Literacy Ideas, Hints, and Lists

Literacy Ideas, Hints, and Lists: Children ages 0-11 Reading Strategies

Reading strategies can be taught and used for readers of all ages. The following strategies can be adapted to the age and level of the person reading. Learning strategies that help with comprehension, fluency, and understanding will make reading more enjoyable and help in the lifelong process of learning and understanding what we read. Comprehension Strategies We all have files of information in our mind. When we learn new information we relate it to what we already know. Thus when a baby learns that a dog is an animal that barks they have started an information file in their mind. When they see a cat, since it is an animal, they relate it to what they know and call it a dog, it also barks. When we teach them about the cat they then add new knowledge to their base knowledge and the learning process begins. It is difficult to read and comprehend what we do not know. Talking about the pictures, the title, the characters, and the setting, helps children identify and relate to (open their own previous knowledge) what they will be reading about. Reading then becomes more successful and enjoyable. They will also understand and comprehend what they read. When reading a book to or listening to your child read, serve them a reading sandwich. TOP –before (background check) MIDDLE-during (be a detective-ask questions, decoding strategies,) BOTTOM-after (Discuss and praise): Before During After BEFORE (background check): a. Discuss the pictures on the cover, the setting, the author, the characters, or any questions or ideas about the book. This helps the children prepare to read. Example: What or who do you think this book is about? Where do you think this story takes place? Do you think it will be a happy story? What kind of books does this author usually write? DURING (Detective):

a. Ask questions that begin with Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? Make predictions of what will happen in the story. Ask I wonder questions. Example: I wonder what he will do next. Where are they going to go?

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Why did they do that? I think that. . . This process of asking questions and making predictions can take place before, during and after reading the story. Teaching this strategy helps children learn to process and retain information. When a child learns to be a reading detective while they are young, it will help them become a lifelong learner and reader.

b. When your child comes to a word they don’t know: 1. Allow 5-10 seconds to decode it on their own. 2. Help them decode the word by asking them, “What sounds do you hear

at the beginning? Do you see parts of the word you know?” 3. When sounds make an unusual sound state the sound it makes,”In this

word, ph says the “f” sound. 4. Encourage them to look at the picture clues. 5. Does the word sound right or make sense? 6. Start the sentence again. 7. When the word is too difficult, tell them the word to avoid too much

frustration. AFTER (Discuss and praise):

a. Discuss the book. Example: Tell me about the book. What was the main idea you learned from the book. Which part did you like best? Can you think of a time when something like that happened to you?

b. Praise your child. Example: “I like the way you read that part by yourself.” “You made it sound like talking on this page!” “I like how hard you tried to figure out that word.”

Fluency Strategies:

1. Express it! Reading with expression. Have children “talk read” or read it how they would say it. Have them read it in a high, low or funny voice. Example: “This time let’s read it like Grandpa!” “What kind of a voice can you read this paragraph in?”

2. My turn, our turn, your turn: My turn: The parent reads the book or passage to the child. Our turn: The child and the parent read the book or passage together. Your turn: The child reads the book or passage on their own.

3. Push-a-long: Get a bookmark and put it behind the words (as if you’re pushing the words) and move it as quickly as they can read and keep up with you. This increases fluency and speed.

4. Tricky words: Write down words that are tricky, they have a difficult time reading, or don’t understand. You can use a notebook or a sticky note.


WRITING TO READ 1. Think-say-write-read. What we think we can say, what we say we can write, what we write we can read! Reading and writing are forms of communication. Writers are better readers and readers are better writers! The following are some ideas for writing to read.

a. Communicate only by reading and writing for a set amount of time. b. Encourage pre-readers and writers to write what they think, even if it is

just scribbles. Ask him to read it to you, or “tell me about what you wrote.” Help the child feel confident and excited to communicate through writing.

c. Encourage beginning writers to stretch out each sound when writing a word. It doesn’t matter if it’s spelled correctly, only that there is a letter for each sound. Point to familiar words and symbols and let them read them. (M&M’s, Cheerios, sprite, legos, etc.)

d. Encourage confident writers to keep track, in a book, of words they don’t know the meaning of or don’t know how to spell. Help them use the dictionary and thesaurus to find correct spelling and meaning of the words. Encourage writing stories, keeping a personal journal, a learning journal, a story writing journal, a pen pal, book reports, etc.


