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Story Starter Game
Pick three words and create a short story together.

Family Poetry Night
Write a short poem about your day.

Alphabet Scavenger Hunt
Find items around the house starting with each letter.

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How to Support Reading at Home

Read together for 15–20 minutes each day

Ask your child questions about what they read

Let your child see you reading too

Talk about new vocabulary words

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Explore reading basics as well as the key role of background knowledge and motivation in becoming a lifelong reader and learner. Watch our PBS Launching Young Readers series and try our self-paced Reading 101 course to deepen your understanding.

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Storyline Online
https://www.storylineonline.net

Celebrities read children’s books aloud.

Epic! Digital Library

https://www.getepic.com

Thousands of books for kids.

PBS Kids Reading Games
https://pbskids.org

Scholastic Learn at Home https://www.scholastic.com/learnathome

ALL Ohio

https://allohio.org/for-families/

Imagination Library

https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/

LOCAL

Dayton Metro Library

The Dayton Metro Library offers free library cards, thousands of books, audiobooks, and digital resources for children and families. Many branches also host storytimes, homework help, and family literacy programs.

🌐 https://www.daytonmetrolibrary.org

Little Free Libraries

Little Free Libraries are small book-sharing boxes located throughout neighborhoods where families can take a book or leave a book for free.

To find one near you:
🌐 https://littlefreelibrary.org

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📖 Pre-K – Kindergarten

Great for read-alouds and early language development.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? — Bill Martin Jr.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar — Eric Carle

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom — Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambault

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! — Mo Willems

The Snowy Day — Ezra Jack Keats

Dragons Love Tacos — Adam Rubin

Llama Llama Red Pajama — Anna Dewdney

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes — Eric Litwin

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Grades 1–2

Early independent readers and developing comprehension.

Elephant & Piggie Series — Mo Willems

Frog and Toad Are Friends — Arnold Lobel

The Bad Seed — Jory John

Jabari Jumps — Gaia Cornwall

We Are Water Protectors — Carole Lindstrom

Ada Twist, Scientist — Andrea Beaty

I Am Every Good Thing — Derrick Barnes

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Grades 3–5

Stronger readers ready for chapter books and deeper stories.

Because of Winn-Dixie — Kate DiCamillo

The One and Only Ivan — Katherine Applegate

The Wild Robot — Peter Brown

New Kid — Jerry Craft

Wonder — R.J. Palacio

Ghost — Jason Reynolds

Frindle — Andrew Clements

The Lightning Thief — Rick Riordan

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Grades 6–8 (Middle School)

Books that explore identity, friendship, and real-life challenges.

Ghost — Jason Reynolds

New Kid — Jerry Craft

Brown Girl Dreaming — Jacqueline Woodson

The Crossover — Kwame Alexander

Front Desk — Kelly Yang

Long Way Down — Jason Reynolds

The Hate U Give — Angie Thomas (upper middle / mature readers)

A Good Kind of Trouble — Lisa Moore Ramée

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10 Books Every Student Should Read Before High School

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10 Books Every Student Should Read Before High School

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These books help students build empathy, confidence, and a love for reading while exploring important themes like identity, friendship, courage, and resilience.

1. Wonder — R.J. Palacio

A powerful story about kindness, empathy, and accepting differences.

2. Ghost — Jason Reynolds

A fast-paced story about a boy discovering his potential through track and field.

3. New Kid — Jerry Craft

A graphic novel about navigating a new school, identity, and friendship.

4. The Crossover — Kwame Alexander

A dynamic novel written in verse about basketball, family, and growing up.

5. Brown Girl Dreaming — Jacqueline Woodson

A beautifully written memoir about identity, history, and finding your voice.

6. Because of Winn-Dixie — Kate DiCamillo

A heartwarming story about friendship, community, and belonging.

7. The Lightning Thief — Rick Riordan

An exciting adventure introducing readers to mythology and heroism.

8. Front Desk — Kelly Yang

A powerful story about courage, family, and standing up for what’s right.

9. The One and Only Ivan — Katherine Applegate

A touching story about friendship and compassion told from a gorilla’s perspective.

10. The Hate U Give (Young Adult) — Angie Thomas

A powerful novel that encourages critical thinking and discussions about justice and identity.

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High School (Grades 9–12)

More complex themes and critical thinking.

