Reading Together

I have found that one of the most effective and least stressful ways to improve a child's reading ability is to read together. Reading with the child helps the child learn words in context, increases sight words and vocabulary, helps them learn the patterns of language and stories, and is fun!

Once I tutored a girl who was not up to her third grade reading level. After reading together for several months, she was reading at a sixth grade level! Reading with a child is one of the most effective ways I know to not only help children learn to read, but to love reading.

Choosing the Right Book - Lists and Guides

Here are some great resources to help you find just the right book for your child. Remember that one of your greatest resources is your librarian. They can be a great help in directing you books your child will love.

• Know your child's interests and how they read*
• Bring your child with you and allow them to help choose the books
• Allow plenty of time to choose books
• Choose several books so that if he doesn't like one, he can try another. 
• Remember pictures books read quickly; get several
• Even older children can enjoy good picture books
• Try a mix - stories and non-fiction books on that topic
• Allow time to read their new books to them soon.
• If you can't stand a story, try a substitute. Your child will sense when you don't like something, so be honest and work it out. I never could get into "Captain Underpants", but "Commander Toad" books were fun. Find something you can enjoy together.
• Have Fun!

Choosing Books for Your Child

After raising four children and being a professional tutor for 40 years, I've learned that if a child is forced to read books he doesn't like, then he will hate reading and do as little of it as possible. So how do you help your child find the right book for him and become a lover of reading?

In school, most children are placed in reading groups with other children at their reading instructional level.

Instructional reading level is the highest level at which a reader is not independent, but has adequate background knowledge for a topic, and can access text quickly and with no or few errors. Think of independent level as the highest level you would ask a child to read with only a small amount of assistance. http://www.uurc.utah.edu/General/ReadLevels.php

Books for Third Graders

High Interest Books

Easier
Bailey School Kids Books by Debbie Dadey
Encyclopedia Brown Books by Donald J. Sobol
Jigsaw Jones Mystery Series by James Preller
Junie B. Jones Books by Barbara Park

Helping Your Struggling Student- Books to Read

Books for Parents to Read to Help Your Struggling Student

Though I don’t agree with everything in each book, on the whole I found their ideas very helpful.

Right - Brained Children in a Left - Brained World
Unlocking the Potential of Your ADD Child
by Jeffrey Freed, M.A.T. and Laurie Parsons