Links to Literacy

APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #20

HOW DO I KNOW A BOOK IS ‘RIGHT’ FOR MY CHILD?
Independent readers

1. Taste Test. Ask your child to read the first few pages of a book and to consider whether they feel comfortable reading it before they decide to read it all.

2. Five finger test. Ask your child to read the first page or two of a book and to put a finger on words they don’t understand or can’t read. If they can’t read five of the words on a page, the book is probably too hard.

3. Motivation is a great help. Some children will persevere with a book that is challenging for them because they really ‘want’ to read it. But it is important that they know that it could be hard before they start so they don’t get frustrated and give up!

4. An easy-read. ‘Reading for leisure should be a pleasure.’ So even if your child is a good reader, they may enjoy an easy-read from time to time.

5. It’s OK to reject a book. Let your child know that it is all right to choose not to read a book if they think it is too hard — for now. It is better that they read and enjoy what they do read.

GREAT READS

• The Wheels on the Ute Go Round and Round by Loraine Harrison & Claire Richards. Hilarious Aussie take on the classic Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round. Wombat drives the ute through the Aussie bush collecting Aussie animals along the way. Recommended for readers 4+ (and parents).

• Choose Your Own Adventure: Terror on the Titanic by Shannon Gilligan. Kids love Choose Your Own Adventure stories because they can choose the path they want to take. With over 20 possible endings, the reader of this adventure could be a hero or a victim in the tragic story of the Titanic. Recommended for readers 8+.

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APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #19

LET YOUR CHILD CHOOSE BOOKS
Independent readers

1. Let you child choose books that interest them. Do they like animals? Fantasy? Comics? All reading is worthwhile.

2. Picture books are great for everyone. A good picture book has many layers to it and will be read and re-read. Children need to ‘read’ illustrations as well as words.

3. Talk about the books you enjoyed as a child. Many classic books stand the test of time. Share books you loved with your children. Start by reading them aloud.

4. Browse and discover. Spend time with your child in a bookshop or library and read the blurbs and a few pages of unfamiliar books to see what you can find.

5. Favourite series or authors. Support you child’s interest in books in the same series or by the same author.

GREAT READS

• Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport by Rolf Harris.This well-loved Australian song is now an illustrated book by Rolf Harris and includes a bonus DVD of Rolf singing it. Recommended for readers 4+ (and parents).

• Totally: Deadly Dinosaurs by Martin Oliver. Readers will learn about some of the most amazing animals that ever existed and enjoy ‘cool cartoons’ and ‘quirky quizzes’ about them. Recommended for readers 9+.

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APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #18

GUESS THE LETTER
Beginning readers

What you need: 26 (or 52) index cards

1. Write the letters on cards. Invite/help your child to write the 26 letters of the alphabet on cards. Or for an extra challenge, write a separate card for each upper- and lower-case letter.

2. Pick a card and act it out. Ask your child to pick out a card then act out something that starts with the letter on the card. You have to guess what they are doing and the letter.

3. You take a turn to pick a card and act it out. Your child has to identify what you are doing and the letter it starts with. Take another card if you or your child can’t guess the word after a period of time. (Maybe use an egg timer.)

4. And the winner is … The first to get 10 letters correct.

5. Make it harder for older readers. Instead of letters that begin words, choose words that end in the letter, or two or more letters together (pl, st, fr, sh, wh).

GREAT READS

• Three Little Kangaroos Gruff by Kel Richards. A clever Aussie version of ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ in which three kangaroos decide to go to greener pastures but are blocked by a mean, hungry and dim-witted bunyip. Loads of fun. Recommended for readers 4+ (and parents).

• The Joshua Files #2: Ice Shock by M.G. Harris. Josh is back — and the world needs him more than ever. A rousing story that blends adventure, sci-fi and Mayan prophecies about the end of the world. The iridescent slip case will grab any reader’s attention. Recommended for readers 10+.

