My son’s school asks that we read a minimum of 15 minutes per day with our child over the summer. I know summer reading is important and I always make sure he has books. But is it really necessary to read with him daily?
In a word, yes. At the most basic level, reading with your child even when school is not in session is important to maintaining his skills. When you read to him, you are modeling strong fluency and proper inflection. This helps strengthen his comprehension. When he mimics your fluency in his own reading aloud, he develops better understanding of the content and appreciation of the way the words are put together. This not only benefits him as a reader, but also as a writer. A classroom teacher simply cannot provide this kind of daily one-on-one attention.
Reading together also serves as a great basis for developing important skills in conversation. As you read together, you can discuss the positives and negatives about characters in stories; talking through how those traits impact the character and those around him or her. You can have a dialogue about the problems that arise and the solutions that might be considered.
Continuing this routine long after it is required by elementary school teachers is an excellent way to discuss important issues with your son as he grows up. Reading news articles or essays on topics of importance and using the foundations you have established with fiction and informational reading can provide a great forum for the kinds of discussions that are critical as young people mature.
In a word, yes. At the most basic level, reading with your child even when school is not in session is important to maintaining his skills. When you read to him, you are modeling strong fluency and proper inflection. This helps strengthen his comprehension. When he mimics your fluency in his own reading aloud, he develops better understanding of the content and appreciation of the way the words are put together. This not only benefits him as a reader, but also as a writer. A classroom teacher simply cannot provide this kind of daily one-on-one attention.
Reading together also serves as a great basis for developing important skills in conversation. As you read together, you can discuss the positives and negatives about characters in stories; talking through how those traits impact the character and those around him or her. You can have a dialogue about the problems that arise and the solutions that might be considered.
Continuing this routine long after it is required by elementary school teachers is an excellent way to discuss important issues with your son as he grows up. Reading news articles or essays on topics of importance and using the foundations you have established with fiction and informational reading can provide a great forum for the kinds of discussions that are critical as young people mature.
