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Here are a few things you can do now to help young readers thrive.

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Literacy at Home

Have young readers at home?
Here are a few tips and activities to help them become stronger readers.

While reading…

Read slowly and pause occasionally to think aloud about a story. You can say: "I wonder what's going to happen next!" Or ask a question: "Do you know what a palace is?" Or point out: "Look where the little mouse is now."

Answer your children's questions, and if you think they don't understand something, stop and ask them. Don't worry if you break into the flow of a story to make something clear. But keep the story flowing as smooth as possible.

Talking about stories they read helps children develop their vocabularies, link stories to everyday life, and use what they know about the world to make sense out of stories.

Take turns. You read a paragraph and have your child read the next one or you read half the page and your child reads the other half. As your child becomes more at ease with reading aloud, take turns reading a full page. Keep in mind that your child may be focusing more on how to read the words than what they mean, and your reading helps to keep the story alive.

Not sure which book is best for your reader? Here’s a simple test:

Ask your child to open a book to the first page. As they read the page, ask them to hold up one finger for every word they don’t know or can’t pronounce. The number of fingers they’re holding up by the end of the page helps you determine if this is a good book to choose.

0-1 fingers: It’s too easy.

2-3 fingers: It’s just right.

4-5 fingers: It’s too hard (or best read aloud with a buddy).

Literacy + Art

  • Hang posters of the alphabet on the bedroom walls or make an alphabet poster with your child. Make sure letters are nice and big. Capital letters are usually easier for young children to learn first. Decorate the poster with stickers, cut outs, or drawings of things that start with that letter.

  • Label the things in your child's pictures. If your child draws a picture of a house, label it with "This is a house." Then, display their work on the wall or refrigerator.

  • Create a scrapbook. Cut out pictures of people and places and label them.

  • Reinforce sounds and letters by having kids say each letter as they write their names, along with the sound that the letter makes. Then, have them take photos of things around the house that begin with those letters or sounds.

Worksheets

Wondering where you can find some worksheets to help your student strengthen their skills? Click here!

College and Career at Home

There are so many career pathways available that making a choice can feel overwhelming! Help your student learn about those options and build a pathway toward success on their terms.

Visit Ohio Means Jobs
The state of Ohio offers a great deal of educational resources for students online. Ohio Means Jobs offers videos, games, and other informational content to help you and your future professional broaden their career knowledge and develop skills like cyber safety and money management.

Visit ohiomeansjobs.com and click the For Students tab to get started!

Local Scholarships
Check out what scholarships are available to your student(s) in the Toledo area! Click here to visit the Scholarship Portal provided by the Greater Toledo Community Foundation. Over 300 scholarships, totaling more than $1 million, were awarded in 2022!