BOLIVAR BOOK BUDDIES
Have you read with a child today?
It could be the most important 20 minutes of your day!
Just 20 minutes a day spent reading aloud with your child strengthens relationships, encourages listening and language skills, promotes attention and curiosity, and establishes a strong reading foundation. These skills are all essential for success in both school and life!
The routine of sharing books together creates lifelong readers. There is practically no way to do it wrong, but there are ways to do it better. Here are some thoughts:
*Try to set aside one special time each day to read with your child.
*Vary the length and subject matter of the books you read with your child; read both fiction and nonfiction.
*The first time you read a book, discuss the illustration on the cover, i.e., “What do you think this is going to be about?”
*As you read, continually ask “What do you think is going to happen next? Why?” Then read to see if the predictions were correct.
*If you’re reading a chapter book with few pictures, share your visualizations with your child and encourage them to share their mental pictures with you.
*If the chapters are long or if you don’t have enough time to finish an entire chapter, find a suspenseful spot at which to stop. Leave the audience hanging; they’ll be counting the minutes until the next reading!
*Begin the next reading time by asking what happened when you left off the day before. Set the mood; it’s an important factor in reading and listening.
*Use plenty of expression while reading. If possible, change the tone of voice to fit the dialogue. Adjust the pace of reading to fit the story. During a suspenseful part, slow down and lower your voice. It will have your child on the edge of his or her seat!
*Remember that everyone enjoys a good picture book from time to time, even teenagers!
Happy Reading!
Mrs. Parente and Mrs. Henry
Websites:
Click here for on-line games based on New York State Learning Standards with questions in English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. Students at Bolivar have established accounts. To play, use the same log on ID as you would use while playing at school. Hours of fun!
Children's Choices
Children's Choices is a booklist with a twist: Children themselves evaluate the books and provide review of their favorites. Since 1974, Children's Choices has been a trusted source of book recommendations used by teachers, librarians, parents-and children themselves. Click here to see the 2010 Choices!
Book Wink
Book Wink is a site geared toward getting kids in Grades 3 - 8 excited about reading. It features video book talks and free podcast book talks, as well as a feature that allows you to search for books by grade level, subject, author and title.
Calendar of Children's Books
Books for all Seasons and Holidays
Book Reviews by Mrs. Henry and Mrs. Parente
Website book reviews.doc
Word Games - Play Against the Clock
If you like having fun with words, this site is for you! Challenge yourself with Scrabble, Anagrams, Crossword Puzzles, Boggler, Jumble Words and even Pig Latin. There is also a dictionary link that you can use to expand your vocabulary and learn the meaning of new words.
Have Fun While Learning Vocabulary!
There is something on this site for all ages and skill levels. You can play the match game and Hangman or do crossword puzzles, word searches and word jumbles! All activities are for one player.
Vocabulary Challenge
This is an interesting, fun way to build vocabulary knowledge. Through various corporate sponsors (like Country Crock spead), 20 grains of rice is donated to the UN World Food Program to help end hunger for each word that a player correctly defines. Go to the FAQ section of the site for more information.
