Reading Strategies for Students

• Ask questions while reading together. “What do you think will happen next?”
• Buy books as gifts for birthdays, Christmas, Hanukkah, or other holidays.
• Chat about what is happening in the book and how it relates to everyday life.
• Drop everything and read.  Set aside 20 minutes a day during which the whole family reads.
• Examine book illustrations in detail. Select book that have large, bright pictures.
• Find books that interest you. Make suggestions, but don’t turn reading into work.
• Give hints when your child gets stuck on a word.
• Have fun. Smile and enjoy the story. Read with a slow, relaxed voice and be expressive.
• Invite your child to the bookstore. Take time to lounge in the chairs and browse the books.
• Join in your child’s reading successes. Celebrate every small step with sincere praise.
• Kids love to receive mail. Send your child a magazine subscription in an area that interests them.
• Learn to read with, and not just to, your child daily. Read aloud, share ideas, and answer questions.
• Model reading. Share with your child, whether you’re reading for information or for entertainment.
• Never force your child to read. If you’re both too tired or discouraged to read, take a break.
• Offer your child a variety of reading materials, such as books, magazines, cereal boxes, comics, and newspapers.
• Predict story elements, draw conclusions, and retell the story with your child.
• Quiz your child at the end of a story. Informally, of course!
• Reread books to familiarize your child with words and to build self-confidence.
• Sing songs, recite poetry, and do finger plays to help develop language and listening skills.
• Try to help your child understand that it’s okay to make mistakes.
• Understand that reading is developmental and that it takes time and practice to become fluent.
• Visit your local library on a regular basis. Sign your child up for his or her own library card.
• Welcome wordless picture books into your collections. They generate conversation and allow the non-reader to create their own stories.
• “Xihibt” patience when your child is selecting books. Your support is empowering.
• You are the most important person in helping your child develop a lifelong love of reading.
• Zealous readers are the result of supportive and nurturing role models.