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You are welcome to print copies or republish materials for non-commercial use as long as credit is given to Reading Rockets and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact info@readingrockets.org.

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Beginning Readers: Look! I Can Read This!

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As a parent of a beginning reader, it's important to support your child's reading efforts in a positive way and help them along the reading path. Here are some tips to keep in mind.

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Writing - Start with a Book!

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Try these writing activities:

Tips for helping young writers:

Nature Journals

Science and math explorations provide your child with a chance to record all kinds of observations. Help your child to make a special journal and encourage her to write down what she observes about her surroundings - looking at both the big picture and the small, examining plants and rocks and insects up close. Use all of your senses! Here are some ideas for things to look for:

A flower tally

Count the flowers in an area in the spring once a week for three weeks. Compare your tallies. Your child will have fun watching the numbers go up as flowers bloom in the spring and summer.

Ant watching

There are ants everywhere! Try following them to their home and see what they're up to. Where do they live? How many can you count in one place? Record these observations and your ant grand total.

Nature scavenger hunt

Use your notebook to make (or draw) a list of some common things and a few rare ones that can be found outside near your home or in a park. Include things like: acorn, pine cone, flat rock, bird feather, weed, flower. Hand your child the notebook and let the scavenger hunt begin!

Create a Poetree

Beautiful tree + beautiful poems = A poetree

Do you have a small tree in your front yard with low branches? That's perfect for a poetree! If you don't have a "just right" tree in your yard, you could find out about adopting a tree in your neighborhood or city park for the summer. Start your poetree with a favorite family poem or a poem that your child writes himself. Check out the ideas below to help with writing an original poem. If you're looking for wonderful published poems, browse our collection of poetry books.

Along with your poems, you'll need a few supplies to create your poetree: white and colored construction paper, scissors, single-hole punch, yarn or twist ties, clear packing tape and a pen or marker. Cut strips of white or colored paper the same width as your packing tape. Have your child write the poem on a strip, then cover each strip with packing tape on the front and back. Let your child use the hole punch to make a hole at the top of the strip in the center. Then thread the yarn or twist ties through the holes. Hang the poem on the tree and invite readers to stop by and add their poems to the poetree.

Poetry Challenge: Clip It, Pick It, Write It

Create poems with your child based on five "found" words from your newspaper (or a magazine). Cut out words that appeal to you both and put the words into an envelope, then draw five words that you each must include in a poem. After you've finished writing, read your poems together and gather them up into a collection to share with others. (Scholastic)

List Poems

Look around, what do you see? Start a poem with a list of nouns that name everything you see, then add colorful verbs or adjectives. ( Imagination Soup)

Example:
Grass grows
Trees whisper
Flowers bathe

Cinquain

Write a cinquain (a 5-line poem, often inspired by nature) about a memorable place you have visited: the ocean, a planetarium, the forest, your backyard, a neighborhood park, your school playground - even the flowering tree at the end of your block can be inspiring. Here are the "rules" of a cinquain:

Line 1: One word title, a noun that identifies your topic

Line 2: Two adjectives that describe your topic

Line 3: Three "ing" verbs that describe action

Line 4: A phrase that describes something about your topic

Line 5: A noun that is a synonym or another way to name your topic

Example:
tree
reaching, bending, fluttering
leaves and twigs in the wind
aspen/>

Recipe Share

In Linda Sue Park's picture book Bee-Bim Bop! we join a young Korean girl and her mom as they shop, chop, and prepare a delicious meal together. Everyone has a favorite family recipe, something wonderful that is cooked up for special friends or special occasions. What's yours? Does it have special meaning for your family? You'll need a kitchen partner - your mom, dad, grandparent, or older sibling - to help you cook this delicious dish.

Write up the recipe (be sure you have the correct measurements for each ingredient), the step-by-step directions and one descriptive sentence about the experience of cooking and sharing the food with others. Include a drawing if you like, and make copies to share with family, friends and neighbors. Be sure your directions are crystal clear so that others can try out the recipe!

