A Note from the Superintendent 

March 2008

Help your Children Become Better Readers

Dear Paso Robles Public Schools’ Families,

If you want your children to have a good shake at succeeding in life, the best thing to do is to encourage them to read. Reading is one skill that's essential in all areas of achievement. Here are a few tips from the U.S. Department of Education website:

* Read aloud to your children often. Start reading to your children when they are babies, and keep reading as they grow up. Talk with your children about what you read. Encourage them to ask questions and predict what will come next.

* Encourage your children to read on their own. Children who spend at least 30 minutes a day reading for fun develop the skills to be better readers at school.

* Set aside quiet time for family reading. Some families even enjoy reading aloud to one another, with each family member choosing a book, a story, poem, or article to read to the others. Helping children become and remain readers is the single most important thing parents and families can do to help their children succeed in school and life.

* Visit the library often. Begin making weekly trips to the library when your children are very young. See that they get their own library cards as soon as possible.

* Buy a children's dictionary and start the "let's look it up" habit.

* Make writing materials such as crayons, pencils, and paper available.

* Ask family members and friends to consider giving your children books and magazine subscriptions as gifts for birthdays or other special occasions . Set aside a special place for your children to keep their own ibrary of books.

* Get help if your child has a reading challenge. If you think your child needs extra help, ask their teacher about special programs or interventions to help your child in becoming a better reader. Also ask your child's teacher or librarian for the names of organizations and local literacy volunteer groups that offer tutoring services.

I will be posting future messages to families on our school district web page at www.pasoschools.org . As you know, we are in the process of streamlining our budget. In order to make the best cuts, we will not be sending out mass mailings unless absolutely necessary, so please check the district's web page and keep up with what is happening in your schools.

Happy Trails,

Kathleen McNamara, Ed.D.

Superintendent