Learning Partners: THE SUMMER READING & WRITING CHALLENGE is on, & free kits are now available. These READ*WRITE*NOW! kits include a booklet of "Activities for Reading & Writing Fun" as well as *how to* materials, a vocabulary log, certificates, & more. What, you ask, is READ*WRITE*NOW!? It's a summer challenge to improve the reading & writing of children (pre-school through 6th grade). How can a person participate? All you need is a child, a book, & a "learning partner" -- a teenager, senior citizen, relative, neighbor, or friend. You are also invited to *find* learning partners & link them with children in your community. What do the child & reading partner do? ~~ Children agree to read & write 30 minutes a day & to learn a new vocabulary word five days per week. Once or twice a week, the reading partner gets together with the child to provide 30 minutes of extra help (using the kit &/or other materials). What's in the kit? A booklet of "Activities for Reading & Writing Fun" was designed (by reading experts) for use with children ages birth to Grade 6. The booklet is meant to be used *in addition* to reading with children every day. Also included in the kit are bookmarks, certificates, a "reading vocabulary" log, & a coupon for a free personal pan Pizza Hut pizza (for children who complete the summer challenge). (Note: Research shows that reading just a few minutes a day with, or to, a child significantly increases that child's reading ability. It can also prevent erosion of reading skills over the summer.) ===> How can I get a kit, or find out more about READ*WRITE*NOW!? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Check with your local library. Kits are being distributed to 16,000 libraries (& to many Reading Is Fundamental sites) this month. These are CAMERA-READY copies, which you may use to make unlimited copies for distribution at school, work, or elsewhere. * Last year's "Activities for Reading & Writing Fun" booklet is on our Web site (http://www.ed.gov/Family/). It is nearly identical to this year's booklet, which will be available there soon. * You can also get a kit by calling: 1-800-USA-LEARN. (limited to one kit per household, please). Who is involved? READ*WRITE*NOW! is sponsored by the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education. Now in its second year, it was launched on April 26 by Secretary Riley in Springfield, Illinois, & other sites. Pizza Hut has donated coupons, & local sponsors are encouraged to develop their own incentives to reward children who meet their reading goals. (Major partners include Pizza Hut, AMC Entertainment, Inc., American Library Association, B'nai B'rith Youth Organization, Books & Beyond, Center for the Book of the Library of Congress, Corporation for National Service, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A, Hadassah, National Dairy Council, Reading Is Fundamental, & the U.S. Department of Education.) ***************************************************** EXCERPTS from "Activities for Reading & Writing Fun," a booklet developed for the summer reading & writing challenge -- READ*WRITE*NOW! ***************************************************** =================================== The Early Years: Birth to Preschool ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TOT TALK -- What's "old hat" to you can be new and exciting to toddlers and preschoolers. When you talk about everyday experiences, you help children connect their world to language and enable them to go beyond that world to new ideas. * As you get dinner ready, talk to your child about things that are happening. When your 2- or 3-year-old "helps" by taking out all the pots and pans, talk about them. "Which one is the biggest?" "Can you find a lid for that one?" "What color is this one?" * When walking down the street and your toddler or preschooler stops to collect leaves, stop and ask questions that require more than a "yes" or "no" answer. "Which leaves are the same?" "Which leaves are different?" "What else grows on trees?" * Ask "what if" questions. "What would happen if we didn't shovel the snow?" "What if that butterfly lands on your nose?" * Answer your child's endless "why" questions patiently. When you say, "I don't know, let's look it up," you show how important books are as resources for answering questions. * After your child tells you a story, ask questions so you can understand better. That way children learn how to tell complete stories and know you are interested in what they have to say. * Expose your child to varied experiences--trips to the library, museum, or zoo; walks in the park; or visits with friends and relatives. Surround these events with lots of comments, questions, and answers. ================================================ Moving into Reading: Preschool through Grade Two ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WORLD OF WORDS -- Here are a few ways to create a home rich in words. * Label the things in your child's pictures. If your child draws a picture of a house, label it with "This is a house," and put it on the refrigerator. * Have your child watch you write when you make a shopping list or a "what to do" list. Say the words aloud and carefully print each letter. * Look at newspapers and magazines with your child. Find an interesting picture and show it to your child as you read the caption aloud. * Create a scrapbook. Cut out pictures of people and places and label them. WRITE ON -- Writing helps a child become a better reader, and reading helps a child become a better writer. * Ask your child to dictate a story to you. It could include descriptions of your outings and activities, along with mementos such as fall leaves and flowers, birthday cards, and photographs. Older children can do these activities on their own. FAMILY STORIES -- Family stories enrich the relationship between parent and child. * Tell your child stories about your parents and grandparents. You might even put these stories in a book and add old family photographs. * Have your child tell you stories about what happened on special days, such as holidays, birthdays, and family vacations. P.S. I LOVE YOU -- Something important happens when children receive and write letters. They realize that the printed word has a purpose. * Send your child little notes (by putting them in a pocket or lunch box, for example). When your child shows you the note, read it aloud with expression. Some children will read the notes on their own. ====================================================== Encouraging the Young Reader: Grades Three through Six ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHAT'S IN THE NEWS? -- Newspapers are a form of daily communication with the outside world, and provide lots of learning activities for children. * Clip out an interesting news story and cut the paragraphs apart. Ask your child to read the paragraphs and put them in order. * Ask your child to read a short editorial printed in your local newspaper and to underline all the facts with a green pencil and all the opinions with an orange pencil. * Pictures fascinate children of all ages. Clip pictures in the newspaper. Ask your child to tell you about the picture or list adjectives to describe the picture. * Have your child pick a headline and turn it into a question. Then the child can read the article to see if the question is answered. * Pick out an interesting article from the newspaper. As you are preparing lunch or dinner, tell your child that you are busy and ask him or her to read the article to you. ============================================================ KNOW SOMEONE who might like to receive EDInfo? Subscribing is as easy as inviting him or her to write: subscribe edinfo herfirstname herlastname in an e-mail message. Then send it to: listproc@inet.ed.gov (If she has a signature block, s/he must turn it off.) ============================================================ ------------ Kirk Winters Office of the Under Secretary U.S. Department of Education kwinters@inet.ed.gov