Category: News

What is Background Knowledge?

Background knowledge is essential for understanding the meaning of what you read. With background, you and your children apply what you already know to your reading. Because of this preexisting knowledge, you comprehend your reading quicker and more thoroughly.

Your children can pick up background knowledge while living their everyday lives. They may know about outer space because you have already read a book about it, or maybe you have watched a film set in space together. It could be as small as pointing out the moon in the sky and conversing about the Apollo missions.

They will absorb this information and draw upon it later on to boost their reading comprehension. The more varied and well-rounded their prior knowledge is, the easier your child will find it to make connections and reach the correct conclusions when reading.

Why is Background Knowledge Important for Reading Comprehension?

There are five main ways background knowledge helps to improve your child’s reading comprehension, from their early reading comprehension for kindergarten through to high school and beyond.

1. It Builds Up as a Child Progresses

A 5-year-old may not have the same background knowledge on a topic as a 15-year-old, but they will not be attempting to read the same texts.

Whether your child is reading fiction or non-fiction, their prior knowledge will grow, and they can continue to apply it to their reading and writing.

2. It Allows Students to Infer Meaning

Your child’s background knowledge allows them to infer a writer’s meaning.

At a lower level, this could be something like inferring that an author saying, “They felt blue,” means that a character is sad rather than believing the character is the color blue.

As their bank of prior knowledge expands, children can make sense of more and more sentences. For example, if you are a family of football fans, your child might know the term “scrimmage” from afternoons spent watching with you or playing together.

However, if they then read the word “scrimmage” and the story is not about football, they may be able to infer its meaning as a confused struggle because of that background knowledge. Connections!

3. It Makes Learning Easier

If your child has a general awareness and understanding of a topic, they can learn to understand the meaning of a new text more easily.

This does not only come from school or the topics they study but also from things they read, watch, or hobbies outside of school.

Simply put, the more your children learn, the easier they find learning to be.

4. It Builds Their Confidence and Nurtures Their Passions

Children acquire knowledge at a rate impossible for us as adults to replicate. Nurturing their passions and encouraging them to read more varied sources on a topic will build their confidence and help them soar personally and academically.

What starts with sharing an early reading comprehension book like The Very Hungry Caterpillar leads to an interest in bugs. From this, they pick up a nonfiction flap-lifting book about bugs at school or the library. Then, they start their own bug collection. Next thing you know, they’re writing research papers on entomology and applying to study it in college.

5. It Boosts Reading Comprehension

It is an unavoidable fact that background knowledge boosts reading comprehension. The two things are wound so tightly together that you cannot separate them.

However your child acquires their background knowledge, the more they have the better their reading comprehension. This will continue in a virtuous cycle throughout their lives.

How Can You Build Your Child’s Background Knowledge?

You can help your child build up their background in many ways. Here are three simple ways to encourage your child to build their general knowledge.

• Offer Them Varied Reading Options

Households tend to have more picture books for their younger children than chapter books for their older ones. Younger children also tend to have more time to learn about things they enjoy or are interested in rather than be restricted by academic topics.

This is understandable because preschoolers often develop their passions through lots of picture books, toys, or educational games. However, as children grow, exploring for the joy of it can fall by the wayside in favor of academic studies.

Make time for your child to read for fun on various topics as often as possible to keep them building up their background knowledge.

• Have Directed Conversations

When your child is about to explore a new topic, ask them targeted questions to help them work out what they already know about it and what else they would like to learn. These conversations will help them assimilate the new information more easily and lead to a follow-up conversation later.

Once your child has spent time exploring their topic, ask them what they have learned and how they feel about it now that they have studied it further. These sorts of directed conversations will help your child develop their background knowledge in a structured way and practice their critical thinking.

• Let Them Dive In

You never know what parts of a new subject will fascinate your child. Give them space to explore new topics and support them in learning as much as they can.

You can help with this by giving them access to a range of resources, such as fiction and nonfiction books, films, documentaries, or even visits to local museums or areas of interest.

Background Knowledge Has a Huge Impact on Reading Comprehension

Children who have a wide and varied range of background knowledge will understand, absorb, and analyze information better than their peers who don’t. Their mental models of their reading are more robust, and they are more able to accurately infer a writer’s meaning.

You can help your child develop their background knowledge by encouraging them to read for fun and facilitating opportunities to see new things and learn more about the world around them.

Have more questions about reading strategies for your child? Contact our private elementary school here in Atlanta, Georgia.

Infographic

Background knowledge is vital for reading comprehension, helping you and your children link new information to what you already know. This infographic highlights five key ways background knowledge improves reading skills from kindergarten through high school and beyond.

In today’s digital age, there are so many different mediums for reading. Although many adults and children still prefer to hold a physical book, e-readers are a trendy choice, offering a different reading experience.

