LIBRARY
Parents
often forget that the library offers a wide variety of activities
for their kids.
Please
visit the library once a week if you can, even for a short time.
There are books, videos that you can borrow, story time sessions,
music events and much more.
Sunland
– Tujunga Branch Library
7771 Foothill Boulevard
Tujunga, CA 91042
Tel
: (818) 352-4481 Fax :(818) 352-2501
Sylmar
Branch Library
14561 Polk Street
Sylmar, CA 91342
(818)
367-6102 (818) 367-5872
Sun
Valley Branch Library
7935 Vineland Avenue
Sun Valley, CA 91352
(818) 764-1338 (818) 764-1338
Top
Ten Ways to Improve Reading Skills
Nothing
is more important to academic achievement than being a good reader.
Parents know their children best and can provide the one-on-one
time and attention that will lead them to success in reading. Here
is a list of ways to help your children become more effective readers.
1.
Set aside a regular time to read to your children every day.
Studies show that regularly reading out loud to children will produce
significant gains in reading comprehension, vocabulary, and the
decoding of words. Whether your children are preschoolers or preteens,
it will increase their desire to read independently.
2.
Surround your children with reading material.
Children with a large array of reading materials in their homes
score higher on standardized tests. Tempt your kids to read by having
a large supply of appealing books and magazines at their reading
level. Put the reading materials in cars, bathrooms, bedrooms, family
rooms, and even by the TV.
3.
Have a family reading time.
Establish a daily 15 to 30 minute time when everyone in the family
reads together silently. Seeing you read will inspire your children
to read. Just 15 minutes of daily practice is sufficient to increase
their reading fluency.
4.
Encourage a wide variety of reading activities.
Make reading an integral part of your children's lives.
Have them read menus, roadside signs, game directions, weather reports,
movie time listings, and other practical everyday information. Also,
make sure they always have something to read in their spare time
when they could be waiting for appointments or riding in a car.
5.
Develop the library habit.
Entice your children to read more by taking them to the library
every few weeks to get new reading materials. The library also offers
reading programs for children of all ages that may appeal to your
children and further increase their interest in reading.
6.
Be knowledgeable about your children's progress. Find out
what reading skills they are expected to have at each grade level.
The school's curriculum will give you this information. Track their
progress in acquiring basic reading skills on report cards and standardized
tests.
7.
Look for reading problems.
Teachers do not always detect children's reading problems until
they've become serious. Find out if your children can sound out
words, know sight words, use context to identify unknown words,
and clearly understand what they read.
8.
Get help promptly for reading problems.
Reading problems do not magically disappear with time. The earlier
children receive help, the more likely they will become good readers.
Make sure your children receive necessary help from teachers, tutors,
or learning centers as soon as you discover a problem.
9.
Use a variety of aids to help your children.
To help your children improve their reading, use textbooks, computer
programs, books-on-tape, and other materials available in stores.
Games are especially good choices because they let children have
fun as they work on their skills.
10.
Show enthusiasm for your children's reading.
Your reaction has a great influence on how hard they will try to
become good readers. Be sure to give them genuine praise for their
efforts. |
