The National Children's Literacy Website is a unique children's literacy initiative and is part of the Soho Center's National Children's Literacy Information Project - a not-for-profit
literacy initiative dedicated to advancing the literacy skills of young children, promoting literacy as an integral factor in the growth of society, and enhancing literacy in a variety of
home and child care settings. We believe that reading is a fundamental skill needed by all, and we are proud of what we are doing to help children learn to read.
NATIONAL CHILDREN'S LITERACY WEBSITE

How Good Schools Teach Reading

A   C h e c k l i s t   f o r   P a r e n t s


   Every teacher is excited about reading and promotes the value and fun of reading to all students.

   All students are carefully evaluated, beginning in kindergarten, to see what they know and what they need to learn in order to become good readers. 

   Teachers find ways to share information and ideas with parents to help them know more about supporting their children's developing reading skillls. 

   Reading instruction and practice in school lasts 90 minutes or more a day in first, second, and third grades and 60 minutes a day in kindergarten. 

   All students in first, second, and third grades who are behind in reading get special instruction and practice. These students receive, throughout the day, a total of 60 extra minutes of instruction. 

   Before- or after-school help is given to all students beyond first grade who need extra instruction or who need to review skills. Summer school is available for students who are behind at the end of the year. 

  Reading instruction and practice includes work on letters, sounds, and blending sounds. Students learn to blend letters and sounds to form new words. 

   Learning new words and the meaning of these new words is an important part of children's daily instruction. 

   Students have daily spelling practice and weekly spelling tests. 

   The connection between reading and writing is taught on a daily basis.  Students write daily. Papers are corrected and returned to the students.

  By the end of second grade, students write final copies of corrected papers. Corrected papers are sent home for parents to see. 

   All students are read to each day from different kinds of books. Students discuss what they read with teachers and other students.   

   All students have a chance to read silently and aloud in school each day.

   Every classroom has a library of books that children want to read. This includes easy books and books that are more difficult. 

   The school library is used often and has many books. Students may check books out during the summer and over holidays.


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