But does today’s tech offer young people the same immersive reading experience? Are screens helping your child learn to read the right way? Do children actually take in what they read on a screen?

At our private Christian school in Atlanta, we’re proponents of a smart balance between physical books and reading devices. Here are a few tips and thoughts from our reading teachers.

Technology Offers Some Unique Benefits

Even though reading on a screen is a different reading experience, some aspects of it are really helpful. For example, if your child reads better with a tinted overlay, an e-reader can set this as the default. Similarly, you can adjust font size on a device if a reader prefers larger text.

Regarding early development, using an e-reader and doing tasks like clicking or sliding buttons or swiping on a screen helps develop fine motor skills. There are numerous educational apps that can help children practice letter tracing or learning to read with phonics.

Keep an Eye on Screen Time

Although there are some positive benefits to using screens to read, studies have shown some adverse effects. A study of over 7,000 children showed that one to four hours of screen time a day was linked to higher risks of developmental delays. Another study found that extended use of screen time at the preschool stage leads to increased expressions of anger and frustration.

Shared time with an e-reader or tablet can help your child learn to share and engage in other positive social interactions, which is beneficial to childhood development. However, given the other negative consequences that come with these technologies, it is best to limit and supervise screen time. Most devices allow you to set time limits and control content for this reason.

Print is Best for Preschoolers

The best reading experience for preschoolers undoubtedly comes from printed media. When parents and children read a physical book together, it is easier to engage in dialogic reading. This is where you have a conversation about the book with your child, and it helps to develop their vocabulary, critical comprehension, and listening skills.

This is harder to do with e-books and apps, as they often have more distractions on the page.

Print Boosts Comprehension for All Readers

The benefits of hardcopy books continue for all ages when it comes to reading comprehension. Studies show that comprehension is six to eight times better when reading print media rather than electronic screens. That’s a strong case for printed books.

Introduce Devices to School Age Children

As children age, you can start introducing e-reading devices for certain applications. For example, some children may prefer to read shorter-form products, like a magazine or children’s comic, on a screen because these products are designed to be read quickly and are less dense in their subject matter. These devices are also helpful in a school setting, giving all students access to the same material at the same time.

E-readers are very convenient. A child may not be able to tote a hardcopy book around when they’re on the go, but they can take a small electronic device, allowing them to read whenever they have extra time. Once again, adults should supervise the use of these devices and their content to ensure it is appropriate.

Screens are a Useful Tool for Older Children

As children progress through school, e-readers can become useful tools for revision. Functions such as highlighting and annotating can help older children revise and consolidate their learning. However, e-readers should not be the first thing children reach for to read for pleasure or study.

Physical Books Give the Best Reading Experience

Generally speaking, children learn and engage more when reading physical books for fun because there are fewer distractions.

In today’s online world, where young people already have a lot of technology, reading is a great way to disconnect from devices.

There is space in a youngster’s world for e-readers. They are handy entertainment when kids are on the go, and they allow children to access a wide variety of books quickly. However, nothing beats curling up in a cozy nook with a physical book.

Need the perfect gift for a young bookworm? You can’t go wrong when you give a reading-themed present. The obvious choice is to gift a book, but there are many quirky, entertaining, and educational gift options out there that are perfect for young readers.

Here are our top 10 easy gifting choices that are suitable for your preschool readers and beyond:

1. Bookish Tote Bag

Books bags don’t just have to be for school; a bookish tote bag is an ideal gift for kids who love reading. Choose bags with fun images and prints—like illustrations or quotations from their favorite books—and have the bag personalized with their name.

A personalized book bag helps kids keep track of library loans and makes trips to the library or bookstore feel extra special.

2. Personalized Library Stamp

A personalized library stamp is the perfect gift for a future librarian! Especially if your little reader loves to share their favorite books with friends and family. Available in various designs and with the option to personalize with their name or initials, a library stamp helps your child take ownership of their collection and be safe in the knowledge that any loaned-out books will get returned to their shelves.

3. Reading Apparel

There are many ways to use a clothing gift to showcase your child’s love of reading. You could consider a “Reading is My Super Power” t-shirt, a pair of super cozy “Do Not Disturb, I’m Reading” socks, or an “All Booked Up” sweatshirt.

Many popular children’s book series have apparel lines, such as Michael Bond’s “Paddington Bear,” A.A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh,” or Roald Dahl’s “Matilda.” If your little reader loves those tales, look for themed clothing.

4. Book Light

If a young reader loves to cozy up with a book in bed at night, a book light illuminates the process. Try a tap-touch-controlled silicone reading light. These are USB rechargeable and often double up as a night light, as a second tap turns the light red rather than white. You can usually find them in preschooler-friendly shapes like animals, clouds, or stars.

