Encourage your child to have a positive reading attitude

As children grow older, they can become less positive about reading.

Research has shown that when children have a negative attitude toward reading, they don’t read as well. So if your child remains excited about reading, she’ll likely be a better reader.

The best way to inspire a positive attitude about reading is to encourage your child to read books and magazines she’ll enjoy.

Generally, children like mysteries, adventure books and ghost stories. But your child will have her own taste in books.

To discover and support them:

Let your child select books. Take her to the library. Browse through different areas. If she’s into sports or fashion, guide her to those aisles. Ask the librarian for help.
Set up a bookshelf in your child’s room. She can keep all of her favorite books there.
Observe your child’s viewing choices. Try to find books related to a TV program she likes. Get her the book on which her favorite movie is based.
Encourage your child to read for pleasure. In school, she has to read many standard texts. So allow her to escape sometimes with scary stories and comic books.
Buy your child a book when possible. Second-hand bookstores are a good source. Sometimes libraries sell used books, as well. Owning books allows your child to reread and treasure them.
Introduce your child to “series” books—the Baby-Sitters Club, Goosebumps books, etc. Tell her about books you read when you were young—Nancy Drew or Amelia Bedelia. Help her get started by reading the first book in the series aloud together.
Help your child create her own books. They can be hand-written or designed on a computer.
Challenge your child to keep a list of all the books and magazines she reads. Give her a special notebook where she can write down the titles and jot a few notes about what she thought of the books or articles.

Reprinted with permission from the January 2007 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2007 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Catherine Sheldrick Ross and others, Reading Matters: What the Research Reveals About Reading, Libraries and Community, ISBN: 1-59158-066-8 (Libraries Unlimited, Greenwood Publishing, 1-800-225-5800, www.lu.com).

Reinforcing Learning

Help your elementary schooler make, keep learning resolutions

T he start of a new year is a great time for kids to make some resolutions. There’s still time for a child to pull up a low grade in math … get into the habit of doing homework without a fight … or read every day.

But if your child makes those resolutions, will he be able to keep them? A recent study conducted by AOL found that only about 12 percent of adults make New Year’s resolutions—and less than half of those keep their resolutions for even two months!

Here are some ways you can help your child turn his resolutions into reality:

Be specific. There’s an old saying, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” So help your child see what success looks like. What grades would he like to see on the report card? What student council office would he like to hold?
Write it down. Have your child write down his goals. Place them where he can see them every day. They will help him stay focused.
Eliminate obstacles. It’s hard to study if your desk looks like a blizzard hit it. Help your child think of the things standing in his way. Then, one by one, help him tackle those problems.
Start small. If he’s never been in a play, perhaps he shouldn’t try out for the lead role. Help your child set a few small, achievable goals.

Reprinted with permission from the January 2007 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2007 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: “It’s Not Too Late for Your New Year’s Resolution!” Kiplinger’s Taming the Paper Tiger, www.thepapertiger.com/not_too_late_for_new_years_resolution.php.