It cannot be underestimated the influence that children’s ability to read has on their experience of school. Children’s success in reading positively influences all other aspects of the curriculum as it is the basis of many other curricular areas.
It is natural for parents to be enthusiastic about children’s reading as they make the first tentative steps to master the printed word. In general, parents of children in junior classes tend to read more to their children and listen more to their children’s reading. However, the need to listen to children reading does not diminish as the child advances through the school. Just because a child “can” read does not mean that every opportunity should not be taken to allow the child to read aloud. Reading to an adult at home allows the child to consolidate what the child is practising at school. It also allows the child to consolidate the key reading skills of fluency, clarity and reading with meaning. Reading a little , but often, is much more beneficial than reading a lot, but rarely. Children should develop the habit of reading aloud to an adult at home each night for 8-10 minutes whether reading homework is given or not.

Reading opens the gate to learning

Importance of Reading

Page 1

Revised Curriculum in the Primary School
“Parents have a crucial role to play in children’s language development ……. Talking to adults, hearing them talk, hearing stories read and told and being encouraged to read, all have an influence on children’s language development that supports and complements school experience.”
Key Reading Comprehension skills
Understanding
Analysis
Deduction
Summarisation
Inference
Prediction
Confirmation
Evaluation
Do’s
Try to enjoy reading time
Praise and encourage the child’s reading
Show example by reading yourself
Provide a variety of books at home
Visit the library/bookshop regularly
Read to your child as often as possible
Ask some questions that allow the child to show they have understood what they have read

This is a Seomra Ranga resource. It is free of copyright for classroom use. All other uses are strictly © copyright. All rights reserved.
www.seomraranga.com

Children should be exposed to as wide a variety of texts as possible. It is important that children have the opportunity to experience a wide variety of forms of text: fiction, non-fiction (fact books), comics, magazines, cookery books, manuals, joke books, pop-up books, puzzle books, poetry books. Variety is much more beneficial to the child as it exposes them to different forms of text and different contexts. Children can read from their class reader, class novel, parallel/supplementary reader, library book or any other book they may have at home. The aim is to encourage the child to become an independent reader but again it is important to recognise that a little reading done regularly is what develops the habit.

Reading at Home

Variety of Reading Material

This story can fit 150-200 words.
One benefit of using your newsletter as a promotional tool is that you can reuse content from other marketing materials, such as press releases, market studies, and reports.
While your main goal of distributing a newsletter might be to sell your product or service, the key to a successful newsletter is making it useful to your readers.
A great way to add useful content to your newsletter is to develop and write your own articles, or include a calendar of upcoming events or a special offer that promotes a new product.
You can also research articles or find “filler” articles by accessing the World Wide Web. You can write about a variety of topics but try to keep your articles short.
Much of the content you put in your newsletter can also be used for your Web site. Microsoft Publisher offers a simple way to convert your newsletter to a Web publication. So, when you’re finished writing your newsletter, convert it to a Web site and post it.

This story can fit 75-125 words.
Selecting pictures or graphics is an important part of adding content to your newsletter.
Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the message you’re trying to convey. Avoid selecting images that appear to be out of context.
Microsoft Publisher includes thousands of clip art images from which you can choose and import into your newsletter. There are also several tools you can use to draw shapes and symbols.
Once you have chosen an image, place it close to the article. Be sure to place the caption of the image near the image.

This story can fit 100-150 words.
The subject matter that appears in newsletters is virtually endless. You can include stories that focus on current technologies or innovations in your field.
You may also want to note business or economic trends, or make predictions for your customers or clients.
If the newsletter is distributed internally, you might comment upon new procedures or improvements to the business. Sales figures or earnings will show how your business is growing.
Some newsletters include a column that is updated every issue, for instance, an advice column, a book review, a letter from the president, or an editorial. You can also profile new employees or top customers or vendors.

This story can fit 150-200 words.
One benefit of using your newsletter as a promotional tool is that you can reuse content from other marketing materials, such as press releases, market studies, and reports.
While your main goal of distributing a newsletter might be to sell your product or service, the key to a successful newsletter is making it useful to your readers.
A great way to add useful content to your newsletter is to develop and write your own articles, or include a calendar of upcoming events or a special offer that promotes a new product.
You can also research articles or find “filler” articles by accessing the World Wide Web. You can write about a variety of topics but try to keep your articles short.
Much of the content you put in your newsletter can also be used for your Web site. Microsoft Publisher offers a simple way to convert your newsletter to a Web publication. So, when you’re finished writing your newsletter, convert it to a Web site and post it.

