Thursday's Teaching Word: "Read Across America Day"

Soon, schools across the country will celebrate the
National Education Association's "Read Across America Day".
It is considered to be the one of the nation's largest reading events
that occurs annually near Dr. Seuss's birthday (author of the Cat In the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham).
For more on "Read Across America" please visit Seussentenial {Click Here}.

Recently, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to sit with fifth graders
and discuss reading strategies. In our conversation,
I was impressed to hear how the students truly wanted to become better readers.
When I asked them if they could improve 1 thing to enhance their reading,
most said that they want to improve their vocabulary.
The students informed me that they felt frustrated when they come across
words that they do not know how to pronounce or have never heard of.
They informed me that when they came across a word they are not familiar with,
 it is easier to quit reading rather than grab a dictionary to look up the word.
During our discussion, most of the students said that if they had a better vocabulary,
they would enjoy reading more. I appreciate the children's honesty and how
much they wanted to become better readers.
So this blog post is especially for them and for ANY student
who would like to improve their vocabulary.

I hope the following links help:

• Use Education World's Vocab-u-lous! feature to challenge your students to build a fabulous vocabulary
• Vocabulary Reading Strategies from Just Read Now!
• Fun Games to play with your child
• Tips to help struggling readers

 Happy Reading!