Welcome to another online addition of the Arizona Promising Practices forum. For those new to this service, each issue, which will now be sent to you on a regular basis, will focus on: (1) Recommended National Educational Websites; (2) A Local or Arizona Website/Practice of Importance; and (3) One Promising Practice article in condensed form. We welcome your recommendations for improvement to this forum or suggestions on future topics. The Arizona Promising Practices Forum and website, www.azpromisingpractices.com is a FREE resource of the Arizona Department of Education.

Dale Brown, ACPE Consultant - daleb@idir.net

In this issue we focus on Promising Practice Research aimed at Reading Research Tips for Parents and Children. Courtesy of the Learning First Alliance, these tips may be passed on to parents as well as used in everyday classroom reading strategies.

But first:

National Website focusing on Promising Practice - The Houghton Mifflin Company offers its online version of assistances to schools, teachers, and classrooms on its site - K-8 Education Place. A free newsletter sign up as well as online ideas for all subject areas and different monthly themes. Check it out at - http://www.eduplace.com/

Arizona Website of Importance - COMING SOON! The Arizona State Improvement Grant Resource Site will be coming in the next month. Bookmark this URL as this site will showcase reform based activities occurring across the Grand Canyon State. A must use website for those interested in improving education in Arizona - www.azsig.com

Promising Practice Research and Tips

Every Child Reading: An Action Plan

Top Ten Tips for Parents

Start at the beginning. Setting the foundation for reading success is necessary before your child begins first grade, and will be crucial to academic achievement in a variety of subjects. Research shows that reading to children as early as infancy can give them a strong base for language concepts and cognitive skills related to print. Introduce your children to colorful story and picture books to foster a love of reading. Establish a routine; reading stories at bedtime is a cozy way to promote literacy. Make it interactive. Have children help turn pages and encourage them to discuss the story’s plot and characters.

Explore your neighborhood library together. Take your children to the local library and introduce them to the wide selection of books, newspapers, magazines, and story telling programs that they have to offer. Also, don’t forget that your library’s computer provides the perfect opportunity to introduce your children to the Internet. Go online with them and show them how to do research for school projects and papers.

Volunteer at your child’s school. Studies show that parent involvement is correlated with reading achievement. Given adequate training, parents can help in the classroom by volunteering to serve as tutors in the school. Support the school’s literacy efforts and advocate for effective instructional materials and modern technology, including computers and access to the Internet, so that all children have excellent learning opportunities. Work through a parent organization, like the PTA, to develop and build strong relationships between parents and educators. Discuss ways that reading performance can be reinforced in the home.

Write it out. Writing gives children opportunities to use their reading competence. Support your children’s creative and expository writing efforts and encourage them to keep a journal or diary so they can practice at home.

Enroll your children in after-school, child care, or summer programs that cultivate and reinforce reading skills. If your school doesn’t offer these types of programs, urge the school’s administrators and the school board to provide them.

Be a "study buddy." You can help your child organize information, look for key ideas in books, and practice reading out loud. Point out everyday tasks like interpreting instructions, recipes, and road signs, that require solid reading skills. Be sure to have plenty of interesting reading materials at home such as books, magazines, and newspapers to encourage your child to read more frequently. Practice makes perfect.

Ask for help. If your child is having difficulty with reading, speak with your child’s educator about having the problem addressed.

Support school reform. Advocate at the local, state, and national levels for school reform efforts, like class size, teacher training, and parent involvement, which are proven to make a difference in early reading performance and other subjects.

Start the day off right. Make sure your kids are well rested, organized, and have a nutritious breakfast every day so that they arrive at school ready to learn.

Rhyme to reason. Giving children experience with rhyming is an effective way to build phonemic awareness and requires children to focus on the sounds inside words.