Review It!

Summer is a great time for new experiences and field trips, near or far. After visiting new places, have your child write reviews of their adventures and create a summer scrapbook. Did you try the new sandwich shop on the corner, see the newest Pixar movie in 3D or explore all the animal habitats at the zoo? Encourage your child to record their thoughts and experiences. All you need is a 3-ring binder, some inexpensive scrapbook paper and adhesive - or you can buy an scrapbook album from a local craft store. Kids can add things like menus, ticket stubs, museum tour maps, autographs and hiking trail maps to accompany their reviews. If you have a digital camera and printer, your child can include his own photos.

Explain It!

Trying to record your favorite show with the DVR but can't remember how to do it? Yep, that's familiar. Put kids to work writing up "how-to" guides for tricky devices (like DVRs) or other instructions, such as how to reset the microwave clock after the power goes out; or how to load the dishwasher so that you can fit the most dishes in; or how to replace the tube on a bicycle wheel. This activity helps children practice skills in sequencing, attention to detail, and writing clearly.

Teach your child how something works by demonstrating each step. Go slowly so that he can observe carefully. (If your kid is doing the teaching, then skip this step!)

Provide a notepad and pencil so that your child can record the steps, make special notes, and add any helpful diagrams.

Check over the writing to make sure it's clear, and then try following the directions together. If there are any errors or missing steps, you can demonstrate the steps again.

Your child can create the final guide using construction paper or printer paper (don't forget the title!) And remember to stash the booklet in a handy place!

Writing Tips from Author Mary Amato

Children's author and writing coach Mary Amato ( Snarf Attack, Underfoodle, and the Secret of Life: The Riot Brothers Tell All) shares her best tips on keeping a diary or writer's notebook, as well as ideas for parents to encourage their children's creative writing. You can also watch our Reading Rockets video interview with Mary Amato.

A diary is a place to write down your own life experiences. Keeping a diary can be rewarding, even if you're not interested in becoming a writer. If you speak to its pages with honesty and emotion, it becomes the most amazing keepsake possible: a record of your life.

A writer's notebook is a place where you can write all kinds of things: ideas, questions, thoughts, true stories, invented stories, rough drafts for poems, songs, or stories, bits of dialogue that you overhear, and more. It's different from a diary, which is a record of your own life experiences.

Discover more than a dozen ideas for encouraging your child to write, including creative and simple ways to get the whole family involved. You'll also find out how WOW stories can help unlock story structure for young writers.

Write Like a Journalist

Just a few pages from your newspaper can be turned into a good writing exercise. Cut out a few pictures from the paper. Ask your child to write a caption for each one. Compare their caption with the paper's caption. Talk about ways captions help readers understand one small piece of the story. Turn a recent family event into a newspaper story. Try to write a headline, the story, include a picture or drawing, and add a caption.

Write to Your Favorite Author

Does your child have a favorite author? Here's a great way to engage kids in a conversation about books they love and wonder about the real person who wrote those books. Here's some advice from children's writer Mary Amato on how to write to an author:

Write a thoughtful, personal letter. Tell the author something about yourself and why you enjoy her books.

Ask thoughtful questions, like how did you come up with the setting for a particular book, or why did a character behave a certain way in the story. (Your child might also share that she, too, wants to be a writer, and what was the path the author took to get there?)

Learn the five parts of a formal letter: heading (address and date), greeting, message, closing, and signature - and where each of those parts are placed on the paper. Which punctuation mark follows the greeting and the closing? This article, An Introduction to Letter Writing, is really helpful.

Write a rough draft of the letter using the letter format. Help your child edit the letter by checking spelling, sentence and paragraph construction, and capitalization.

Write the final draft. A handwritten letter is especially personal!

Send the letter to the writer "in care of" her publisher. Here's how to find that: look for the publisher's address inside the book. Usually, the mailing address will be listed in the first few pages of the book. (If the complete address is not shown, you can always find it on the publisher's website.)

