At United Way of Northwest, we are committed to supporting kids so they learn the literacy skills that lead to success in school, work, and life. Programs like Power Lunch, Summer Reading, and our Little Free Libraries help give kids access to books and build the skills they need.
If you want the children in your life to get more out of reading, try these seven tips from teachers:
1. Reading together has no age limit - Read with kids even after they learn to read. Help them get better at reading by choosing books that are more challenging for them to read alone.
2. Pause and ponder - Pause your reading to talk about what is happening in the story. Ask questions like “what do you think will happen next” or make references that connect the events of the book to the children’s lives or other books they’ve read.
3. Explore preferences - Once children start developing preferences in books, ask them why they prefer the genres they do and talk about other types of books available.
4. Talk about the authors and illustrators - When you start a book together, look at the names of the authors and illustrators. This helps children connect to the people behind the stories and can help them find books by the same creators in the future.
5. Point out new things - Pick out one or two new words or ideas in books and talk about their meaning. Talk about an example of the new concept.
6. Identify parts of a story - Talk about stories using the notions of the story's beginning, middle, and end to organize thinking and discussion.
7. Have fun - The most important thing you can do to help a child become a successful reader is to share how reading is valuable and enjoyable.
These are great starting tips for any kid between kindergarten and third grade.
United Way of Northwest Georgia promotes literacy through our Power Lunch program, Summer Reading, Little Free Libraries, and Born Learning Trails. These programs give kids and families access to books and learning materials. We give more kids the opportunity to build the skills they need. Programs like these are possible because of generous supporters in our community. If you want more kids in our community to get access to the books they need, please consider giving today.