ECEC Conference 2018

Teachers have always known the value of reading aloud to their students. During this time, we not only bond with students, inform or explain, entertain, arouse curiosity, and inspire, but we also build vocabulary, help the child to associate reading with pleasure, create background knowledge, and provide a reading role model. The Canadian Kids and Family Reading Report suggests parents understand the importance of reading and its lasting effects on children. But, the study shows that the frequency of reading at home drops off after age 5, and continues to decline with age. Still, children of all ages and genders cited wanting to include reading at home as a regular activity. As teachers, we can work with parents to encourage reading aloud at home right into the teen years.  42% of children surveyed said they also wished they could do more independent reading at school. Few children read for an hour or more during independent reading time and more than half (52%) read for less than 20 minutes. 
In this session, teachers will learn more about the research around family reading in Canada, and will discover ways to support parents and caregivers with reading at home. Participants will explore these issues: What can be done to extend reading aloud beyond the primary years? How can parents and teachers make reading more pleasurable? How can we ensure that students have more time to read independently? How can we empower students in making choices for their own reading? How does reading and language development help students become successful, 21st century citizens?