1. hobbies and interests
2. reading

How to Help
Your Child
Succeed in School
A Guide for
Parents and Families
R E A D I N G
Inside:
Tips
• Activities
• Book lists
•
A N D
W R I T I N G
K - 12
How to Help
Your Child
Succeed in School
A Guide for
Parents and Families
R E A D I N G
A N D
W R I T I N G
K - 12
How to Use This Guide ......................................................................1
Skills That Matter............................................................................2
An Overview of English Language Arts Standards ................4
What You Can Do ....................................................................7
Activities for Grades K-2 ....................................................8
Reading List for Grades K-2 ..........................................10
Activities for Grades 3-5 ............................................11
Reading List for Grades 3-5 ..................................13
Activities for Grades 6-8 ....................................14
Reading List for Grades 6-8............................16
Activities for Grades 9-12 ..........................17
Reading List for Grades 9-12 ..................19
Additional Resources ..........................20
© 2003, Battelle for Kids
All rights reserved.
There is nothing more important
to your child’s future than making sure
How to
he or she gets a quality education.
use this guide
Your child must learn certain knowledge
and skills to succeed, regardless of what
he or she chooses to do after high school.
This is why Ohio’s schools are changing — and why teachers have created
new, rigorous academic standards for students. The standards define
what your child should know and be able to do at every grade level in English
language arts (reading and writing), math, science and social studies.
These new academic standards let educators know what they are expected to
teach, just as they let students know what they are expected to learn. They also help
teachers identify and measure what their students are actually learning.
It also is important for you to understand what your child needs to know and be able to
do by the time he or she finishes each grade. A clear understanding of these expectations
will help you monitor — and contribute to — your child’s progress and success in school.
Battelle for Kids has prepared this guide to give parents and families a better
understanding of the reading and writing skills their children are expected to learn in
grades K through 12. While this guide doesn’t spell out specific standards on a grade-by-grade
basis, it does identify the ten broad areas in which students are expected to show they have
certain knowledge and are able to use certain skills. The guide also provides helpful tips and
activities that parents and families can use to help their children read and write well.
Begin talking, singing
and reading frequently
to your child when he
or she is a baby.
To review the complete set of
English language arts standards,
go to www.BattelleforKids.com.
How to Help Your Child Succeed in School
READING AND WRITING
1
Skills that
matter:
The importance of
Reading and writing are two of the most
important skills your child will learn in
school. By mastering these skills early —
at least by the end of the third grade — he
or she is more likely to do well in school.
Your child also has a better chance of
being successful beyond the classroom
— in the workplace and throughout his
or her life.
Reading and writing are part of every
subject your child studies in school.
Children read to learn about science,
health, history and geography. Even
math requires good reading skills. And in
almost every subject, children are expected
to express their ideas and demonstrate what
they have learned through writing.
Reading and writing reinforce each other.
Writing helps students become better readers,
just as reading helps students become better
writers and more successful learners.
Make sure your child has
books, other printed materials
and supplies for writing such
as a chalkboard and chalk,
markers, highlighters, pencils,
crayons and paper.
2
READING AND WRITING
Teachers and parents know that in today’s world, children
must have certain knowledge and skills to succeed — not just
in the classroom, but throughout their lives. More than ever
before, society rewards those who can read and write. That’s
because reading is the key to our ability to learn, and writing
allows us to tell others what we know and are able to do.
A Guide for Parents and Families
reading & writing
What can
be done
to help make sure your
Read with your child
every day — and as he
or she gets older,
regularly listen to your
child read to you.
child becomes a good reader?
One answer is to set academic standards in
English language arts (reading and writing)
and other subjects, and to make sure they are
reflected in what teachers teach and in the
textbooks and other teaching materials they
use with their students. Such standards —
clear and rigorous expectations for what all
students need to know and be able to do —
have been developed for Ohio’s schools. The
purpose of this guide is to give parents and
families a better understanding of how they
can help their children meet these new
standards.
Parents and families make a critical difference.
To become good readers and writers, children
need to work on these skills both in and out
of school. Parents and families can help
children become good readers by reading to
them as soon as they are born. The more
language they hear, the better. As children
begin school, they should be encouraged to
read every day. And remember, children are
far more likely to read — and read well —
when they see their parents, grandparents,
sisters, brothers and friends around them
reading.
Reading and writing matter. That’s why all
of us should help our children master
these fundamental skills.
How to Help Your Child Succeed in School
READING AND WRITING
3
An Overview of Ohio’s
English language
arts
standards
Ohio’s new academic standards for English language
arts (reading and writing) cover ten broad areas in
which students are expected to show they have
certain knowledge and are able to use certain skills.
