10 Great Reasons
to read aloud to children...
1.  When you hold children and give them this attention, they know you love them.
2.  Reading to children encourages them to become readers.
 
3.  Listening to stories will help develop your child's attention span.
4.  Books will help your children's imaginations soar.
5.  Illustrations in children's books rank with the best, giving children a lifelong appreciation for beautiful art.
6.  books are one great way of passing on your values.
7.  Children's books today are so well written that they are fun even for adults.
8.  Until children learn to read themselves, they will think you create magic.
9.  When you give them this gift, you will create memories that last a lifetime.
 
10. Every teacher and librarian you ever meet will thank you!
 
compliments of the
Family Reading Partnership
Ithaca, NY


Encouraging Your Children to Read
The links below will take you to sites that provide great suggestions for helping your child develop and maintain an interest in reading.  Check back often - we'll keep adding and modifying the list of suggested links.

20 Ways for Parents to Encourage Reading

Children Who Can Read, But Don't
 
Tips for Reading Aloud with Elementary School Children

Books & Reading, from Scholastic Parents, Home of Parent & Child Magazine
 
Choosing Books for a Reluctant Reader
 
 

Helping with Homework

Virtual Middle School Library
Lots of links on this page, to sites that will help you with general education information, or with specific subject areas, like Math, Language Arts, Science, etc.
 
 
Family Education
This site is packed with 'back-to-school' information - and it goes beyond homework help (although there is a great homework section here...)
The main back-to-school page includes links on getting ready for school, back-to-school safety, 'what parents need to know this school year', and even breakfast and lunch ideas and recipes.


Book Suggestions for Reluctant Readers
Bunicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery, by Deborah Howe
Bunicula(from the Amazon.com review): This immensely popular children's story is told from the point of view of a dog named Harold. It all starts when Harold's human family, the Monroes, goes to see the movie Dracula, and young Toby accidentally sits on a baby rabbit wrapped in a bundle on his seat. How could the family help but take the rabbit home and name it Bunnicula? Ages 9 to 12)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, #1, by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy KidGreg records his sixth grade experiences in a middle school where he and his best friend, Rowley, undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twi ...more Greg records his sixth grade experiences in a middle school where he and his best friend, Rowley, undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twice daily, hope just to survive, but when Rowley grows more popular, Greg must take drastic measures to save their friendship
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread, by Kate DeCamillo
DespereauxThe adventures of Desperaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.
The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), by Rick Riordan
Titan's CurseWhen the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it’s up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing an important vote on the war with the titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared—a monster rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus forever.

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