The Role of Background Knowledge in Reading Comprehension
Your five-year-old can sound out every word in a sentence perfectly. She reads ‘The cat sat on the mat’ without a single mistake. But when you ask where the cat was sitting, she stares blankly. She read the words, but she didn’t really understand the story. What’s missing? It could be background knowledge. Reading isn’t…
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Reading During Sports Seasons: Keeping Literacy Alive
You’re living in the car. Between soccer practice, baseball games, swim meets, and whatever tournament is happening this weekend, you’ve practically set up camp in the parking lot. Your trunk is full of snack bags, water bottles, and gear. Your calendar looks like a color-coded nightmare. And somewhere in the back of your mind, you’re…
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15-Minute Reading Routines That Actually Work
Your child curled up next to you with a favorite book. Just fifteen minutes. No pressure, no stress. What if I told you that this simple daily habit could change everything about your child’s reading future? It’s not just possible, it’s powerful. As parents, we’re all juggling a million things. Between homework, dinner, bedtime battles,…
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Library Strategies: Choosing Books That Match Your Child’s Reading Level
Your daughter bounces into the library, makes a beeline for the chapter books, and emerges clutching a 200-page novel about wizards. She’s six. She can read about thirty words. Meanwhile, your son grabs the same Eric Carle board book he’s been reading since he was two, even though he’s now seven and reading at a…
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Reading Logs: Do They Help or Create Reading Resentment?
Your daughter races through the final chapter of her book, eyes dancing with excitement. She can’t wait to tell you what happened to her favorite character. But before she can share the story, you hand her the reading log. Watch the light dim in her eyes as she sighs and reaches for a pencil: another…
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Reading Aloud to Kids Who Can Already Read: Why It Still Matters
Your second grader just read an entire chapter book by herself. She’s so proud, and honestly, you are too. All those evenings practicing letter sounds, sounding out words, and celebrating small victories have paid off. She can read now. Really read. So you put away the picture books. Bedtime stories become bedtime reading time, where…
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