The Best Readers:

  • Read 11 or more pages a day
  • Define words they neither know or understand...They want to learn!
  • Do homework an hour or half-hour a day
  • Watch less than an hour of TV a day
  • Write well thought out answers to questions or assignments 
  • Read for fun every day
  • Talk about their reading with family or friends
  • Have four types of reading material in their home (newspapers, magazines, books, and encyclopedias)

Essentials for Parents in Helping Their Children Learn to Love to Read:

  • Read to your child from the time s/he is tiny (everyday!)
  • Talk about what you read as you read to him/her.
  • Play alphabet/word games with your child.
  • Point out all the writing that surrounds him/her:  billboards, road signs, grocery items, etc.
  • Read in front of your children.
  • Read WITH your child.
  • Make books and magazines readily available.
  • Have writing materials available and encourage their use.

  • Limit television time (severely!)

  • Talk, talk, talk!
  • Read, read, read!
  • In the end, How you think determines how you speak, and how you speak determines how you write.