Reading | Reading Resource

Help Your Child Become a Better Speller: Encourage Reading!

You’ve probably utilized multiple techniques to help your child improve their spelling, but have you considered setting aside worksheets and handing them The Phantom Tollbooth instead? A study published by American Educator concluded that “methods that emphasize language structure are more effective than rote methods” (Graham, 1999; Berninger,1999). In other words, kids shouldn’t just write words, they need to read them.

Read Well, Spell Well

Susan Jones, M. Ed stated “The correlation between spelling and reading comprehension is high…The more deeply and thoroughly a student knows a word, the more likely he or she is to recognize it, spell it, define it, and use it appropriately in speech and writing.”

The Joys of Reading

Some children may be reticent to the idea of sitting and finishing a whole book. How can you encourage reading? Here are some ideas:

Set aside time to read with your child every day; have them read to you while you make dinner or ride in the car.
Arrange a pet reading group. Pets are great neutral listeners that can help a child build confidence when reading aloud.
Have a reading goal. If the goal is met, throw a family pizza party.
Go to the library and let them pick out a few books of their own. Give them a small reward like stickers for each book they finish.
Tap into interests. Animals? Vikings? Fiction, non-fiction, and magazine articles on a favorite subject help spark interest in reading.

Reading is a valuable skill children can utilize their entire life, and one that goes hand in hand with better spelling. Spelling bee dreams? Pick up a book!

Filed Under: Books, Readers Tagged With: Reading, Reading comprehension, Spelling

Ways to Determine the Readability of the Text

When writing a children’s book you’ll want to determine the reading level of the book so that you know what your target audience is. While many people will usually find their target audience by handing the book to people and having them read it, there is another way to discover the reading level of your book. This way is known as using the reading level tool.

A reading level tool that is commonly used by most authors is one that is found in Microsoft Word. Microsoft Word has the ability for the program to assess 100 word passages and to determine the readable level of the context that it has been instructed. This program will take into account grammar, spelling and the context of words.

When an author uses this reading level tool it will allow them to choose 100 word passages and determine the readability score of that passage. The scale that is used is one known as the Flesch Reading Ease score. This score helped author determine the ease of rating for the paragraph a passage that has been highlighted. This scale shows a score from 0 to 100. The higher the score is the easier the passages to read and therefore is determined that the text will be for younger children.

Another score that is present is one known as the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score. This will indicate the recommended amount of education that is required for the person to read and understand the passage. This score will come in a form of 0 to 12 and be used to determine whether the passages for kindergarten all the way up to 12 grade.

Filed Under: Books, Reading Tagged With: Author, Readability, Reading

Benefits of Reading for Children

Picking up a book and reading with your child can be one of the most beneficial things that you can do with them. Many studies have been conducted on the benefits that reading with your child can have. Reading aloud to your child for as little as 30 minutes a day can help foster relationships as well as help with the developmental aspect of your child. Here is a look at some of the many benefits that can come with reading with your child.

Fostering Relationships. The biggest benefit that can come from reading to your child is the ability to foster your relationship with the child. Generally, when parents read to their child they are sitting close to them which helps serve as a bonding experience between the parent and child. Reading also requires that the parent spend time in focus upon the child which also helps in the bonding experience.

Creating a Love for Reading. Many children will pick up on their examples that their parents have given them. If the children noticed that the parents love to read they will foster and develop a love for reading themselves. Reading can be beneficial as it helps them explore new worlds, and gain new knowledge.

Developing Listening Skills. Reading is a great way to develop listening skills of your child. By reading a book to a child and asking them questions later requires the child to develop their reading comprehension skills because they required to instantly recall the story and talk about it with you. Reading and listening skills are required for all children as they enter school.

Relaxation. Many adults use reading as a form of relaxation. However, children can also use reading as a former relaxation. This is often why many parents will read to their children before they go to bed. This teaches the children that reading can be used as a way to relax and unwind at the end of the day.

Filed Under: Books, Reading Tagged With: Child, Parent, Reading

The Benefits Of Reading To Your Child

Whether you are an expectant parent, or currently have children, the benefits of reading to your child from a young are are well-documented, and worthy of consideration.

One of the advantages of this process is that it creates a bond with your child that can last throughout a lifetime. With a little effort you can begin a routine that allows your child to become accustomed to the joys of reading on a daily basis. This can be accomplished through a tactic as simple as reading bedtime stories together. Not only does your child get to end their day with reading, but they will begin to associate this ritual with comfort and trust.

Let your child determine the specifics of the reading process, and do not be alarmed if they prefer to hear the same story over and over. This is particularly common with younger children. Try to vary the tones of your voice to make the process more interesting.

Reading should always be a dynamic process. Let your children choose the books for their personal library and allow them to ask questions as you tell the story. Conversely, don’t be afraid to ask them questions, too. Not only will this help you check their comprehension of the story but it will help them feel that they are valued and essential to the impact of the story.