Fun with Literacy Reading is a bonding and life changing experience. It is so much fun to share a book with someone. A child is never too old or too young to be read to. Start when they are infants and continue throughout their lives! The following are some ideas and ways to have fun with literacy. All ideas can be modified for reading and age level. All ideas can be adapted for gospel literature. 1. Read a chapter of a novel each evening. 2. Read a story or novel on tape for your children to listen to. (This is also a

great idea for working parents, when you’re away from your children, and for grandparents and parents who do not live close to their children.)

3. Musical chairs with books. Place a book under each chair. When the music stops, each person reads or looks at the book under their chair. This is a great way to encourage interest in new books.)

4. Book scavenger hunt. Prepare a paper that has children (great for older readers) searching through a book to find words and clues to solve a problem. This idea works great in the scriptures and the church magazines too!

5. Keep a reading journal. Write thoughts, feelings, questions, difficult words, etc.

6. Read with a partner. Take turns reading words, paragraphs and pages. Read with expression or in voices.

7. Book reports. Write a story web, create a diorama, a picture, a commercial, a comic, a summary, a song, a scavenger hunt, a character description, a poster, or a book cover. The possibilities are endless.

8. Have a book share or report as part of your weekly family home evening. 9. Reading buddies: Read to a stuffed animal or pet. 10. Read in unusual places. 11. Form a neighborhood book club or story time. 12. Find a place and time for regular family reading and enjoy! 13. Memorize a nursery rhyme, poem, scripture, article of faith or new word

weekly or monthly. 14. Create your own books:

a. Write the words to a song, poem, article of faith etc. Write one line per page for beginning readers. Let the children be the illustrators. Read again and again.


b. Following an experience, write or have the child write a step by step book in their own words about the experience. Illustrate it. Beginning readers use “My turn, our turn, your turn” strategy.

c. Retell a story in the child’s own words. (Scripture stories, self stories, other books etc.)

d. Create your own family stories. This is also a fun way to bring in family history by telling stories of your ancestors and allowing your children to be the author and/or illustrator.


Monthly Literacy Calendar Add to or simplify according to age and reading level.

January

1. Make a snowman and read with the snowman. 2. Write a how to story about a snowman, snowstorm or sleigh riding. 3. Read a weather related article in the newspaper. 4. Memorize a poem. 5. Write a list of goals. 6. Read in the dictionary or Encyclopedia about snow, hibernation,

snowflakes or some other winter related topic. 7. Learn a new word from the thesaurus. 8. Read a book fictional book with snow in it.

February 1. Caught ya: Write family member’s kind acts and store them in a

central place. Read them together. 2. Love notes: Write letters to extended family members and send

them. 3. Did the Groundhog see his shadow? Create your own book or write a

newspaper article about it. 4. Read about a President of the United States. 5. Read a story in the bathtub with your clothes on (without water) 6. Memorize an article of faith. 7. Read a cereal box. 8. Read about how Valentine’s Day came to be.

March

1. Learn where Ireland is and something about it. 2. Make a tent inside and read in it. 3. Visit a different library. 4. Have a treasure hunt with a book as the treasure. 5. Read from a magazine. 6. Act out a story from a book or the scriptures. 7. Write all of the signs of Spring that you see. 8. Do a book scavenger hunt (with clues in the book)


April 1. Make your own comic strip about April fool’s day. 2. Read a story under an umbrella. 3. Go to a bookstore. 4. Create your own book about Easter, spring, baby ducks, and rain. 5. Learn a new word from the dictionary and use it 5 times that day. 6. Go to the library and read a book about something you don’t know

about. 7. See how many signs you can read while driving in the car. 8. How long does it take for a baby chick to hatch? Read about it.

May

1. Read in a park. 2. Write your teacher a note. You may want to tell her the top ten

reasons she’s a great teacher. 3. Write a list of summer plans and goals. 4. Read with a partner. Take turns reading in different voices. 5. Read a book and create something that represents the book. 6. Memorize a scripture. 7. Read a recipe and make it. 8. Learn a new word and use it in a sentence. Call your Grandpa and tell

him about it. June 1. Listen to a book on tape while you are traveling. 2. Read an article from the newspaper. 3. Read a book with a flashlight. 4. Read information about caterpillars, birds, insects, trees etc. 5. Read to an animal, stuffed or living. 6. Go bird or insect watching then create your own book about the

experience. 7. Make a book on tape. 8. Create a poster representing your favorite book.


