Parents’ Read at Home for Student Success K-3
Why is reading so important?
- Research shows that just 20 minutes a day spent reading with a child helps him/her develop critical reading skills.
- Across the world, the children who read the most, read the best.
- About half of illiterate adults live in poverty. They are less likely to find employment than their more literate counterparts.
- Reading is the most important subject in school. A child needs reading in order to master most of the other subjects.
Why is reading at home so important?
- Children with access to 25 books at home complete an average of 2 more years of school than children from homes without any books.
- Kids 4-5 years old gain 6 months of reading ability by being read to 3 to 5 times per week.
- A child spends 900 hours in school and 7,800 hours at home.
Why Read 20 Minutes at Home
| Student A Reads |
Student B Reads |
Student C Reads |
| 20 minutes per day |
8 minutes per day |
1 minute per day |
| 3,600 minutes per school year |
900 minutes per school year |
180 minutes per school year |
| 1,800,000 words per year |
282,000 words per year |
8,000 words per year |
| Scores in the 90th percentile on standardized tests |
Scores in the 80th percentile on standardized tests |
Scores in the 50th percentile on standardized tests |
If they start reading for 20 minutes per night in kindergarten, by the end of 6th grade, Student A will read for the equivalent of 60 school days, Student B will have read for 12 school days, and Student C will have read for 3.
Want to be a better reader? Simply READ!
Reading with your child is a proven way to promote early literacy. One of the most important things you can do to prepare your child for his/her future is helping to make sure that your child is reading at grade level by third grade. You can influence your child’s success in school by making reading a daily routine in your home. Research shows that students who read at least 20 minutes per day score in the 90th percentile on standardized tests. Do you want to help your child to be successful in school? They simply need to read.
What can I do to support my child in reading?
Read at home with your child daily (at least 20 minutes) with books they enjoy. Some ways to do this:
- Read out loud to your child.
- Listen to your child read.
- Echo read (you read a line, then they repeat).
- Read together at the same time.
- Reread or retell favorite stories.
- Talk to your child about the reading.
As you read:
- Ask your child to share what they remember.
- Ask questions about the reading.
- Talk about your favorite parts.
- Talk about what you have learned.
- Talk about how the pictures in the book connect to the words on the page.
Community & Online Resources
- Great Lakes Bay Parents: www.greatlakesbayparents.com/place/bay-arenac-great-start-coalition
- Bay County Libraries & Events: www.baycountylibrary.org
- PBS Parents: www.pbskids.org/grownups
- Reading 101: www.readingrockets.org/literacy-home/reading-101-guide-parents
- Book Lists for All Ages!: www.imaginationsoup.net/book-lists-books-for-kids
- Read Aloud Storyline: www.storylineonline.net
- Starfall: www.starfall.com
- ABCya: www.abcya.com
- Teach Your Monster to Read!: https://teachyourmonster.org
- EPIC! Books: www.getepic.com/parent
