Educational Technology

Parents play an important role in the development of their child's literacy skills. A literacy rich home can make a big difference in the reading development of your child. It is my hope that the following links will provide you with information to help support your child's learning at home.

Supporting Learning in School
At Home Reading Opportunities
Story Reading Ideas
Questioning Techniques
Read-Aloud Techniques

Supporting Learning in School

There are many ways that you can help your child become a better learner in school. I hope that the following list will give some general ideas to help your child become successful:

Read aloud to your child every day and let your child read to you. The more that children read both at home and in school, the more they will improve their reading abilities.
Encourage your child to draw and write stories at home. this will increase their confidence.
Supervise their television viewing. Choose good programs and set some time limits. Talk to your child about what you have watched.
Establish a regular time and place for doing homework and offer praise when assignments are completed.
Monitor how your child spends his or her time out of school. Limit video games and television viewing and encourage reading, hobbies, scouts, and or other activities that provide learning and social opportunities.
Make sure your child attends school regularly. Show interest in what is being learned at school. You as a parent needs to communicate that school is important.
Be a role model for your child. Children will imitate what they see their parents doing. If you read, your child will want to read.

There is a great deal of reading material in most homes. You would be surprised at how much we all rely on reading. You may read directions when you cook, clip coupons from the newspaper, read Tamil, and read the TV scroll guide. You read all the time for real purposes. Your child needs to know that reading outside of school is still reading. Invited your child to read with you during these reading times at home.

Write in diaries/journals together
Cook together and read recipes
Read video game directions
Write letters to relatives
Read the TV scroll guide and discuss good choices
Read and discuss newspaper/magazine articles.
Prepare a calendar of activities
Write messages to each other
Make shopping lists
Read menus
Write a family vacation journal
Tape/Video stories
Create photo album captions
Read notices from school
Write "Thank You" notes
Create original stories

Reading at home with your child is a valuable time. The following techniques can help to make the time you spend even more profitable. At school, we use special techniques and questions to help children understand the story. Here are some suggestions.

Before Reading

Look at the title and illustrations together. Predict what the story will be about.
Discuss what you both already know about the topic.
Read the first page and ask what might happen next.

During Reading

Encourage your child to picture in his or her mind what is happening in the story.
Ask what might happen next in the story.
Have your child change his/her predictions as the story provides new information.
Ask how a character might feel.
Talk about the illustrations.

After Reading

Have your child retell the story and create a new ending together.
Retell the story from another character's point of view.
Let your child illustrate his/her favorite part of the story.

When your child is reading, it can help if you ask probing questions. This will improve your child's reading comprehension. the following list provides some examples of the questions you may as.

Did the story turn out the way you thought it would? Why or why not?
What made the book interesting for you?
Is the main character someone you would like to have as a friend? Why or why not?
If you were the author, how would you have changed the ending of the story? What other events would you have changed in the story?
Is this a book you would recommend to a friend? Which events would your friend enjoy the most?
How would the story change if it took place in our village?
Have you ever felt the same way as the main character?
Would you enjoy reading other books by this author? Why or why not?
What do you think would happen in a sequel to this book?

Read-Aloud Techniques

All children love to listen to stories read out loud. It is fun to read stories to children. You can read books your child has brought home from school or borrow books from the public library. Here are some read-aloud techniques that can make your reading time even more fun!

Select books that both you and your child will enjoy.
Read unfamiliar stories to yourself first to note places that may need special effects to create drama.
Don't read too fast and adjust your pace to the story and your child.
Encourage your child's participation in the reading session. They could join in and say the repeated phrases. They could also make comments and ask questions about the story.
Allow time after reading for a discussion.
Both parents should take turns reading aloud. Fathers are important role models for reading also.
Never withdraw reading aloud as a punishment. that may destroy all the positive effects of reading aloud.