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APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #17

DEVELOPING CREATIVITY

All readers

Encourage your child to be creative inside and outside the home.

1. Use raw materials. Make a collection of old scraps of material, paints, magazines, modelling clay and other bits and pieces that can be used to make models or collages. Ask your children to explain what they create and how they made it.

2. Picture it. Under supervision, encourage your children to take digital photographs or videos. Ask them to select the images they like most and to explain why.

3. Think it through. Allow your children to figure some things out for themselves: what to order for lunch, what to wear on a special occasion, how to help a friend. Show them that their decisions and opinions are important and also have consequences.

4. Play some different music. Borrow CDs from the library to listen to different types of music. Talk about what your children like or dislike about the music and their reasoning.

5. Gift-giving time. Encourage your children to make a gift by cooking or making something, performing a sketch, song or poem or doing something practical, such as planting some seedlings for an elderly relative.

GREAT READS

• Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox and Julie Vivas. It’s now 25 years since this Australian classic was released. A truly sensitive and beautiful story of the relationship between ‘young’ and ‘old’ that every child should read or have read to them. Recommended for readers 5+ (and parents).

• Pilot and Huxley by Dan McGuiness. An easy-to-read graphic novel for young readers. When Pilot and Huxley forget to return their video game they end up on the run from an inter-dimensional debt collector and find themselves stranded in a crazy new dimension. Recommended for readers 8+.

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APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #16

WHY JOHNNY WON’T OR CAN’T READ
All readers

Many parents are concerned that their children can’t or won’t read. Sometimes the children lack the skills and reading strategies and sometimes they lack the motivation.

1. Get a reading diagnosis. Talk to your child’s teacher about your child’s strengths and weaknesses with reading. If they have the right skills it may be that they lack motivation in finding things of interest to read. If they lack reading skills specific help may be required.

2. Read aloud — don’t stop too soon. Reading aloud is especially important for struggling readers. They may avoid reading if they have difficulty and so lack the practice they need to develop their vocabulary and comprehension. If they don’t get it …

3. Remind your child to re-read parts they don’t understand. It is normal to read forward and back to help clarify understanding — or ask for help.

4. Nothing succeeds like success. Celebrate small steps such as learning some new words, reading a simple book or summarising what your child has read.

5. Let your child choose what they want to read. Joke books, comics, magazines or books other kids are reading could open the door to reading enjoyment. Talk about what your child reads and why they like or dislike it.

GREAT READS

• When Henry Caught Imaginitis by Nick Bland. Henry is a serious boy. But lately he’s been having thoughts about pirates, dragons and rocket ships. He’s caught imaginitis and the only cure is to grow up! Recommended for readers 4+ (and parents).

• Flitterwig #2: Clearheart by Edrei Cullen. The second in this magical series of funny elves and pixies in a contemporary setting. Ella Montgomery goes to Flitterwig’s school to learn how to use her Elven skills but has to save her best friend, a pixie, who is kidnapped. Check out the website. Recommended for readers aged 8+.

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APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #15

GIVE KIDS A CHOICE
All readers

Being able to choose what they read encourages some so-called ‘reluctant readers’ to find their interest in reading.

1. No pressure — let children choose what they want to read. It is not the amount children read, it is that they want to read that is important, so let them choose things they want to read — even comics, magazines, cookbooks or appropriate websites.

2. Find out what others like. Peruse book reviews or lists or ask your local librarian what is ‘hot’ for kids to read. Find out what appeals to your children, rather than what appeals to you!

3. Listening is reading — consider audio books. Fluency with reading improves if children follow along as they are read to. Listen to audio books in the car, or download audio books onto your children’s iPods so they can listen to them privately.

4. Book groups are great. Ask your children if they’d like to get together with other children who might like to read and talk about a book. Try an ‘all boys’ book group or a grandparents–grandchild book group - any way to get kids talking about books.

