Why Should I Read Twenty Minutes Tonight?
I'll show you-- mathematically!
Suppose Jill reads 20 minutes each week for five nights;
Jack reads only 4 minutes a night...or not at all!
First: Multiply minutes a night x 5 times each week.
Jill reads 20 min. x 5 times a week = 100 mins./week
Jack reads 4 minutes x 5 times a week = 20 minutes
Next: Multiply minutes a week x 4 weeks each month.
Jill reads 400 minutes a month.
Jack reads 80 minutes a month.
Last: Multiply minutes a month x 9 months/school year
Jill reads 3600 min. during the school year.
Jack reads 720 min. during school year.
Jill practices her reading skills the equivalent of ten whole
school
days a year. Jack only gets the equivalent of two school days of
reading practice.
By the end of 5th grade if Jill and Jack maintain these same
reading
habits, Jill will have read the same amount of time as 60 whole
school days. Jack will have read the equivalent of only 12 school
days.
This is a significant difference which would no doubt lessen
school
performance.
Some questions to think about:
Which student do you think reads better?
Which student do you think has been exposed to more knowledge?
Which student would you expect to be able to writie and
communicate
better?
Which student do you think would have a more extensive
vocabulary?
Which student may become more successful in school as well in
their adult life?
(shared on mailring by e. ellis; adapted by s. weinstein; source
unknown)
Turn off the TV for 20 minutes a night and read....it's worth it!
The following information is from the No Child Left Behind
Website:
Simple Strategies for Creating Strong Readers
Without doubt, reading with your child sets the stage for success
in
early literacy:
* Through read-alouds, providing print materials, and promoting
positive attitudes about reading and writing, you can have a
powerful impact on your child's literacy and learning.
* Invite your child to read with you every day.
* When reading a book where the print is large, point word by
word
as you read. This will help your child learn basic reading
conventions, such as left to right, and understand one-to-one
word
correspondence (the word he or she says is the word he or she
sees).
* Re-read a child's favorite book over and over again. This
helps
promote fluency and predictability when reading.
* Find stories with rhyming words and lines that repeat. Invite
your child to join in on these parts. Track, word by word, as he
or
she reads along with you.
* Discuss new words. Use contextual clues to help your child
determine the meaning of the word. This is a critical skill that
will be used over and over in the upcoming grade levels.
* Periodically stop and reflect on what has been read so far.
Ask
questions about the pictures and about what is happening in the
story. Offer your own opinions to model what a good reader does
to
help them understand stories and text more fully.
* Read from a variety of children's books so children are
exposed
to a variety of genres.
Reading well and understanding what is being read is at the heart
of
all learning. It is more challenging for a student to fully learn
at
his or her potential when they cannot read. Your involvement and
time at home is crucial in helping your children become a
successfula nd motivated reader. Model your own love for reading
by
sitting with your child during each 20 min. reading session. Our
children look up to us and our actions often speak louder than
words!
For more information visit http://www.ed.gov/offices/OIIA/pfie/
or
call 1-800-USA-LEARN
http://www.rif.org/parents/articles/default.mspx
http://www.rif.org/parents/