Following is a brief explanation of the
areas. Students in all grades
must meet state standards in all areas
(unless otherwise noted).
ten
1
Recognizing and sounding
out words. (Grades K-3 only)
Beginning readers are expected to
read by (a) “sounding out” some
words (blending individual sounds
together to say a word) and (b)
recognizing other words by sight when
they see them in print. These basic
reading skills start with knowing
all the letters in the alphabet and
understanding the difference
between letters, words and
sentences. Children in grades K-3
will be expected to learn to read
out loud fluently and in a way that
others will understand what they
are reading.
4
READING AND WRITING
A Guide for Parents and Families
Understanding
what words mean.
2
Successful readers are able to figure out the
meaning of words as they read by using clues in
the text, by asking questions and by talking with
others about what they are reading. In early
grades, this might mean using pictures to help
understand new words. Children learn to use
familiar words in a sentence to help them figure
out the meaning of words they do not
know. They learn to recognize other
clues such as certain word beginnings
(prefixes) and endings (suffixes). They
build their vocabulary by learning about
words that mean the same (synonyms) and
words that mean the opposite (antonyms),
as well as words that come from Greek, Latin
or other languages. Students also learn how
to use dictionaries, glossaries and technology to
help them understand the meaning of words
they read.
Understanding
different types of
printed reading material.
3
Successful readers understand that there are
many different kinds of printed materials for
different purposes. They know how to use
these materials and are able to show that they
understand what they have read in a number of
different ways. This begins in kindergarten, with
knowing how to hold a book with the right side
up and how to turn pages front to back, and read
words from left to right. Children are able to
answer different kinds of questions about what
they have read. They can summarize what they
have read. They can draw conclusions and make
predictions. They can make judgments and offer
opinions about what they have read. And they
can use techniques such as skimming, scanning
and taking notes to help with understanding
what they are reading.
Understanding and using
different kinds of factual
or technical material.
4
Successful readers are able to
understand and explain different
kinds of factual written materials
that seek to inform or persuade.
This may mean using pictures to help
them understand the meaning of what
they have read or being able to understand and
follow simple directions. Or it may mean using
a table of contents, chapter headings, a glossary,
an index or an online search engine to locate
information. Students also will know how to
read maps, charts, tables, graphs and diagrams.
They will be able to understand and tell about
the main idea and details of what they have read.
Planning, drafting, revising, editing
and sharing written work.
Understanding and
interpreting the
meaning of different
kinds of literature.
5
Successful readers are able to understand and
explain the meaning of different kinds of literature
by understanding literary techniques writers use
and by recalling and interpreting information
from what they have read. Students can identify
the characters and the setting of a story. They
can identify themes, symbols and point of view,
and they can discuss how these features affect
the meaning of stories. Students can retell the
important events of a story and talk about the
language writers use to make readers feel a certain
way. Students know the difference between
real and make-believe and are able to recognize
different types of literature such as poetry,
drama, fiction, nonfiction, biographies and
autobiographies.
Successful writers understand that writing is a
process with several important stages: prewriting
(preparing), drafting, revising, editing and sharing.
The process of writing begins with determining
the reason for writing — such as to inform, to
persuade or to entertain. Prewriting might involve
talking with a friend about what to write,
or it might involve brainstorming ideas
with a group. It might involve doing
research or outlining ideas before
beginning to write. Drafting means
choosing the right words for your
audience and writing with proper
sentences and paragraphs. Students
revise their work to make the
meaning clearer, and they check their
work to make sure grammar, spelling, punctuation
and capitalization are correct before sharing their
work with others.
6
How to Help Your Child Succeed in School
READING AND WRITING
5
An Overview of
English Language
Arts Standards
continued
Following standard rules for
grammar, punctuation and spelling.
7
Successful writers know and follow basic rules for
grammar, spelling and punctuation. This area of
knowledge and skills begins with
knowing how to print uppercase letters
and lowercase letters and how to
print neatly and use proper spaces
between letters, words and sentences.
Students use punctuation marks such
as periods, commas, question marks
and exclamation points correctly. They
know and apply basic spelling rules, including
rules for capitalization. They understand the rules
of grammar — what the parts of speech are and
how to use them, how to form complete
sentences, and how to use words correctly.
Writing for different
purposes and audiences.
8
Successful writers know how to write in different
ways that are appropriate for different purposes
and for different audiences. Students write simple
stories using words or pictures. They do simple
kinds of informal writing such as labels, cards and
signs. They write notes, messages and journals.
