Helpful Reading and Writing Strategies

Read together!

•  Read with your child for at least 20 minutes each night.
• Read easier text to practice fluency and expression.
•  Take turns reading pages with your child. When you read, you are demonstrating good reading behaviors.  
• Ask your child questions as you read together to check for comprehension.
•  Make frequent trips to your local library to get new books to practice reading. Students are more likely to read when the books are about something they enjoy.
•  Help your child choose the books they read. Use the Five Finger Rule, if five or more words on a page are unfamiliar to your child, the book is too difficult.
   

Write together!

• Writing can be difficult for some children, but there are strategies that you can use at home to make the process easier.
• Provide supplies that encourage writing.   Give gifts (and encourage others to do the same for birthdays and special occasions) associated with writing: pens, pencils, pads of paper,stationary, a dictionary or thesaurus, erasers--even stamps.
• Make it real. Your child needs to do real writing. Encourage the child to write to relatives and friends. Perhaps your child would enjoy corresponding with a pen pal.
• Suggest note-taking. Encourage your child to take notes on trips or outings, and to describe what (s)he saw. This could include a description of nature walks, a boat ride, a car trip, or other events that lend themselves to note-taking.