What is one free and easy way to improve student reading achievement?
Many parents want a quick fix and seek tutoring for students who are below reading level. While tutoring is a great option and I can remediate phonic, teach syllable patterns, practice oral reading fluency, and evaluate comprehension, what students also need is daily reading practice to improve student reading achievement. It’s free and easy and yet many parents do not see the value of it. Daily reading of 15-30 minutes can help improve reading achievement significantly. Check out this report for some shocking statistics.
According to studies by Renaissance Learning on K-12 reading, “the majority of students spend fewer than 15 minutes per day reading, but increasing their daily reading time to 30 minutes can improve comprehension and boost student achievement.” Summer is a good time to set aside daily reading time where families read a variety of material and model good reading habits. Do not miss out on the benefits of daily reading to improve student reading achievement.
Reading should not be confined to fiction! Read an instruction booklet with your child or a travel guide. Read online reviews for a restaurant or a menu. Read through a cookbook to find new recipes. Read news articles for kids together. Common sense media has a list of news sources. More than half of what adults read is nonfiction so give kids the opportunity to read both fiction and nonfiction. Take them to the library regularly. Help them choose a few books on their independent reading level and then let them get an armful of books of their choice. Librarians are great resources for helping kids find similar book series to what they have read or appropriate reading material on a topic of interest.
It’s also important for kids to see parents reading. It’s hard to convince your child to read a book for 30 minutes while sitting next to you as you watch TV, but setting aside time to read together or even next to each other will change the mood drastically. Kids will begin to see reading time as enjoyment not a chore. An added benefit is that parents can read through some of the books on their own lists. Independent reading and reading together both have benefits.
Keep books in the car or backpack for extra wait time while out rather than just handing your kid your phone. Choose a chapter book to read aloud on vacation. Read! Read! Read! And reap the benefits of improved reading comprehension and skills. While there are many good programs and tutors to remediate reading, daily reading is one of the best and free ways to improve student reading achievement.
In summary:
Make reading a daily habit modeled in your home
Read daily for 15-30 minutes
Take regular trips to the library
Take books with you wherever you go
Daily reading boost student reading achievement
Table Talk: What time of day works best for family reading time? What books are you reading aloud to your family or roomates?
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Want a printable reading log? Try this one. https://everyday-reading.com/2023-printable-reading-log/