I am looking forward to another terrific year with wonderful students, teachers, and staff. Once again I would like to remind North Elementary students and parents about two great programs that I hope you will take advantage of. North Elementary offers an exciting Take-Home library for all grade levels to participate in. Each school day, a carefully selected book is sent home with students. This book is on your child's independent reading level so they can practice and work on fluency, accuracy, and expression. Another great reading opportunity is the Parent Read Aloud Program for kindergarten students. Books are sent home in a plastic bag and read to your child. Each day the previous book is returned and the reading slip is signed, a new book will be sent home. Please take advantage of these programs by reading and signing the parent agreement form which gives your child permission to participate and states that if a book is damaged or lost, a $5 book replacement fee will be assessed.
When adults read aloud with their children, they quickly learn that a book is a wonderful thing. "The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children."
Tips for Reading at Home
Beginning Readers
As your youngster learns to read by himself, continue reading aloud every day. He'll hear new words and build comprehension skills as he listens to stories. Give your child plenty of opportunities to practice reading alone. When he brings books home, encourage him to read them. (Tip: If he isn't reading on his own yet, use the pictures to tell the story.) You might sit beside him with your own book, magazine, or newspaper so he'll see that you read, too. Try to visit yard sales, used bookstores, and discounted online book sites so he can build a home library. Finally, show interest in the reading your son/daughter does at school. Ask him about his reading group and find out which stories the teacher and librarian read aloud.
Intermediate Readers
Good readers connect what they already know with what they read. While your child enjoys a story, she might think about her own life, another book, or what's happening in the world around her. Ask questions like these to help her make connections and improve her reading comprehension skills. How does the story remind you of your life? Your youngster can use her experiences to understand a book. Ask your child to share or write down her personal connections. How is this story like another? Perhaps a book's plot or theme reminds your youngster of a story she has read before. How is the story related to real-world issues? When your child reads a book that addresses a topic, suggest that she focus on how the story is relevant today.
Let's make this another wonderful year at North Elementary!!!!