Older children might prefer a sleeker design, like a clip-on desk lamp-style reading light that attaches to their bed or dresser or even a futuristic neck book light that rests around their neck and shines light onto their book from either end.

5. Bookmarks

Is your giftee ready for more complex storylines? Once a child embarks on chapter books, a bookmark makes an excellent small gift, removing the temptation to dog-ear pages of their books to mark their place.

You could make bookmarks together as a family craft project or pick them up for a few dollars at a local bookstore. Small craft businesses (online or brick-and-mortar) may offer personalized bookmarks with your child’s name or initials.

6. Notebooks or Journals

Your budding reader might also be a budding writer. Gifting them a special notebook or journal to jot down their ideas will help nurture this talent and help them practice their writing skills.

They could also use their notebook to keep a reading journal, recording what they have read and what they liked or did not like about the book.

7. Gift Cards

It can feel daunting to gift a book to an avid reader; you worry that you might not pick something at the right level or that your gift may duplicate a book they already have. Giving them a gift card for a bookstore means that they can choose their next adventure and, as a bonus, get an extra trip to the bookstore.

8. An E-Reader

Most e-readers are suitable for children aged seven and up, and you can set parental controls to help manage the content they can access. You can also use e-readers to access e-book loans through your local library, which means your bookworm can explore even more books.

E-readers also have features that entice struggling readers to engage. For example, you can change the page color and font size or turn on narration so children can listen as they read along.

9. Storytelling Speaker

Storytelling speakers like Yoto Player or Tonie Box allow children to listen to stories while they travel, do chores, or take walks. With the help of these devices, kids can learn while on the go, build their vocabulary, improve their comprehension, and hear great examples of fluent reading.

10. Reading Subscriptions

A reading subscription is the gift that keeps on giving to your young, enthusiastic reader. You can use an online service like BookAroo, or see if your local independent bookstore offers this service.

With a reading subscription, a child can receive a regular book (usually monthly) wrapped and delivered to their door. You can set parameters for the reading gifts, including reading level and topics of interest.

Put a Smile on Your Bookworm’s Face

Any of these gifts will bring young book enthusiasts joy while helping them become better readers. They can be used to reward little achievements or celebrate major holidays. Regardless of the occasion, you can’t go wrong with investing in a child’s love of reading and learning.

And if your child struggles to love reading, talk to one of our reading teachers at our private elementary school in Atlanta. We’re dedicated to fostering phonics and reading comprehension success through our science-backed reading curriculum.

Infographic

Searching for the ideal gift for a young bookworm? Reading-themed presents are a fantastic choice! While a book is a classic option, there are many fun and educational alternatives. Explore this infographic for the top ten gift ideas.

Kids can often have emotional outbursts when feeling frustrated. Shouting that they hate something is likely an in-the-moment reaction.

It’s important that you listen to your child, but what do you say in response? You don’t want to invalidate what they are feeling, but you also don’t want to give in to their refusals. After all, reading is critical for learning.

Whether your child is reading for school or for entertainment at home, here are some constructive ways you can respond to their struggles with reading and get them back on the right track.

Give Them Options

It is easy to link your child’s angry outburst to the activity they are currently doing. However, a frustrated exclamation about reading being boring or hating reading might be more about when they have to read rather than about the task itself.

Take a moment to calmly talk about what they would rather be doing at that moment. If it is sunny, they might want to play outside. If they have just walked in the door from school, they might need a snack to refuel before starting other tasks.

Give your child a chance to go and do their preferred activity, provided they return to their reading once it is complete.

Offer to Read with Them

If your child is new to reading, or if they struggle to sit still for extended periods, reading may feel overwhelming. Offering to sit and read with your child may help them feel more comfortable. You could offer to switch off reading pages aloud with them (they read one, then you read one). Listening to you will help them understand how fluent reading sounds. Or, if they read to you, it will help you identify if they are struggling with any particular words and gently correct them.

Find Out Why They Are Saying It

If these outbursts happen regularly, it might be more than just a bad mood for your child. If their book is too hard or too easy, they will find it difficult to be entertained by the story. If they are reading in a noisy or distracting place, they might be overloaded and unable to concentrate.

Make sure your child has a book they are interested in and a quiet place where they can read, and see if that changes their feelings.

If your child is struggling to sound out new words, talk to your child’s school and find out how things are going in the classroom. Make sure the school is using a research-backed phonics curriculum to teach reading.

Make Reading More Fun

Too often, kids see reading as a chore rather than a joyful activity. If you have a reluctant reader who says, “Reading is boring,” try to make it fun for them.

Make sure they always have a fun book that they have chosen. Kids have so many choices made for them that the chance to pick something for themselves is freeing. Their fun book could be a joke book, a graphic novel, a comic, fiction, non-fiction, or whatever they want it to be.

