The More You Enjoy It, The Better You'll Be At It

Better Comprehension Through Recreational Reading

            When was the last time you read a book for fun? Think long and hard! No, the textbook you were flipping through does not count, nor does that audio tape you've started and stopped over a dozen times in your car driving back and forth to appointments. When you were a child, did you read recreationally? 

            Today, approximately 40% of children in the United States cannot read at a basic level (Read my source!).  If a child cannot fully comprehend the very words on the page, how can they string together a story with those words? Some might say that recreational reading comes second to technical prowess, while in fact, statistics show the converse. Fostering a love of reading creates dedicated students who make time for books in their free time and become life-long learners. Unfortunately, on average, for every ten students in 8th grade, only two read recreationally (Do something about it!)

            What can we do to change that statistic? Parental Involvement! Children spend 70% of their time outside of school at home. Affirmation and interest in what their student is reading can make students feel appreciated and encouraged, no matter their reading level. In the classroom, challenged learners might be left behind and advanced readers might not be developed to their full potential. Encouraging reading in the home takes learning outside the classroom into a positive and fun environment. 

            Good readers will become just as excellent writers, if not better. Creative reading lends itself into creative writing. Literacy is the cornerstone of education! Students who fully understands material will naturally perform better and engage more fully than a classmate who enjoyed the classroom hands on activities or lectures, but struggled to understand the reading material. 

            Individualized learning is so important to a child's literacy progress. Finding material the student finds particularly interesting is an important facet towards nurturing a love of recreational reading. If your child loves slimy disgusting reptiles, go to the library together and check out what kind of gross green books they have on the subject. While you're there, pick up a book you find interesting. It's never too late to be a recreational reader!