July 1. Read a book while on picnic, camping or in a boat. 2. Create your own book about swimming, fishing, fire works, etc. 3. Read something from the mail. 4. Memorize the Pledge of Allegiance (or look up the words to see what

they mean) the National Anthem, or the Preamble to the Constitution. 5. Learn how to do something new by reading about it, and then do it! 6. Read a book in you swimming suit. 7. Create a diorama of a book. 8. Make finger puppets of a book you read. Retell the story.

August 1. Read and act out a book or a scripture story. 2. Find a difficult word in a book. Look it up and learn about it. 3. Read something new from a magazine. Tell your friend what you

learned. 4. Read while on a swing. 5. Go on a family bike ride and read a book when you get to your

destination. 6. Read and learn about a place (national monument, marsh, public

building) then go there for a visit. 7. Draw a map of a story. 8. Write a prediction of what your first day of school will be like. After

your first day of school, write what happened and compare them. September 1. Write in your journal or a report about your summer. 2. Read a book while eating an apple. 3. Pretend that you are a fly on the wall. Write what you see from that

point of view. 4. Read the store ads. 5. Circle all the words that you can read in the newspaper. 6. Read in the shade of a tree. 7. Play musical chairs with a book under each chair. When the music

stops, read as much of the book under your chair as you can. 8. Call you Grandma and tell her about a book you read.


October 1. Create your own book about trick or treating, pumpkin carving, etc. 2. Read 1 minute for each piece of candy that you eat. 3. Make a candy bar saying from your Halloween candy. 4. Read a book in your Halloween Costume. 5. Read an article from the friend. 6. Read a book with a partner. Each person uses a different Halloween

voice. 7. Write or tell a story about a character from a book meeting who you

were for Halloween. 8. Read a spooky story.

November 1. Make a list of things you’re grateful for. Choose 1 to learn more about

from a book. 2. Read about the 1st Thanksgiving. 3. Write your own family’s Thanksgiving story. 4. Create something that tells about a book your read and share it with

someone. 5. Have a book share at Thanksgiving. 6. Read under a table. 7. Create your own book about what you are thankful for. 8. Look up gratitude in the thesaurus and the dictionary.

December 1. Write your own Christmas or I love you story and give it as a gift. 2. Read by the Christmas tree. 3. Share your favorite Christmas story with a neighbor or a friend. 4. Read something about Jesus’ life everyday in December. 5. Read a story in your snow clothes or your Christmas Pajamas. 6. Read a book in a Santa Claus or elf voice. 7. Give a book as a gift. 8. Read a Christmas story each day of the 12 days of Christmas.


Book Lists Take note of authors. You will probably enjoy different books by the same author. Here are some favorite books and authors. Books with an * are great for babies, toddlers and beginning readers. Picture Books Book Title Author *I Went Walking , Let’s Go Visiting -Sue Williams *Oh Where Oh Where -John Prater *My Very 1st Mother Goose -Iona Opie Make Way for Duckling -Robert McCloskey The Biggest Bear -Lynd Ward If. . . -Sarah Perry *Thump, Thump, Rat-a-Tat -Gene Baer Where’s Your Smile Crocodile -Claire Freedman Penny and Pup -Linda Jennings *Goodnight, Baby Bear -Frank Asch Click Clack Moo, Cows that type, Giggle Giggle Quack -Doreen Cronin *Come Along Daisy, Daisy and the egg, Daisy and the Beastie -Jane Simmons The Scarecrow’s Hat -Ken Brown The Tortoise and the Jackrabbit –Susan Lowell Wednesday is Spaghetti Day -Mayann Cocca Leffler The Story About Ping -Marjorie Flack Ticki Ticki Tembo -Arlene Mosel Caps For Sale *Tumble Bumble Felicia Bond Albert’s Toothache -Barbara Williams Charlie and the Caterpillar -Dom DeLuise Joseph Had a Little Overcoat -Simms Taback Rattletrap Car -Phyllis Root Humpty Dumpty -Daniel Kirk *That’s Good! That’s Bad! -Margery Cuyler *I love you as Much -Laura Krauss Melmed *Guess How Much I love you -Sam McBratney *We’re Going on a Bear Hunt -Michael Rosen When Sophie Gets Really Angry –Molly Bang Mop Top -Don Freeman I’ll Always Love you -Hans Wilhelm


Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel –Virginia Lee Barton Stone Soup -Ann McGovern *If I Were the Wind -Leslie Evans My Dinosaur -Mark Alan Weatherby *Silly Little Goose -Nancy Tafuri Miss Spider (and others) -David Kirk *There’s a Nightmare in my Closet –Mercer Mayer Spot (several) -Erik Hill Seven Blind Mice -Ed Young The Kissing Hand -Audrey Penn Dinosaur Roar -Paul & Henrietta Stickland Anatole (several) -Eve Titus Ragged Bear -Alan Mark Blueberries for Sal -Robert McCloskey Glad Monster Sad Monster, Go Away Big Green Monster -Ed Emberly Over in the Meadow- Ezra Jack Keats Doctor Desoto - William Steig Frog and Toad -Arnold Lobel Curious George Series – H.A. Rey Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, Zoo Looking, Time for Bed (others) -Mem Fox Whingdingdilly, Ant and the Elephant (many others) -Bill Peet Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Chicka 1 2 3 -Bill Martin Jr. It’s Mine, Alexander and the Wind up Mouse (many others) -Leo Lionni

Picture Books by Favorite Authors

Don and Audrey Wood The Napping House, *Silly Sally, *King Bidgoods in the Bathtub, Jubal’s Wish, *The Little Mouse. . .and the Big Hungry Bear, Rude Giants, Egbert’s Bad Word, The Tickleoctopus, Heckedy Peg, The Tooth Fairy, *Quick as a Cricket,* Piggies, The Red Racer. Jan BrettThe Mitten, The Hat, Berlioz the Bear, Hedgies Surprise, Gingerbread Baby, Christmas Trolls, Twelve Days of Christmas, Daisy Comes Home, On Noah’s Ark, The Umbrella, Town Mouse and Country Mouse, Armadillo Rodeo, Annie and the Wild Animals, Comet’s Nine lives


Laura Numeroffe*If you give a Mouse a Cookie, *If You Give a Pig a Pancake, *If You Give a Moose a Muffin, *If You take a Mouse to the Movies. Kevin Henkes Wemberly Worried, Chrysanthemum, The Biggest Boy, Lillie’s Purple Plastic Purse, Owen, Jessica, Bailey Goes Camping, Julius the Baby of the World, Sheila Rae the Brave Jez Alborough*Where’ s My Teddy? * Teddy’s Picnic, (many others0 Tomie dePaola Strega Nona, Strega Nona Meets her Match, Big Anthony, (Many others) Eric Carle *Brown Bear What Do you See?,* Polar Bear What Do You Hear?, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Little Cloud, Roosters Off to see the World, Pancakes Pancakes, *From Head to Toe, Draw me a Star, *Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother Too?, Hello Red Fox, My Apron, The Grouchy Ladybug, The Noisy Cricket, The Mixed up Chameleon, The Honeybee Robber 10 Little Rubber Ducks, A House for Hermit Crab, Today is Monday, The Lamb and the Butterfly Nancy White Carlstrom*Jesse Bear What Will You Wear? *Better Not Get Wet Jesse Bear, *It’s About Time Jesse Bear, *Guess Who’s Coming Jesse Bear, What a Scare Jesse Bear, *Baby-O Max LucadoYou are Special, Just the Way you Are, Because I Love You, Best of All, With You All the Way, All You Ever Need, You Are Mine Martin Waddell Good Job Little Bear, Let’s go Home Little Bear, Owl Babies, Can’t You Sleep Little Bear? When the Teddy Bears Came, Baby Duck, In the Rain with Baby Duck, (Many others)


Marcus Pfister Rainbow Fish, Rainbow Fish to the Rescue, Dazzle the Dinosaur, Boris Beaver (Many others) Robert MunschI Love You Forever, The Paper Bag Princess, Purple Green and Yellow, Aaron’s Hair, Get out of Bed, Something Good, Thomas’ Snowsuit, Up up Down, We Share Everything(Many others) Shel SilversteinA Giraffe and a Half, The Giving Tree, A Light in the Attic, Where the Sidewalk Ends Janell CannonStellaluna, Verdi, Crickwing


The following are Chapter books. The grade levels are for children reading independently. Keep in mind that a child’s listening level is usually much higher than their reading level. Many children will enjoy a novel read to them that is written on a much higher reading level.