This story can fit 75-125 words.
Selecting pictures or graphics is an important part of adding content to your newsletter.
Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the message you’re trying to convey. Avoid selecting images that appear to be out of context.
Microsoft Publisher includes thousands of clip art images from which you can choose and import into your newsletter. There are also several tools you can use to draw shapes and symbols.
Once you have chosen an image, place it close to the article. Be sure to place the caption of the image near the image.

This story can fit 100-150 words.
The subject matter that appears in newsletters is virtually endless. You can include stories that focus on current technologies or innovations in your field.
You may also want to note business or economic trends, or make predictions for your customers or clients.
If the newsletter is distributed internally, you might comment upon new procedures or improvements to the business. Sales figures or earnings will show how your business is growing.
Some newsletters include a column that is updated every issue, for instance, an advice column, a book review, a letter from the president, or an editorial. You can also profile new employees or top customers or vendors.

Primary Business Address
Your Address Line 2
Your Address Line 3
Your Address Line 4

This is a Seomra Ranga resource. It is free of copyright for classroom use. All other uses are strictly © copyright. All rights reserved.
www.seomraranga.com

This story can fit 175-225 words.
If your newsletter is folded and mailed, this story will appear on the back. So, it’s a good idea to make it easy to read at a glance.
A question and answer session is a good way to quickly capture the attention of readers. You can either compile questions that you’ve received since the last edition or you can summarize some generic questions that are frequently asked about your organization.
A listing of names and titles of managers in your organization is a good way to give your newsletter a personal touch. If your organization is small, you may want to list the names of all employees.
If you have any prices of standard products or services, you can include a listing of those here. You may want to refer your readers to any other forms of communication that you’ve created for your organization.
You can also use this space to remind readers to mark their calendars for a regular event, such as a breakfast meeting for vendors every third Tuesday of the month, or a biannual charity auction.
If space is available, this is a good place to insert a clip art image or some other graphic.

Phone: 555-555-5555
Fax: 555-555-5555
Email: xyz@microsoft.com

Your business tag line here.

Organization

Reading at Home

Reading at Home

Children, when they start school, need as much positive interest and encouragement as possible from parents. The teacher develops the necessary reading skills at school. However, the teaching of reading is a partnership between home and school. The reading climate in the home is crucial. Parents are role models. If children see parents enjoying books, they will want to explore books themselves. It is widely acknowledged that the single most important factor in determining the child’s success in reading is parental attitude. If parents provide suitable reading material, if they encourage children to join the library, if they listen with enthusiasm to their child’s reading, if they buy books as presents, they are supplementing the work of the teacher in the area of reading development in a real and meaningful way. A happy and secure reading environment in the home will give the child a positive attitude towards reading.

Parents as Role Models

This is a Seomra Ranga resource. It is free of copyright for classroom use. All other uses are strictly © copyright. All rights reserved.
www.seomraranga.com

Reading at Home

Suggested Websites
kidsreads.com
reading.ie/tips/parents.php
dyslexia.ie/paired.htm
childrensbooksireland.com
cool-reads.co.uk
bookadventure.org
talaris.org/research_sharedbook.htm
rif.org
nea.org/parents/index.html
nea.org/parents/learningtoread.html
bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/work/primary/literacy/reading_confidence.shtml
caringforkids.cps.ca/behaviour/Reading2kids.htm
Word Games
Don’t forget to play word games at home. They have a role to play in language development.
Wordsearches
Puzzles
Scrabble
Crosswords

Approaches to Reading at Home

Read little and often—don’t overdo it
Find a quiet place—away from distractions like TV, computer
Make sure the table/chair are comfortable
Be enthusiastic and interested
Be patient
Make the reading session fun and enjoyable
Talk together about the book
Talk before you start, while reading and at the end
Ask some pertinent questions to aid comprehension skills
Avoid criticising, telling off or threats
Praise success—say “Well Done!” or “Good!” regularly (and sound as if you mean it!)
Stop and encourage prediction skills by asking “What do you think will happen next?”
Always end the reading session on a positive note
Encourage the child to read ahead quietly in their spare time

September 2006

September 2006

Page 2