DaddyRead: early read aloud chapter books (preschool)

Rating: 17
DaddyRead was started by two dads who love reading aloud to children. When our children became old enough to listen to chapter books, we searched for books, but we found it very difficult to find good, simple chapter books, suitable for a four year old. This website was conceived to help solve this problem. Lists of recommended books: infant picture books, toddler picture books, preschool picture books.
We chose to include this site because there are some great, unusual books recommended here.
http://www.daddyread.com/prepicture.html

White House Summit on Early Childhood Cognitive Development

Rating: 21
Site summary: An Address by Grover J. (Russ) Whitehurst, the Assistant Secretary of Education for Research and Improvement for the U.S. Department of Education on July 26, 2001. Mr. Whitehurst focuses on the pre-reading skills that children acquire in the preschool period and how these skills, or the absence of them, affects a child’s later ability to learn to read.
We chose this site because it is very important to be informed about cognitive development in the preschool period.
http://www.earlyreadingplayschool.com.au/OurStrategy/YP/os-yp-whitehouse.htm

Babies and Preschool

Rating:19
Site summary: Many studies have reported the advantages of reading to children, especially during their first three years, stating it helps stimulate brain development and guarantees a higher success rate in school.
We chose this site because it gives alot of information about the advantages of reading with young children. It also gives a link to the American Pediatric Association, a source rich in information on the same subject.
http://www.elpasotexas.gov/kidszone/kidszone_library/babiesandpreschool/babiesandpreschool.htm

The Big Question: What is the best way to teach reading - and should children be tested at six?

Rating: 16
Site summary:
Between 1997 and 2000 systematic phonics produced remarkable results. The number of 11-year-olds achieving level 4 - able to read - shot up from 48 to 75 per cent. But the problem is that a hard core of young people get left behind, still unable to read when they start secondary school.
We chose this site because it discusses some controversial issues involving the governmental mandates of how reading is taught and how this is working in our present system.
http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/big-question/the-big-question-what-is-the-best-way-to-teach-reading--and-should-children-be-tested-at-six-764523.html

Instructional Scaffolding: Helps for Reading Skills

Rating: 17
The article builds on analyses of the characteristics of parent/child interaction that contribute to the rapid pace of early language development.
Site summary:
The steps of scaffolding are addressed and how to impliment them into a reading program or any other sort of instruction.
http://www.teachandlearn.ca/blog/2007/07/30/instructional-scaffolding/

How to Raise a Reader: Helps for Homeschoolers

Rating: 19
Site summary:
Reading begins at birth. Becoming a good reader takes preparation, and that preparation can begin at birth.
We chose this site because it speaks specifically of things we can do to prepare to have a good reader.
http://www.bellaonline.org/articles/art1852.asp

Hates to Read! ACN Forum

Rating: 18
Site summary:
You may not believe this, but in my 30 years of helping students read I have never met a student who did not learn to love reading when taught reading appropriately. A great portion of those years have been with students who came to me hating reading!
We chose this site because there are many, many children in the United States that hate to read and these tips are great for helping to reverse this.
http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=341

Reading Acitivities for Preschoolers

Rating: 19
Teaching children at an early age to be interested in reading is something they'll carry with them as they get older. The following tried-and-true activities will help your kids learn to enjoy reading.
We chose this site because trying something new with children and reading is a good idea.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/momsense/2007/002/3.8.html

Tips for Picking Books Your Gifted Child Will Appreciate

http://www.helium.com/items/670907-tips-for-picking-books-your-gifted-child-will-appreciate
Rating: 18
Site Summary:
"Parents of gifted children know the gifted often start reading at younger ages than their peers, and reach advanced reading levels faster than their peers. In addition, gifted children tend to read a lot of books quickly. Going through books as quickly as gifted children do may be problematic for parents inclined to satiate their gifted children's reading appetites."
We chose this site because it gives parents with gifted children an idea on how to keep up with their child's reading skills and choose good books that their children will enjoy.

