The Basics
There is no more important activity for preparing your child or younger sibling to succeed as a reader than reading aloud together. By reading aloud together, and doing other activities, parents and older siblings, are in a unique position to help children enjoy reading and see the value of it. Fill your story time with a variety of books. Be consistent, be patient, and watch the magic work.

Buffalo's new focus on "literacy"
Buffalo's public elementary and middle schools are utilizing the Harcourt Trophies reading program (www.harcourtschools.com), which has proven strategies to teach literacy so students can read and write with ease and understanding. Parents and/or older siblings, to help children become good and enthusiastic readers, can duplicate many of the strategies teachers utilize. Parents and older siblings can play an important role in supporting out-of-school learning by involving children in fun, everyday activities such as cooking, shopping at the grocery store, reading street signs, reading menus, or reading the labels on clothing prior to washing. Please ask your child's reading teacher during parent -- teacher conference about the Harcourt Trophies reading program.

Below are a few suggested reading related activities that can help students practice critical academic skills throughout the school year:

Reading and Writing

• Share the joy of books, even cookbooks, by reading aloud to your child every day, and have them read aloud to you.
• Ask your child to summarize the readings in a few sentences in order to be sure they understand the story.
• Praise your child or younger sibling for reading.
• Point out objects in the pictures.
• Follow the words with your finger (so child develops a sense that the words go form left to right on the page)
• Have your child assist with turning the pages (so your child develops a sense that words go from left to right)
• Let your child see your other family members reading for work, school or pleasure.
• Make weekly visits to the local public library. Many local libraries have story -telling time for young children. For additional information, contact your neighborhood library. www.buffalolib.org

Math and Science

• Encourage children to watch educational television programs about science or math. Example: Western New York Public Broadcasting (WNED) The Learning Channel (TLC), or the History Station.
• Ask questions about the shows they watch. (this indicates your interest)
• Bake cookies, cakes, ice cream, rolls or pies to practice fractions and measuring. Make homemade ice cream and other foods to show them about the properties of salt, liquids and solids, and how to measure temperature.    
• Visit a local park or take a walk and observe different types of animals, rocks, trees, insects, and leaves.
• Plant an indoor or outdoor garden to show how seeds develop into plants and how fertilizer and weather can affect growth.
• Check out books from the local library that contain ideas for safe science experiments.

Social Studies

• Use events such as the Olympics, Inaugurations, or other special events to discuss the culture and customs of several countries.
• Make a map of your neighborhood and discuss where you play and the areas you want to improve or remain.
• Interview older community members about their lives and the history of the neighborhood. At a later time this could become an extra credit project.
• Write to local elected officials, newspaper editors and clergy about current issues.
• Learn capitals, countries, and continents by playing games and taking a "Virtual Tour", using the computer, online.   

Additional tips to help children become successful learners

• Listen to them and pay attention.
• Find a quiet place for study or an area that the radio, music and television are turned off.
• Tell family stories.
• Limit television watching.
• Have books and other reading materials available.
• Look up words in the dictionary with them.
• Encourage them to use an encyclopedia or the Internet to explore other cultures, research a project for school, or learn about their community.
• Encourage them to a write letter to a relative or friend on line.
• Share favorite songs, poems, or bible verses with them.
• Take them to the library - to get their library card and access the computer.
• When possible, visit the museums, art galleries, and historic sites.
• Discuss the daily news, including community and school.
• Go exploring with them, take the subway, car, bus, bikes, or walk and learn about plants, animals, historic landmarks, and local geography.
• Review their homework.
• Meet with their teachers on a regular basis.
• Meet their friends.

For additional information regarding reading with your child, please visit the Harcourt Trophies website at www.harcourtschool.com

Summer reading plan: One book a week

Buffalo's students have 70 days of summer vacation - 70 days when parents, grandparents, older siblings, childcare provider, summer camp staff, and others - can pick up a book and read with a child. If you read just one book each week, that adds up to ten books. It won't take much time -- only 10-15 minutes a day -- but that time, well spent, can make a big difference to a child when school starts again in the fall.