Firelands Elementary Library

10 Reasons to Read to Your Child | Resources | Tips for Reading to Your Child

Reading Resources

 

" A book to your child is like money to you...the more you have the wealthier you are."

What is it?

According to the International Reading Association, reading is a learned process wherein meaning is constructed through an interaction between the reader and written language. Simply stated, reading is a lot of things,  - knowing how to hold a book and turn the pages, knowing the front from the back, knowing that English is read from left to right, letter and symbol recognition, letter and sound correspondence, word calling, sounding out words, understanding punctuation, predictions, comprehension, summarizing, skimming for information and all the strategies to achieve the above.

 

10 Reasons to Read to Your Child

  • Because when you hold them and give them this attention, they know you love them.
  • Because reading to them will encourage them to become readers.
  • Because children's books today are so good that they are fun, even for adults.
  • Children's books' illustrations often rank with the best, giving them a lifelong feeling for good art.
  • Books are one way of passing on your moral values to them. Readers know how to put themselves in others' shoes.
  • Because, until they learn to read themselves, they will think you are magic.
  • Because every teacher and librarian they ever encounter will thank you.
  • Because it's nostalgic.
  • Because for that short space of time, they will stay clean and quiet.
  • Because, if you do, they may let you read in peace.

From The U-N-A-B-A-S-H-E-D Librarian Magazine, No. 39

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Resources

Aesop’s Fables is a compilation of over 600 of the fables, with RealAudio encoding of some of them.
 
Between the Lions contains interactive games, stories, printable character activities, music clips, books, and tips for parents.
 
Book Sense Picks from The American Booksellers List, offers suggestions about good literature for children.

Children’s Picture Book Database is a keyword-searchable database of over 5000 picture books; includes abstracts, subject classification, and Web links.

At Fairrosa Cyber Library of Children’s Literature you will find classics, magazines and ebooks in the reading room, authors, illustrators, articles and reviews in the reference shelf collection, and archived children’s literature discussion in the archive.

Families provides information about the America Reads challenge that encouraged all teachers and parents to help children learn to read well and independently by the end of third grade. Here you'll find guidance and resources on being your child's first and best teacher.

 
For Kids from from The Internet Public Library contains online stories for children.
 
Genres
A genre is a group or collection of books with a similar theme or style. This site gives descriptions of various genres.
 
Harper Collins Children's is home to many classics of children's literature. Here you can find book and author information with destinations for Kids, Parents, Teachers and Librarians.
 
Reading lists, series books, classic titles and the newest titles all are part of Kidsreads.com along with trivia games, contests, author interviews and more.
 
Kidsread.net is an award-winning site with free, illustrated stories games and activities for children age 2 to 15, great for all kids.

Literacy Resources provides scores of activities and ideas for literacy in the PreK-5 age range.

The Literature Learning Ladders site explores resources related to literacy, themes, literature circles, technology, and learning.

Mother Goose nursery rhymes introduce your child to literature. Find stories, poems, and nursery rhymes as well as activities, clipart and games.

The National Center for Family Literacy strives to create educational and economic opportunity for at-risk children and their parents.

At Read Me a Book they love reading and you can too! Hear today's narrated book, listen to the letter, vocabulary, and sounds of the day, hear a weekly chapter book, and lots more! So whether you’re just starting to read or learning English as a second language, come in, put your feet up, and have fun!

 
Read Write Think provides educators and students access to the highest quality practices and resources in reading and language arts instruction.

Real E-Fun Books lets you read aloud online with your child as he or she works through various reading levels. Based on proven Montessori methods, it allows you to help your child learn reading fundamentals and gradually begin reading on his or her own.

A Rhyme a Week provides lessons for discovering and using rhymes taken from Nursery Rhymes.

Seussville—the official home of Dr. Seuss on the Web—is the place for children of all ages to play and learn with Dr. Seuss’s wonderfully whimsical books and classic characters. The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! and all of the Dr. Seuss books leap to life through interactive games and activities that will enrich each child’s reading experience.
 