Partner with Your Child's Preschool to Promote Literacy

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=1498&FullBreadCrumb=%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.scholastic.com%2Fbrowse%2Fsearch%2F%3FisParent%3DY%26Nr%3DAND%28Audience%3AParents%29%26N%3D0%26isBrowse%3DY%22+class%3D%22endecaAll%22%3EAll+Results%3C%2Fa%3E+%26gt%3B+%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.scholastic.com%2Fbrowse%2Fsearch%2F%3FisParent%3DY%26Ne%3D2080%26Nr%3DAND%28Audience%3AParents%29%26T%3DC%26N%3D2080%26Nty%3D1%26isBrowse%3DY%22%3ESchool+Subjects%3C%2Fa%3E+%26gt%3B+Language+Arts
Rating: 18
Site Summary:
"At home and in preschool, the best way to develop pre-reading skills is through fun and games. Here's how to start your child off right."
We chose this site because it teaches parents how to best promote literacy through being connected with their child's preschool teacher.

Summer Reading Tips for Parents

http://www.ncld.org/content/view/333/456063/
Rating: 17
Site Summary:
"Summer shouldn't mean taking a break from learning, especially when it comes to reading. Studies show that most students experience a loss of reading skills over the summer months, but children who continue to read actually gain skills. During the summer parents can help children sustain (and even bolster) reading skills, strengthen their vocabulary and reinforce the benefits of reading for enjoyment."
We chose this site because it encourages parents with learning disabled students to continue reading through the summer months and gives them ideas on how to do so.

Is Reading Still Important in the Video Age?

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/54
Rating: 18
Site Summary:
"Reading is the heart of education. The knowledge of almost every subject in school flows from reading. One must be able to read the word problem in math in order to understand it. If you cannot read the science or social studies chapter, you cannot answer the questions at the end of the chapter. The complicated computer manual is essential to its operations, but it must be read."
We chose this site because it addresses the issue that crime and high school drop-out rates are continually rising and how having a good reading foundation can change that and benefit children's future lives.

Colorin Colorado! Reading Tips for Parents

http://www.colorincolorado.org/families/letsread/readingtips/pk3tips
Rating: 17
Site Summary:
"A child's success as a reader begins much earlier than the first day of school. Reading, and a love for reading, begins at home. Our tips for parents offer easy ways for parents to help kids become successful readers. Although we've divided these tips by age, many of them can be used with children at various ages and stages — we encourage you to choose the ones that work best for your child."
We chose this site because under their summary of the site there are five different links that are divided up into preschool through third grade that give specific tips for that grade level.

Reading Games and Activities

http://www.education.com/activity/all-grades/all-grades/reading/?cid=57000.000002&s_kwcid=ContentNetwork1451074285&gclid=CIrEqKaE7JYCFQw9Ggodvwl6rQ
Rating: 17
Site Summary:
“Looking for activities to show your child the fun side of learning? From science experiments and math games to writing projects and more, we've got you covered! Use the selector on the right to browse around, or narrow your search by grade and subject area.”
We chose this site because it has a ton of information and ideas on how to make reading fun for your child. This site is made for children of all ages.

How to Pick Great Children’s Books

http://www.squidoo.com/bookbuds
Rating: 15
Site Summary:
“With technology making color printing affordable to even small publishers, we're experiencing a renaissance in children's literature. Never before have so many great writers and artists teamed up to bring compelling stories to the page for children. Your child can "read" illustrations long before they build vocabulary. And we know more today about epic storytelling patterns throughout many cultures; this information flows through the veins of the best children's writers.”
We chose this site because it first gives parents guidelines on how to pick a good children’s book and then gives a list of recommended books. It is very helpful.

Book It! Reading Activities Make it a Joy For Children

http://childcare.about.com/od/volunteerism/a/summerreading.htm
Rating:16
Site Summary:
From preschool forward, most teachers strongly urge parents to have their children read--or be read to--on a reading activity schedule throughout the year. The key is to always make the reading experience fun and a time to look forward to. Reading or a reading activity should never be perceived as a chore. What are things parents and child care providers alike should keep in mind to encourage reading?
We chose this site because it has fun and easy ideas to embed reading into everyday life. It highlights ways to read to your child during summer and vacations, not just during the school year.

Fun and Effective Ways to Read With Children

http://www.colorincolorado.org/families/home/funways
Rating: 18
Site Summary:
“Experts believe that reading to your child every day is one of the most important things parents can do. Here are ideas for using this reading time to build your child's literacy skills while keeping it fun for both of you.”
We chose this site because it lists good ideas on how to read with your child and teach them to love reading. This site is unique because it divides the ideas up under different developmental levels to show what would be most appropriate for each age group. It is also targeted to help parents who are bilingual.