Include an envelope with your name and address and a stamp, ready to go. Make it easy for a busy author to respond.

To get to know some of your favorite children's authors and illustrators, watch the author interviews on Reading Rockets!

Tips for Helping Young Writers

Launching Young Writers

Find out why writing is so important in our lives, as well as practical suggestions for activities to help your child become a stronger writer. Get tips >

Kids Who Blog

Writing for an audience gives kids a reason to use their developing reading and writing skills. Here are some tips to get you and your child started with free, safe blogging sites. Get tips >

Download PDF: English | Spanish

How Parents Can Support the Common Core Writing Standards

Is your school using the new Common Core standards? This is a big change for students - and their parents. The standards support all writing genres, but put a new emphasis on persuasive and expository (explanatory) writing. Get to know the four "anchors" of the Common Core writing standards and simple things you can do at home to help your child build skills in all of these areas. Get tips >

Download PDF: English | Spanish

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Try these writing activities: Nature Journals Create a Poetree Recipe Share Review It! Explain It! Write Like a Journalist Writing Tips from Author Mary Amato Write to Your Favorite Author Tips for helping young writers: Launching Young Writers Kids Who Blog How Parents Can Support the Common Core Writing Standards Nature Journals Science and math explorations provide your child with a chance to record all kinds of observations.

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Summer Reading Tips

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Narrator: On the outskirts of the nation's capital, summer vacation is in full swing.
And while it might look like it's all fun and games, the summer plays a vital role in children's learning.
Which makes parents like Wendy Bostic determined to make the most of it.
She's discovering that there's a lot she can do to keep four-year-old C.J. and six-year-old Ashley learning while school is out.

Wendy Bostic: So if they're inside of the cocoon, or the chrysalis, then what happens?

Narrator: This weekend, the discussion and activities focus on butterflies and plants as they prepare for a trip to a local garden.

Wendy: Children are sponges. So they're constantly learning and constantly wanting to learn 'cause they wanna know well why, well who, well how, well when.

Narrator: But raising a reader can be a daunting task, even for a parent like Wendy, who knows the importance of summer learning. When she first thought about filling her kids' days with education and enrichment, she was overwhelmed.

Wendy: I cried for about a week or two weeks straight because I was like, "Well, what am I going to do with them all day?" Ashley has been stimulated being in school. What am I going to do to keep her learning? I can only sing the ABC song.

Narrator: She knows that helping her kids maintain the skills and knowledge they learned in school will have a big impact when they return to class in September.

Ron Fairchild: Much like we would expect an athlete or a musician's performance to suffer if they didn't practice regularly, the same thing is true for young people when it comes to reading performance.

Narrator: Letting kids' brains languish during the summer can mean more than just playing catch-up when they get back to the classroom; it can have serious, long-term consequences for a child.
Earl Martin Phalen has been dedicated to children's summer education for over twenty years.
Earl Martin Phalen: Reading during the summer time and early school success is so so important. It's predictable that if you're not able to read and write proficiently by the end of third grade, the likelihood of dropping out, the likelihood of engaging in negative behaviors is 68% higher... so the summer is a critically important opportunity.

Narrator: And a formal program isn't the only way to keep kids' brains in gear.
Parents are a child's first teachers, and there is a lot they can do every day to help their children build and maintain literacy skills.
Wendy: This is smooth and this is rough, so what do you think this is?

Narrator: Conversations, field trips, and reading together are all important - and fun - steps.

Phalen: All the research says children lose anywhere from one to three months reading, writing, and math skills during the summertime. So keeping children engaged, keeping them reading, keeping their minds stimulated during the summer months is so important to helping the short and long terms success both in school and in life.

Narrator: Wendy tackled the challenge by reading books, finding information online, and getting support from other moms.

Erica: Welcome to Mocha Moms! I guess we'll get started.

