Welcome Back!

My name is Amanda Londrigan and I am the Literacy Coach at Enos. Hopefully everyone has enjoyed his or her Summer Vacation and I hope everyone had a little time to enjoy some reading!

Getting your child in the habit of reading at home on a regular basis can work wonders in increasing their enjoyment of reading; which will eventually translate into higher reading scores. Here are some helpful hints to get your child reading!

1. Read aloud, read aloud, read aloud! It does not matter how old your child is; s/he still loves to hear stories read out loud. Seeing you get excited and emotional over a book will make him/her eager to read on his/her own. Don't be surprised if your child asks you to do this more than once a day!

2. Let a child read what interests him/her. This sounds simple enough, but often we read to children what we think they want to read. Talk to your child about his/her interests and try to find books based on that. Reading material may vary from picture books, chapter books, poetry books, comics, magazines, to even cookbooks! Get that book in your child's hands and watch him or her read!

3. Get caught reading! Let your child see in you what you want to see in him/her~a lifelong reader. Let your child see you reading your latest novel, the newspaper, or a favorite magazine. Children need to see what reading for enjoyment looks like. Share with them what reading is like for you.

4. Make reading a happy time. Reading should be associated with pleasure, NOT punishment. Every book your child works through builds up their "reading miles", and makes him/her a better, more confident reader. Often this takes time. Encouraging your child to reread familiar, safe books will give him or her the confidence needed to try new reading material!

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me. I can be contacted through email at astaab@springfield.k12.il.us or at Enos 525-3208.