Ready, Set Read: Developing Solid Reading Skills That Are Critical for Three Lifelong Reading Functions

Throughout our lives, we read directions or instructions to perform a task, we read newspapers, magazines and other publications to be informed and we read stories, poetry, plays and other enjoyable materials for the literary experience. If you had not developed solid reading skills as a child, you may have difficulty completing job-related tasks or reading for enjoyment as an adult.

As students in grades four through eight become more sophisticated readers, their reading behaviors become more analytical and their thinking more abstract. Children at this level dissect words and word parts for meaning and continue to expand their vocabularies. They read for enjoyment in areas of interest and pay particular attention to reading series books. By engaging children in the world of reading, parents can help their child enjoy reading more and become a more proficient reader. Sylvan Learning recommends that parents spend at least one hour per week – 10 to 15 minutes a day – doing a reading activity with their children.

To help parents nurture their children’s reading behaviors, the experts at Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels, offer these tips and ideas for reading at home with children in grades four through eight:

• Help your child with the latest experiment in her science book. Talk through each step and discuss next steps.
• Pick a different country each week, and challenge him to learn a bit more about that country by visiting the library or researching it online.
• Research and select books about your child’s interests, such as a sport or hobby.
• Make a trip to the library a weekly “date” with your child.
• Read the newspaper with your child. Elicit her opinion about current events.
• Encourage your child to read series books (Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket books, The Chronicles of Narnia, Little House on the Prairie, etc).
• Create a family book club where you and your child read the same book and discuss it.
• Help your child find a favorite author. Have him create alternate stories for the author’s repetitive characters.
• Read your child’s favorite books.

The Internet can also provide many opportunities for children of all ages who are looking for new materials to read. Book Adventure is a free, Sylvan-created interactive, reading motivation program that can be found online at www.BookAdventure.com. Parents can help children choose a book from more than 7,500 titles, take short comprehension quizzes and redeem accumulated points for small prizes. Book Adventure also offers teacher and parent resources and tips to help children develop a lifelong love of reading.

For additional tips on instilling the joy of reading and making learning a fun family endeavor, visit our “Parent Resources” page. For more information about Sylvan, call (888) 789-7958, like us on Facebook or visit www.SylvanLearning.com.

Susie Hill is the Director at the Toco Hills Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels. With 30 years of experience and more than 900 centers located throughout North America, Sylvan’s proven process and personalized methods have inspired more than 2 million students to discover the joy of learning. Sylvan’s trained and Sylvan-certified personal instructors provide individual instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, study skills and test-prep for college entrance and state exams. Sylvan helps transform kids into inspired learners with the skills to do better in school and the confidence to do better in everything else. Visit www.DrRickBlog.com to share your personal academic experiences and comment on academic trends. For more information, call 1-800-31-SUCCESS or like us on Facebook.