MacDougal School

Kids First! Excerpt from Put Reading First - Helping Your Child Learn To Read

Success in school starts with reading. When children become good readers in the early grades, they are more likely to become better learners throughout their school years and beyond. Learning to read is HARD WORK for children. Fortunately, research is now available that suggests how to give each child a good start in reading. Becoming a reader involves the development of important skills, including learning to: Use language in conversation Listen and respond to stories read aloud Recognize and name the letters of the alphabet Listen to the sounds of spoken language Connect sounds to letters to figure out the "code" of reading Read often so that recognizing words becomes easy and automatic Learn and use new words Understand what is read

Giving Children Responsibility

Learn together and grow as a family this summer!! You won't regret the "extra" time put in to help your child (and yourself) be "the best you can be"!

The end of the school year is fast approaching. What is the summer going to be like for your child? Below are some suggestions to "help the learning process continue" in June, July, and August. Sign your child up for the summer reading program at the library (more information will be coming home about this program). Create some adventures...go places you have not been before! It does not need to be far away, just something different! Read together each day!! Stimulate your child's mind through a book. Help their vocabulary grow! Enjoy this "cuddling" time together. Write together each day!! A shopping list, a "thank you" note to a friend, a note to the grandparents, a list of "what to take to grandma's house". Show them "real" world writing...get them involved! Buy one of the "craft kits" from the Book Fair and work together to complete the project. Reading the directions and sharing special time together goes a long way to build self-esteem and confidence in your child Get out and exercise...walk around the block, play kickball in the backyard, park in the back of the parking lot and walk the extra steps to the door of the store. Do something to MOVE each day of the summer. Your child (and you) will feel a lot healthier after a summer of movement! Talk about nutrition and put into play a PLAN for eating healthier as a family. Since MacDougal kids have been discussing healthy living, your child may have some great ideas to get things going. What a nice way to learn together and grow as a family.