Finally, don’t forget to choose books that are appropriate to your child’s age group and specific interests. For example, toddlers tend to prefer simple books, because large amounts of illustrations can be too distracting. If possible, strike a balance between educational content and something that’s simply fun and lighthearted.

By helping your child learn to love reading from an early age you are helping to foster the enjoyment of a worthwhile and educational pastime.

Filed Under: Books, Reading Tagged With: Bedtime story, Book, Child, Reading

Choosing Books For Children Or New Readers

If you are a parent, you probably have a full understanding of just how important it is to choose books that are related to a child’s interest and skill level. However, there are many things to think about that will ultimately combine to help you find a great book that is appropriate for the child’s reading level and fun to read at the same time. These factors are particularly important for someone who is just beginning to read. During these early stages it is more important than ever to encourage a child’s love of reading and ensure that the learning experience is a pleasurable one.

Obviously, one of the easiest ways to hold a child’s interest with a book is to find one that is related to their specific interests. Also, look for books that not only have a high literary content, but area also richly illustrated. In the case of someone who is just learning to read, they will often use the pictures to help them sort out the plot of the story, especially if there are still some words or phrases that are unfamiliar.

Also, peruse the topic and determine whether or not it is appropriate. Ideally, a child will not become overwhelmed by the amount of words on a page, or the difficulty of those words, but will become motivated to read on a continual basis, because they are challenged just enough to prevent frustration.

Finally, encourage discussion of the story, including an explanation of any words that are unfamiliar to the child. In this way, the activity of reading can be a low-pressure learning experience that will provide a bonding experience too. Don’t be alarmed if the child prefers to read the same story over and over again for days at a time. Children tend to gravitate towards that which is familiar.

Filed Under: Book Distribution, Books, Reading Tagged With: Book, Child, Readability, Reading

Online College Degrees Promote Reading and Literacy

: Image by ruminatrix via Flickr

Reading is very important, but too many people don’t see the value in reading and how much it will affect what they do in life. They see literacy as something that won’t really be needed – with the exception of certain jobs where it’s required. No matter what career path you’re on, though, reading is more than just a means to an end. It can provide you with joy, excitement, and all kinds of hobbies that you hadn’t thought about before. Even if reading isn’t a hobby – most hobbies require a reasonable ability to read so you can learn about them.

If you don’t read that well and you’re uncomfortable about it, there are ways you can get some help without needing to feel embarrassed. Online college degrees are an option, because you don’t have to leave your home and sit in a classroom where your weakness in literacy will be revealed to your classmates. Instead, you can learn to improve your reading online, through remedial courses. Once you’ve gotten your reading up to a good level, you can then go ahead with your other coursework and get your degree. There are many options for online degrees today, and there are a lot of schools that offer them.

Make sure you choose a school that’s willing to work with you, so you don’t have to worry about having a problem after you’ve paid your money and signed up. If you choose a reputable school, you can also get financial aid and extra help with your reading concerns. When you’ve completed your education you’ll not only have the confidence that brings but you’ll have the option to use that degree to embark on a career that you really enjoy. Both your work and your hobbies will be easier and more fulfilling because you’re able to read well and enjoy so much more.

Filed Under: Book Distribution, General, Readers Tagged With: Academic degree, Business school, Distance education, E-learning, Education, Literacy, Online degrees, Reading

The Addiction of Reading

: Image by random letters via Flickr

Despite doom-saying studies that no one in the younger generation is reading anymore, millions of folks still fall “victim” to good books. It’s the best kind of addiction to have, and you know the symptoms. Watch for the telltale sign: “I just couldn’t put it down!”

Reading, in all seriousness, is a study and a statement all at the same time. Humans learn from the books they read, in some way or another. They can learn facts, they can gain understanding into other schools of thought, they can teach their minds to think and imagine in ways they wouldn’t have dreamed of a few pages before. But by picking up a book and reading, a person is also making the statement that they want more than what is in their life. That’s not a bad thing. Not everyone can be a CIA agent, but everyone CAN read Tom Clancy. A person might not be involved in a mystery regarding a huge fortune, but he CAN live that exciting life by proxy through Ellen Raskin’s book, The Westing Game.

Surrounding yourself with good books is one of the best choices you can make. Trolling old secondhand shops for new reads and exploring bookshops for something to curl up with are as much joyful journeys as actually finding that perfect book. The most dedicated bibliophiles always gasp in exasperation at themselves when they go into a used bookshop for one book and come out with 15. When you get to that point, you’ll be needing to look into debt consolidation services just to cover your booking buying. But again, it’s a great addiction to have.

Reading is one of the great ways in which people learn, and everyone will continue to record their knowledge in the written word for future generations to learn and grow from.