25 Activities for Reading and Writing Fun

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/392
Rating: 18
Site Summary:
"Doing activities with your children allows you to promote their reading and writing skills while having fun at the same time. These activities for pre-readers, beginning readers, and older readers includes what you need and what to do for each one. These activities have been developed by national reading experts for you to use with children, ages birth to Grade 6. The activities are meant to be used in addition to reading with children every day."
We chose this site because it has great ideas and activities on how to make reading fun for children. It has 25 activities for all ages and reading levels.

How to make reading fun and encourage kids to get stuck into a book

Rating:15

How to make children to love to read is sometimes hard. There are some ways to help the child to be more interactive while being read to. The child could help read sometimes, keep it up beat but do not overdue story time. Children can only sit and do one thing for so long.

Find Best Multicultural Books

Rating: 20

We live in a diverse world. Children should learn the different ways that people live. Reading to your child about culture is a great way for them to come and understand other people.

Bank Street- Book Committee

Rating: 17

Bank Street College of Education has a book committee that compile books best for children. As a parent, if you are struggling with what kind of book that is best appropriate for your child here is a website.

Born To Read

Rating: 14
The Born to Read program in Sarasota County was established to help parents nurture their baby’s love of reading and learning. The program both provides opportunities for parents to learn about the importance of reading to their babies from birth and introduces families to the public library. Parents are encouraged to read daily to their children, tell them stories, sing songs and play music, play finger-games, and play with puppets. Such activities provide the stimulation essential for healthy, active brain development; can improve children’s school readiness, literacy and language skills; and can establish a foundation for habits that lead to lifelong learning.
http://suncat.co.sarasota.fl.us/Kids/borntoread.aspx

Reading the World With Your Kids

Rating: 20

Your child does not just learn how to read from a book. There is much more to reading. Here is a website that expresses that a child learns to read a recipe or signs around the community. There is a world out there where the child will read all the time.

Pre-K Smarties

Rating: 19

You know that children learn more in their first three years of life than at any other time. Now combine that fact with the emerging knowledge of language development in the infant and something clicks. Those synapses are forming. Do I have the necessary tools in phonics for them to form in such a way as to produce early reading? http://www.preksmarties.com/reading/index.htm

Reading to Infants

Rating: 18
It’s never too early to introduce language to a child. From the day they’re born, it will only enrich language development. A baby may not understand what you’re reading, but the whole idea is about the relationship that’s established. It’s the cuddling time and hearing the parent’s voice – hearing the rhythm and rhyme of the voice, the touch and feel and smell of the book, the exploration of what a book is and the introduction of language http://www.aplaceofourown.org/question_detail.php?id=143

For the Love of Reading

Rating: 17
This book is filled with hundreds of things children need to know, but you might have forgotten to tell them. Help your child build a vast storehouse of general knowledge. Find out how to dramatically improve your child's vocabulary (essential for successful reading). Discover 10 things you should do while you are reading with your child. Learn 7 things to take into consideration when choosing a book for a child. A how-to resource for developing reading readiness that takes the guess work out of preparing your preschool children for school and tests. Now being used by parents across America. Used by teachers in regular education primary classrooms, in language impaired classes, Head Start classes, EMH classes, ELL / ESOL classes. Has been used successfully in Family Literacy workshops.
http://www.makereadingfirst.com/index.html

Reading Through Book Events

Rating: 18
I love hearing about the creative ways that schools celebrate books with children. There’s been a lot lately on the net, because of World Book Day in the UK, and Read Across America in the US–from children dressing up as their favorite book character (and at some schools, even the teachers did–now THAT would be fun to see!), to students watching their principal and vice-principal eat green eggs and ham, to a reading tent in the playground, to designing a book cover, to students designing their own bookmarks. One library–Clare County Library–even has a Get Caught Reading Photography Competition for children.
http://cherylrainfield.com/blog/index.php/2008/03/10/encouraging-children-to-read-through-book-events/

How can I Encourage My Young Child To Read?

