Big Dreams

A family book about reading

Preschool Through Grade Three

I want my child to read.

I want my child to be a reader.
I want my child to have big dreams.
And I want my child's dreams to come true.
How can I help my child learn to read?

I show her that
reading matters.

I help her find books she likes.
She sees me read.
We go to the library together.
We write letters to her cousins and spell out all the words.
We read before bed every night.

We spend
time together.

We talk a lot.
I talk to her about what we're doing.
I ask about her day.
She asks me about the world.
I tell her what I know.

I help him hear
the sounds in words
when we talk.

I help him hear how baby and bubble start with the same sound.
I help him hear that kitten and mitten rhyme.
We sing songs. We say nursery rhymes.
He is getting ready to read.
I am helping him.

I help her
learn the ABCs.

We start with ant and go all the way to zebra.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ.
We look for letters everywhere.
We say their names
and the sounds they make.
We practice writing all the letters.

I help her know
what words mean.

I teach my children that things have names.
I teach them the colors, the foods we eat.
I teach them the animals and the kinds of weather.
I teach them walk, run, jump, fly.
I teach them is, was, and will be.

I help him
practice reading.

He reads his favorite book out loud.
I read it too. We take turns.
He reads it over and over. I don't mind.
He reads until the words sound right.
I say, "Great job reading!"

I help him
understand what
he reads.

I say, "Tell me about the story.
What happened?
Who did what? Why?
How did it end?"
We talk about it.
I say, "What do you think
about the story?"
And I listen.

Reading can help
our dreams come true.

I show her that reading matters.
We spend time together.
I help him hear the sounds in words when we talk.
I help her learn the ABCs.
I help them know what words mean.
I help him practice reading.
I help him understand what he reads.

This publication was developed, written, and designed by RMC Research Corporation under a contract with the Partnership for Reading at the National Institute for Literacy .The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the policies of the National Institute for Literacy. No official endorsement by the National Institute for Literacy of any product, commodity, or enterprise in this publication is intended or should be inferred.

The National Institute for Literacy

The National Institute for Literacy, an agency in the Federal government, is authorized to help strengthen literacy across the lifespan. The Institute works to provide national leadership on literacy issues, including the improvement of reading instruction for children, youth, and adults by sharing information on scientifically based research.
Sandra Baxter, Director
Lynn Reddy, Deputy Director

The Partnership for Reading, a project administered by the National Institute for Literacy, is a collaborative effort of the National Institute for Literacy, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to make scientifically based reading research available to educators, parents, policy makers, and others with an interest in helping all people learn to read well

Written by Elizabeth Goldman and C. Ralph Adler, design by Lisa T. Noonis, and production by Robert Kozman of RMC Research Corporation

2006

This Partnership for Reading publication describes strategies proven to work by the most rigorous scientific research available on the teaching of reading. The research that confirmed the effectiveness of these strategies used systematic, empirical methods drawn from observation or experiment; involved rigorous data analyses to test its hypotheses and justify its conclusions; produced valid data across multiple evaluators and observations; and was accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or approved by a panel of independent experts. The application of these research-based strategies will increase the likelihood of success in reading instruction. Adherence to scientifically based research in this publication was ensured by a review process that included representatives of each Partnership for Reading organization and external expert reviewers. For detailed information on this review process, contact the National Institute for Literacy, 1775 I Street NW, Suite 730, Washington,DC 20006.

For additional copies of this booklet, download PDF or HTML versions at www.nifl.gov. To order print copies, contact the National Institute for Literacy at ED Pubs, PO Box 1398, Jessup, Maryland 20794-1398. Call 1-800-228-8813 or email edpubs@inet.ed.gov