It's Always Great to Hear "Another Book Please!"

Progression rather than regression was the ultimate summer reading goal. However, the truth is that many children will have regressed in their overall reading abilities before September. The old saying “If you don’t use it, you will lose it” perfectly illustrates every teacher’s fear. Here are some basic strategies that can help encourage reading during the excitement of a new school year.

Seeing is Believing

Children need to see the adults in their lives model good reading habits. Although every kid will most likely deny it, kids do look up to their parents, teachers, and other family members. The actions of these adults have an immense impact on their own values. Therefore, families who read in front of their kids will pass down the value of reading without ever needing to explicitly state it. Reading can’t be a do as I say, not as I do kind of situation. Here are some things to try:

• Set a regular family reading time such as reading before bed or looking through the newspaper every Sunday morning.
• Read aloud things that you might read in your head like road signs or a recipe.
• Talk about books you enjoyed reading as a child.
• Keep books, magazines, newspapers and other reading materials accessible and visible. 
• During independent reading time in class, teachers can read too (instead of grading papers or doing lesson plans).

Don’t Let the Force be With You

Children will retain new information best when it is meaningful and done so willingly. Therefore, self-motivation is ideal for increasing reading achievement, but it is easier said than done. Unfortunately, some students have learned that reading is a chore, and can have negative consequences if not done properly. This can be combated by giving a choice; instead of demanding “You need to read this book now” ask, “Would you rather read this comic book or this chapter book?” The new school year is a time for exploring new genres and learning to enjoy reading. By giving options, young readers will feel a sense of power and control over their learning which will ultimately lead to a greater understanding and a more successful academic career! Here are some things to try:

• Take a trip to the library without any restrictions on what materials can be checked out.
• Set reading goals and provide rewards when the goals are met. (Many schools and libraries have reading incentive programs already in place)
• Explore new genres until you find what is most interesting. Try comic books, magazines, applications for iPad and iPhone, or books based on TV shows or movies.
• Stop when neccessary. Closing the book on a pleasurable note rather than being forced to keep reading will make it easier to pick it up again later.
• Regardless of the type or length of the reading, always discuss it. This will build reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. Even if the book was easy, the questions can be quite challenging!
• Spend the money to buy a brand new book; there's nothing like the fresh smell of turning a page for the first time.

Think Outside the Book

Reading doesn’t have to be only in the form of a book, it is something that we do all day, every day and it can be quite fun. The world is filled with reading material (albeit not all of it is educational): nutrition labels, fast food logos, video game covers, and even freeway signs. Hopefully, it can be so much fun that our children don’t realize they are doing it! With the amazing technology that is now available, reading can be more exciting than ever. For young learners, educational television programs such as Sesame Street are often based on a letter a day. Older children may enjoy reading an online article about a famous celebrity. Even interacting with Facebook or Twitter is still technically reading (and writing) and should not be discouraged as long as it is deemed appropriate. Here are some things to try:

• Play games such as Boggle or Scrabble, Hint: try downloading the application Words with Friends
• Turn on the subtitles on the TV. At first, it may seem bothersome, but eventually everyone will be reading them without even noticing. This will help build fluency too!
• Turn words into art, by creating a collage of words centralized on a particular theme such as words that begin with s. Another option is to photocopy a page from a book and allow the child to color or decorate the page.
• Label commonly used items around the house and in the classroom such as computer, table, chair etc. You can create 
• Do Karaoke! Readingand singing together can be quite entertaining.
• Subscribe to a website that will email you a new word of the day and see how often it can be used in a conversation or found in a book.
• Even if it takes bribery or trickery, it has to be done! 

Lesson Plans:

The Cell Phone Age

OK, so your middle-schooler won’t put down the phone long enough to pick up a book; well here is a great middle school lesson plan on life without a cell phone. I know it’s hard for us to remember a day when phones only came with cords, but this lesson plan is complete with vocabulary words, reading passages and guiding comprehension questions that is sure to be an interesting read for kids today who are caught up in the age of cell phones.

Reading Scavenger Hunt

Here is a simple template that parents and teachers can use to engage early readers on a quest for new words! It includes a clear example and blank worksheet that can be printed out and easily adapted for almost any age. Kindergarteners can find words with the letter a, while fourth graders look for homonyms.

Kids Helping Kids

Why not start a buddy reading program? Use this website and lesson planning tools to start a school wide or family wide reading program where older children mentor younger children. This site includes titles of books that are appropriate for multi-aged groups of children as well as handouts and teaching points.