Close the Reading Gap: Empowering Parents to Start and Maintain At Home Reading Programs!

The role of parents and caregivers in closing the reading gap cannot be overstated. As the primary influencers in a child's development, families play a crucial part in supporting and nurturing their child's literacy skills. By starting a reading program in the home, parents and caregivers can make a significant impact on bridging the literacy divide.

Literacy-focused Activities

One of the most impactful ways that families can contribute to closing the reading gap is by creating a literacy-rich environment at home. This can involve reading aloud to children, discussing books and stories, and providing access to a wide range of age-appropriate reading materials. It is said that children who had 100 books in their home when they were growing up achieved much higher literacy rates than other similar children with no or few books in the home. Studies have consistently shown that children who are exposed to literacy-focused activities, such as parents reading to kids at bedtime, in their early years demonstrate stronger reading skills, higher academic achievement, and greater engagement in learning.

When Kids Read Aloud

But, did you know that it is equally important to have children read aloud to parents? When a person reads aloud, they develop what is called phonological awareness. They can begin to hear their own mistakes (reading teachers call those "miscues") and correct themselves. We all know that practicing anything is the way to gain skill in that activity. It is no different for reading. But, how do you practice something you don't know how to do? Or, for a reader with dyslexia, how do you practice when words may look "jumbled up" on the page?

Continuous Reading to a Skilled Listener

This is where reading to a skilled listener comes in. A study (Hammerschmidt-Snidarich et al, 2018), showed that continuous reading aloud (CR) by a student reader to a skilled listener led to higher fluency rates in readers. The skilled listener can be a tutor, or it can be a parent! Parents can learn how to become a "skilled listener" for their child's reading-aloud sessions. This involves knowing some basics about when to listen and let the child "read through” miscues and when to interrupt and help a child sound out a word or give them the word if it is beyond their current instructional level. If a word is a step beyond what the child has learned, then it can be sounded out. If a word is three steps beyond what a child has learned, it might be better to give the child the word so they can continue to practice reading fluidly without too many stops.

Reading Through v Stopping to Sound Out Words

Keeping tabs on the level at which your child is reading is important to being able to choose when to stop and give help and when to let them "read through" minor mistakes. Stopping too frequently could lead to frustration. Yet, all words about one level higher than the child can already read can be opportunities for learning how to sound out longer and new words. The key is knowledge of your child's reading level and ability. You also need the flexibility to know that sometimes it is good to step in and sometimes you need to let it go. This is the kind of flexibility all parents organically develop as a natural part of parenting. As children are growing and learning all the time and parenting requires the flexibility to let kids figure things out sometimes or step in to help at other times. Reading is no different from other types of learning, in this regard, most parents make wonderful reading teachers for their children!

Dedicated Reading Time and Modeling Pro-Reading Behaviors

Parents and caregivers also play a vital role in empowering their children to become confident and self-motivated readers by setting aside dedicated reading time, and modeling good reading habits (parents should pick out books for themselves, too, when they take their kids to the library!), and celebrating their child's progress and achievements. By instilling a sense of pride and accomplishment in their children's reading abilities, families can help to foster a positive and supportive environment that nurtures lifelong literacy.

Train to Be a Skilled Listener

For help and more parent-friendly training in how to become a skilled listener for your child and establishing an at-home reading program, visit myhighimpacttutoring.com and book a free consultation with Miss Linda Rumpf, online reading tutor and parent coach. During a three-month initial tutoring period, Miss Linda trains parents in the skills they need to take over the job of basic reading tutoring for their child. While parents are training, the tutoring and reading aloud frequency and rhythm is established through the child’s sessions with Miss Linda.  

Get a Boost In Confidence That Will Start and Maintain Your Home Reading Program

Most children, even those with dyslexia, gain a grade level in the first three months tutoring with Miss Linda. This instills confidence in the child, so they can then transition happily to reading with the parent at home. When we progress in a skill, we always enjoy doing it more and more. It is human nature to feel pride in our accomplishments and to want to continue an activity if we see it as productive. Kids love to see themselves “getting better at it!”

Start Your Home Reading Program with a Free Consultation and Reading Assessment for Your Child.

Book a free consultation and receive a free reading assessment for your child with Miss Linda today! Children and families become empowered when they are supported to help themselves and when they learn together! Gain the support you need with Miss Linda at myhighimpacttutoring.com and Close the Reading Gap for good!