5. Read anywhere and everywhere. Encourage your child to read to you menus, maps, train schedules, flavours at the ice-cream shop, specials at the supermarket, music and movie reviews — anything that interests them.

GREAT READS

• On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman. A beautiful book for children and parents to share with heart-warming messages of being special and togetherness.  Recommended for readers 4+ (and parents).

• How to Draw Monster Battles by Marc McBride. READ AND DO. From the illustrator of Deltora Quest, children will learn how to create their own monsters, mythical creatures and mammoth beasts. So they’ll be both reading and illustrating! Recommended for readers 9+

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APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #14

GREAT DEBATE
All readers

Forming opinions and respecting others’ opinions is an important literacy skill.

1. Choose a topic to debate. Pick a topic such as music, clothes, sport, movies or hairstyles to debate with your child.

2. Form a question. Refine the topic so that you come up with a specific question or issue, for example “Is it too dangerous to swim when sharks are around?” or “Can you wear jeans anywhere?”.

3. Choose sides and prepare. Decide who is to present arguments FOR and AGAINST the question. Along with your child, prepare at least three points for each side of the argument.

4. Debate it. Alternate presenting arguments and allow time to ‘rebut’ each other’s arguments.

5. Judge it. Ask someone ‘neutral’ to judge the debate. And remind your children that it is all right to have different opinions, but it is also important to respect others’ opinions.

GREAT READS

• Super Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold. An easy-to-read story of Fly Guy causes havoc. Full of fun, slapstick, silly drawings and clever use of words that young readers will really enjoy. Recommended for readers aged 5+.

• Children of the Lamp #5: The Eye of the Forest by P.B. Kerr. A great series, with a film coming soon. In this new book, an ancient Incan prophecy leads the Gaunt twins deep into the heart of the Amazon in another spellbinding adventure. Recommended for readers aged 9+.

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APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #13

5 WAYS TO RAISE A READER

All readers

Make reading part of everyday life.

1. Start a family book group. Choose a book for all the family to read and then make a specific time to discuss it.

2. E-newsletters. Supervise your child as they sign up to children’s e-newsletters from zoos, museums, libraries or other sources that are of interest.

3. Make a fact–fiction connection. After your children have read fiction stories about a topic, provide them with newspaper or magazine articles, nonfiction or other factual information on the same topic.

4. Read for fun. Enjoy reading comics, magazines, short stories and humorous books just for fun!

5. Show that you are a reader. Kids are more likely to grow up enjoying reading if they see you enjoying it too.

GREAT READS

• Pet Vet #4: Python Problem by Darrel & Sally Odgers. When a new family moves into town, their pet python, Diamond, escapes and all the animals in town panic — except for Trump the dog, who is Animal Liaison Officer for vet, Dr Jeannie. This is an easy-to-read chapter book for young readers. Recommended for readers aged 6+.

• Malice by Chris Wooding. A riveting graphic novel. Is the legend of Malice comics true? Luke doesn’t think so, so he repeats the ‘magic words’ to disprove the rumour, and then — Luke disappears! Recommended for readers aged 10+

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APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #12

GET CREATIVE WITH LITERACY
All readers

Artistic activities stretch your child’s imagination and boost their reading skills.

1. Visualise it. Ask your children to draw, paint or make models of scenes of a story they’ve read.

2. Paint a portrait. Encourage your children to draw or paint the way they ‘see’ a character in a book in their mind, focusing on facial expressions, physical appearance, clothes etc.

3. Get dramatic. Children love to dramatise stories. Encourage them to retell a story dramatically or read it with different voices for different characters either alone, or with siblings or friends.

4. Sell a story. Ask your children to ‘advertise’ to others a good book they have read.

5. Put it to music. With your children invent new lyrics to fit to a known tune and sing and enjoy them. It could be a ‘parody’ that is a send-up of an original song or idea, or words that just fit with the music.

