Believe it or not, you are a child's first and most influential teacher! But how do you, as a parent, go about finding the information you need to do a good job at such an important task as educating your own child? What kind of tutor or book will be the most helpful? What resources are available to help you carry out this important responsibility?

Here are some ideas and resources to get you started.

VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY

First of all, your local public library is one of your best--and least expensive--resources. Libraries, even small ones, have shelves of books for parents and children.  Many libraries have computer rooms.  Let your child have some fun, yet educational play time on the computer after you have read some books together.  This will help your child associate the library with fun and learning.

READING ALOUD AND MODELING READING

Reading aloud to your child, and letting him or her see you read, are two of the best ways to help them on the road to literacy. The vocabulary, sentence structure, and overall reading comprehension skills you will impart to your child are overwhelming!

As Barbara Bush wrote recently, "Above all, children love to be read to. It is a special time for them to be close to the grown-ups who care for them, and a wonderful way to feel loved." (Bush, 1993)

Younger children truly enjoy being read to, especially before bed time.  Try to choose books in a series.  Your child will feel comfort with a series because your child will be familiar with the characters and storyline.

Children in grades 4-6 enjoy many types of books, especially fantasy, science fiction, and horror.  The classics are a great place to begin!  Few contemporary books can match the vocabulary rich and highly structured storyline than classic children’s books.

LISTENING TO YOUR CHILDREN READ

Once your child learns to read, she or he needs lots of practice. The more the better! The old saying about "practice makes perfect" applies to reading as well as to most other activities. Studies have shown that kids who read a great deal at a young age are more likely to become lifelong readers.

HELPING YOUR CHILDREN WRITE

With a little encouragement, your children's reading and writing development will proceed simultaneously. Everyone in the education field can tell you the importance of the reading-writing relationship.  Study after study show the strong impact the two skills have on each other.  Even a very young child who sees the adults in her life writing letters and grocery lists and telephone messages will want to try writing also (Baghban, 1989).  You can have your younger child draw pictures of his or her favourite part of the story or chapter.  Or, your child can draw a comic strip showing the beginning, middle and end of the story.

Older children can also draw (this skill is called visualization) pictures of parts of the story or book.  They can draw pictures to represent ‘ideas’.  For example, your child can draw a picture of the part in the book where the main character overcame his greatest obstacle.  Or, he can draw several settings in the book and explain how they were important to the story.

With a little creativity, you can easily help your child improve his or her reading comprehension.