Explore the Feeling

A feeling is something that passes. When your child says, “I stink at reading,” help them rephrase that as a feeling. It isn’t that they stink at reading, it’s that they feel like they do, and you can help them with that.

This tool validates a child’s struggle and acknowledges their intense feelings while helping them understand that these feelings are not permanent.

Talking about feelings might be challenging for children, especially young ones, who aren’t as good at describing their emotions. When emotions cool down, see if they are ready to try again.

Read in “Chunks”

Reading for 20 minutes may feel overwhelming for your child. If so, try encouraging them to read for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the afternoon. Breaking reading into manageable chunks can make it more appealing.

Don’t Dismiss Them

It is a natural response to calm your child’s fears by saying, “Oh, don’t worry about it.” Although you might say this with the best of intentions, it might not help your child manage their frustrations. After all, they are worried about it.

Instead of a dismissive comment, react with empathy. Let them know that you’re sorry they feel this way and then offer some of the options above.

As you encourage your child to develop lifelong reading habits, make sure your child’s school is supporting your efforts. If you’re looking for a private elementary school in Atlanta that helps foster strong reading habits with phonics-based programs, contact The Academy of Scholars for more information.

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Infographic

Children may have emotional outbursts when frustrated, often expressing dislike in the moment. Discover in this infographic constructive ways to support your child with reading challenges, whether for school or leisure.

The new year is a time for new beginnings. You might be the type who uses the new year to set resolutions or turn over a new leaf. Or you may see it as the time to continue good habits but with a new goal to work toward. For example, you may enjoy reading with your child on occasion, but the New Year could be an opportunity to set up a reading challenge with a specific focus. This will give you both some structure to follow and help foster a greater love of reading.

Reading offers countless benefits. It exposes students to a broad range of words, builds their critical thinking skills, boosts their reading comprehension, and helps them navigate complex emotions. What’s more, making reading part of your family’s routine helps you bond, share interests, and spend time together.

Here Are 7 Ways You Can Enhance Your Reading Routine in 2025

1. Visit Your Local Library

Depending on how enthusiastic a reader your child is, you should consider making a trip to your local library every couple of weeks. Libraries are an incredible free local resource for you to take advantage of. You can get new books for your child to devour without buying them, and they can choose from many books.

For pre-K readers, a library visit is an incredible opportunity to develop preschool reading skills. That’s because libraries often have community events like story time or rhyme time, which little ones love. Most libraries also have dedicated preschool corners full of cozy cushions and age-appropriate books for you and your child to share together before you choose a couple of stories to take home.

The library isn’t just fun for your kids, though. There are lots of grown-up resources to explore, too. You can borrow grown-up books or check out your library’s collection of newspapers or magazines. Libraries also have ebooks or audiobook catalogs that you can borrow from. You set a great example for your kids when you model a love of reading.

Make library visits memorable by having unique library tote bags that you use only for your shared library trips. A library tote also gives you a place to put the books when you’re ready to return and swap them so they don’t get misplaced in the house.

2. Have Regular Read-Alouds

Reading aloud presents many benefits to young readers. It helps develop their reading proficiency and boosts their confidence as they hold the attention of someone they value. Setting aside 10 minutes daily for this activity will help your child progress significantly.

You could make this activity more fun by seeing if your child can perform different voices for different characters, or you could take turns reading page by page.

It is also important for kids to be read to, and this doesn’t have to happen at the same time that your child reads to you. A lot of parents like to read to their kids at bedtime because it is calming and relaxing. Being read to can reduce stress levels, which will lead to better sleep for your little one.

When children listen to stories, they are practicing being active listeners. This is where the listener focuses on what is being said to them (rather than planning their response) and tries to understand the speaker’s perspective. The ability to be an active listener helps children have more meaningful conversations, build trust, and resolve conflicts.

3. Make Reading Real

For some children, reading can feel very abstract. They can connect with their reading by bringing something from their books into reality. There are so many ways to do this, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but it does link what happened in their book to their real life in a fun way.

If your child is reading about dinosaurs, consider visiting Atlanta’s Fernbank Museum of Natural History to see the dinosaur skeletons and prehistoric fossils. If they have enjoyed a story like Paddington or Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, you could bring the food to life by serving marmalade sandwiches or meatballs and spaghetti inspired by their favorite story.

4. Create a Reading Area

Like the reading area in your local library, you could create a cozy reading nook in your home where your child can curl up and enjoy their book. This space does not have to be big or fancy, but it should be quiet and away from other distractions like a TV or a tablet.

Could you stack up some cushions and put a unique reading lamp in your child’s closet? Do you have wasted space under the stairs that you could make comfy? Even a blanket fort could become their reading nest. A special space can make reading feel like an adventure.