GREAT READS

• I Thought I Saw a Dinosaur by Emma Todd. Jack’s cousins Olly and Issy have come to camp in the back garden where Jack convinces them to go on a dinosaur hunt. The combination of torches, shadows and imagination is funny and scary — who is hunting whom? Suggested for readers 5+.

• Oliver Nocturne #3: Blood Ties by Kevin Emerson. Vampire stories are hot and this is a great series for younger readers. The Nocturnes are heading off to visit their Old World relatives in Morosia, an underground vampire city, but Oliver and his friends think a mysterious woman can help them. Recommended for readers aged 9+.

APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #11

LITERACY-BUILDING TIPS

All readers

Providing literacy opportunities at home helps your child to continue to develop their vocabulary, reading and writing skills.

1. Fill your home with reading. Whether it is another title from a favourite series, sports magazines or pages, or comic books, any kind of daily reading is good for your children.

2. Play writing games together. Save the kids’ crosswords, word-searches, anagrams or cryptograms from newspapers or magazines. They are great for building vocabulary and stretching thinking skills.

3. Read and do. Provide cookbooks, ‘how-to’ books and other activity books and ask your children to follow the instructions and cook or make something.

4. Turn off the TV. Set aside time to do family literacy things together — play board games, tell stories or jokes, present concerts or just sit on the couch and read together.

5. Choose a different book. Challenge your children to go to a library or book shop and choose a book that interests them but is different to the books they usually read.

GREAT READS

• Mbobo Tree, by Glenda Millard, illustrated by Annie White. A beautifully illustrated, touching fable from an award-winning author. The magical and mysterious story of a little girl, found under a tree as a baby, who saves her villages — and the villagers’ lifegiving tree — through her bravery. Suggested for readers aged 4+ (or as a read-aloud).

• Monster Blood Tattoo: Foundling (#1) and Lamplighter (#2) by D.M. Cornish. Set in the completely original fantasy world of the Half-Continent of predatory monsters, chemical potions and some surgically altered people, the first two titles in this trilogy grab readers from the first sentence. Written and illustrated by a South Australian author and soon to be made into a movie. Suggested for confident readers aged 10+.

APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #10

WHAT’S IN A POEM?
Independent Readers

Reading poetry with children expands their vocabulary, reading experience and skills. It can also be loads of fun! Encourage your children to look for examples of the following poetry forms or techniques in what they read — and to practise writing their own.

1. Alliteration repeats the same initial consonant in several words in the same phrase or sentence. Example: Angus the alligator always ate apples. Pick a different letter each day for a week, and see how many words can be put into a sentence using alliteration.

2. A couplet is a pair of lines that are the same length, usually rhyme and form a complete thought. Example: It was a windy, dark and stormy night, The shadows of trees gave Sam a fright.

3. A simile describes something by comparing it to something else using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’. Examples: The boy was as thin as a stick. The moon was like a glowing ball.

4. A metaphor compares two things saying something is something else and does not use ‘like’ or ‘as. Examples: The sunset was a painting. My brother’s stomach is a bottomless pit.

5. Onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like the thing it stands for. Examples: zoom, pop, bang, slurp, splat.

GREAT READS

• Wombat Stew, by Marcia Vaughn. It is the 25th anniversary of this much-loved Australian classic in which Dingo wants to cook Wombat in a ‘gooey, brewy, yummy, chewy wombat stew’.   Suggested for readers approximately 5+.

• The Princess Plot, by Kirsten Boie. Jenna is surprised when she is chosen to play the part of a princess in a movie. But when filming starts, she finds out she is the spitting image of real-life princess who has gone missing. Suggested for readers approximately 10+. 

APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #9

BUILD VOCABULARY — ROOT WORDS
Independent Readers

Understanding a root word and the prefixes (beginnings) and suffixes (endings) that go with a root word is a great way to build children’s vocabulary. Encourage your children to make colourful and interesting Word Posters. Make a different poster for:
1. Un-. Un- before a word (prefix) means not. So unlucky means not lucky and unhappy means not happy.

