Second through fourth grade
You can make reading seem less like “spinach” and more like “chocolate cake” by sharing the pleasure of books, helping your child better comprehend what they read, and inspiring your child to read in order to explore topics that interest them.
“If your child is going to read for pleasure throughout their school years, it’s essential that they view reading less like spinach and more like chocolate cake.”
Key Strategies
- Motivate your child to read
- Do invite your child to join you on the couch to read together
- Don’t require a certain amount of reading or reward your child for reading
- Support reading comprehension by:
- “Activating background knowledge”
- Asking your child to make predictions
- Asking your child to summarize
- Encouraging visual imagery
- Inspire your child to “read to learn.” Read stories about important topics (e.g. American history) and supplying related books when they express curiosity
Additional Resources
Book: Straight Talk About Reading, Susan L. Hall and Louisa C. Moats, EdD
Book: What Your Third Grader Needs to Know, E.D. Hirsch, Jr.
Reading to Learn