Reading and writing are the core skills that students need to master in elementary school and are the foundation for all learning. Below we have listed some ways to help support your child's learning at home:

• Help your child complete their Home Reading homework every day. The Home reading program at your school is a vital part of your child's schoolwork. If you are having trouble for any reason, either your child is struggling with their reading homework or they are not motivated, please let your teacher know.

• Help your child establish a routine time and place for home reading.  Experiment with before school, right after school, before dinner, or after dinne and see what works for your family.  Decide together on a good place to read that allows for optimum concentration.

• Read aloud to your child every day. Even if your child reads well on their own, reading books together is a great way to enjoy time together and foster a love of reading (for inspiration, see this story from the New York Times). It is important to let your child see that you enjoy reading.

• Go to the library often with your child and borrow books, graphic novels, audiobooks, magazines, whatever is appealing. You can visit your school's library, or try different branches of the Vancouver Public Library or the Richmond Public Library for variety (note that you can return RPL books at any VPL branch). You can also read books online.

• Limit TV and computer time, so screen time does not crowd out reading time. 
  

• If your child is not reading yet, you can help them develop phonemic awareness (that is, hear different sounds in spoken language).  You can find worksheets that describe the different levels along with suggested activities to build awareness here.  Do not push your child if they are not ready; these activities should be fun and playful!

• If your child is just learning to read, maintain your child's confidence by staying positive, and keeping reading at home fun and enjoyable. Help your child to pick appropriate books using the five finger rule so they do not get frustrated (if your child is reading a book with a few lines of text per page, apply the rule to the entire book). Note that the Brighouse branch of the Richmond Public library, which is just off the Canada Line, has a particularly large collection of early reading materials. For online phonics lessons, check out Starfall (free) or Headsprout.

• If your child is a reluctant reader, you can help encourage them to read in the following ways:

  • As Jon Scieszka, the US National Ambassador for Young People's Literature advises “one of the best ways I found to motivate [reluctant readers] is to connect them with reading that interests them, to expand the definition of reading to include humor, science fiction/fantasy, nonfiction, graphic novels, wordless books, audio books and comic books.” You can read more of his article here. He also has a website where boys recommend good books for boys (who wouldn't love a reading list with the category “at least one explosion”?).

  • Help you child find books they enjoy by browsing book lists, checking out the Hudson Student Recommended Book List, or asking other parents what their children enjoy reading.

  • Take turns reading together. For younger children, try the “You Read to Me; I'll Read to You” books.

  • Listen to audiobooks together, or have a Family Reading Night at home, when everyone reads together. Make the atmosphere calm, cozy, relaxed, and companionable, and let your child see that you enjoy reading.

  • Use a reward system to encourage your child to read (though these do not work for all children).

  
  
  • Leave reading material around the house

  • And of course, read aloud to your child!

• If your child is reading well, try challenging them by introducing classics or award winning books, perhaps through audiobooks or reading together.

• Encourage your child to write.  For younger children, maybe they can help you write a shopping list, or make a birthday card for a relative.  Older children can write letters to friends/family and/or keep a diary, scrapbook, or travel journal.  Or encourage your child to enter a writing contest, such as Munsch at Home or Reading Rainbow.

• For intermediate students, you can help with your child's writing assignments through the following:

  • Reinforce the concept that a first draft is not the final copy

  • Help your child establish an editing routine, such as COPS (Capitals, Organization, Punctuation, Spelling and Grammar)

  • Be an audience. Reading aloud can help your child see where things don't make sense

• Have a Family Game Night.  Games like Scrabble, Bananagrams, Apples to Apples, Hangman, etc... are a fun way to develop language skills. 
  

• You can find more tips on how to encourage literacy on the Hudson Literacy at Home Page and from ABC Life Literacy Canada

Ways You Can Help at School:

• Ask your child's teacher how you can help in class.  For example, maybe you can come in once a week and read with primary students?

• Go to a PAC meeting

• Ask your librarian how you can help in the library.