They write responses to poems and stories and
other written material they have read. As they
mature, they learn to write for more and more
purposes. They write letters and invitations.
They write stories with a beginning, middle and
end. They write essays and reports.
9
Understanding and making
effective presentations.
Knowing how to gather
information and share
it with others.
Successful readers and writers
know how to gather information
on different subjects using many
different tools such as books, magazines,
newspapers and computers — and also how
to share that information with others. Students are
able to find information in books and share it with
others by writing, talking or drawing pictures.
They create plans for researching topics that
interest them or that are assigned to them
by others. They gather information from
books, magazines, library catalogs, online
databases and other electronic sources. They
sort information, organize it effectively and
document their sources to share what they have
learned with others orally or in writing.
Successful communicators listen carefully when
others are speaking, ask questions to help
understand the meaning of what is being said, and
recognize the difference between fact and opinion.
They also are able to give effective presentations
on different topics to different types of audiences.
This may mean following simple spoken
instructions and speaking clearly and in a way
that others can understand. It may involve
reciting poems or singing songs, or making
presentations that are thoughtful and wellorganized. It may involve expressing an
opinion. Effective presenters know how
to speak clearly using a tone, volume
and language that are appropriate for
the audience and purpose. They also
use visual aids and other tools to
enhance their presentations.
10
To review the complete set of
English language arts standards,
go to www.BattelleforKids.com.
6
READING AND WRITING
A Guide for Parents and Families
What
youcan do
...
to help your child meet
Ohio’s academic standards
for reading and writing
The most important ways you can help
your child be successful in school are to
provide support and encouragement,
emphasize that learning can be fun
and make sure he or she understands
how important it is to do well in
school. In addition, there are many
simple and easy things you can do
at home to help reinforce the
reading and writing skills your
child is learning in school.
Remember: You are your child’s
first and most important teacher.
As you listen to
your child read, give
him or her praise and
encouragement.
On the following pages you will see
lists of suggested activities that you
and your child can do without any
special training or unusual materials.
Some of them you already may be doing.
Others may be new ideas. In every case,
the activities will help your child grow as
a learner and develop the knowledge and
skills he or she needs to be successful.
How to Help Your Child Succeed in School
READING AND WRITING
7
For parents
and families
of children in
GRADES
K-2
activities
•
•
•
•
8
Set aside some time every
day to read to your child.
You might consider identifying
a special “reading corner”
in your home, with good
lighting and comfortable
pillows or chairs, where
you can read together.
•
When you read to
your child, be expressive
to make the story
interesting. Use different
voices. Make sound
effects and funny
faces. Have fun!
Encourage older
children to read
stories to younger
children. They’ll be
setting an excellent
example for their
siblings, and it’s
good practice!
For younger children, choose
books that use lots of rhyme,
books that repeat phrases
over and over, and books
that have a predictable
pattern to the story.
When you read to your child, move your finger
underneath the words from left to right as you read
each line. This will help your younger reader learn
that we read print from left to right and from
top to bottom on a page.
READING AND WRITING
•
A Guide for Parents and Families
•
•
Be a reading role model
yourself. If your child sees
you reading — books,
magazines and newspapers
— he or she will be more
likely to want to learn to
read. If you have
trouble reading
yourself, that’s okay
— tell your child
stories instead.
If you travel in the
summer to the beach,
a park or a pool, always
take a bag of books with
you for the times when
your child is resting
between activities.
When you are reading stories
with your child, before you
get to the end of the story ask
your child to tell you what he
or she thinks is going to
happen at the end.
For parents
and families
of children in
•
•
GRADES
When your child makes
drawings, ask him or her
to explain the drawing
or tell you a story about
what he or she has
drawn.
•
Play word games with your child. For
example, say a word that begins with a certain
sound and ask your child to think of other words
that begin with the same sound. Do the same
with vowel sounds. For example, say a word that
contains the “a” sound in “cat” and ask your child
to think of other words that have that same “a”
sound (such as “lamp” or “rag”). Or, while riding
in the car or taking a walk, tell your child
you see something that begins with
the “p” sound (or some other
sound) and ask him or her to
guess what it is you see.
•
•
Have your child write
thank you notes to friends
and family members when
he or she receives gifts.
•
•
Put magnetic
letters on the
refrigerator and help
your child spell a new
word each day.
K-2
When you and your child are
taking a walk or riding in a car,
point out and read the many
different signs you see.
Ask your child to help you
write your shopping lists by
printing the words or by cutting
letters out of a newspaper or
magazine and pasting them
onto a piece of paper.