Beginning Chapter Books (Grades 2-3) Pony Pals Series -Jeanne Betancourt Little Bear Series -Maurice Sendak Ready For Chapters-Little House Series CobbleStreet Counsins Series -Cynthia Rylant Mr. Putter and Tabby Write the Book –Cynthia Rylant Magic Treehouse Series -Mary Pope Osborne Cam Jansen Series -David Adler American Girl Series Nate the Great Series -Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Mitchell Sharmatt Junie B. Jones Series -Barbara Park Flat Stanley Series -Jeff Brown The Bailey School Kids Series The Littles series -John Peterson Horrilbe Harry Series -Suzy Kline Arthur Ready for Chapters -Mark Brown Jigsaw Jones -James Preller A to Z Mysteries -Ron Roy Great Illustrated Classics (abridged versions of the classics)


Chapter Books Grades 3-6 Ramona Series, Socks, Emily’s Runaway Imagination, The Mouse and the Motorcycle series -Beverly Cleary The Boxcar Children Series -Gertrude Chandler Warner Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing, Double-Fudge, Fudge-a-mania –Judy Blume Island of the Blue Dolphins -Scott O’Dell Caddie Woodlawn -Carol Ryrie Brink Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry -Mildred Taylor A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door -Madeleine L’Engle Sarah Plain and Tall, Caleb’s Story, More Perfect than the Moon -Patricia MacLachlan Summer of the Monkeys, Where the Red Fern Grows -Wilson Rawls Old Yeller -Fred Gipson - The Wind in the Willows -Kenneth Grahame The Little House Series -Laura Ingalls Wilder Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maud Montgomery Milly Molly Mandy Series -Joyce LanKester Brisley The Giver, Gathering Blue , Number the Stars -Lois Lowry Night of the Twisters, No Way Out -Ivy Ruckman James and the Giant Peach, Charlie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, BFG, The Witches, Matilda, The Giraffe the Pelly and Me, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Georges Marvelous Medicine, The Twits -Roald Dahl The Secret Garden -Frances Hodgson Burnett The Little Princess The Little Prince Little Women, Little Men, Cousins -Louisa May Alcott Poppers Penguins -Richard and Florence Atwater Ella Enchanted, The 2 Princesses of Bamarre, The Wish -Gail Carson Levine Esperanza Rising -Pam Munoz Ryan Granny Torelli Makes Soup Tuck Everlasting -Natalie Babbit Tale of Desperaux, Because of Winn Dixie, The Tiger Rising -Kate DiCamillo Misty of Chicotegue, Misty’s Twilight, Stormy Misty’s Foal, Sea Star -Margarite Henry The Cabin Faced West -Jean Fritz Shiloh -Phyllis Reynolds Naylor The Chronicles of Narnia -C.S. Lewis Stone Fox -John Reynolds Gardiner


Harry Potter Series -JK Rowling Hoot -Carl Hiaasen Jacob Have I loved -Katherine Paterson Holes -Louis Sachar Frindle -Andrew Clements


Literacy Ideas, Hints, and Lists: Children 12-18 When children are young they love books! They love to read them and they especially love to have books read to them. So what happens to them when they become teenagers? According to the International Reading Association: “The ongoing literacy development of adolescents...requires just as much attention as that of beginning readers. The expanding literacy demands placed upon adolescent learners includes more reading and writing tasks than at any other time in human history. They will need reading to cope with the escalating flood of information and to fuel their imaginations as they help create the world of the future.” As parents we need to remember it is important for teenagers to read, read, and read if they are going to grow into thoughtful, literate adults. So how can we promote literacy in our home for our teenagers? Modeling is often the key. Everything that we have read and researched states that modeling makes the biggest impact. If your teenager sees you read, then the signal they are receiving is that reading is important. The following strategies give ideas and hints on how to motivate and implement literacy in the home. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but to help spark ideas and give hands on application. I. READING STRATEGIES: Reading strategies are tools that help improve comprehension and fluency. These strategies can be used whether we are reading novels or textbooks. However, some adaptations may be needed. As a parent you can monitor and adjust these strategies to fit the needs of your children. Choose only the strategies that work for you. The extent of your involvement as a parent depends on the ability of your child. You may need to model these strategies first for a younger child, where an older child can implement them on their own.

