Your Independent Reader (Ages 9-12)

A child in grades four through six has probably mastered basic reading skills and can read independently for pleasure. This is a great time for you to keep encouraging and motivating your child to read more often. And don't forget the importance of reading aloud to your child and participating in reading- and writing-related family activities.  

Here are a few things that you can do to help build your child's literacy skills:

• Continue reading aloud books that challenge your child’s listening vocabulary and thinking skills. Reading books that are above your child’s reading level will help him or her grow as a reader.
• Encourage your child’s independent reading by providing a steady flow of books and conversation about them.
• Help children who seem to lose interest in reading find the time to read at home for pleasure. Make sure that their lives haven’t become overly scheduled.
• Help your children find more reasons to write. Enlist them in taking messages, making the shopping list, writing letters, and answering email.

Try introducing the following types of books to your child:

• Classic fiction and other more recent novels to read aloud together
• Longer chapter books for “middle readers”
• Books in a variety of genres, including biography, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry