Benefits of Reading for Gifted and Talented Students: Parental Involvement Guide

1. Welcome to Mark Twain I.S. 239 for the Gifted and Talented. Parents’ Association Meeting September 23, 2008 Paul Mirsky Auditorium

2. Benefits of Reading • Successful readers are successful students. • Reading helps with building the tools necessary for students to become lifelong learners. • Reading helps to develop critical thinking skills.

3. Benefits of Reading • Reading helps to improve a host of language abilities (writing, vocabulary, communication skills). • Reading increases a student’s core of knowledge. • Reading expands one’s horizons and increases understanding of people and the world. • Reading can be fun!

4. Reading improves performance on standardized tests. • Grade 6 – January 20 - 22, 2009 Reading passages and listening selection Multiple choice responses, constructed responses, and extended responses • Grade 7 – January 20 - 21, 2009 Reading passages and listening selection Multiple choice responses, constructed responses, and editing paragraph • Grade 8 – January 20 - 21, 2009 Reading passages and listening selection Multiple choice responses, constructed responses, and extended responses

5. Suggested Activities • Allow your children to see you reading on a regular basis. • Schedule a specific time for your child to read each day. • Have a wide variety of reading material on hand. • Read the same book your child is reading and discuss it together. • Supervise as your child follows a recipe. • Join a book club. • Utilize incentive charts to reach goals.

6. Suggested Activities • Listen to and discuss audiobooks during car rides. • Play games such as Twenty Questions that sharpen listening & memory skills. • Stress any activity that requires your child to write on paper such as: shopping lists recipes directions letters to family/friends journals schedules contests

7. Resources for Parents • Reading Is Fundamental http://www.rif.org/parents/tips/default.mspx • Family Education http://school.familyeducation.com/reading/parents-and-school/33582.html • National Education Association http://www.nea.org/parents/reading46.html http://www.nea.org/readacross/parents.html • Scholastic http://www.scholastic.com/parents/index.asp • Schwab Learning http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=720 • NYS Department of Education (testing information) http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/3-8/