• Be a good role model.  Let your child see you reading and

     share your excitement when you enjoy a great book of your

     own.

 

• Making reading a priority.  Whether it's 20 minutes right after school or every night before bed, it helps to set aside a specific time for reading.  This kind of special time together can go a long way toward getting your child interested in books. 

 

• Create the right atmosphere.  Find a quiet, comfortable place to listen to your child read. 

 

• Keep reading aloud to your child.  Don't stop reading aloud to your child once he learns to read to himself.  When you read to him, you allow your child to enjoy books that are beyond his independent reading level and build his vocabulary by exposing him to new words.  Reading aloud is also an opportunity for you to model reading smoothly and with good expression.

 

• Introduce new books.  Each year there is one book that seems to steal the hearts and minds of all children.  While it may seem like the only book your child wants to read, it's important to remember that there are millions of books that will suit your child's interests and capture his imagination.  Visit the local library or browse at a bookstore to find the right book.

 

• Make reading fun.  Kids may not get excited about the idea of reading.  Why not make it fun by turning reading sessions into impromptu theatrical performances?  Play around with funny voices to impersonate characters in stories.  Act out parts of the story.  Your child might start thinking reading is fun rather than work. 

 

• Give support and encouragement.  Challenge your child to figure out new words, but always supply the word before he becomes frustrated. 

 

• Play word games.  Activities like Boggle and Scrabble, crossword puzzles, and word a day calendars increase your child's vocabulary. 

 

• Use the story to help your child learn.  While reading with your child, ask questions to help him interact with the story. 

     Questions like:  What do you think will happen next?  What are

     some adjectives to describe the character?  How would you feel

     if you were in the same situation? help your child become a

     strategic and engaged reader.

 

• Use strategies to tackle a new word. Ask your child

             to sound out an unknown word.  Break the word into syllables,

     and then have him blend the individual sound chunks to

     pronounce the difficult word.  Focus attention on prefixes,

     suffixes, and root words.