Starfall is a free web site to teach children to read. Perfect for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. It contains exciting interactive books and phonics games.
 
Education World and Barnes and Noble joined forces to present a Summer Reading Program. Thanks to their readers' contributions, they have gathered summer reading lists by grade, along with reviews of new books, interviews with favorite authors, and lots of ideas for summer projects to extend reading -- projects for kids to do with friends or on their own and projects for families to do together!
 

The World of Peter Rabbit presents coloring pages, e-cards, games, activities, stories, a description of the characters and other information about Beatrix Potter.

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Tips for Reading Aloud to Your Children

Reading aloud to your child is one of the most important factors in developing life-long lovers of books and reading. The example you set and the priority you place on the importance of reading creates a bond that lasts a lifetime. In addition, there is a vital link between reading ability and the academic success of students.

Here are some read aloud tips to help:

  • Have books in your house. Borrow them from the library, get them at the bookstore, or go to the flea market. Read books, the newspaper, magazines, and the back of the cereal box. Read the comics together or share snippets of information which may appeal to your child. Use something current in the news as an opportunity to find out more about a topic.
  • Begin early with nursery rhymes, Mother Goose, and repetitive chants. These simple verses help children develop a feel for the sounds of our language and a love of words.
  • Make reading a natural part of each day's activities, not a chore. Take time each day to read together and independently. Let your child see you reading. You send a message about the importance of reading by example, regardless of what you verbalize.
  • Install a love of books and reading. While you are reading to your child, the main focus is enjoyment. Do not apply pressure on younger children to decode vocabulary or explain anything. If questions arise, don't turn the answers into a lecture series. Turn them into a reason to get more books. This time should be for pleasure only.
  • Select a book you like. Children are adept at spotting phony sentiment and detecting boredom and reluctance. If the book you selected turns out to be a poor choice for the child, close it and find another. Don't finish something that neither of you enjoy. Always have several additional titles on hand. Ask your child what he/she did not like; this may present a clue for the next time. Responding to what was disliked allow allows for the development of critical thinking skills.
  • Select a time when you and your child have uninterrupted moments and your attention is only focused upon him/her. Some of our fondest memories of childhood are of those snuggled against a parent and sharing good stories. Stories at bedtime or a quiet moment after play or a meal are good suggestions.
  • Select picture books with well written stories, rich vocabulary, and attractive illustrations.
  • Take a weekly trip to your public library. Make a big deal about getting a library card! It's free..and so is borrowing books.
  • Don't hesitate to read to older children. A family novel, one chapter or two at a time is a great activity. Take a few along on long car trips. For older children select stories with interesting plots and well-developed characters. Always consider the maturity and emotional level of the child.
  • Select age appropriate materials. You may think a literary classic was wonderful, but in today's time the language and plot may seem out-of-date.
  • There is a vast difference between a good read-aloud and a good story. Some books do not present well aloud. This is often true of classic children's fiction stories with endless pages of detailed descriptions and little action or humor. Examine the titles in "More Books Kids Will Sit Still For" by Judy Freeman or Jim Trelease's "Reading Aloud Handbook" for some good suggestions for read aloud's.
  • If your child likes a particular author, read several books by that author. Then find similar ones by another author, always building and expanding the selections.
  • Look for books which broaden the child's horizons. These can be the basis for discussions about different cultures and beliefs.
  • Read with enthusiasm, intonation, expression, and emotion. Always make reading to a child a positive activity and never threaten to take it away as punishment.
  • Sit next to your child so you can share the illustrations in a picture book. Take time to enjoy the visual appeal of the book. Wordless picture books provide the opportunity for every reader to become the storyteller.
  • Pay attention to your child's reaction. "Read it again!" is a sure sign of a winner.
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Updated: May 10, 2012