Narrator: Mocha Moms is a national organization for mothers and Wendy's chapter meets regularly at the library.
While the children play, the group comes together to discuss their kids and share their experiences. Today's topic - summer learning, of course!
Kendra: We did a lot of her re-writing my grocery lists. We did a lot of signs as we're driving down the street, like what does the stop sign say?

Wendy: I make my kids find the number of the exit when I'm going places.

Sheila: There are word families like 'at.' There's at and you teach them that sound. Then you add an 's.' Sat. Bat. Rat. I would make it where he had to run and get the letter that made the 'sss' sound.

Carol: When it looks like the party's over, they don't want to do that anymore... stop and do something else. I think as long as you approach it that way, it won't, you know, make them resistant.

Narrator: Another great resource for Wendy is the local public library - a place her kids can't get enough of.

Fairchild: The single most important activity for kids to do during the summer months to prevent losses from happening is reading. Build into your family life the opportunity for reading. Regular trips the library.

Wendy: Awesome! This looks like it's going to be a good book.

Dr. Jennifer Turner: Libraries are such a wonderful resource for parents... and for communities as a whole. Librarians can play such an important role in helping children... to select books and to actually become successful readers.

Librarian: Can I help you?

Wendy: Yes, ma'am. I have a four-year-old and a six-year-old who'd like to see if you had any suggestions of good books for them to read this summer.

Narrator: While access to books is important, finding the ones that match a child's reading level and interests, like butterflies for Ashley is key to creating a successful reader.

Wendy: They have a sense of independence because they're picking out their own books, their own world.

Narrator: The bottom line - if they aren't interested in the topic, why would they read about it? And if the book is too hard, they'll struggle with the words, which means frustration instead of comprehension.
Now, with a stack of books and their library agenda complete... ...the Bostics take learning on the road.
Wendy: We are getting ready to go on a field trip!

Ashley: We're going to a garden.

Wendy: And in the garden there's gonna be... pigs?

Ashley: Flowers, butterflies...

Fairchild: It's essential for parents to have active conversations with their kids, to turn off the radio in the car, to actually be an active listener and to ask a lot of questions.

Wendy: What's next? What's next? 3, 2, ...

Kids: 1!

Narrator: Fun games and engaging conversations will help kids learn new vocabulary, build their listening and speaking skills, and encourage them to think and ask questions about their world.

Turner: Having conversations with your child helps them to think about what other people are saying and to listen, but it also helps them to express themselves and to develop new skills. And it gives a sense of what's going on in their head and what's important to them, what matters to them.

Wendy: Let's see what's up here, guys!

Narrator: Wendy has brought Ashley and C.J. to Brookside Gardens, a local community park that's free to the public.
Here, they can learn more about the butterflies and plants they've been reading about.
Fairchild: Exposure to high quality enrichment opportunities are absolutely essential to build the background knowledge that kids need to be successful readers.

Volunteer: It's called the Tiger Swallowtail because of its stripes.

Narrator: And since Wendy knows there is always more to learn, the whole family listens closely to a butterfly expert.

Volunteer: The cool thing about caterpillars is that once they decided, "Hey. I've eaten enough food. I am ready. I am strong. I'm going to change in to a butterfly."

Narrator: Every field trip means more opportunities for conversations and questions.

Wendy: Get out of town and call somebody! What are they eating.

CJ: They're eating fruit.

Wendy: They're eating fruit.

Wendy: Summer's really supposed to be somewhat of a break from the everyday going to school, sitting in the classroom, having to do, you know, your spelling and your writing. So you have to find new ways to keep them engaged. There's learning everywhere. And just remember that they've never seen the world before. They've never encountered anything. Show them what you know. You'll find out you'll learn some other stuff, too.

Wendy: Let's see... He might be black and yellow...

Narrator: Funding for "Adventures in Summer Learning" is provided by the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.

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Summer is a welcome break from the pace of the school year. But it's important to keep the learning going! Here are some ideas about how to make summer a great time for reading, writing, exploring, thinking, creating, and learning with your kids.

