Q: What is the single-most beneficial thing that a parent can do to impact his or her child's education?
A: In a nutshell: Read, Read, Read! Read to them before they can read. Read to them as they are learning to read. Read to them and let them read to you after they learn. Your child is NEVER too old for you to read to them. You can start a bedtime routine when they are 3 months old that will take them all the way into high school! I guarantee the time you spend reading with your son or daughter will pay dividends beyond any formal course. According to The World Literacy Foundation: a child that reads for 20 minutes a day, every day, is exposed to 1.8 million words of text a year. Children who read daily have a HUGE advantage over those that do not. As a parent, you can facilitate a love of learning very early on. The quality time you spend hovered over a book together must not be underestimated! Such a simple task; but in our busy lives it can make a night-and-day difference in your child's life!
Q: Ok so what can I do if my child is already in school? Is it too late? Did I miss the boat?
A: Absolutely not! You can start at anytime. I obviously encourage parents sooner rather than later, but you can start good habits ANYTIME! Decide now when you can squeeze in a new routine. If life is overwhelming right now- just start with 5 minutes! If your child is older-ask them to pick out a book they are interested in and take 5 min to have them read to you. I promise you can ALWAYS start this habit and you will see the benefits no matter how late in the game it is. I have been promoting children's literacy for over 30 years and I believe it is the single most important component to future academic success! In fact: a fun fact about me is that at every baby shower I attend, I will always give children's books of all different reading levels and talk to the mom about the importance of reading! :)