5. Reward Reading Milestones

Reading rewards are a perfect tool for any reader, whether they are reluctant to pick up a book or race through books at breakneck speed. When you set goals together and establish appropriate rewards, students can experience a strong feeling of accomplishment.

Everyone has clear expectations if you work together to set the targets and pre-agree on the rewards. For example, when a child finishes a chapter book, they can choose dessert, or if they read 10 books, they can pick out a treat at the store.

If your kids are a little older, there are lots of apps that you can use together to keep track of their reading progress. Kids could also use these apps to create their own book wish lists and rate their reading to show what they like or dislike.

You could also set yourself a reading challenge (with rewards!) to join in the fun. If you relish a challenge, maybe aim to read a book a month or try for 52 reads in the year.

6. Gift Books for Special Occasions

Gifting books shows how highly you value reading. These books become treasured keepsakes for the recipient, and books are appropriate gifts for all ages, from birth to adulthood.

A children’s first Bible or illustrated collection of Bible stories with a heartfelt note makes a beautiful birth or christening gift. Toddlers can practice their sensory development with textured board books. You can support your child’s reading in kindergarten with stories that will help their emotional development, like The Worrysaurus or The Kissing Hand. You can still help your older kids with their reading by gifting books that match their interests. If you’re not sure of the right book, your local librarian or bookseller would love to help you choose one.

It doesn’t have to be costly to gift books, either. Look out for good-quality books in thrift stores or on local selling pages. Libraries often have book sales where they sell off old library stock for a few cents a book. It could also be special to pass on your cherished copy of a favorite childhood book when your child is old enough to enjoy it.

7. Model Reading for Pleasure

Your kids will take note when they see you reading for enjoyment. Talk to your children about what you are reading. If appropriate, you could buddy read a book with older children and share your thoughts as you go. You could also make family reading time part of your routine so that everyone spends time reading together rather than having screen time.

Good Reading Routines Last a Lifetime

At the start of this year, let good reading habits be a routine you stick to. And if you’re looking for a good school reading program here in Atlanta, contact the Academy of Scholars where we prioritize phonics-based, evidence-backed reading programs.

We can all relate to having a child come home from school on a bad foot. Knowing how to pick up the pieces from their bad day can be hard, especially when we don’t understand the cause.

Trying to help with a load of questions might make it worse and turn a tough day into a full-on tantrum in seconds. So what can you do?

When we give our kids time and space to process their emotions safely, we let them develop their emotional processing abilities in a secure environment.

Your home is their sanctuary; kids can be tired, grumpy, or moody, and some days, having those feelings in a safe space is precisely what’s needed to let off steam after a tough day at school.

You won’t be able to stop them from having a bad day, but you can help them reset once they are home. Here are some ideas from the team at our Atlanta Christian school.

1. Let Them Vent

Have you ever just needed to get a problem off your chest? It is the same for kids. They are still developing their language skills, and it can be harder for them to express themselves when they are feeling big emotions.

Give them time to vent because, at that moment, they do not need answers or helpful suggestions. They need to get it all out.

2. Hug it Out

Once they have ranted, you can hug them. Hugs from parents make kids feel safe and give reassurance. When kids get a hug, their brain releases oxytocin, the love hormone. Oxytocin increases emotional bonds and helps with social recognition and learning.

Hugging it out after an emotional outburst reinforces constructive solutions for bad days.

3. Change the Scenery

Your child is finally home from school. So what next? On a typical day, this might be the time for your after-school routine—maybe homework or chores.

But after a tough day, kids need a little more time to regulate and might struggle to go straight into their normal routine. Try changing the setting. Take a walk together in nature. The sights, sounds, and smells of the outside can have a calming influence and be a great reset for everyone.

4. Encourage Everyone to Talk

Talking about our emotions is a learned skill. It does not come naturally for everyone, and we need to teach our kids how to do it.

Ask open-ended questions about their day, like “How are you feeling about X?” or “Why do you think Y happened?” Open questions help kids identify and describe their emotions. Younger kids might need a second question to help them work out the specific emotion they are feeling. For example, you could ask: “Are you feeling good or bad about X?” or “Did X make you feel sad, tired, embarrassed, mad, or something else?”

These conversations can help kids feel like home is a safe space to communicate. They can validate kids and boost their self-esteem; on bad days, they can speed up the reset process.

5. Nurture Positive Perspectives

We have all been there: We find something so frustrating that we shout, “Ugh, I just can’t do this!” Kids get the same feeling, but it can have a considerable knock-on impact. They don’t know that the feeling is only frustration, and their negative thoughts can take over.

Let’s take math. You may remember having bad days at school when you learned something new in math and couldn’t quite catch on to it right away. You might have gotten upset and declared, “I will never understand!” or “I’m too stupid to do this.”