Prior Knowledge: Knowledge already obtained KWL Chart: This is a good strategy to use before you begin reading.

Know: What do I know? Ask yourself what you already know about the subject, author, theme, etc. about the book Want to Know: Think about what you would like to know, or find out while reading the book. Learned: What did I learn? After you read, reflect on what you learned from the story that you didn’t know before.


*Learning can only take place when we attach the new information to something that is familiar. We need to attach new knowledge with prior knowledge. Purpose: It is always a good idea to give a purpose, or reason, for reading. It has been found that when we give them a reason to read they are more likely to read. Setting the Stage: Make predictions along the way. Ask yourself, “I think this story, or chapter, is about...” This helps prepare your mind, or “sets the stage” for the story. Once you have made predictions, make sure to go back and revisit your predictions to see how they compared to the real thing. Tricky words: These can either be words you can read but don’t know the meaning of, or words you can’t pronounce. *It is very common in children ages 12-18 to skip over words that are “tricky” when they are reading. At this age they have the ability to decode most of the words they encounter so they don’t think of them as tricky, but do they know the meaning of the words? This can greatly affect their comprehension.

*When they come across a “tricky word” have them circle the word, look up the definition, and then write the definition in the margin. If it is a book they can’t write in, have them write it in a vocabulary journal. This activity will not only expand their vocabulary, but it will increase their comprehension. This habit will also prepare them for college.

Mental Notation: “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body” (Richard Steele). These are strategies that most adults acquire over time, but if taught early to young adults can be very advantageous. At first these strategies should be written down until they become intrinsic. We want to train the brain to think this way as we read.

The Thinker: I noticed....keep track of what you are noticing in the story. What is changing or developing in the story (the setting, characters, plot, theme) The Puzzler: I wonder...try to decipher what you are reading The Big 6: Ask who? what? where? when? why? how? The Connector: This reminds me of...look connections between what you are reading and the real world we live in. As you read think about


what the reading reminds you of: your own life, school, friends and family, and experience you had, other books or stories, movies.

*These mental notation strategies will not only broaden the reading experience, but will aid in retention and comprehension of what is being read or studied.

Wrap-up Wizard: Being able to summarize the whole story or chapter in just a few sentences.

*This strategy is difficult at first, but very beneficial. As you read think about the most important ideas. Write them down, or keep track of them as you go along. After you read ask yourself, “Who did what?” Then add one of the MOST important details of the story or chapter (when? where? why(because)? how?). The following is a summary example for the first couple chapters of “Holes.” Stanley Yelnats is mistakenly sentenced to a juvenile prison in Texas for stealing a pair of sneakers.

Order, Order: Sequencing is another way to summarize. Re-tell the story in the order that it happened (beginning, middle, end).

Beginning: What is the setting, characters, problem or main idea? Middle: What happened first, next, then, and last? End: How was the problem solved? How did the story end?

Summarization is a way to check for understanding and comprehension. Remember, if you are not comprehending you are not reading. Too often as parents we make the mistake that if the child can read the words then they also understand them. The way teachers assess student learning and understanding is by having the students re-tell the story in their own words. In the early grades teachers ask questions or give verbal prompts. In the upper grades teachers use book reports, etc. Author’s Purpose: There is a purpose behind all writing (information, entertain, teach, record, etc). As you read ask, “what does the author want me to know, or learn? What was his/her purpose for writing this story?” This strategy will not only help with understanding but also aids in retention. Character Tracking: Think about the characters in the story as you read.


Think about their personalities-how they behave and how they think. Think about how they change or what you have learned about them as you go along. Write them down in a notebook and keep track along the way. Often times as we read there are so many different characters introduced we get confused. Reflecting on what we learn about a character is another strategy to aid comprehension, retention, and understanding.

