6 Prerequisites to Reading and Writing

In the name of early literacy, today’s educators try to get kids reading as soon as possible. But in their rush, they often forget about the building blocks of reading.

This may come as a surprise, but

Today’s post describes the 6 skills your child needs to learn to read. We’ll also show you how to help them develop these skills. Even if they’re already reading, the items on this list can help them as they continue to grow.

The skills are:

Now let’s dig a little deeper into each of these skills.

1.     Motivation. Learning to read is hard! It requires focus. Time. Effort. And many kids don’t even get why it’s important!

If your child doesn’t want to read, they won’t. Your job as a parent is to get them excited about reading. Read with them every day -- they’re never too young! And they’ll love cuddling up and listening to your voice.

Click here for more tips on motivating your child to read.

2.     Phonemic awareness -- the ability to hear and manipulate words. For example, what is the first sound in the word ship? If you remove the R from rat, what do you have left?

If your child can’t hear differences between words, how can they learn to read and spell them? Studies show that practicing speech tasks with your child improves their test scores. Click here to learn more.

3.     Ability to follow a narrative. Comprehension is crucial to reading. It gives the words meaning! It’s what makes reading fun.

But it takes practice. Luckily, there are many ways you can help your child with this. Ask them great questions about the books you read together. Ask them to describe and explain things. Have them tell you stories. Encourage them to use sequence words, like first, next and last.

4.     Precision eye movements. The reading eye is fast and precise. And the brain has to do contour analysis, object identification, motion processing and visual attention.

Most kids don’t develop these abilities until about four. Even then, their visual systems are still maturing. For example, can you see the Dalmatian in this picture?

Four-year-olds can’t. Even if you point to the dog.

There isn’t much you can do to hasten brain development. Be supportive. Be patient. It will come.

Some children have vision problems, such as nearsightedness, that prevent them from reading. If you think your child may have a visual acuity problem, talk to their doctor.

5.     Vocabulary. Reading is about words. If a child doesn’t have a strong vocabulary, the reading is meaningless. They won’t be motivated. They won’t have good comprehension. And reading will be more about memorization than understanding.

There’s not much you need to do to help with this. Kids’ brains are built for learning words. Just talk to them. Tell them stories. Point out signs and labels and read what they say. They’ll absorb it like a sponge.

6.     Print awareness. It’s shocking how many kids don’t understand that letters and written words convey a message. Don’t let yours be one of them!

Start with doodles. Ask your child to draw you a map. Have them create a symbol that represents an idea. For example, “Draw me a picture that represents listening.” “Can you draw a symbol that means helping with chores?”

You should also point out the text in books. As you read to them, ask questions like, “Can you point to where I should start reading?” and, “How many words are on this page?” Click here to learn more.

These skills form the foundation your child needs to manipulate letters and words. They show them the relationship between words and content.  Only then does language have meaning. 

Parents: What skills does your child have that help them with their reading? What skills would you add to this list?

StudyDog Presents… The Best Summer Reading List of ALL Time

Yes! Summer is almost here. It’s a chance for your child to explore the world without the pressure of school. You might even be taking them somewhere for vacation!

But summer can be dangerous for your child’s learning. If your kids don’t use what they learned in school over the summer, they will lose it.

Summer learning loss affects 100% of students who do not engage in educational activities over the break. That is why summer reading is so important.

So we’ve scoured the Internet. Consulted thousands of experts. Tallied the results. And now, StudyDog brings you The Best Summer Reading List of All Time.  

This is the one time StudyDog's
allowing a cat in his blog.

If your child is entering…

Kindergarten:

1.     Anything by Dr. Seuss. Almost 2 million of teachers put him first on their list. For good reason! If you haven’t already, check him out.

2.     Cinderella, by Marcia Brown

3.     The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

4.     I Like to be Little by Charlotte Zolotow

5.     Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathman

6.     Biscuit by Alyssa Capucili

7.     Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett

8.     The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon by Mini Grey

9.     I Like Me! by Nancy Carlson

10.  A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni

11. My Five Senses by Aliki

12. Uncle Peter’s Amazing Chinese Wedding by Lenore Look

Honorable mentions: Chicken Little by Steven Kellogg; Owen by Kevin Henkes; Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert; Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

First Grade:

Wild things -- they make

teachers' hearts sing.

1.     Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Over 2 million teachers recommend this book for first-graders.

2.     The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. A close second, 1 million teachers made this their top pick.

