1. May 2014
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Helping Your Child Read English When
You Don't Speak the Language
Parents who don't speak English well or who don't
read English often worry about how they can help their
children succeed in learning to read English. Reading
is so critical to educational success, non-English-
speaking parents feel at a loss as to how they can
support their children. Happily, there are several ways
parents can be a strong and effective help to their
young English language learners (ELLs).
Read books in the home language. According
to the latest research, children who learn to
read in one language learn to read in another
language more easily.
Read bilingual books together. These books
tell stories in both English and the child's
home language, which strengthen both the
child's reading skills and his or her English
education. For suggestions, visit the website
"Celebrate Reading in Two Languages," a
bilingual book list for Spanish speakers, and
"ELL Stories," a book list of multicultural
children coming to the U.S. and learning to
May articles
Helping Your Child Read English
Boost Your Child's Reading Skills
The Benefits of Reading Aloud
Prepare for Standardized Tests
BrainstormUSA
Website
Scholarships
Rewards
2. speak English.
Pair up audiobooks and print books. By
listening to an English audiobook and
following along in the English print version,
children begin to associate the pronunciation
of English words with the appearance and
spelling of those words.
Keep a vocabulary list. You could put together
a notebook with words in your first language,
the English translation, and how to say the
words in English.
Since learning to read is a complex process, it will be
helpful for your children to learn in their home
language. By learning to read in their stronger
language, they will build the skills they needs to read in
English. And when you reinforce their abilities with the
tips listed above, you'll help your children improve his
English-reading competence - whether or not you can
speak or read English well.
Boost Your Child's Reading Skills
On a recent National Assessment of Education
Progress (NAEP) Reading Test, one out of three fourth
graders scored "below basic" and more than 67%
scored "below proficient.”Fully two thirds of
American fourth graders are not reading at grade
level.
It's easy to see why NAEP reading test results for
fourth graders
is troubling
news. Only
one third of all
fourth graders
are reading at
or above
grade level.
From fourth
grade on, a
student's education depends largely on his/her reading
aptitude. In fact, a child's reading level can serve as
a prediction of his/her future academic success.
The good news is that you as a parent can actively
support your child's reading achievement. Here are
some steps to take:
Communicate with his/her teacher.
Stay Connected
3. Teachers can give you resources to help your
child at home. Also, tutors might be available
to work with your child during school hours -
for free.
Have your child read aloud to you. With
you by his/her side, your child can work on
her word decoding skills and reading fluency.
Read aloud to your child. Read books to
him/her that is on his/her reading level,
pointing to the words as you say them.
Shared reading, with you reading one page
(or sentence) and your child reading the next,
is also a great strategy. But don't stop there.
Read books to his/her that are above her
reading level, so he/she can begin to
appreciate the sounds of words, reading
fluency, and the stories themselves. Get
him/her excited about reading!
Visit the library to find books for your child to
read and for the two of you to read together.
Ask the librarian for advice and
recommendations.
Encourage your child and celebrate
successes. Keep a positive attitude.
With your help, support, and encouragement, your
child's reading skills will get stronger, and he/she will
gain confidence in his/her abilities. Moreover, his/her
chances for educational achievement will
dramatically improve.
The Benefits of Reading Aloud to Your
Children - No Matter How Old They Are
We've known for decades now that reading aloud to
young children plays a critical role in their
development. But once children begin to read fluently
on their own, we often stop reading aloud to them.
After all, they can read themselves. Why would we
read to them? According to new research, reading
aloud to children through the high school years
provides many benefits, and not just for your
children, either.
4. Surprised? Consider these points:
Children can listen to and understand
books that are actually above their own
reading level. A younger reader, for
example, can appreciate Dodie Smith'sThe
101 Dalmatians, a more complex story than
the Disney movie plot.
Reading aloud to all children broadens their
vocabulary and language fluency. Think
about it: children learn to speak by modeling
spoken language. However, we tend to talk in
short sentences and fragments. Through
books, children encounter more sophisticated
words than they are likely to hear in day-to-
day conversation or on TV. And students
with larger vocabularies do better in
school and on standardized tests than
students with more limited vocabularies.
Reading aloud to your kids opens the door
to discussing tough issues together.
Instead of simply lecturing your child about
something you don't want him/her to do, read
a book that focuses on that particular
concern. Through the story, you'll both go
through the activities, choices, and related
consequences along with the characters.
Then you can talk about what happened in
the story, different choices the characters
might have made, and any possible
alternative outcomes.
Reading aloud to your kids gives you the
chance to read books you didn't read at
their ages. You'll enjoy fantastic books along
with your kids. As a double bonus, your
enthusiasm will inspire your children to
read more.
Finally, reading aloud to your family gives
each child a sense of belonging. Often,
teens and tweens grapple with feeling like
they don't fit in anywhere. Spending time
together reading quality books is a great way
to bond as a family.
In our busy lives, it can be hard to find time to read
aloud together. But finding 15 minutes - whether it's
between dinner and homework, right before bedtime,
or wherever you can fit it in - for a family read-aloud
delivers so many benefits that it's worth making this
pastime a priority.
If you're looking for books to read aloud with your
5. family, ask at your local library or visit the Real Aloud
America booklist, which lists books by age and grade,
as well as books that people enjoy at any age.
Helping Your Child Prepare for
Standardized Tests
Standardized testing is a significant component of our
educational system. Teachers often spend class time
preparing students for the test(s) and then use test
results to assess students' scholastic progress. And
parents want to do what they can to help their children
prepare for these tests.
One of the best preparation methods is practice.
Practicing for standardized testing offers many
benefits, such as:
Children
become more
familiar with
the test's
format,
including
topics that are
covered, how
questions are worded, and the types of
questions asked.
Children profit from repeated exposure to test
concepts, which leads to better retention and
faster recall.
Both familiarity with format and repeated
exposure to concepts gives children
confidence and reduces their stress come test
time.
Test Practice, from Brainstorm USA LLC, is an online
educational program that provides test practice
activities and games for students in grades one
through nine. This interactive program can be
customized to your specific state's test. Kids can use it
anywhere they have access to the internet and on
different platforms, such as computers, tablets,
smartphones, and gaming devices. Test Practice
provides immediate feedback on correct or incorrect
answers and also creates reports so you can monitor
those school subjects that need strengthening and
those your child has fully grasped.
