PARENT’S
GUIDE
Laurel County
Schools
718 North Main Street
London, KY 40741
Phone: (606) 862-4600
Reading
Welcome, parents. Laurel County School District is
here to help you raise a reader. Because you want
the best for your child, we invite you to begin a
parenting practice which will benefit your child
the rest of his or her life. Children whose parents
read with them learn to read early and well. It's as
simple as that!
Getting your child ready to read is preparing
him/her to succeed in school. Schools deliver 85%
of the curriculum using printed words in books,
written words on chalkboards/white-boards and
digitized words on computer screens. Reading is
the most fundamental skill your child will use
during his or her 12-20 years as a student.
The Value of Literacy
Children who read succeed, in school and in life.
The simple act of enjoying books together every
day with your child establishes essential reading
skills while building warm relationships. Your love
and time are priceless. The reading skills you
nurture are worth a quarter of a million dollars.
For every year you read with your child, average
lifetime earnings increase by $50,000. You make a
$250,000 gift to your child by reading aloud just
20 minutes a day!
Literacy-rich homes and families:
Establish a regular time and place for daily readaloud sessions, such as before bed or during bath
time. Keep on hand a variety of reading materials:
picture books, chapter books, atlases,
dictionaries, magazines, and newspapers. Then
also get library cards for everyone and use them
often. To share their love of books and reading,
parents may say to their child, "This was my
favorite book when I was your age" or "I can't
wait to start my new book." Parents may discuss
the books a child is reading, then ask questions
such as, "Did you ever...?"or "How would you feel
if that happened to you?"Talk about what they
read and encourage children to think, solve
problems, and make predictions Have plenty of
paper and writing tools. Store books and writing
materials in places children can reach.
Bonding with Books
Reading together every day builds strong minds
and strong relationships. Your child, snuggling in
your lap, and enjoying your attention and
laughter, is learning to love reading. As long as it
is a happy experience there is no wrong way to
read together. Reading aloud is practically free,
you can do it anywhere, and children often beg
for "just one more" story. Even parents who are
not fluent readers can provide a good experience
for their children by telling stories from their
lives, from their imaginations, or from pictures in
wordless books. It is best to read to your child
early and often, but it is never too late to start
opening the reading door for your child.
The Five Essential Components of Reading
Phonics is the connection between sounds and
letter symbols. It is also the combination of
these sound-symbol connections to create
words.
Phonemic awareness is the understanding that
words are created from phonemes (small units
of sound in language).
Vocabulary is the words a child knows when
they are used in print.
Fluency is a reader’s ability to read with speed,
accuracy and expression.
Comprehension is understanding what a text is
all about.
Encourage confidence and promote an
Independent reader in your home!