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Books for Struggling Readers

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You are welcome to print copies or republish materials for non-commercial use as long as credit is given to Reading Rockets and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact info@readingrockets.org.

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High/low books offer highly engaging age-appropriate subject matter at a low reading level for struggling readers. High/low books can help build reading fluency, vocabulary, background knowledge, and interest in reading. Learn more about where to find quality high/low books.

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Suggested Audiobooks

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We've gathered up dozens of terrific audiobooks, perfect for car trips, lazy summer afternoons, or any time a good story is in order. You'll connect with some familiar friends - Ramona, Alvin Ho, and Nate the Great - plus some new characters with adventures to share.

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Storyline Online

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The SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Daytime Emmy-nominated, Storyline Online, features celebrated actors reading children's books to inspire a love of reading in millions of children worldwide.

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Finding Just Right Books and Tips for helping your child decode

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You are welcome to print copies for non-commercial use, or a limited number for educational purposes, as long as credit is given to Reading Rockets and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact the author or publisher listed.

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Selecting Books for Your Child: Finding 'Just Right' Books

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How can parents help their children find books that are not "too hard" and not "too easy" but instead are "just right"? Here's some advice.

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Tips for Supporting your child while Reading Together

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Ever fall into a pattern of asking yes/no questions or those with one-word answers, such as "What color is the boy's shirt?" when reading with your little one? To encourage your child to use more language, open-ended questions work best. Instead of asking a question that has a one-word response, try one of these instead:

Before Reading:
*Based on the cover, what do you think this book will be about?

During the Book:
*What do you think will happen next?

After Reading:
*If you could change the ending of the story, what would it be?

Asking questions such as these will help your child develop skills in the areas of critical thinking, comprehension, and memory.

It's important to help your child make connections when you are reading together. This not only helps improve how well your little one comprehends the story, it can also deepen their vocabulary knowledge.

These are the connections made between your child and his/her personal experiences. For example, before reading Only the Stars by Dee Boyd, discuss the time you laid out on the grass to watch the stars or the pair of star-shaped sunglasses you found at Target.

Connections to Previously Read Stories:

These are the connections made between the book currently being read and one previously read. Sticking with our stars theme, you could say, "Remember when we read the book called Only the Stars? Do you remember anything about Tia? Now we're going to read Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed. What do you think the girls had in common in both stories?"
Connections to the World:
These are the connections made between your child and the world. An example of this would be to go on a mini field trip to a museum that has an exhibit on astronomy after reading both books on stars.

Raise your hand if you often provide your child with the correct answers to questions before they actually have enough time to think about what was said. ? It happens to the best of us.

Wait time is the amount of time you give your child to respond after asking a question. While it may be challenging, providing your child with ample wait time allows their little brains to process the question being asked. Waiting just three seconds before reframing the question or providing the answer gives your child a chance to think and possibly formulate a longer response. Give it a try the next time you're reading a book together or engaging in a shared play activity.

Have you ever wondered how your toddler can understand that a red bull's-eye means you've arrived at target or that the golden arches represent McDonald's? Maya has never been to McDonald's, but knows the sign as soon as she sees it.

We can thank print awareness skills for these things. Print awareness is the ability to understand that the lines on a page and symbols in the environment (e.g., signs, restaurant logos) carry meaning.

Print awareness is an important precursor to emergent literacy skills. It allows your little one to understand the use and function of print during reading and writing. You may not realize it, but you're teaching print awareness skills every time you read with your child in the following ways:

Demonstrate how a book should be held (get silly and hold it upside down for laughs)

Read from left to right and top to bottom

Front-to-back directionality when turning pages

Words are made of letters and spaces are in between words

Punctuation marks have meaning

Not again! ? Are you tired of your little one requesting the same book over and over again? You've probably got the words memorized at this point. Here's the thing - it's actually great to read and re-read the same books to your child. Reading the same book multiple times helps in the following areas:

So when your child asks for the same book for the fifth night in a row, take a deep breath and get to reading. You are helping to build a strong language foundation!