Negative perspectives are normal but left unchecked, they can harm a child’s self-esteem. If that negative thought is related to learning, like in the math example above, it could build an emotional barrier and lead to more bad days.

Encourage kids to put a positive spin on difficult situations. As their grown-ups, we know that it is just not true that they are “too stupid” or “will never understand.” So we encourage them to rephrase to something like “I don’t understand now, but with practice, I will,” or “I need more time to get this right.”

Positive affirmations help to nurture an enduring, positive perspective. Try something together called “Two Stars and a Wish,” where you share two awesome things from your day and one thing you wish had gone differently.

6. Practice Gratitude

Along with positivity, encourage gratitude. Keep a family gratitude jar or journal by the kitchen table and have the whole family share at least one thing they are grateful for during dinner.

7. Get Your Bodies Moving

Our bodies do not like to be still all the time. When kids have to sit quietly at school for an extended time, they can end up feeling big emotions and making poor choices.

To improve the mood, get some wiggles out. When your child first gets home, kick off a dance party, take a walk, play a game of tag, or throw a ball.

Movement offers so many health benefits. It triggers the release of endorphins, which helps kids feel good and reduce stress and anxiety. It helps kids burn off excess energy and let go of tension.

8. Draw a Line on the Day

Whatever happened that day ends at bedtime, and the next day is a fresh start. Mark the day off on the calendar to officially put it to rest.

Bad Days Will Happen

It is normal to have the odd bad day. How we handle a bad day is up to us.

When kids can talk about their feelings and have a safe space to work them out, they will develop emotional skills and resilience for dealing with those inevitable bad days.

If you love reading and have children, you likely want to share that passion with them. In a perfect world, kids would read not just because they have to but simply for the joy of reading.

Why Is Independent Reading So Important?

Reading is how we gain knowledge about everything from science to humanities. It exposes us to new ideas and cultures and helps us think critically about the world around us. That’s why we prioritize helping our young students learn to read through our phonics-based reading curriculum.

We want our students to take the skills they learn in school and transfer them to independent reading. New worlds await them in the form of books and articles. We know that helping children become joyful, independent readers will set them up for greater success at school and beyond.

What Is Independent Reading?

Independent reading occurs when learners spend an extended amount of time reading a book of their choice. Independent reading helps kids feel self-reliant, encourages them to make their own decisions, and fosters a genuine love of reading. Their independent reading book is not something they must read for school; it is something they have chosen to read for fun.

Adults may need to help kids choose books that match their reading level and verify that they understand what they are reading. However, independent reading is mostly a chance for kids to feel free to read without the limits of an assigned text.

Independent Reading Impacts Achievement

While offering a joyful pastime, independent reading can do so much more. Students who engage in independent reading show improved confidence and a better attitude towards learning at school.

When students can choose their books, it helps them take ownership of their reading. They can discover what they do or do not like in a book or identify favorite genres and writing styles.

Engaged, independent readers quickly show improved reading proficiency and get a big boost to their vocabularies and general literacy. Kids can enjoy reading at their own pace and without a deadline.

We sometimes lose sight of reading for pleasure. Life gets busy, and we focus more on set texts or test preparation. But reading for pleasure is not just an indulgent hobby; it should be an essential part of our lives.

Try These Tips to Cultivate a Love of Reading

1. Make Time to Read

Set aside 15 to 20 minutes a day for independent reading. Reading before bed is a great time, especially for older kids. While screen time before bed can spin kids up, reading can calm them down.

2. Lead by Example

Being a joyful, independent reader is not just for kids. It can become part of a shared family experience. Read when your kids are reading and demonstrate how much fun it can be. You could even read the same books as your kids and discuss them together.

3. Visit Your Local Library

Books are expensive, and if your kids become voracious independent readers, they might want more books than you have at home. Head over to your local library, and you can all choose a new book. Librarians can help you pick from a big selection of genres ranging from graphic novels to nonfiction to historical fiction. There will be something for everyone to enjoy.

4. Make a Cozy Corner

It can be easy to get distracted when trying to read. If you create a quiet and cozy reading area away from the TV, everyone will want to curl up there with their book.

5. Keep a Reading Log

Keeping a reading log is a great way to keep track of books you have read and questions or thoughts you had while reading.

A reading log is also helpful if your child is reading something you are unfamiliar with because you can use their log reflections to help start a conversation about their chosen book.

6. Host a Book Related Event

Hosting a book-related event requires more effort, but it can be very fun and meaningful. If your child and their friends have the same interests, you could host a monthly book club and watch the joy of their shared fun through a buddy read. You could facilitate a group discussion afterward.

A book swap is a great, free way to get different books into your home. Everyone brings a fun book they no longer need and lays it out on a table. Then, kids can pick a book from the selection to take home.

