Hoot Reading Blog

Yes, this is really happening. And yet, at least once a day I find myself in a moment of hazy denial. If I don’t look at the news, I can almost forget that a pandemic is taking place. I feel extremely fortunate that it hasn’t yet affected me personally, and I can barely imagine the depth of the fear and grief experienced by those in the midst of this long dark wait. I have family and friends all over the globe and know that each one of them is having a vastly different experience. The haze of denial doesn’t last long.

One of the most trying times for students and parents can arise around the dissemination of report cards. Students receive report cards multiple times a year and the experience can be very stressful. Here are some tips to take the stress out of possibly receiving the dreaded “bad report card”. 

Our children sometimes face experiences where they are not able to able to make choices. School systems for example, make decisions on what literature our children will be exposed to with sometimes mixed reviews. Growing a love for reading starts with showing your children how reading is part of your everyday life. Modeling the behaviour you want your children to display goes a long way in influencing their actions. Also, thinking of new and creative ways to add reading into your family’s life encourages connections that will continue to affect your child’s academic ability. 

You may have heard of a phenomenon in the education world known as the “fourth grade reading slump”. This refers to when students, who seemed to have previously been on par with their peers, begin to lag in their reading progression around the fourth grade. It’s a real issue that has been shown to negatively impact children’s later academic success across content areas, so it’s one to be wary of if you have any (soon-to-be) school-aged children. 

One of the best ways to engage little readers on a cold, blustery day is to work on their reading comprehension. By picking out a good book that sparks their interest, and incorporating a few questions about the content, you will start to see the wheels turning and your child think more critically about what they’re reading.

Winter is finally here! Though some of the days might seem cold and dreary, it’s also a great time to spend reading your favourite books! One way to work on reading at home and to build comprehension is to do a book comparison activity. The wonderful thing about winter themed books is that they often include magical descriptions, which play to the five senses. We’ve selected three of our favourite winter themed books and included a downloadable worksheet. The worksheet allows readers to connect the story in the book with the five senses- sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Feel free to get creative! The final product can be communicated using art as a medium- cookies, poster, pictures, words, a song – whatever makes it fun for each person.

When it comes to your child’s success in school, their sense of belonging and social wellbeing is just as important as their academics. In fact, succeeding socially can be a huge part of why a child succeeds academically. 

“TELL ME AND I FORGET. TEACH ME AND I REMEMBER. INVOLVE ME AND I LEARN.” –BENJAMIN FRANKLIN