Reading Team

Children who have been read to for 30 minutes a day from birth through age five receive over 900 hours of brain food.

Children who have been read to for 30 minutes a week from birth through age five receive 130 hours of brain food which is great, but a 770 hour deficit when compared to the first group.

Children who are read to less than 30 minutes weekly enter kindergarten with less than 60 hours of the same brain food. This is fewer nursery rhymes, fairy tales, stories, etc. Even the most gifted teacher cannot bridge the gap that exists between the mentally undernourished and the young minds, which have been saturated with literacy. (Iowa Literacy Link Volume 1 Number 8, April 2007)

The good news is that reading to your child is powerful, no matter what age they are. Experts recommend that parents read to their children through high school. It is never too late to read to your child, no matter what age they are. So grab the comics, the newspaper, or a really great novel, curl up on the couch…and read!

Why can't I skip my 20 minutes of reading tonight?

Figure it out mathematically!

Student A reads 20 minutes/five nights/every week.

Student B reads only 4 minutes a night (or not at all).

Step 1:  Multiply minutes per night times 5 nights each week.

Student A reads 20 x 5 = 100 minutes.

Student B reads 4 x 5 = 20 minutes.

Step 2:  Multiply minutes per week times 4 weeks per month.

Student A reads 400 minutes/month.

Student B reads 80 minutes/month.

Step 3:  Multiply minutes per month times 9 school months/year.

Student A reads 3600 minutes/school year.

Student B reads 720 minutes/school year.

Student A practices reading the equivalent of 10 whole school days each year.

Student B gets the equivalent of only 2 school days of reading practice.

By the end of sixth grade, if Student A and Student B maintain these same reading habits:

Student A will have read the equivalent of 60 whole school days.

Student B will have read the equivalent of only 12 school days.

Which student read better?
Which student would know more?
Which student would write better?
Which student would have a better vocabulary?
Which student would be more successful in school and life?

What the Research Says…

Research show students that read daily are exposed to vocabulary in a natural context.  These students score higher on norm reference tests.  There is also a correlation with the students’ abilities in writing performance.

Taken from Allington, R (2006).  What Really Matters For Struggling Readers