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Reading Together
As a Big or a
parent, you have the opportunity to inspire a love of
reading in your Little. Reading together is more than just cracking a
book. It's a way to:
•
unlock
your imaginations
• approach a tough subject in a comfortable way
• practice critical thinking and social skills
• build confidence (and your vocabulary!)
• learn about the world around you, and each other
You can strengthen your role as your Little’s mentor through reading.
The simple act of sitting down together with a book will nurture their
minds and their spirits—and you’ll be setting an example that will
benefit them throughout their lives.
Whether your Little is 6 or 15, reading together can be part of your
match. For example, Sarah, a Big Sister, and her Little Sister, Audrey,
aged 13, started a two-person “book club.” They choose a book for both
of them to read. Then, they get together for lunch and talk about it.
(We love this idea, you guys!)
Choosing a book that has been made into a movie, like the recent
book/film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, can add
incentive, too. After reading the book, have a movie night and compare
the two.
- Which did you like better, and why?
- Were the characters portrayed in the
movie the same
way as in the book? Did they look like you had imagined them?
- What scenes from the book weren’t in the
movie? Did
that change the story or what you knew about the characters?
- Which character or event in the story
did you
identify with most, and why?
For younger
kids, here are
some suggestions for getting the most out of reading, courtesy of Nancy
Pohl, a teacher at Coralville Central:
- Take your Little to the library. Check
out easy
chapter books, such as Fox books, Henry and Mudge books, or Frog and
Toad books
- Check out both fiction and nonfiction
books.
For nonfiction books, choose books about topics that your Little enjoys
(maybe sports, animals, music, or a favorite celebrity).
- Start with a picture walk on each book.
- Look at the picture on the cover
- Cover the words on each page, and just
look at the
pictures
- Now make some predictions:
--- Who are the characters in the
story?
--- Where does
the story take place?
--- What do
you think will happen?
- As you read and discuss books, focus on
the setting
and the characters, questioning and predicting as you go. Discuss
the plot, and how the book’s problem is solved.
- Throughout the book, notice new or
interesting words,
patterns, rhythms, and expressions.
For a different approach, try a “word
scavenger hunt.” Go on scavenger hunts around the community looking at
signs, menus, posters, etc. Look for certain words in public places and
practice reading those words. |
