Here are some fun and practical ways to make reading a normal and natural part of family life.

 * Read aloud to your children.

* Set aside a special time each day that you and your child devote to reading.

* Show your child that reading just isn’t for the classroom.  Let your kids catch you reading whenever possible.

* Create a special place for you and your child to read.

* Telling stories from your personal life is a fun way to teach values, pass on family history and build your child’s listening and thinking skills.  You could even write a family book.

* Help develop geography and reading skills by making a faux passport and a copy of an oversized world map.  Each time you and your child read a story about a different part of the world, color in that country on the map and stamp the passport.

* Build your child’s affection and respect for reading by helping them create their own personal library.

* Recording books is one way to enable a young reader to enjoy a favorite book again and again.  Grandparents, parents, bothers and sisters can record their

favorite stories on tape or the whole family can join in and play different characters.

* Newspapers, magazines, and books are obvious reading choices, but don’t dismiss road sign, menus, billboards, cereal boxes and lots of other everyday items. Read aloud anything with words and present reading as a way to discover the world.

• Interact with text

• Have goals for reading

• Evaluate text for important ideas

• Note structure of text before reading

• Make predictions

• Contruct, revise, and question as they read

• Monitor their understanding as they read

• Read different kinds of text differently

• Process text during and after reading

• Find comprehension of text to be productive

• Create visual images based on text they have read

• Draw inferences

• Synthesize information

• Repair understanding

• Enjoy and appreciate literature

Block and Pressley(2001) Harvey and Goudvis (2000)

Scholastic
This web site has easy reading ideas for K-5

Reading Rockets
This is a link for parents as well as educators.

International Reading Association
Look here for information on the International Reading Association.

Book Adventure
This is a free online program to encourage students in grades K-8 to read.

Starfall
This is a free site to teach the basics of reading.

Reading Is Fundamental
This link is a source for parents as well as educators.