Making a Habit of Reading

The Always Reading Program emphasizes trying to incorporate reading into a family’s schedule for a minimum of 15 minutes per day, 3 days per week.

1) Research has shown that reading books aloud to children helps them succeed in school. Build a habit of reading aloud by finding a regular time to read one or two books aloud everyday.

2) Reestablishing family routines such as reading aloud each day is a good way to help children return to the demands of school after a holiday break.

3) When you talk with your child about important ideas or parts of a story you show your child that it is important to think about and understand a story. Readers pay attention to what happens first, next, and last in a story.

Knowing what happens first, next, and last helps a reader understand the story. The end of the day is a good time to talk about what happened first, next, or last. You can invite your child to tell you what happened first, next, and last in a story they read or during their own day.