Literacy Tips for K-5

September: Building a reading life at home

Three ideas for building a reading life at home:

1. Be a reading role model. Let your child see you enjoying a book, magazine, or newspaper. Keep books and a notebook in your car.

2. Create a cozy reading spot. Add pillows, blankets, or a bean bag chair to make a special “reading nook.”

3. Read together. Snuggle up at bedtime and share a story!

Little moments of reading add up to a lifelong love of books. 

October: Helping your child check for comprehension

As your child enjoys a book, you can use the tips below to guide their thinking, start conversations, and help them connect more meaningfully with the story.

Easy ways to help your child check for understanding:

• Stop, think, retell: have your child stop think and retell what happened in the part of the story they just read.
• Ask a question and follow up with “what in the text made you think that?”
• Go more in-depth and have your child talk about what they have learned so far about the characters, setting, and plot. To level up, ask your child why these things that they learned are important to the story.

November: Read something new

Challenge your child to become a reading explorer! Encourage them to read different types of books—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, picture books, or even magazines. Reading a variety of texts helps build vocabulary, background knowledge, and a love of learning.

• Choose a topic your child loves - animals, sports, cooking, space - and find both fiction and nonfiction books about it. It's fun way to see how authors can explore the same topic in very different ways.

• Challenge your child to try a "new" type of book during your next library visit - like a biography, a collection of poems, or a folktale from another culture. New genres can open up new worlds!
• Share what you're reading - whether it's a novel, a recipe, or an article online - and talk about why you chose it. Seeing adults read for pleasure helps children understand that reading is part of everyday life.

December: Genre Bingo

During winter break, explore new kinds of books through our Genre Bingo challenge! Join your child to complete each reading challenge on the Bingo Board to explore a variety of genres and discover new favorites!

As you finish a challenge, mark off the square. Can you complete the entire board? Perhaps consider creating a small prize for your child if they finish the challenge. 

Click here to print the Bingo Board. Happy reading!

February: The benefits of read-alouds

Reading aloud helps children grow their vocabulary, understand stories, and gain confidence.

• Children hear new words, ideas, and ways of speaking just by listening.
• Children of different ages can enjoy the same story, which allows for open and meaningful conversations.
• When reading feels enjoyable and shared, kids are more likely to want to read on their own.

Most of all, reading aloud turns reading into a warm, shared experience kids will remember and want to return to.

March: Family read-aloud

April: Getting your reluctant reader to read

May: Writing at home