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Reading together at home

Reading together at home doesn’t always necessarily mean sitting down and reading a book together. 

We’ve really enjoyed the tasks below, and have found that they can be a really effective way of developing students’ relationships with reading at home.

DRAW IT

What you'll need:

Drawing paper
Pens and pencils
Markers or crayons

What to do:

Find a story, fairy tale, or other short story.
Read it together.
Then ask your child to illustrate a part of the story he or she likes best or describe a favourite character.
Have your child dictate or write a few sentences that tell about this picture

Why?

Students will enjoy being creative when it comes to
drawing, and illustrations add visual imagery to stories

COOK BOOK

What you'll need:

Easy-to-read recipes
Cooking utensils
Paper and pencils

What to do:

Show your child a recipe and go over it together.
Ask your child to read the recipe to you as you work, and tell the child that each step must be done in a special order. Let your child help mix the ingredients.
Allow your child to write down other recipes from the cookbook that he or she would like

Why?

Cooking is always a delight for children, especially
when they can eat the results! 

SHOPPING AROUND THE WORDS

What you'll need:

Paper and pencils
Newspaper ads
Supermarket coupons

What to do:

As you make out your shopping list, give your child a sheet of paper and read the items to them.
If they need spelling help, write the words correctly for them to copy or spell the words aloud as your child writes them.

Take your child to the supermarket and ask him or her to read each item to you as you shop.

Why?

Use your weekly shopping trip as an opportunity to help your child develop reading and writing skills.

GIVE THE GIFT OF READING

What you'll need:

Pieces of card
Pens and pencils
Paper
Crayons and markers

What to do:

Provide your child with a piece of card about 6" long and 2" wide. On one side of the bookmark, have your child draw a picture of a scene from a book they have read.
On the other side, ask your child to write the name of the book, its author, publisher, publication date, and a few sentences about the book. You might suggest sending them to friends and relatives as gifts.

Why?

Reading a book is more fun when you have a homemade bookmark to mark your spot.