The Hate U Give — Angie Thomas

Dear Martin — Nic Stone

All American Boys — Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely

The Poet X — Elizabeth Acevedo

Children of Blood and Bone — Tomi Adeyemi

The Book Thief — Markus Zusak

Between the World and Me — Ta-Nehisi Coates

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Stories about friendship, identity, confidence, and navigating life.

Front Desk — Kelly Yang

A Good Kind of Trouble — Lisa Moore Ramée

Brown Girl Dreaming — Jacqueline Woodson

The First Rule of Punk — Celia C. Pérez

One Crazy Summer — Rita Williams-Garcia

Roller Girl — Victoria Jamieson (graphic novel)

Starfish — Lisa Fipps

Inside Out & Back Again — Thanhhà Lai

From the Desk of Zoe Washington — Janae Marks

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl — Stacy McAnulty

💡 These books are great for grades 4–8.

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Short chapters, humor, graphics, or fast-moving plots.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid — Jeff Kinney

Dog Man Series — Dav Pilkey

Captain Underpants — Dav Pilkey

I Survived Series — Lauren Tarshis

Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales — Nathan Hale (graphic history)

The Wild Robot — Peter Brown

Holes — Louis Sachar

Amulet Series — Kazu Kibuishi (graphic novels)

Wings of Fire Graphic Novels — Tui T. Sutherland

The Bad Guys — Aaron Blabey

💡 Graphic novels are one of the best gateways to reading.

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Books Under 150 Pages (Great for Struggling Readers)

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Books Under 150 Pages (Great for Struggling Readers)

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The Crossover — Kwame Alexander

Long Way Down — Jason Reynolds

The Bad Seed — Jory John

Each Kindness — Jacqueline Woodson

The Watsons Go to Birmingham (Young Reader Edition) — Christopher Paul Curtis

Bud, Not Buddy — Christopher Paul Curtis

Inside Out & Back Again — Thanhhà Lai

Stella Díaz Has Something to Say — Angela Dominguez

The Year of Billy Miller — Kevin Henkes

Esperanza Rising (Young Reader Edition) — Pam Muñoz Ryan

💡 Verse novels like The Crossover and Long Way Down are powerful for reluctant readers.

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hese books often resonate because they include humor, sports, action, identity, and strong male leads.

Ghost — Jason Reynolds

The Crossover — Kwame Alexander

New Kid — Jerry Craft (graphic novel)

Amari and the Night Brothers — B.B. Alston

Miles Morales: Spider-Man — Jason Reynolds

The Last Last Day of Summer — Lamar Giles

Clean Getaway — Nic Stone

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky — Kwame Mbalia

The Jumbies — Tracey Baptiste

Stuntboy, In the Meantime — Jason Reynolds

💡 These work really well for upper elementary and middle school boys.

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If your child doesn’t enjoy a book, it’s okay to stop and choose another one. The goal is to help children discover books they love so reading becomes something they look forward to.

Reading together and discussing stories helps children build vocabulary, confidence, and critical thinking skills. Even 20 minutes of reading each day can make a big difference in a child’s academic success.

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The Science of Reading refers to decades of research on how children learn to read. This research shows that reading is not a natural process—it must be taught using specific skills that build on each other.

These important skills include:

📖 Phonemic Awareness – recognizing and playing with sounds in words
🔤 Phonics – connecting letters to sounds
🧠 Vocabulary – understanding the meaning of words
📚 Fluency – reading smoothly and accurately
💬 Comprehension – understanding what we read

When these skills are taught together, students become stronger and more confident readers.

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📖 Phonemic Awareness

Hearing and playing with the sounds in words.
Children learn to recognize individual sounds and how they come together to form words.

Example:
Knowing that the word cat has three sounds: /c/ /a/ /t/ or noticing that cat and hat rhyme.

🔤 Phonics

Learning how letters match with sounds.
Children learn that letters and groups of letters represent sounds that help them read and spell words.

Example:
Knowing that the letter B makes the /b/ sound in words like ball or bat.

🧠 Vocabulary

Understanding the meaning of words.
The more words children know and understand, the easier it is for them to read and understand stories and information.

Example:
Learning new words through books, conversations, and everyday experiences.

📚 Fluency

Reading smoothly, accurately, and with expression.
Fluent readers don’t have to stop and sound out every word, which helps them focus on understanding the story.