Filed Under: Authors, Book Distribution, General Tagged With: Central Intelligence Agency, Ellen Raskin, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Learning, Reading, Shopping, Tom Clancy, Westing Game

Online is the Best Place to Read

Reading books is a great way to pick up valuable information in life. Think about the process a person had to go through, in order to know enough to write every book you have ever read. Generally, a book you can blaze through in a few hours or a couple of days, took months or researching and years of personal experience to compose. The act of reading something is always going to be faster than the act of writing is, if for no other reason than that writing is so much more difficult. Putting something on a formerly blank page is among life’s great challenges, up there with falling in love or raising a child.

The world takes an even deeper turn into complicated country when you consider how large the world wide web is. There are literally more than 100 million web sites, with something like a trillion total web pages out there. The Internet is a vast jungle of different intersecting pieces. You can do just about anything, from finding a mate, getting an online degree or finding a rare vintage piece of jewelry to finding videos on how to parallel park and reading about the recent adventures of your favorite celebrities.

While there is never going to be a bona fide replacement for a simple, old-fashioned book, the Internet is about as close as we can possibly get. Especially now that we have ways to go online that do not involve a cumbersome computer, you can pretty much read anything at any time you want to. There are no more excuses not to be well read, once you know how to read and can use a smart phone or a netbook. Since those are some reasonably easy skills to master, you can pretty much find any kind of information (or fun reading) you could ever want. We are seriously living the dream.

Filed Under: Books, Reference Tagged With: Book, Education, Reading, Web page

Books: The Importance of Reading

: Image via Wikipedia

Itâ€™s a world of easy distractions: the flicker of the television, the simulated adventures of games, the summer hours that seem endless. Children are offered a myriad of possibilities; each seemingly better than the last and each certain to provide laughter. Technology and nature battle for attention, with campaigns spreading across all seasons – and those campaigns lead to certain pastimes being forgotten, ignored in the wake of better, brighter things. Reading is such a pastime.

It seems impossible to force a child to take a moment to stare at a page, to indulge in words. There are far more obvious activities to offer (ones that are usually wanted and begged for). Reading books has become almost… quaint, with little focus offered to it.

This is a mistake.

Children need more than their cinema dreams and computer conversations. They instead need to develop an interest in stories. During formative years such an interest becomes vital in ensuring future success:

1. Language skills. It is an obvious advantage but one too often ignored. Language requires more than cliches and ever-changing jargon. It must instead be formed to grander terms; and books help to make that possible. When began at an early age reading stimulates the mind, exposing it to new ideas and new possibilities. A vocabulary is expanded and intelligence is earned.

2. Cultural understanding. We are not all destined to travel the world. We can, however, all be destined to master it from the comforts of home. Reading ensures that continents can be explored – with history, religion and philosophy all learned. This helps to generate empathy and awareness beyond the common experiences.

3. Confidence. Children who can read are offered an instant reward of self-assurance. They enter their classrooms with a foundation of knowledge and ability. They are beyond the usual assumptions and will be praised for it. This helps to create confidence and allows school to become a place of refuge, not loathing.

The value of books is undeniable. The importance of reading is paramount. Children should therefore be encouraged always to learn, explore and enjoy.

Filed Under: Book Distribution, Books Tagged With: Book, Child, Children, Education, Reading, Religion, Shopping, Television

Tips to Encourage Reading: Books and Parents

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It’s a daily battle – you try to offer your child a book, only to see it rejected (whether stared at with disinterest or tossed against the wall, forgotten and ignored). Pages hold no fascination for youth. They’re instead considered complicated, unable to be understood or enjoyed; unlike the television, which offers easy explanations and shimmering colors. Your son or daughter has no desire to read. They want instead to only play.

But this can’t be allowed. The importance of books is proven, known to be essential in early development and future triumphs. Children need the written word and parents must find ways to incorporate it into the daily routines.

This seems to be impossible, however; a challenge without end. You think it can’t be done (at least not without hours of too hard efforts and complaints). Encouraging your child to read can be accomplished, though. It merely requires patience and some simple suggestions:

1. Choose relevant topics. Your child is a restless creature, with a focus that often wanders. You must therefore engage it with stories that appeal to his or her hobbies. Whether your son worships sports or your daughter wishes to explore the sea, there are certain to be books that will appeal. Find them.

2. Read together. It is often difficult for young minds to comprehend the full scope of stories. Words may confuse; meanings may intimidate; and so they then choose to ignore them completely. Do not let your child grow frustrated with ideas he or she doesn’t understand. Instead read together and answer all questions. Engage with conversation to ensure the material is learned, as well as enjoyed.

3. Visit the library. Surround your child with more than books. Let them instead experience companionship. Libraries often offer programs tailored for youths, such as: story-time, activities and discussions. This helps to stimulate interest and gain variety.

Coaxing a child to read can seem an impossible thing. It isn’t. It merely requires your participation and a little creativity. Discover interests; spend time together; and offer alternative locations. The results will be immediate and well deserved.

Filed Under: Book Distribution, Books Tagged With: Book, Child, Children, Family, Home, Library, Reading, Shopping