Strategy #1: Ask Questions (PK to 5th Grade)
Read to your child: Ask Questions
For Pre-School to Kindergarden, try to spend most of your time reading TO your child.
For 1st grade to 5th grade, spend time reading both TO and WITH your child
After connecting in a special time, special place and with a special story, try on High Impact Home Strategy: ASK QUESTIONS
Before, during, and after reading to your child, take time to talk about the ideas and events in the books you read together. Remember to validate your child’s thinking and interests, and to give your child ample time to think about as well as respond to your questions.
BEFORE READING
Talk about the title and cover illustrations. Here are some questions you can ask your child:
- What do you notice about the title and cover illustrations?
- What do you think this story is about?
- Why do you think that? What are you wondering about?
During READING
Stop at interesting parts and take turns sharing your thinking. Here are some prompts you could use anytime:
- What are you thinking?
- What is happening?
- Tell me about that…
AFTER READING
Talk about the BIG ideas of the story.
- What do you think was an important message/idea in this story?
- What part did you like best? Why?
- How do you feel about the ending? Why?
You can use these printable bookmarks to remember these helpful tips. Enjoy your time together and have fun!
SDUSD Family and Community Engagement Department (FACE) is implementing High Impact Home Strategies, which are research-based practices, linked to student learning, that when utilized by parents and caregivers at home, have been proven to have significant impacts on student learning and academic achievement in school.
Preparing your Home to Teach the High Impact Home Strategies
Preparing your home to teach and learn the High Impact Home Strategies
Let’s make a routine to Connect with each other!
The new year is here, and if you haven’t already done so, this is a great time to work with your child to establish home routines. This strategy will enable you to connect with your child and share the joys of reading, while using San Diego Unified School District High Impact Home Strategies. We value our families’ role as co-teachers to support our children’s growth as life-long readers in preparation for college and career
Connect at a Special Time Each Day
Creating a routine that consistent around the same time will help both you and your child make reading together a habit and give something for both of you to look forward to each day.
Connect at a Special Place
Choose a comfortable place, away from distractions if possible, so that you can focus on being present with each other.
Connect Through Media and Text
Take turns choosing the materials you know you and your child you will enjoy. It may be an a book, a youtube video, facebook post or a news article. Be creative in your selection of books and or materials. You may want to consider searching on the web around a topic or visiting your local library. There are also several resources for digital books that can be accessed by phone. Go to FACE website for more information. www.sandiegounified.org/familyandcommunity
Connect Through Interaction
Good communication is an important parenting skill. Whether you are parenting a toddler or a teenager, good communication is the key to building self-esteem as well a mutual respect.
• Let your kids know you're listening.
• Listen carefully and politely. Don’t interrupt the child when he is trying to tell his story. Be as courteous to your child as you would be to your best friend.
• Respond in a way your children will hear.
• Reinforce the child for keeping communication open. Do this by accepting him and praising his efforts to communicate.
