Why do I love this project so much? Reading is a passion of mine. I am a bookaholic (if that is even a word) I am pretty sure. I have been collecting boxes of books since I can remember. Each time we move, I am reminded of the hundreds of titles and thousands of pounds that get shuffled in and out of boxes. You would think in a digital age, most of these would be on an iPad or Kindle, but no. There is something thrilling to me to hold a book in my hand and having a sense of accomplishment with every page that I turn. I can quickly go back through to re-read if I missed a detail or make a note on the side if I want to remember something for later.
Every day, Monday through Friday, family's will be given a reading assignment from the book that we are all reading. The next day in class, there will be a short discussion with the other students about what was read the day before. There might even be little activities that go along with the story from time to time. It's fun to have conversations with the kids at school about the characters from the book or what they think will happen next. The weekends are meant for catch up time because we understand that life is busy!
The part that I love the MOST about this project is that it provides an opportunity for family's to come together at night, before school, in the car, wherever and read together. It provides a chance for discussion about life, or what happened at school that day. So many times we are rushed from one activity to the next that we don't take time to sit down and have intentional, uninterrupted time together. This is such an important part of a students day! Plus it promotes reading as a family.
Parents often ask teachers, "How can I help my child be a better reader?" The answer is simple. READ. If you are wondering why reading for 20 minutes each night makes a difference, look at this chart below.
When I see statistics like the chart above, I get pretty passionate about reading each night at home. If you are struggling with what to read, just pick something. Don't worry so much about the content or if it is too easy, or too difficult for them to understand. When my daughters were one years old, my husband and I would put them in their cribs, sit down on the floor of their bedroom and read Harry Potter with a book light. We knew they didn't understand the story line, but they got used to hearing how we read. They heard the pauses and inflections, the excitement or worry. They might even have picked up on our facial expressions. The girls are 7 now and even on the nights that we get home late, past their bedtime, we cannot go to sleep without a story, even if it is a short one.
Make reading a habit. Just like your bedtime routine, add reading together the last thing you do before lights are off and you tuck them in.
We will be giving out clues as to what the title of our book will be this week so be sure to follow us on Twitter #freemanfalcons or @erinsieh and our Facebook Page, Freeman Elementary School.
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