I read for information…to stay current with regards to educational best practices...and, to gain knowledge, but rarely do I make time for a good book just for reading’s sake!
In this month’s Educational Leadership Journal, I enjoyed an article about addressing reading concerns early. The article made many great points including the importance of alphabetical and phonetic awareness, but to summarize, the answer to good reading is to have your child read, read, and read some more!
This particular paragraph struck me.
A student in the 90th percentile of reading volume (who reads 21.1 minutes per day) encounters 1.8 million words a year, whereas a student in the 10th percentile (who reads less than one minute per day) sees only 8,000 words a year. Put another way, the first student sees more words in two days than the second reads all year (Cunningham & Stanovich, 2001). It’s no wonder that students with limited practice in reading (and, thus limited vocabularies and general knowledge) often struggle when they are expected to progress from reading relatively easy passages to increasingly difficult texts that require larger vocabularies, greater fluency, and more prior knowledge.
Know how important reading is to a child’s successes in school and in life. I challenge you to turn off the DVD’s in the car, lessen TV time at home, take time to help your child find a good book, and spend time reading together as a family. Whether you and your child read for fun, read for knowledge, or read to gain information, the important thing to do is read, read, read!
Bryan Goodwin’s article “Address Reading Problems Early” from March 2012 Educational Leadership
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| Oakhill Day School students from Toddler (Age 2) to Eighth Grade participated in the Read Across America Event this month. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to Stop, Drop, and Read! (click on the image to see our readers in action) |