7. Attend a Book Event

Check out events at your local library or independent bookstores. There are many free-to-attend seasonal events, author visits, or book festivals throughout the year. These can give your child something to look forward to and pique their interest in reading.

Some annual local events in the area include Decatur’s Children’s Book Festival and the Children’s Book Festival hosted by Fulton County Library.

8. Read Aloud to Each Other

Taking turns reading aloud is a fantastic way to promote independent reading. While you are reading, you are modeling good reading practice. When you listen to your child read, you show them that reading is a worthwhile activity.

Reading aloud also gives you a chance to hear how your child’s reading has improved and how they may need help.

9. Encourage Wider Reading

Choosing books is an essential part of independent reading, but kids can sometimes get stuck in a rut. They may only read a particular author or not know what to pick after finishing a great series.

Encourage your child to broaden their reading horizons by finding comparable authors or suggesting a book of a different genre that is centered on things they enjoy (history, animals, etc.).

A “try it and see” attitude is great for independent reading. Make sure your child doesn’t feel locked into books they genuinely don’t enjoy. This is their fun reading time, so they can move on and try something else.

Video

Infographic

If you love reading and have children, you likely want to share that passion with them. Ideally, kids would read for the joy of it. Check out this infographic for tips on fostering a love of reading.

Kids generally start learning how to read in kindergarten, and there’s no better way to teach reading skills than through a systematic, research-backed, phonics-based curriculum. However, some words just don’t play by the rules.

There are certain irregular words that crop up at the earliest levels that can’t be sounded out. Children can improve their reading fluency when they commit these words to memory.

Here, we will help you understand what irregular words are, determine whether your child is ready to learn them, and, most importantly, make this learning experience fun for your kindergartener.

What Are Irregular Words?

Irregular words do not follow the phonics “rules,” meaning their letters don’t correspond predictably with sounds. For example, in the word “do,” you would expect the O to make its short /o/ sound (like in the word cot). But in this case, it says /oo/. Other examples of irregular words include: “do,” “are,” “you,” “be,” “was,” etc.

Is My Child Ready to Learn Irregular Sight Words?

Most children are ready to start learning to read in kindergarten. It’s important to make all aspects of learning to read fun and engaging–including sight word mastery.

Isn’t This Hard?

Although the name “irregular” implies difficulty, you and your child will have encountered irregular words in every book you have ever read together. Your child is probably more familiar with these words than you might think.

And rote memorization doesn’t have to be a drag. There are a lot of ways you can mix up sight word mastery to keep it light and fun.

How Do I Teach Irregular Words?

1. Start with the Most Common Words

A great place to start is with simple, single-letter examples of common irregular words. Words such as ‘I’ or ‘a’ appear often and are an easy foundation to build on. Then, work up to multi-letter irregular words like “to,” “do,” “of,” “so,” “from,” “you,” etc. You can check how well your child remembers these words each time you read together and increase your word bank at their pace.

Need help getting an age-appropriate list? Contact our Atlanta reading teachers at The Academy of Scholars for helpful resources.

2. Make a Small List of Irregular Words

When practicing irregular words, looking at a huge list might feel overwhelming to a grown-up, and it certainly is to a kindergartener. Start with a manageable mini-list of several words. This will save both of you from feeling frustrated and keep learning fun. After your child has mastered this list of words, you can add more.

You can also chunk words by similar spelling patterns such as “was, has, as” and “would, could, should.” Then, have student students master all words of the same pattern before moving to the grouping.

3. Point Out Irregular Words

You will see irregular words everywhere in the books you read with your child. Point them out when you spot them. Allow your child to pick the book based on their interests so they are already engaged.

This works for more than just books. You could point out irregular words you spot on a cereal box over breakfast or on signs you see while out and about together. Little tasks like this help build your child’s learning through everyday activities.

4. Embrace Repetition

Many kids love reading the same book repeatedly. You can leverage this to reinforce learning irregular words. In step 3, you learned how to point out irregular words. Take it a step further when you read the book a second time. Stop at the end of the page and ask your child to find the irregular words you have been learning.

The more your kids read a familiar story, the easier it will be for them to spot the irregular words.

5. Play Word Games Together

Children of any age learn well through play, but this is exceptionally true for kindergarteners. They may not be able to participate in games like word searches or crosswords yet, but there are loads of games you can adapt to their level to help them learn all the irregular words.

You could do a matching pair memory game with irregular word flashcards or use two sets of flashcards to play irregular word Go Fish. You could lay flashcards out on the table, call out a sight word, and have your child turn over the matching word as fast as possible.

6. Engage All of Their Senses

Vary the methods you use with your kindergartener to engage more of their senses. They will be using sight and sound almost all the time, but if you bring their other senses in, it will deepen their learning. This can be messier play, like using a finger to write the word in sand or shaping shorter words out of play dough.