Trail Tracer: It can get very confusing as the characters move around and the setting changes, so keep track! Draw a simple map to help you keep track. Textbook Troubles: Lets face it, the majority of reading teenagers do is from textbooks (science, social studies, history). They have a hard time reading these textbooks and gathering important information from them. Most of the skills that we discussed earlier can be applied to textbooks. Outlining a chapter is really being able to summarize, in your own words, what you have read. *Another good strategy to use for textbook reading is backward reading. This is where you read the end of the chapter first, the summary. By reading the summary first you know what information the chapter is focusing on. Then read each heading and try to gather the information out of each section that the summary focuses on. Remember to read everything! This means captions, maps, definitions, etc. They are all there for a reason.

II. FUN WITH LITERACY: *Share, Share, Share! Share what you have read with your children. If you run across a poem, newspaper article, funny joke, a couple of paragraphs from a book that you are reading, etc. that you think your child would enjoy share it with them! Cut it out of a magazine or newspaper, make a copy of it, highlight an important part, put it somewhere they are sure to find: tape it to the bathroom mirror, place it on their pillow, tape the car keys to it, tape it to the television or computer screen. They enjoy you sharing what you read because it shows you care. *Book/Movie: Challenge your teen to read the book first and then take them to see (or rent) the movie, complete with popcorn, treats, and drink. Afterwards, compare the book to the movie. Discuss similarities and differences, what they liked better, etc. This can lead to some great, and fun discussions.


*A Sticky Situation: You will need self-stick notes for this one. Reading the same book as your child can be fun. Here are a couple of ideas you can do to “spice” things up.

Treasure hunt: Leave notes throughout the book for your child to find. On these notes write hints and clues to look for in the book: Some examples:

“In this chapter find a word that that means hungry.” “What’s the secret in this chapter?” “What does the word “mediate” mean in this sentence?” What do you think? Leave notes to each other asking questions about the book: Some examples: “Did you like the way they described the setting?” “Who do you think the villain is?” “What seems to be the problem?”

*Book of the Month: Have a book of the month that the family reads and then discusses at the end of the month. *Where in the World: Choose a spot on the map for the family to read about and discuss at the end of the month. If you’re going on vacation to a new place have them read about it first and then report their findings. *Popcorn Reading: Read a book together as a family but popcorn read. One person reads for a little while and then the book “pops” to another member of the family. *Bookmark: Give your child a special bookmark to remind them that you don’t have to finish a book in one sitting or even one chapter, you can stop after a few pages. *Follow-up experiences: When they have finished reading about something, experience the real thing. If they read about dinosaurs go to a museum, etc. *Books on tape/CD: This is a great way for children to enjoy a book that they would otherwise not read. Also, books on tape have been found to help children with dyslexia. *It is also a fun idea to have your older children tape themselves reading books to give as gifts to younger children, donate to a library, hospital, or church nursery. *Buddy Reading: Have your teen hook up with a younger child and read to them. They could read to younger siblings, neighbors, elementary schools, libraries, etc. *Visit Libraries Together: Ask a librarian to suggest books and magazines that your child might enjoy. *Comprehension Cube: This is a fun way to check for comprehension. Any cube that you can write on will do. Write: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? on


each side. After reading a story together, have them roll the cube and ask a question about the story. *Other things to write on the cube: Setting, Main Idea, Title/Author, Favorite Part, Character, Connection, etc. *Teen Book Club: Help your teen organize a book club with some of their friends. *Hook the reader: “Never read a book through merely because you have begun it” (John Witherspoon). If the first couple of paragraphs don’t “hook” you, then you are not going to read it. It is important to read what interests you. *Keep reading materials in every room of the house. “Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house” (Henry Ward Beecher). Leave all sorts of reading materials including books, magazines, catalogs in conspicuous places around the house. *Gift certificates: Teenagers love to shop so why not give them a gift certificate to a bookstore.