2. -ful. An ending (suffix) of -ful (not full) means full of. So helpful means full of help and thankful means full of thanks. Remind children that some words that end in –ful change the spelling of the root word (particularly if it ends in a y), so beauty + ful = beautiful and mercy + ful + merciful.  

3. -less. An ending of -less means without. So meaningless means without meaning and careless means without care.

4. Re-. Re- at the beginning of a word means again. So reread means read again and repaint means paint again.

5. Semi-. Semi- as a prefix means half or part. So semicircle means half a circle and semi-permanent means partly permanent.

GREAT READS

• Mates: Thorpey, by Ruth Starke. Thorpey is a Comet fish who should be swimming around very fast, but he is floating upside down. What’s wrong? Does he have tummy trouble? Easy-to-read and lots of fun. Suggested for readers aged 7+.

• Dinosaur Knights, by Michael Gerard Bauer. A scientist in the future is trying to bring a living dinosaur back to the present, but the dinosaur is stranded in the Middle Ages. There a boy desperate to be a knight must face his fears and do battle. Suggested for readers aged 10+.

APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #8

BREAKING BAD READING HABITS
Independent Readers

What if my child …
1. reads with little or no light. Provide a comfortable chair or beanbag that has a special reading light and make a Book Nook.

2. won’t put down their book during dinner. Give them a 15 minute warning before dinner to finish the page, paragraph or chapter. Ask them what they’re reading about during dinner.

3. forgets to return books to the library. Use a visual reminder, such as a library box or bag. After each book is finished, it is dropped in until it is due back. Schedule when books are to be returned on a wall calendar.

4. reads instead of doing homework. Be firm: reading for leisure comes after homework. Agree to study breaks so your child can read a chapter or two to break up extended homework assignments.

5. sneaks in reading after bedtime. Factor in reading time when setting bed-time, maybe half an hour before lights-out. Allow one special reading night — maybe on weekends, when children can stay up reading later than usual. Read aloud together. Then you can turn off the light.

GREAT READS

• Pet Vet: Motorbike Bob, by Darrel & Sally Odgers. Trump the dog helps Dr Jeanie the vet. Bob the border collie is a biker dog who is sure he’ll never need a vet’s help. But when Bob gets into strife, it’s Trump to the rescue. Suggested for readers approximately 7+.

• Skeleton Creek, by Patrick Cameron. Read the books. Watch the videos. Unlock the mystery. This is unique mix of Ryan’s stories and Sarah’s videos (on a special website) that together uncover the mysterious happenings at Skeleton Creek. Suggested for readers aged 9+.

APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #7

DEVELOP AN ‘EAR’ FOR RHYMING
Beginning Readers

Being able to hear similar sounds in words is an essential skill for beginning readers. This is called phonemic awareness.
1. Sing! Sing! Sing! Traditional and modern songs are full of rhyme. Sing along with them over and over. Then occasionally stop and talk about which words or sounds are alike.

2. Create your own songs. Children will love songs you make up just doing things around the house, such as ‘This is the way we wash our hands…’ You don’t have to be a good singer, just have fun.

3. Combine rhymes or songs with rhythmic clapping or movements. Use familiar rhymes such as, Ten Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed or songs such as, Do Your Ears Hang Low?

4. Snap-clap. Encourage children to make a similar move or sound when they hear similar sounding words in a rhyme.

5. Word Play. Make up silly sentences of rhyming words. For example: ‘Matt is a fat cat, sitting on a flat mat.’

GREAT READS

• Madeline, by Ludwig Bemelmans. ‘In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines …’. Hard to believe it is 70 years since this classic rhyming story and others in the series were first published. Suggested for readers aged 4+.

• Aussie Gems: There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Mozzie, by P. Crumble. ‘There was an old lady who swallowed a mozzie. I don’t know why she swallowed that mozzie … She’s gotta be Aussie!’ A new Aussie version of an old favourite. Suggested for readers aged 7+.

APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #6

HOW DO I … get my child to read something besides their one favourite book?
All Readers

Re-reading a familiar book is a good because it builds fluency, but there are many ways to encourage your children to read other books.
1. Start with a similar book. Find the next book in the series, another book on the same topic or by the same author.

2.    Go to the library. Spend time browsing books in the library so your child can see how many options there are and ask a librarian to give recommendations related to your child’s interest.

3.    Put out a challenge. Ask your child to find a new book to read once a week, and to tell you what they liked or disliked about it in comparison to their favourite book.

4.    Read aloud. Introduce other books you like by reading them aloud.

5.    Listen up! Ask your child to read a different book to you each week.

GREAT READS

• Aussie Gems: The Lamington Man, by Kel Richards. This new Aussie version of The Gingerbread Man has the Lamington Man escaping from everyone, until he meets a cunning crocodile. Suggested for readers aged 4+.

• The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stuart. Four orphaned ‘gifted children’ respond to a peculiar newspaper ad and become part of a secret mission to uncover a plot that uses subliminal messages to take over the world. Readers of Harry Potter will enjoy this book. Winner of the EB White Read Aloud Award for Older Readers. Suggested for readers aged 10+.

APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #5

THE POWER OF STORIES
All Readers

Many stories help children connect to experiences beyond their immediate world.
1.    Preview books carefully. Consider you child’s interest, age and attention span. Select books about familiar experiences, such as the main character being a similar age to your child. Look for books with underlying themes or values you want to share.

2.    Set a purpose for reading. Rather than expecting your child to listen to a story and appreciate the message, guide them in what to listen for.

3.    Draw attention to the point of the story. Think about ‘learning between the lines’. Rather than interrupting a story’s flow by quizzing your child, use the moment it takes to turn the page to wonder out loud about the meaning. Don’t forget to look closely at the illustrations of a picture book. They may tell a different story to the words!

4.    Encourage your child to think critically. Stories are a safe way for your child to explore emotions and behaviours and how they feel about what they read.

5.    Discuss the book and what it means to your child. Lead your child to think out loud about what they learnt from the story and what applies to them in their world.

GREAT READS

• Too Loud Lily, by Sophie Laguna and Kerry Argent. Lily is always being told she is ‘too loud’ both at home and at school. But can being ‘loud’ help Lily fit in to school as star of the school play? Suggested for readers aged 5+.

• My Australian Story: Atomic Testing, by Alan Tucker. Anthony’s father is transferred to a top secret atomic testing project at Woomera and Anthony writes in his diary of the freedom and excitement in the outback. But is it safe? Suggested for readers aged 10+.

APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #4

IMPROVING READING COMPREHENSION
All Readers

Talking about what children read prompts them to think about what they’ve read and to read more carefully.
1.    Ask about it. Ask your children what they are going to be reading about before they read and what they found out after they read.

2.    Read the right books. Your child should get lots of practice reading books that are not too hard. They should be able to recognise and understand most of the words without help.

3.    Re-read to build fluency. Children need to be able to read quickly and smoothly — a skill known as fluency. Re-reading simple, familiar books gives children practice in decoding words quickly, so they’ll become more fluent.

4.    Wide reading. Ask your children what they are learning about in class or what interests them. Go to the library or find easy-to-read books or magazines to read about the topic. This helps build vocabulary and background knowledge.

5.    Talk about words. Encourage your children to ask you about unfamiliar words and ways they can figure out what words mean.

GREAT READS

• Goldilocks and the Three Koalas, by Kel Richards and Claire Richards. A rhyming, Aussie version of a favourite story: ‘Everyone called her ‘Goldilocks’, although her name was Shirley, because she had a mass of hair, fluffy, blond and curly.’ Suggested for readers approximately 5+.

