Parent FAQ

The number one question I get from parents is, "How can I help my child to become a better reader?"

The answer is simple and not so simple.

The simple answer: exposing your student to lots and lots of literature is one very reliable way to improve his or her reading skills. It's said,  "The more you read, the more you know," and it's completely true.  Make sure your child has an ample supply of high-interest reading materials on hand.  This doesn't have to be expensive.  The public library is a great place to start.  My son used to check out several books on one topic, then teach me about that topic.  He was reading and learning, and he thought it was fun to know more about a topic than I did .  I could check his comprehension just by listening to his "lectures" on a topic.  You can also get your child a subscription to a magazine that interests him or her.  My son read Sport Illustrated Kids cover to cover,  every issue.  He doesn't pick up fiction books on his own much, but he adores sports statistics, so I did what I could to get him reading.

And the not-so-simple answer?  Some kids struggle to read.  They may have bad memories of previous reading experiences or they may have learning difficulties.  They may need more help than you can give at home.  Ask your student's teacher what goes on in the classroom.  Look at test scores. See if the school has any suggestions or extra help available.  Be a partner to the classroom teacher and keep him/her informed about any reading struggles you see at home--does your child seem to have a small vocabulary?  Does he mispronounce words?  Does he have trouble focusing on one line of text at a time?  Letting the teacher know these things can help him/her to help your child.  Above all, be patient.  Not everyone learns at the same pace, so your child may simply be doing what is developmentally correct for him or her at this time.  Keep exposing your student to lots of different kinds of reading and try to make it fun and rewarding.