3.     The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

4.     12 Dancing Princesses by Brigette Barrager

5.     The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

6.     The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

7.     Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies

8.     First Grade, Here I Come! By Nancy Carlson

9.     Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

10. A Birthday for Bear by Bonny Becker

11. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

12. Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

Honorable mentions: How to Clean a Hippopotamus by Robin Page; The Night Before Summer Camp by Natasha Wing; Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle; Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Second Grade:

Give your child the gift of reading.

1.     The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. 1.6 million teachers make this their top pick.

2.     The Summer of Riley by Eve Bunting

3.     Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

4.     The Pigeon Presents! books by Mo Willems

5.     Ragweed by Avi

6.     The Adventures of Taxi Dog by Debra and Sal Barracca

7.     The Magic School Bus books by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen

8.     The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

9.     Chicken Soup With Rice, A Book of Months by Maurice Sendak

10.  Jumanji by Van Allsburg

11. Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

12. The Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Scieszka

Honorable mentions: The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden; Tut’s Mummy, Lost… and Found by Judy Donnelly; Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary; Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Third Grade:

1.     Summer Reading is Killing Me by Jon Scieszka. 2.4 million teachers recommend this for rising 3^rd-graders.

Don't let this happen
to your child!

2.     The Doll People by Ann M. Martin

3.     The Invisible Dog by Dick King-Smith

4.     The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson

5.     Surprising Sharks by Nicola Davies

6.     Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater

7.     Peanut-Butter Pilgrims by Judy Delton and Alan Tiegreen

8.     How to be Cool in Third Grade by Betsy Duffey

9.     The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

10. The Boxcar Children by Gertude Chandler Warner

11.  Goldilocks and the Three Martians by Stu Smith

12. Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald Sobol

Honorable mentions: Tiger Tales and Big Cat Stories by Deborah Chancellor; Baseball Pals by Matt Christopher; The Gadget War by Betsey Duffey; Poppy by Avi

We love these lists. And not just because experts recommend them. We love them because your child will love them!

But if your child is reluctant to read, make sure their books are the right level for them. Then learn how to motivate them and help them set goals.

We hope these lists will help make this summer the best one yet!

Parents: You’re an expert at raising your child! What books would you add to the list?

How Can I Tell If My Child Is Ready For School?

It’s one of the biggest questions parents face. And it feels like it could affect your child’s whole life! Are they ready for school?

Don’t worry if you don’t know the answer. Most experts can’t even agree! There is no universal definition of “readiness.”

The reason is simple: “readiness” is complicated! And U.S. kindergarten teachers say that 35% of their students are not ready to “participate fully in school.” The reasons, they say, are:

Photo credit: stockimages

Let’s discuss these points. It will help you determine when your child is ready.

Language deficiencies

When your child is in school, they have to communicate with others. All day. They need to tell adults if something is wrong. And ask for help. They need to share ideas and answer questions. 

And they need to listen. They need to understand rules and lesson plans.

It’s fine if your child isn’t perfect. It takes practice! But they will need some degree of mastery when they start school.

Luckily, you can help! Talk to your child. Ask them great questions to promote language development. Play rhyming games and other activities that help their phonemic awareness.

And read to them! For twenty minutes a day. It is one of the best ways to get your child ready for school.  Be sure to check out these 5 Fun And Easy Steps to get the most out of reading.

Emotional intelligence

School is an emotional place! Many kids feel separation anxiety for months after starting school.

On top of that, your child will need to deal with frustration. And work out differences with other children. And calm down.

So help your child learn to control their emotions. Practice the marshmallow test. Use good dialogue to help them learn to express themselves. Ask them questions that explore their feelings. And model the behavior you want to see in your child.  

General knowledge

Teachers put this third on the list. Luckily, it is probably the item you can control the most.

Start with the suggestions above. Promote language skills! These skills will make learning to read, listen and write that much easier.

You can also take advantage of reading programs like StudyDog. We provide customized games for kids as young as three. It’s educational. And it’s fun!

Not sure if your child is ready? Talk to their (future) teacher to find out what skills they expect in their incoming class. Spend some time in the classroom to see if it’s a good fit.

Social confidence

Photo credit: Stuart Miles 

Can your child make friends? Do they play well with others? Do they greet adults… or hide behind you?

A child’s happiness in school relies more on their social confidence than their grades. And early experiences can make a lasting impression.

If your child hasn’t spent much time with other children, or you’re concerned about their social skills, join a playgroup! Spend a few hours a week playing around other children.

Remember, most children play alongside other kids before they are ready to play with them. This is a normal part of their development.

Look for the signs.

Again, judging readiness is tough. Get input! Talk to your pediatrician, friends and teachers. But in the end, you know your child best. Trust yourself.

