Reading can be a ticket to worlds beyond our imagination -- reading well is also essential to learning, good health, safety, and economic success.
Reading is so important that four federal agencies, representing the fields of education, literacy, child development, and health have joined together to create the Partnership for Reading1. Through the Partnership's web site, you can access the latest information about the importance of reading.
Mothers, fathers, grandparents, and caregivers, your role in setting your child on the road to becoming a successful reader involves the development of important skills including learning to:
- use language and conversation
- listen and respond to stories read aloud
- recognize and name the letters of the alphabet
- listen to the sounds of spoken language
- connect sounds to letters to figure out the "code" of reading
- read often so that recognizing words becomes easy and automatic
- learn and use new words
- understand what is read
The National Reading Panel outlined five essential components of reading:
Phonemic Awareness - the ability to hear, focus on, and work with the individual sounds (or phonemes) in spoken language.
Phonics - the relationship of the sounds of spoken language to the letters in written words. This is also called sound/symbol correspondence.
Vocabulary - the words that students need to know to communicate. It includes words that are part of their oral vocabulary and their reading vocabulary. Vocabulary development refers to the knowledge of words, their definitions, and context.
Fluency - the ability to read text smoothly, accurately, and with expression. Fluent readers can read aloud with a pace and phrasing that is much like speaking.
Comprehension - the understanding of meaning in text. It is the goal of all reading and all reading instruction. Comprehending text is the active, intentional process between the reader and the text.
Learning to read takes practice, more practice than children get during the school day. Make reading a part of every day. Spend time talking with your childern. Keep informed about your child's progress in reading and ask the teacher about ways you can help.
1The Partnership for Reading is a collaborative effort by the National Institute for Literacy, the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, part of the National Institutes of Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who bring the findings of evidence-based reading research to those who are interested in helping children learn to read well.
As a parent/guardian of a student receiving Title 1 reading services, you have the opportunity to review the program narrative as well as our parent involvement policy. Please call to set up an appointment.