Today is the first day of school in our area. Parents are sending their kids off to a new classroom, a new teacher and new experiences. Teachers are trying to learn all 28 names in one day and smiling until their faces hurt. I know because after eight years of retirement I still miss those first days.
Sometimes it’s the little things that make or break the day. Does the teacher make each and every child feel special? Does that little boy across the room smile and ask to be friends? Does the teacher choose to read a familiar book? Hey, maybe this school year is off to a good start.
Yesterday I was thinking about Homegrown Readers. It is, after all, just a little book. It began as twelve articles on teaching children to read. It’s about the attitudes parents should have, the home environment that supports reading skills, the books to read to children and when. It explains reading readiness and some of the strategies children can learn to help them understand as they read.
It’s just a little book.
But then I remembered that when I was teaching, many parents didn’t know how to help their child learn. They didn’t understand the importance of reading to their children and asking leading questions as their child struggled with their first ever sentences. They wanted to help and be supportive but didn’t know how.
I knew.
So I wrote the little book and, yes, I still believe it has important, relevant information in it for all parents of young children. Knowing what to say when kids get “stuck” is just a small thing, but so important. Knowing how to help children ask questions as they read is a little thing but can make the difference between rote reading and true understanding.
So today I’m celebrating little things. First days at school, first lessons, one new friend, a friendly smile. And I’m celebrating my little book, Homegrown Readers: Simple Ways to Help Your Child Learn to Read.
If you’d like to have a free chapter from the book on Reading Readiness, leave your e-mail address in a comment and I’ll send it to you.
Enjoy this beautiful fall day and take the time to look for those special, powerful little things in life.
The Exploits of Edna and Gertie Join the fun, get your copy now!
I also am a retired reading teacher, and I’m very interested in helping families with struggling readers. It sounds like your book is a great resource!
I think the feature I’m most excited about is the possibility of doing parent discussion groups using the book. Two chapters per week for six weeks and moderated by a reading specialist, or parent comfortable with the role. There are key ideas from each chapter and discussion questions in the back of the book.