III. BOOK LIST: The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them. (Mark Twain)

CLASSICS: Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, Roald Dahl Green Shadows, White Whale, Ray Bradbury Borderliners, Peter Hoeg Animal Farm, George Orwell* Our Town, Thornton Wilder Beware the Fish!, Gordon Korman The Mouse That Roared (series), Leonard Wibberly Night, Elie Wiesel Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. The Short Stories, Ernest Hemingway The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald* Pigs Might Fly, Dick King-Smith James and the Giant Peach, Roald Dahl The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling The Silver Chair, C. S. Lewis Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton A Lesson Before Dying, Ernest J. Gaines The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka Beloved, Toni Morrison To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee Danny, Champion of the World, Roald Dahl The Illustrated Man, Ray Bradbury A Medicine for Melancholy, Ray Bradbury Matilda, Roald Dahl The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan Losing Joe’s Place, Gordon Korman The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame The Voyage of the "Dawn Treader", C. S. Lewis Franny and Zooey, J. D. Salinger The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Barbara Robinson The Peace Book, Bernard Benson The Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allan Poe Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain


Boy, Roald Dahl Nothing But the Truth, Avi Little House on the Prarie (series), Laura Ingalls Wilder The Toynbee Convector, Ray Bradbury Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, Eleanor Coerr The October Country, Ray Bradbury Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Roald Dahl The Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury Bunnicula, Deborah and James Howe Charlotte’s Web, E. B. White The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C. S. Lewis The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle (series), Hugh Lofting A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl Quicker Than the Eye, Ray Bradbury Miracle on 34th Street, Valentine Davies A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens How to Play Better Baseball, C. Paul Jackson Who is Bugs Potter?, Gordon Korman FAVORITE READS: Emma, Jane Austen *Near impossible choice between this and Pride and Prejudice. But Emma never fails to fascinate and annoy. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, ANN BRASHARES Eragon (Inheritance, book 1), Christopher Paolini A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle The Giver, Lois Lowry Gathering Blue, Lois Lowry The Outsiders, S. E. Hinton Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson Ender's Game (Ender Wiggin Saga), Orson Scott Card Pride and Prejudice, JANE AUSTEN Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl , ANNE FRANK, et al Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell Ender's Shadow (Ender), Orson Scott Card Monster, Walter Dean Myers


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The House of the Scorpion, Nancy Farmer Where the Red Fern Grows, WILSON RAWLS GOOD AUTHORS: Capuzzo, Michael. Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916. Crutcher, Chris. King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill- Advised Autobiography Paulsen, Gary. How Angel Peterson Got His Name and Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports.

Buckingham, Dorothea N. Staring Down the Dragon.. Rell is in remission from cancer but can’t quite resume her normal life; no one truly understands what she’s been through or how the disease has changed her life.

Goodman, Alison. Singing the Dogstar Blues With an assassin on her heels, harmonica-playing Joss travels back in time with her dualized alien partner, Mavkel, and unravels a family secret.

Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.. Christopher, a 15-year-old autistic teen who can solve quadratic equations in his head but can’t bear to be touched, solves the mystery of who murdered his neighbor’s dog.

Henkes, Kevin. Olive’s Ocean. When Martha’s classmate, Olive, is killed in a hit- and-run accident, Martha sets out to accomplish the things that Olive never had the chance to do. A 2004 Newbery Honor Book.

Horvath, Polly. The Canning Season. When Ratchet Clark spends the summer with her aunts in Maine, she is surprised by the rural surroundings, as well as the sense of home she finds there.

Peck, Richard. The River between Us.. In 1916, while visiting his father’s ancestral home in southern Illinois, Howard Leland Hutchings meets Tilly, who tells him the story of his father’s kin during the Civil War era.order to rescue her little brother, one of the young people kidnapped by the queen of Fairyland.

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. In his fifth year at




Hogwarts, 15-year-old Harry grapples with teen emotions as he confronts terrifying dreams and faces his nemesis once again.

Spinelli, Jerry. Milkweed.. A resourceful orphan survives the brutal realities of life in the Warsaw ghetto by stealing, joining a boy’s gang, and finding refuge with a family.

Trueman, Terry. Inside Out. While waiting for his mom in the coffee shop, 16- year-old Zach, who suffers from adolescent-onset schizophrenia, becomes the voice of reason when a foiled robbery by a pair of armed teens turns into a hostage situation.

Wrede, Patricia C. and Stevermer, Caroline. Sorcery & Cecelia; or, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot . . . Cousins Kate and Cecelia describe their raucous adventures and solve a magical mystery through their lively correspondence.

King, Ross. Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling. Sixteenth-century Italy comes alive in this vibrant account of a misanthropic genius and the artistic treasure he created. Watership Down, Richard Adams 1984, George Orwell*


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