Are you tired of reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Don't hide it at the back of the bookshelf just yet. Books such as Brown Bear are considered predictable texts. These types of books contain repeated lines, phrases, and rhyming words to help readers know what's to come on the next pages.

Predictable books allow even the youngest children to feel as if they are "reading" the story. These texts allow you to have a shared reading experience where both you and your little one are actively involved. Experiences such as these help your child develop confidence and to feel as if they are a skilled reader. Positive interactions with books at a young age impacts how they interact with books in the future.

Benefits also include developing print awareness (see previous L&L tip) and the use of inflection and intonation when reading. With the support of predictable text and complementary pictures, your little one will take the lead on reading Brown Bear in no time!

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ASK OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS Ever fall into a pattern of asking yes/no questions or those with one-word answers, such as "What color is the boy's shirt?" when reading with your little...

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Talking to and reading with your child are two terrific ways to help them hear and read new words. Conversations and questions about interesting words are easy, non-threatening ways to get new words into everyday talk. Here are some ideas to get you started.

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Note: The National Reading Panel was convened by Congress in 1999 and has not been reconvened. The information on this page is provided for historical purposes only. The page is not being updated.

Overview

In 1997, Congress asked NICHD, through its Child Development and Behavior Branch, to work with the U.S. Department of Education in establishing a National Reading Panel that would evaluate existing research and evidence to find the best ways of teaching children to read.

The 14-member panel included members from different backgrounds, including school administrators, working teachers, and scientists involved in reading research.

On April 13, 2000, the National Reading Panel concluded its work and submitted its final reports. The panel has not been reconvened since that time and does not continue to work on this issue.

Topic Areas

Specifically, Congress asked the panel to:

Review all the research available (more than 100,000 reading studies) on how children learn to read.

Determine the most effective evidence-based methods for teaching children to read.

Describe which methods of reading instruction are ready for use in the classroom and recommend ways of getting this information into schools.

Suggest a plan for additional research in reading development and instruction.

In addition, the National Reading Panel held public hearings where people could give their opinions on what topics the panel should study.

The panel considered roughly 100,000 reading studies published since 1966 and another 10,000 published before that time. From this pool, the panel selected several hundred studies for its review and analysis.

The National Reading Panel's analysis made it clear that the best approach to reading instruction is one that incorporates:

Explicit instruction in phonemic awareness

Systematic phonics instruction

Methods to improve fluency

Ways to enhance comprehension

The panel found that a combination of techniques is effective for teaching children to read:

Phonemic awareness-the knowledge that spoken words can be broken apart into smaller segments of sound known as phonemes. Children who are read to at home-especially material that rhymes-often develop the basis of phonemic awareness. Children who are not read to will probably need to be taught that words can be broken apart into smaller sounds.

Phonics-the knowledge that letters of the alphabet represent phonemes and that these sounds are blended together to form written words. Readers who are skilled in phonics can sound out words they haven't seen before, without first having to memorize them.

Fluency-the ability to recognize words easily, read with greater speed, accuracy, and expression, and better understand what is read. Children gain fluency by practicing reading until the process becomes automatic; guided oral repeated reading is one approach to helping children become fluent readers.

Guided oral reading-reading out loud while getting guidance and feedback from skilled readers. The combination of practice and feedback promotes reading fluency.

Teaching vocabulary words-teaching new words, either as they appear in text or by introducing new words separately. This type of instruction also aids reading ability.

Reading comprehension strategies-techniques for helping individuals to understand what they read. Such techniques involve having students summarize what they've read to gain a better understanding of the material.

More Information

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National Reading Panel (Historical/For Reference Only)

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Note: The National Reading Panel was convened by Congress in 1999 and has not been reconvened. The information on this page is provided for historical purposes only. The page is not being updated.

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Preventing the Summer Slide