Let's figure it out -- mathematically!

Student A reads 20 minutes five nights of every week;
Student B reads only 4 minutes a night...or not at all!

Step 1: Multiply minutes a night x 5 times each week.
Student A reads 20 min. x 5 times a week = 100 mins./week
Student B reads 4 minutes x 5 times a week = 20 minutes

Step 2: Multiply minutes a week x 4 weeks each month.
Student A reads 400 minutes a month.
Student B reads 80 minutes a month.

Step 3: Multiply minutes a month x 9 months/school year
Student A reads 3600 min. in a school year.
Student B reads 720 min. in a school year.

Student A practices reading the equivalent of ten whole school days a year.
Student B gets the equivalent of only two school days of reading practice.

By the end of 5th grade if Student A and Student B maintain
these same reading habits,  Student A will have read the equivalent of 60
whole school days. Student B will have read the equivalent of only 12 school days.
One would expect the gap of information retained will have widened
considerably and so, undoubtedly, will school performance. How do you think
Student B will feel about him/herself as a student?

Some questions to ponder:

Which student would you expect to read better?
Which student would you expect to know more?
Which student would you expect to write better?
Which student would you expect to have a better vocabulary?
Which student would you expect to be more successful  in school....and in life?

Turn off the TV for 20 minutes a night and read....it's worth it!


Simple Strategies for Creating Strong Readers
	
 Without doubt, reading with children spells success for early literacy.
Putting a few simple strategies into action will make a significant difference
in helping children develop into good readers and writers.

Through reading aloud, providing print materials, and promoting positive
attitudes about reading and writing, you can have a powerful impact on
children's literacy and learning.

   1. Invite a child to read with you every day.   (see above to see why this
is so important)
       
   2. When reading a book where the print is large, point word by word as you
read. This will help the child learn that reading goes from left to right and
understand that the word he or she says is the word he or she sees.
       
   3. Read a child's favorite book over and over again.
       
   4. Read many stories with rhyming words and lines that repeat. Invite the
child to join in on these parts. Point, word by word, as he or she reads along
with you.
       
   5. Discuss new words. For example, "This big house is called a palace. Who
do you think lives in a palace?"
       
   6. Stop and ask about the pictures and about what is happening in the story.
       
   7. Read from a variety of children's books, including fairy tales, song
books, poems, and information books.

      Reading well is at the heart of all learning. Children who can't read
well, can't learn. Help make a difference for a child.

Dave wants you to read every day!