There are so many benefits to reading aloud to or with your children, and these benefits continue - and even increase - once kids reach their tween and teen years. When you read aloud (or share reading aloud) with your tweens, you may find it:
- Strengthens Your Connection: Reading together creates a special bonding time, fostering communication and connection between parent and tween.
- Encourages a Love for Reading: Continuing to read to and with tweens reinforces the value and enjoyment of literature, potentially instilling a lifelong love for reading.
- Expands their Vocabulary: Reading aloud exposes tweens to a wider range of vocabulary and language structures, enhancing their linguistic skills and comprehension.
- Increases their Fluency and Expression: Parents can model fluent reading and expressive storytelling, helping tweens to continue to develop their own reading fluency and expressive skills.
- Promotes Critical Thinking: Discussing characters, plots, and themes during reading sessions encourages tweens to think critically and analytically about literature - and the world.
- Enhances Imagination and Creativity: Engaging with stories stimulates tweens' imaginations, allowing them to visualize scenes and characters, fostering creativity.
- Supports Emotional Development: Exploring complex emotions and experiences through literature while supported and scaffolded by parents and carers helps tweens develop empathy and emotional intelligence.
- Builds Cultural and Social Awareness: Reading diverse stories exposes tweens to different cultures, perspectives, and experiences, fostering awareness and understanding of the world and people around them.
- Fosters Independence: While parents read to tweens, they also encourage independence by allowing them to explore more advanced literature than they might choose on their own.
- Creates Lasting Memories: Shared reading experiences create cherished memories that both parent and tween will look back on fondly.
Scholastic Bookclub 2024 Dates:
Issue 1: Due February 15th
Martina Medica,
Kalinda Library