WHAT TO DO AS A PARENT....

As a parent, you are your child's first and best teacher! Here are some things you can do to help your child.

1. Monitor your child’s learning. Ask your child to tell you what he or she is learning in school and to show you examples of work. Have them explain the papers that come home, both the good scores and the bad.  The best way to learn something is to teach it, so let them teach you :)
2. Read to your child, and ask your child to read to you. 
3. When your child has homework, be nearby. 
4. Ask your child’s teacher how you can help at home. If your child is at-risk and receiving intervention, find out specific ways you can lend support. Ask what he or she needs to practice.  Specific skills you could ask about are sight words, phonics, fluency, and comprehension.  There are many different parts of reading, and your child may need to practice specific skills to improve their overall reading performance.
5. Above all, be positive and celebrate successes, even small ones.   

There are many forms of technology that can help with reading skills.  Many families find different apps for their phones or Ipads are helpful in the fact that they can practice reading skills during the "transition" times like in the car or waiting at appointments.  I have included links below to some helpful websites and apps.

But please never forget the benefit of just sitting down and reading to your child.  When children listen to good literature, hear a fluent voice reading with expression, talk about the story and its characters, and make predictions as to what will happen next, they are learning to be great readers.  Every child, regardless of their age, can benefit from being read to.  Talk about books, talk about characters, talk about what is happening and what you think could happen next.  Take turns reading out loud, line by line, page by page, or chapter by chapter.  You may just find it is your new favorite time of the day.  

RELATED FILES

• Top 11 Phonics Apps - The Reading Rockets website researched and found 11 great phonics apps including letter recognition and initial sounds. The list includes prices and nice descriptions to see if it is something your family might be interested in.

• School and Family Connection http://www.schoolfamily.com/early-elementary - A great website for all things involving the school and home connection.
• Reading Rocketshttp://www.readingrockets.org - This is a great website for all things reading, including activities, articles, and links to other sites.
• Florida Center for Reading Research http://www.fcrr.org- This site is full of different printable activities you can do with your child at home. They are organized by grade levels and areas of focus.