We’re all going a little stir-crazy these days, even though we’re only in the early stages of coronavirus lockdown and just learning how best to practice social distancing. We’re being told not to gather in groups larger than 10 people, and that means businesses, movie theaters, restaurants, and even schools and libraries are being shut down for an uncertain amount of time. But just because you and your kids are stuck at home, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be reading — in fact, it’s an ideal time for everyone to get involved.
Reading during this extended downtime is important, especially for emergent readers who need the continual reinforcement. It not only provides essential continuity with what all students have been learning in school, but it also:
- Builds foundational skills,
- Introduces vocabulary,
- Provides a model of fluent, expressive reading,
- Provides a shared parent-child experience,
- Prevents an early “summer slide,” and
- Helps children recognize what reading for pleasure is all about.[1]
Here are some ideas for how you can incorporate reading into your day beyond any schoolwork teachers have assigned.
- Go on book hunt. Have everyone search through the house to find reading material that’s been shelved away and forgotten. See if they can find something they haven’t read but want to or something they want to read again.
- Pull out your Kindle. If you’re like most people, you’ve probably downloaded a bunch of material that you haven’t even opened yet. See what’s there that you haven’t read, and select a book or story to start with. If it doesn’t interest you, keep looking. If all else fails, you can download something else.
- Visit libraries online. Just because a library has closed its doors doesn’t mean it isn’t doing business. Most have materials you can “check out” and download for a couple of weeks from their website. They may also have interesting movies you can watch.
- Find a book of mutual interest and read it aloud to each other. While most people think this is only applicable for young children and their parents, that’s simply not true — anyone can get involved, no matter how old or young they are, and it makes for a wonderful shared experience. [Editor’s note: My parents read to me and my sister as children, and we joint-read books aloud as we got older, but we didn’t stop there. Well into our adulthood, we’re still reading out loud to each other, and it makes the stories really come alive.]
- Find an interesting play. Have everyone choose a part, and perform it out loud. You can even make simple sets, props, and costumes to liven up the experience. This helps improve fluency and vocabulary acquisition at all levels.
- Are you watching a movie based on a book? Check your library’s database to see if you can find the source material and give it a read. Then compare and contrast the presentations.
- Set up a reading place in your house. Sometimes you just want to be alone with a book, especially if the story appeals to you in some personal way. Set up a little reading space for yourself, gather up snacks, drinks, and a comfy chair there, and curl up with your book whenever you’re bored and looking for something to do.
Do you have some other suggestions for weathering the coronavirus storm? Please leave us comments in the section below — we’d love to hear what you have to say.
Citation:
[1] Retrieved from https://www.startwithabook.org/reading-aloud.
Additional Resource:
You can find free educational programs online at all educational levels for kids stuck at home by going to https://abc7chicago.com/6033927/.
Disclaimer: The resources above are provided by an independent third party. AceReader is not affiliated with this site and does not necessarily support or endorse any of its resources.
Thank you! Interesting ideas!
I just downloaded a few fantasy books on which my favorite movies were based. I think I’ll like it.
I realize how important reading is and I try to make myself read, although I don’t really like doing it.
With exposure and practice comes comfort – you may find in a little bit that you like reading more than you think you do.