Home for the Holidays . . . Reading Together
The children in your family will probably be in and around the home during their winter vacation from school. Secretary of Education Rod Paige and the U.S. Department of Education encourage you to take the time to read together during this holiday season.
Taking part in reading activities will help to prevent fall-off in children's reading skills over the winter vacation while giving you the opportunity to spend time together. Book lists located on the Web suggest a variety of materials you can read together. Links to some of those suggested reading lists are included here.
Because reading well is at the heart of all learning, you will want to listen carefully when you read with the children in your family to understand how well they are learning to read. Statistics released earlier this year tell us that approximately 40 percent of all fourth graders in the United States can't read and understand a simple paragraph from a children's book. Reading with children is an easy way to involve yourself in their education, and research on reading skills shows that children whose families spend time discussing, explaining and asking questions know more words than other children. Here are several suggestions regarding ways to make sure you are reading well together.
In many cultures, the holiday season is a time for giving. Some of the best gifts are those that are hand-made. Children who are interested in giving bookmarks to friends or family may use the designs provided for creating bookmarks at home. You may also want to consider giving reading materials to your own children or donating books to organizations serving children from disadvantaged backgrounds, whose homes may not be filled with magazines, newspapers and books. School and other libraries serving students from disadvantaged backgrounds may also appreciate the gift of new or used children's books during the holiday season and throughout the year.
Fill your holiday season with opportunities for learning by reading together.
Archived article from the U.S. Department of Education