• Choose Your Own Adventure: Struggle Down Under, by Shannon Gilligan. Uncle Gilroy has found an amulet that unlocks the mystery of a strange civilization in the Australian Desert. The reader has to choose what to do and there are many possible endings! Suggested for readers aged 8+.

APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #3

BUILD VOCABULARY — DESCRIPTIVE WORDS
Independent Readers

Increased vocabulary is essential to building your children’s understanding of what they read.
1.    Pick a picture. With your child, look through old magazines or newspapers to find interesting pictures.

2.    Stick a picture. Cut out the photos and glue each of them onto a separate piece of paper.

3.    Pick a word. Encourage your child to look for words to use as captions for the pictures. They can be descriptive, humorous or just fun.

4.    Stick a word. Cut the words out and paste them around the picture to describe it.

5.    Make a caption. Put several words together to make captions to describe the picture. Try to find different captions for each picture.

GREAT READS

• Jack Russell Dog Detective: The Blue Stealer, by Darrel & Sally Odgers. In this fun-filled story about Jack, he has to track down a thief who is stealing some of his friends’ prized ‘pawsessions’. Readers also learn some of Jack’s special ‘dog language’ and more. Suggested for readers approximately 6+

• My Australian Story: Who Am I? by Anita Heiss. This is a moving story told through the diary of Mary Talence, a ten-year old child of the Stolen Generation who is trying to make sense of the changes in her world. Suggested for readers aged 10+

APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #2

READING IN EVERYDAY LIFE
Beginning Readers

Talk about language you and your children come across in everyday experiences.
1. Talk It Up ... your child’s vocabulary is essential to them understanding what they read. Help them to build their vocabulary by talking to them about interesting words and encourage them to ask you about words they don’t understand.

2. Signs and Symbols ... Point out signs and symbols you see and what they mean. It will reinforce the idea that symbols, such as the letters in words, have meaning.

3. Play ‘I Spy’ ... This is a great way to connect letters and sounds and language with the words they represent.

4. Words All Around ... Read out words you see when shopping or out and about. When children become familiar with some words, ask them to read them for you.

5. Read Aloud ... Set aside time every day to read (and re-read) favourite books. Hearing them helps familiarise children with language.

GREAT READS

• Me, Oliver Bright, by Megan deKantzow. When Oliver Bright has a project to do on his family, he finds out just how much life in Australia has changed since his grandpa and dad were young. Suggested for readers aged 5+.

• Horrible Geography: Planet in Peril, by Anita Ganeri. From climate change to carbon footprints, this is a Horribly useful guide to environmental issues children are most concerned about — with all the gritty bits left in to make it a ‘good read’. Suggested for readers aged 9+.

APPA-SCHOLASTIC Links to Literacy #1

MAY IS FAMILY READING MONTH
All readers

Take a Family Reading Challenge and build your family’s love of reading.

1. Set aside time for reading every day and a goal for the number of books your family will read in a month. It is important to set aside time for reading to, with and by your children.

2. Reading to… By reading to your children you open up the world of reading. Choose books you enjoy reading, talk about them and most of all ‘have fun’.

3. Reading with… Share reading time by reading with your children. Let them fill in missing (predictable) words as you read, or read one page or chapter to your child and then let them read the next one.

4. Reading by… Encourage your children to read to you ‘take-home’ reading books or other books they choose. Ask them about what they read: what they liked or disliked, why they chose the book, what they learnt and how they felt about what they read.

5. Chart your family’s reading during Family Reading Month. On a chart, mark each person’s name and the number of books each person reads during the month of May. Add up all the books your family read in one month — and celebrate your achievement! 

GREAT READS

• My Aussie Mum by Yvonne Morrison and Nicola Bright. This new, funny, rhyming story is about an Aussie mum who loves her family and will give anything a go — from saving whales to taekwondo! Suggested for readers aged 4+

• Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. This magical novel is now a movie. Meggie’s father, Mo, is able to bring characters from the book world into the real world when he reads aloud, which leads to many exciting adventures. Suggested for readers aged 10+