If in doubt, there’s nothing wrong with waiting. Research shows that there are no long-term consequences. Whether for a semester or a year, you should do what you think is best for your child.

Parents: How will (or did) you know when your child is ready for school?

Can Talking Help Your Child Read?

Learning to talk is natural for most kids. Just by listening to you, they absorb words. Sounds. Speech patterns.

If only reading worked that way!

Learning to read takes years of effort. But did you know that certain oral tasks can help your child’s literacy?

It’s true! Research shows that phonemic awareness – the ability to hear sounds and break them into smaller parts – is the best predictor of early reading success. This blog post will show you how to help your child develop this skill.

What is a phoneme?

Phonemes – The building blocks of literacy.
Photo credit: Photostock

A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in a word. For example, tail is one syllable. But you can break it down into three phonemes: t-, -ai- and –l.

Note that some phonemes consist of more than one letter. A and i are two letters, but they make one sound.

No wonder phonemic awareness is so important for young readers! How can kids learn to spell, read and write… if they can’t distinguish between sounds?

There is a lot of variation between each child. But those with learning disabilities tend to struggle more with phonemic awareness.

Luckily, research shows that it can be taught! Spending just a few minutes per day doing speech tasks with your child will help improve their literacy.

But what tasks should you do?

Here are a few activities we recommend. Remember, the goal of these activities is to help your child:

1.     Rhyming games. These are fairly easy to invent. You can play them over breakfast, in the car, while shopping – or anywhere! Try:

-       “I’m going to say two words. If they rhyme, give me a big thumbs-up! If they don’t, I want a big thumbs-down.”

-       “Finish this rhyme for me: “All, _____? Chair, ____?”

-       “Let’s see how many words we can think of that rhyme with fly! Now let’s try red!”

2.     Books. Many children’s books are based on rhymes and word play. As you read these books with your child, pause at the ends of phrases and let finish with you. Or you can ask them to point out words that rhyme. Some books we love are:

-       Little Book of Alliterations by Felix Archer

-       Some Smug Slug by Pamela Duncan Edwards

-       Oh, The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss

-       The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

-       Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

-       Walter Was Worried by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

-       Animalia by Graeme Base

3.  Use songs to teach sound substitution. Choose a song you and your child know and sing it together. Sing it again. But this time, add a new sound to the beginning of each word in the song. Try “Old MacDonald.”

-       For a cow, sing, “And on this farm, he had a cow / Kee-Kigh, Kee-Kigh Ko.”

-       For a sheep, sing, “And on this farm, he had a sheep / She-shigh, she-shigh sho.”

We also love “The Name Game,” by Shirley Ellis.

Our list is not exhaustive – we’re sure you and your kids can think of many more ways to practice phonemic awareness. Feel free to share your ideas in the comments section!

End of the School Year Checklist: 6 Ways To Get Your Child Ready For Summer

It's coming!
Photo credit: Chrisroll

Can you believe it’s already May? The weather’s changing, the flowers are blooming… and the end of school is right around the corner.

It can be a stressful time for your child. Not to mention you! But it can also be exciting. It's time for summer vacation, summer camp – or just a well-deserved break. 

Help your child transition into their summer with today’s checklist:

1.    Find and return all school property. This includes library books, calculators, and anything else your child may have borrowed.

2.    Make sure you have all the paperwork you need. Many schools have summer reading lists or worksheets for your child to do over the summer. If yours doesn’t, now might be a good time to meet your child’s new teacher. Ask them if they have recommendations for summer learning activities.

3.    Help your child make or pick out a teacher appreciation gift. Teaching is hard! If you don’t believe me, you try coming up with six meaningful lesson plans every day. It is nice show child’s teacher how much you care.

Homemade gifts are so special to teachers!  But they will also appreciate something you buy. Remember that they probably already have a “World’s Best Teacher” mug. Or three. Try something disposable, like candies, flowers, or movie tickets.

4.    Make a memory book. Remember the class trip to the zoo? Or the science fair project? Remember who they spent their recess with? And the time they aced their math test? Make a memory book of all the fun activities and achievements your child made this year. Both of you will feel good as you relive the memories.

5.    Set Summer Learning Goals. If your child doesn’t use what they learned this year, they will lose it. Sit down together and make some goals for the summer. (For a complete guide to goal setting, click here.) Come up with some fun ways to practice reading, writing and math. For example:

StudyDog is a great way to keep your child learning over the summer. It’s educational – but it’s also fun! Kids love it! And it may be just what you need to keep your child motivated while school's out.

I did it!
Photo credit: pat138241

6.    CELEBRATE! Your child worked hard this year. Show them you noticed. Show them what a big deal it is to you. Have a food fight! Go to their favorite pizza place! Play in the ball pit! Go to the pool!