Rating: 19
As a parent of a young child, you are probably more concerned about your child's progress in reading than in any other subject taught in school. To achieve in math, science, English, history, geography, or any other subject, your child must have reading skills that are developed to the point that most of them are automatic. He can't be struggling to recognize words in a school textbook when he is trying to read quickly to grasp the meaning of the text. In other words, children must learn to read before they can read to learn.
http://parenting.kaboose.com/education-and-learning/learning-resources/how-can-encourage-my-young-child-to-read.html

Ages and Stages of Young Readers

Rating: 18
Learning to read is an intellectual milestone. Parents fret over it, teachers focus on it and children learn to see it as a mark of competence. As with other aspects of a child's development, language development and reading skills emerge step by step through time with young children. http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/famsci/fs672w.htm

Tips for Hooking Kids on Reading:

Rating: 17

There are so many ways to help your kids to enjoy reading a lot more. If you as a parent are having trouble with your child here is an article that gives great tips. One way to hlep your child is to take them to the library or bookstore for them to explore.

We chose this website to help learn how to encourage to get kids reading.

Create a Good Reading Environment

Rating: 19
Parents know that children's learning doesn't have to stop at the end of the school day. One way to keep children learning outside of school is to get them interested in reading, and having a good reading environment is an important step in this process. These are a few simple things parents can do to create the optimal reading environment in their home: make a place for reading,have a variety of reading material available, eliminate distractions, set an example, good lighting, room temperature at a comfortable level, and establish personal libraries.
http://www.aroundhawaii.com/lifestyle/art_and_leisure/2006-06_creating_a_good_reading_environment.html

Ten Tips for Reading With Kids

Rating:

Want to know how to reading to your children in a fun way? Here are some tips on how to make your reading time with your child more enjoyable. Some of the tips are to cuddle with your child, use your finger to follow the words, use the characters voice or accent.
This article gives great insights on how to make storytime more creative.

Benefits of reading to infants

Rating: 12
Reading is a great way to bring you, your baby, and older children together for a few quiet moments. Plus, reading to your offspring encourages them to become lifelong readers. Reading helps little ones wind down before bedtime. Reading is a great way to have fun together. Reading helps develop your baby's language skills.
http://www.gerber.com/Articles/Benefits_of_reading_to_your_child.aspx

Reading Boosts Literacy

Rating: 20
Twenty-year-old Drew Johnston scored a perfect 800 on the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test. The secret? Johnston started learning about written language before he was a year old.His mother believed it was important to read to her son before he could speak, and today’s experts agree with that motherly intuition. There is research that 6-month-old kids orient differently toward a book than toward a toy. The purpose of this exposure is to help their literacy emerge. It is important that people don’t wait. Reading to children well before they can read for themselves teaches them the concepts of print. Such concepts include words and picture layout. Words run left to right, top to bottom and have spaces between them. Pictures explain and illustrate a story.
http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/apr99/simun4.htm

Educator's Top 100 Children't Books

Rating: 17
Educators from all across America came together to create a list of t the top 100 books for children. Parents and teachers are encouraged and will find this list of books helpful when selecting literature for children.
http://www.nea.org/readacross/resources/catalist.html

Newbery Awards

Rating: 17
The Newbery Medal is awarded to the year's most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The medal is presented by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association. This site has a list of the books that have recieved the Newbery Medal
http://www.powells.com/prizes/newbery.html

Activities to Promote Reading

Rating: 17
Reading is critical to your child's success in school and in life, but no one said it couldn't also be a whole lot of fun! If you'd like o keep your child loving all things literary, this site has a few tips. Reading doesn't have to be boring.
http://www.middlesex.k12.nj.us/PDFs/wat/makingreadingfun.pdf

Making Reading Fun for Kids: 6 tips

Rating: 17
Inspiring your child to read is one of the most important things that you can do as a parent. With a love of reading, your child will have a critical tool for success. Here are six tips to help get your children to tune out the television and tune into books.
http://www.parentsupersite.com/ad/parenting/parenting-general/making-reading-fun-for-kids-six-tips.html

Reading First Program

Rating: 17
This program focuses on putting proven methods of early reading instruction in classrooms. Through Reading First, states and districts receive support to apply scientifically based reading research—and the proven instructional and assessment tools consistent with this research—to ensure that all children learn to read well by the end of third grade. The program provides formula grants to states that submit an approved application.
http://www.ed.gov/programs/readingfirst/index.html

Reading and Behavior Influences

Rating: 17
To questions were invetigated. First, are children with readin problems in first grade more likely to experience behavior problems in third grade? Second, how can we prevent reading problems. they found that children with reading problems in first grade developed behavior prolems. THey also found that the earlier chldren are read to the more successfull they are.
http://journaloflearningdisabilities.sagepub.com