Are you raising a “word caller?”
It sounds kind of naughty when put that way. A “word caller” understands the connection between letters and sounds. They appear to read well, but actually don’t comprehend the material—they merely call out words.
Raising kids who love to read is an important part of this journey from the cradle to college.
I recently spoke with Susan Zimmermann, author of 7 Keys to Comprehension: How to Help Your Kids Read It and Get It!
I got the scoop on how to inspire my little bookworms. Check it out:
- Talk to your child about what they just read. Ask questions, like: Can you picture that in your head? What do you think will happen next? This will give you a sense of your child’s level of comprehension.
- Turn the world into a classroom. You don’t have to wait for story time to practice letters and words. Look to the environment for writing. Street signs, buildings, even candy wrappers offer your child a chance to read and sharpen their language skills.
- Set a good example. Read to your child early and often. Just as important, allow your child to see you reading.
- Go beyond picture books. Keep a variety of reading materials at home, in the car, etc. You don’t have to stick to picture books and early readers. Even more advanced materials that require your child to make sense of letters and symbols can boost their language development.
- Limit screen time. Television is often a passive activity. Kids don’t use their imagination in the same way they would with a book.
- Find books on your child’s favorite topics. If your child loves dinosaurs, make sure you hit that section of the book store. Visit the library and let your child explore.
- Aim for quality family time. There is no substitute for talking with and reading to your child. Turn off the TV, put away the smartphone, and get lost in a good conversation.
To my readers: How do you get your kids excited about reading? What kind of books do you like to read?
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My daughters just love books! I began reading to them when they were babies. Right now, we just love Cynthia Rylant and her various series of easy readers.
Ginny Marie recently posted..Winter Wonderland
Love these tips! We are all big readers in our house, and I think reading is the greatest!
Stopping by from SITS.
thedoseofreality recently posted..Top 10 Reasons We Can Never Be The Fashion Police
Great tips! I really try to find books on topics my kids are interested in. I have one that can totally read but thinks it’s too much work so makes no effort. So finding motivating materials is a BIG deal!
Sarah recently posted..Comment on Connect 2 Happiness with Gaiam TV by Sarah
I have my kid read aloud to me, like when I am cooking or when we are driving. Before bed he reads one and then I read one…
I have encouraged a love of reading in my children just by reading to them… and modeling the love of reading in myself.
rachel @runningrachel recently posted..Hard Does NOT Mean Impossible
These are great tips! I’m fortunate to have a little book worm at home and ensuring she is read to enough each day is not a problem. I can’t even begin to count the number of books we read in a day.
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom recently posted..Introducing LEGO YouTube Channel and $1,000 Give Away #LEGOchannel
My sister was a word caller– it’s how we found out she’s dyslexic.
Blond Duck recently posted..Life as an Inchworm
My younger boys are very eager, excited readers. They are 5 and 8 and have managed to jump ahead in reading without much help from me. My daughter is not excited about reading at all, and I think it’s due to her not comprehending the material. My poor girl is dyslexic, so reading is a challenge for her. She is receiving extra help at school so hopefully she will appreciate and enjoy reading at some point.
Jennifer The Quirky Momma recently posted..Wordless Wednesday 1/23/2013
Great tips! I’ve got 5 kids – 4 boys, 1 girl – a bit older now and have always struggled with getting them to read. Finally some of them are more interested!!! What worked ? Reading one book at night as a family, helping them find a series they like (gets them hooked to more than 1 book), and having “everyone read times” including my husband and me!
The major thing that has helped my daughter is letting her be involved in what she reads. Since we homeschool, I don’t have to be so strict on the reading she does. So, when we go to the library, I let her choose what she likes and we often come home with a couple dozen of books. As time has gone on, she’s read most of the interesting books for her grade level and about 3-4 grades above!
TerriAnn @ Cookies & Clogs recently posted..Superbowl XLVII w/ 49ers VS Ravens – It’s Time to Party!
All great tips! We read books every night before bed, and make a habit of discussing the story with our girls.
In my experience it is very important to build confidence in our youngest readers… keep praising them as they read to you!
Kathy recently posted..Pampers Swaddlers are now in Sizes 4 and 5 at Target – #Giveaway
Great tips. Reading is so important. Our granddaughter is 8 years old and a complete book worm — due in large part to the fact her Dad has read to her every night since she was born and because both of her parents love to read. One of Amara and her Mom’s favorite places to go is the used book store. Makes a Grandma very proud — of all of them.
Grandma Kc recently posted..Honor Roll Success Repeated
Thank you for sharing these tips! In our household, it is our routine to read aloud to our kids before bedtime. They usually respond best when it’s a fun, adventure-based story that is just past their reading level – they like a more complex story line. On some basic level, it’s just so important to establish routines around reading, it then becomes the expectation. It’s our favorite part of the day!
Thanks for linking into the Kid Lit Blog Hop – it’s so nice to see you there. I’m now following you via email and all those other ways too! Glad we connected!
Renee C. recently posted..Featured Guest Reviewer: Mia @ Pragmatic Mom
Love the term “word caller.” Thanks for sharing at The Children’s Bookshelf.
I love the point about turning the world into a classroom! Thanks for sharing this with The Children’s Bookshelf.
Bethany @ No Twiddle Twaddle recently posted..Kids’ Free Kindle EBooks {Love}
With two kiddos, I have one who loved books and the other who wants to rip them apart. Trying to get them to read together is challenging. Love the idea about turning the world into a classroom, too. Maybe adjusting the time we read will help as well. Thank you for the tips!
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