Celebrating – especially if you make a tradition of it -- will also help your child feel a sense of closure as they say goodbye to teachers and friends.

Parents: What end-of-the-year traditions would you add to the list?

“Educational” Programming: Yay or Nay?

You’re a parent, so you want to help your child get the most out of their education. But did you know that many kids spend more time watching TV… than they do in school?

It’s true. A recent study found that kids ages 2-5 spend 32 hours a week watching TV!

Experts agree that too much TV is bad for kids. It contributes to obesity and aggression. But research says that the right amount of educational/informational (E/I) TV can help your child read.

But what is the right amount? And what shows are best for your child? Read on to help your child get the most out of E/I programming.


There are a lot of good E/I shows…

Photo credit: Ambro

E/I programming uses actors and stories to teach a lesson. Kids learn skills like letter recognition and spelling.


This is great for reluctant readers. Hearing the same things in a new way may help them “get it.” Learning from their favorite actors shows them that reading can be fun.

E/I shows can help your 3-year old to get a head start in preschool. They can also help kids who are doing well in school! Repetition is the key to children’s learning. E/I shows can help reinforce what happens at school.

Finally, E/I TV exposes kids to new cultures, places and ideas. It also tackles hard issues, like bullying. This can help you talk to your child about tough topics.


But not all shows are created equal.


Scientists recently studied 40 popular E/I shows. They rated how well the shows taught their main lesson -- and how important that lesson was.

Only 13% of the episodes were “highly educational.” Almost 26% were found to have minimal educational value.  Many E/I shows focus on feelings and relationships. This leaves less time for reading and math.

So how can I help my child learn?

In spite of this, there is much your child can learn from E/I TV. Get the most out of it with these pointers:

1.     Moderation. TV can be great for teaching lessons. But exploration is an important part of learning. Take your child to the park. Use paints and blocks. Invent a new game. These activities will help your child develop problem-solving abilities that last their whole life.

2.     Follow up. Pay attention to what your child is watching. Is there a book based on the show? Is a poet or author featured? Is there any part of the program your child really enjoyed? Use TV to spark your child’s interest in reading.

3.     Get involved. Ask your child questions about the show. Try phrases like, “Why do you think…?” or, “I wonder why…?”

4.     Try video games. Reading games like StudyDog are a lot like E/I shows. They use characters and stories to get a child’s interest. But unlike TV, games require active participation. They move at your child’s pace. They give your child goals and feedback. Some, like StudyDog, will even keep you posted on your child’s progress.

Click here to learn more about why video games are such powerful motivators.

5.     Find your child in the show.  Kids think that TV reflects reality. If there is no one like them on the show – racially, religiously, physically, etc. – it could hurt their self-esteem.

6.     Consider these shows. They received the highest rankings in a study funded by Children Now. Each features “exemplary” educational content.

 

In short, there’s nothing wrong with watching a little educational TV. Your child could even learn something! But with your help, they will learn even more.

Parents: What TV shows does your child like? How much do you let them watch?

Four Things All Parents Need To Know About Rewards

Parents love seeing their child do well. Whether they’ve done their homework, read a new book, or were simply on their best behavior, it is a joy. And sometimes a relief!

It’s normal to want to reward them for their effort. But many parents aren’t sure how. And no wonder! Even teachers and psychologists haven’t figured out rewards yet.  Some research shows that they help. Kids work harder when they have something to look forward to. Other research shows that rewards are bad. They decrease a child’s natural interest in something.

Today’s post discusses the four things you need to know today about rewarding your child. You might be surprised at what you learn.

1. Rewards increase EXTRINSIC motivation…

Photo Credit: Stuart Miles

We all want our children to love learning for the sake of learning. To many parents, rewards feel like bribes. But research shows that rewards can increase your child’s interest in an activity over time.

Specifically, rewards are great for things that are only fun when you reach a certain skill level. It takes weeks of boring exercises to learn a new instrument. Playing scales over and over is probably not what your child wants to be doing.

But if they hang in there long enough, they will be able to play songs they enjoy, or even write their own songs. Rewards may be just what they need to keep them going until music becomes fun for them.

2. … But rewards can decrease INTRINSIC motivation.

Photo Credit: Stuart Miles

 If your child already loves something, think carefully before you reward them for it. In a famous study, psychologist Mark Lepper rewarded preschoolers who liked drawing… for drawing. After that, the kids showed less interest in drawing and spent less time doing it.

