Summer Reading Guide Research shows children lose one to three months of learning every summer. Prevent this summer learning lossby using RIF's 2008 Summer Reading Guide that features fun and competitive summer reading activities that are sure to keep children reading all summer long. This summer, make it your motto to help children develop into swifter readers with higher comprehension skills and stronger vocabularies. And what better way to do so than with a fun and friendly competition: • Host a Summer Reading Olympics
Improving Student Achievement: Parent Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs) help implement successful and effective parental involvement The PIRC program is a nationwide effort designed to build successful family involvement in education as parents move beyond traditional activities — such as helping children with homework — toward a shared responsibility for school improvement. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement, the program generally focuses on projects serving parents of low-income, minority and limited English proficient children in elementary and secondary schools.
The website also spotlights different state PIRCs and links to their sites. Resources include research on parental and family involvement, related organizations and survey forms for parental involvement.
Reading Rockets Reading Is Fundamental
New Website for Young Children National Book Program Printable Parent Guides
National PTA: Family media strategies Because children's background knowledge and life experiences are different from yours and their intellectual skills aren't fully developed, your kids will not interpret stories the same way you do. They may be drawing the wrong conclusions, developing misconceptions or winding up with a distorted understanding of the story. The only way you'll know is to ask. Ask them to retell the story or to explain a significant event or describe why a character acted as he/she did. That's your chance to clear up any misunderstandings and to reinforce important values and beliefs. TV shows can also be an excellent way to start conversations with your children about difficult topics. Cable in the Classroom: Being media smart Those skills can help us interpret the many messages we daily receive from these sources — by applying the same critical thinking skills used in reading and writing to other forms of media. Americans get most of our news and other information from the electronic media. Yet until recently, children have not been taught how to thoughtfully examine media messages. Fortunately, media literacy is now part of the curricular frameworks in all 50 states.
Helping your family become media smart
The U.S. Department of Education offers guidance to parents for their children in areas such as preparing for school, finding schools and after-care, reading and academic success, special needs and college information. The department also hosts a monthly TV show called Education News Parents Can Use... about ways to ensure that children learn well and succeed in school. The show focuses on schools, learning and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and offers parents and anyone else with an interest in education vital information about getting involved in children's learning. |
Champions for Change: Reading is Fundamental U.S. Department of Education Cable in the Classroom Common Sense Media Kaiser Family Foundation: Study of Entertainment Media & Health Parents’ Choice Foundation Digital Math Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) Very Special Arts California State PTA Assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children. Try Science |