Example:
Reading a sentence out loud in a natural, flowing way.

💬 Comprehension

Understanding and thinking about what is read.
This means being able to explain the story, describe characters, and talk about what happened in the text.

Example:
Answering questions like:
“What happened in the story?” or “Why did the character make that choice?”

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📚 Questions to Ask While Reading With Your Child

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📚 Questions to Ask While Reading With Your Child

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🔍 Before Reading

Help your child think about what the book might be about.

• What do you think this story will be about?
• What do you notice on the cover?
• Have you ever heard a story like this before?

📖 During Reading

Encourage your child to think about the story as it happens.

• What do you think will happen next?
• Why do you think the character did that?
• How do you think the character feels right now?
• What would you do if you were in this situation?

💬 After Reading

Help your child reflect and make connections.

• What was your favorite part of the story?
• Who was your favorite character? Why?
• What lesson do you think the story teaches?
• Does this story remind you of something in real life?

There are no wrong answers when talking about a book. The goal is to encourage children to think, imagine, and share their ideas.

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📚 Everyday Activities That Build Reading Skills

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📚 Everyday Activities That Build Reading Skills

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🛒 At the Grocery Store

Ask your child to:
• Read food labels
• Help write the shopping list
• Find items that start with certain letters

This builds vocabulary and letter recognition.

🍳 While Cooking

Let your child:
• Read recipes
• Measure ingredients
• Follow directions step by step

This builds reading comprehension and sequencing skills.

🚗 In the Car

Turn car rides into learning moments:

• Read street signs together
• Play rhyming games
• Take turns making up stories

This builds phonemic awareness and imagination.

📺 During TV Time

After watching a show or movie, ask:

• What happened in the story?
• Who was your favorite character?
• What was the problem in the story?

This strengthens comprehension and critical thinking.

✍️ Around the House

Encourage children to:

• Write notes to family members
• Keep a short journal
• Help make chore lists
• Read instructions for games

This builds writing, vocabulary, and confidence.

💡 Family Tip

Children learn best when reading and language are part of everyday life. Even small conversations help build the skills children need to become strong readers.

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📖 The Whole-Brain Child — Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson

This book helps parents understand how children’s brains develop and offers practical strategies to support emotional regulation and healthy communication

📖 How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk — Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish

A classic parenting book that provides simple techniques to improve communication and build stronger relationships with children.

📖 Raising Good Humans — Hunter Clarke-Fields

This book focuses on mindful parenting and offers strategies for staying calm, setting boundaries, and raising compassionate children.

📖 The Read-Aloud Handbook — Jim Trelease

A wonderful guide on how reading aloud to children can strengthen literacy skills, build vocabulary, and foster a lifelong love of

reading.

📖 The 5 Love Languages of Children — Gary Chapman & Ross Campbell

Helps parents understand how children experience love and how to connect with them in meaningful ways.

📖 Reading for Our Lives — Maya Payne Smart

This book shares practical ways families can build strong reading skills early by incorporating literacy into everyday conversations and activities.

📖 The Anxious Generation — Jonathan Haidt

This book explores how technology and social media impact children’s mental health and offers insights into supporting healthier development for young people.

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Family Literacy Activities to Try at Home

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Family Literacy Activities to Try at Home

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📖 Family Book Club

Choose a book the whole family can read together. Set aside time each week to talk about the story, favorite characters, and lessons from the book.

Conversation starters:

What was your favorite part of the story?

Which character do you relate to the most?

What do you think will happen next?

⭐ Earn Privileges Through Reading

Encourage children to build a reading routine by connecting reading with rewards or privileges.

Examples:

20 minutes of reading = extra screen time

Finish a book = choose the family movie

Read every day for a week = choose dinner

This helps make reading feel exciting and motivating.

📓 Parent–Child Journaling

Parents and children share a notebook where they write messages back and forth to each other. This can be about their day, feelings, questions, or things they are grateful for. It creates a safe space for communication while building writing skills.

Conversation starters:

What was the best part of your day?

Did anything make you feel proud today?

What is something you are looking forward to?

🎶 Literacy Through Music

Listen to songs together and talk about the lyrics. Many songs tell stories just like books and poems. This helps children see how reading and writing connect to music and creativity.

Conversation starters:

What do you think this song is about?

Which words or phrases stood out to you?

How does this song make you feel?