Indeed, the reward confused them. They thought they were drawing because they liked it… but now they think they did it to get a reward. They thought the joy they felt was from drawing… but now they think it’s from their prize.

The exception to this rule is when the reward is directly related to an activity. If your child loves reading, it makes sense to surprise them with new books or trips to the library. If they study hard for their biology test, it makes sense to go to the zoo or buy them some plant bulbs.

These rewards don’t hurt intrinsic motivation. They allow your child to continue growing. They send the message that you notice, and you care. NOT that they deserve a reward for doing something unpleasant.

3. Often, the best reward is recognition.

Years of research show that material rewards don’t always motivate people. Whether you’re an adult or a child, a sense of recognition and success makes tasks feel meaningful – in a way that money can’t.

So when you see your child doing something good, SAY SO.  Try phrases like, “I notice you are working very hard at spelling,” or, “I am proud of how much you’re improving.” (Click here for a complete guide to praising your child.)

But don’t just say it – show it! If they do well on a test, hang it on the fridge. If they make a cool art project, show your friends. If they put away all their toys without being asked, tell your spouse when they get home.

When your child feels appreciated, they will enjoy the task more.  And your attention shows them how important their work is to you.

4. Sometimes motivation isn’t the problem – so rewards aren’t the answer.

Many schools have tried offering students prizes – including cash and cars – for good grades. The assumption is that students don’t work hard enough, and a reward could motivate them.

If your child is struggling,
rewards can be demoralizing.
Photo credit:David Castillo Dominici.

In several schools, the rewards did lead the kids to study harder… but their grades did not improve. The problem wasn’t that they weren’t trying hard enough – it was that they didn’t know how to study.

So rewards aren’t always the answer. Especially for students who are struggling. Just working harder might not be enough to get your child back on track. If they have problems in school, talk to their teacher right away.

Talk to your child, too. Say they are struggling in math. Ask them why. What about math is hard? Maybe they say that math is boring. What about it is boring? Is it because they are completely lost? Is there a bully in their math class? Or do they just not see how they can use math in the real world?

Work with your child to help them get to the root of the problem. Offering a reward, seeing them fail, and then saying, “Oh, sorry. No reward for you!” is only going to discourage them more.

In short, there are lots of great ways to use rewards. And there are lots of ways to misuse them. The advice in this article will help you know when a reward will help your child… and when you might want to hold off.

Parents: What kinds of rewards do you give your child? Or do you try not to reward them?  

Get The Most Out Of Reading Time: 5 Fun and Easy Steps

Experts say that you should read to your kids for 20 minutes a day. It is one of the best ways to help your child love reading.

Even holding a book and helping turn the pages  helps kids develop literacy skills.
Photo credit: Ambro

20 minutes a day. That’s 2 hours a week. That’s 5 whole days of reading per year.

Any reading you do with your child is great. But today’s post will show you how to help your child get the very most out of reading time. Every time!

Reading to your child: The Early Years

The first thing you need to know is that it is never too early to start. Even if they are too young to follow the story, they can still learn new words and skills. This leads to higher intelligence -- both now and later in life.

As your child gets older, help them prepare for school. Preschools emphasize literacy skills like recognizing letters and knowing that words are units of letters separated by spaces.

Lots of parents assume that kids notice the text on their own. However, kids rarely look at text when adults read to them. So make comments and ask questions that help your child focus on the text. Try questions like:

And comments like:

Here are four more tricks you can use to draw your child’s attention to the words as you read:

1.     Move your finger below the words as you read. This lets your child “follow along” with you.

2.     Choose books with cool text. Look for different fonts, font sizes and text colors. Books with cartoons or thought bubbles also work well.

3.     Cuddle with your child as you read. This makes reading a warm and joyful experience, rather than a chore. This will have a lifelong impact on their feelings about reading.

4.     Use your voice to bring the story to life! Use different voices for different characters. Find rhythms and patterns in the story. Be loud at the loud parts, and quiet at the quiet parts.

Growing With Your Child: 

 As your child gets older,  you should begin to emphasize prediction. Prediction is a crucial reading skill starting in kindergarten. Give your child a head start through reading time. Pause before, during and after reading. Ask your child questions about the book. Focus on what they think will happen. For a list of good questions to ask about reading, click here.

Don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions. Sometimes a child’s prediction might seem wrong to you. But if you ask them to explain their thought process, you might be surprised at the details your child noticed!

Even as your child develops into an independent reader, they might still enjoy when you read to them. They may even want to read to you! And this is great! You can continue to share good books, conversations and cuddles together, while improving reading, critical thinking and perspective taking skills.

Parents: What tips do you have for reading to/with your kids?