Or it could be a more straightforward task—even saying the word aloud as they trace its letters in the air.

7. Finally, Keep It Fun

The most important idea for teaching irregular words is the simplest: Keep it enjoyable. No one fully understands something the first time they try it, and kindergarteners are learning so many new things at this stage. To keep their learning fun, do activities for a small amount of time, and as soon as they, or you, are getting irritated, take a break.

Your kindergartener does not need to learn all the irregular words simultaneously or the first time they try. You can build on their prior learning every day, and even a tiny amount of progress will be a step closer to their goal.

“In every job that must be done there is an element of fun. You find the fun and snap! The job’s a game!” -Mary Poppins

While the idea of gamification wasn’t trademarked by the practically perfect, parrot-umbrella-wielding nanny, she did do an excellent job of putting the basics of the idea in song. The heart of gamification is to engage young learners in a way that makes their work fun.

Today’s young learners are surrounded with opportunities for engagement, which can actually cause them to disengage more easily. Technology, with all of its benefits, has also brought challenges to the modern classroom. Children have grown used to having instant entertainment at their fingertips.

Most families admit that there is a TV or tablet in use more often than not in the home. Brightly animated shows have become the background to family home life, allowing children to engage and disengage at will. The result? Attention spans in both children and adults are shorter than ever before. Teaching methods that once held the attention of students now fall short in capturing and maintaining the young mind.

The solution? Gamification.

What is Gamification?

Gamification is a method of teaching that pairs the educational content of school with various elements of games. In classrooms across the globe, this engaging new technique is becoming increasingly common. Our teachers have found that gamification in elementary education has helped students find a love for learning while maintaining classroom engagement.

In gamification, various elements of games are incorporated into the classroom context. By using point systems, classroom teams, leaderboards, prizes, and badges, students are able to level up their learning experience. Not to be confused with educational games, gamification weaves game-like systems throughout the entire learning process. Normal classroom activities, teaching, assessments, and homework can be part of educational gamification in order to keep students motivated and engaged.

Gamification vs. Game-Based Learning

Although the two terms are often used interchangeably, gamification and game-based learning are two different methods of teaching. Gamification employs the basic elements of game design. However, game-based learning brings competition to the classroom. It uses educational games to teach, has rules and objectives, and is often used in correlation with gamification.

Gamification in Action

While there are many elements of gamification that can be added to the classroom routine, five components are essential:

1. Setting Goals

Just like each traditional game has a goal or finish line, gamification in the classroom depends on setting clear and attainable goals. Students must understand what they’re working toward in order to have a clear objective. Goals keep kids motivated and engaged throughout the learning process. In the classroom setting, goals may include turning in homework on time, earning a certain grade percentage, or answering at least one question aloud each day.

2. Tracking Progress

In a board game, your progress is tracked by moving a game piece along the board. It is just as important to track progress in the classroom so that students can be encouraged by how far they’ve come and remain motivated to keep up the good work.

Tracking a student’s progress can also help teachers identify areas where the student might need some additional support and instruction. Progress can be tracked through leaderboards, jars to fill with noodles or other small objects, or other visible trackers.

3. Social interaction

By fusing social interaction with the elements of gamification, learning becomes fun, interactive, and engaging. Game-based learning techniques like competitions or team-building collaborations are a great way to foster crucial communication and social skills. Students should also be encouraged to cheer one another on, celebrating successes and achievements, which will result in a more positive learning experience.

4. Reinforcement

Not only is it important to set goals, it is equally important to provide incentives for students to work towards. These might include a class pizza party, individual prizes, or extra recess. In addition, reinforcement can be given through recognition. Consider giving certificates or “shoutouts” for the class to celebrate.

5. Feedback

Finally, student growth requires frequent feedback. Teachers should keep students in the loop with progress updates. This personalization helps students remain motivated to achieve goals and do their best.

Benefits of Gamification in the Classroom

The research into gamification and how best to utilize it in the classroom is ongoing, but recent studies have found that gamification provides the following benefits:

• Increased motivation
• Increased engagement
• Development of social and communication skills
• Development of problem-solving skills
• Development of critical thinking
• Improved retention
• Individualized learning

Gamification is no mere classroom trend; it is a game-changer to a student’s educational experience. If teachers are to effectively reach today’s learners, they must use creative methods to motivate and engage their students. Even in the daily routine of school, there can be an “element of fun.” Gamification allows students to find the fun in learning, give and receive peer support, and celebrate their achievements for a positive and effective educational experience. Game on!

Looking for a Christian private school here in Atlanta that will accelerate your child’s learning while making them excited to go to school each day? Contact Academy of Scholars for a free tour.

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Infographic

Gamification is a teaching method that blends educational content with game elements, gaining popularity in classrooms worldwide. While many elements can be included, five key components are essential. Learn more in the infographic.