Play alphabet games with
your child. For example, pick
a letter in the alphabet and ask
your child to think of a boy’s
name that begins with that
letter. Then ask him or her to
think of a girl’s name that
begins with the same letter.
Repeat with other letters.
•
Keep books in the car.
It’s a great way to pass
time when you’re
traveling.
How to Help Your Child Succeed in School
READING AND WRITING
9
For parents
and families
of children in
GRADES
K-2
reading
list
● Clifford, The Big Red
Dog, Norman Bridwell
● Corduroy, Don Freeman
● A Birthday for Frances,
Russell Hoban
● Abuela’s Weave,
Omar Castaneda
● A Chair for My Mother,
Vera B. Williams
● Alexander and the
Terrible, Horrible, No
Good, Very Bad Day,
Judith Viorst
● All the Small Poems
and Fourteen More,
Valerie Worth
● Berenstain Bear Books,
Stan & Jan Berenstain
● Brown Bear, Brown
Bear, What Do You See?,
Bill Martin Jr.
● Caps for Sale,
Esphyr Solbodkina
● Chicka Chicka Boom
Boom, Bill Martin Jr.
and John Archambault
● Curious George, H.A. Rey
● Goodnight Moon,
Margaret Wise Brown
● Harry the Dirty Dog,
Gene Zion
● John Henry, Julius Lester
● Leo the Late Bloomer,
Robert Kraus
● Madeline, Ludwig
Bemelmans
● Make Way for Ducklings,
Robert McCloskey
● Mufaro’s Beautiful
Daughters: An African
Tale, John Steptoe
● Snowy Day, Ezra Jack
Keats
● Strega Nona: An Old
Tale, Tomie De Paola
● The New Kid on the
Block, Jack Prelutsky
● The Very Hungry
Caterpillar, Eric Carle
● The Wheels on the Bus,
Paul O. Zelinsky
Take your
time reading
to your child.
Do not rush.
10
READING AND WRITING
● Tikki Tikki Tembo,
Arlene Mosel
A Guide for Parents and Families
● We’re Going on a
Bear Hunt, Michael
Rosen
● Where the Wild Things
Are, Maurice Sendak
● Why Mosquitoes Buzz in
People’s Ears: A West
African Tale, Verna
Aardema
● You Be Good and I’ll Be
Night: Jump on the Bed
Poems, Eve Merriam
Read from a variety
of children’s books,
including fairy tales,
song books, poems
and stories that match
your child’s interests.
•
•
•
•
Ask your child to find
names and information in
the telephone book. This
will help him or her develop
both alphabetizing skills
and reading skills.
For parents
and families
of children in
GRADES
•
3-5
When traveling with your child,
ask him or her to read aloud to
you traffic signs, road signs, store
signs, billboards, words on trucks
and vans, and other printed
information you see.
Point out to your child the many ways that reading is
used in daily activities in your home. Show how cooking
requires reading recipes and food package labels. Show
how doing the laundry requires reading the washing
instructions on clothing labels and laundry detergent
labels. Point out the words on your washer and dryer
cycle dials and the safety warnings on bottles, cans and
boxes of household cleaning supplies.
Share family
stories and make
up your own
bedtime stories.
•
When you talk with your child about the books
he or she has read, ask questions that require more
than a simple “yes” or “no” answer. Ask questions
such as these: What did you like most about the
book? What did you learn by reading the book?
Who was your favorite character — and why?
Children love receiving
magazines in the mail that
are meant just for them.
So, as a special gift, give
your child subscriptions to
one or more of the many
children’s magazines that
are available today. Your
local librarian can help you
identify appropriate
magazines.
Invent a story with your child. One of you should begin the
story by saying one sentence. Then the other person should make
up a second sentence that makes sense following the first sentence.
Go back and forth, with each of you taking turns adding a sentence
to the story. This helps develop language skills and creativity
and is a great activity to do while you’re driving in the car.
How to Help Your Child Succeed in School
READING AND WRITING
11
For parents
and families
of children in
GRADES
3-5
•
activities
•
•
Encourage your child to create his or her own birthday
cards, get-well cards, holiday cards and thank-you cards
instead of using store-bought cards. Or ask your child to
create gifts that are stories, poems or words describing
their feelings about people who are special to them.
Grandparents, aunts, uncles and others will treasure
these gifts.
•
•
12
When you rent videos, look for
movies that are based on books your
child has read. Watch the movies with
your child and talk with him or her
about how the books and movies
are similar or different.
Play common word and
language games such as
Scrabble, Hang Man, Boggle
and MADLIBS — it’s a fun way
to build vocabulary and
strengthen language skills.
•
Have your child keep a journal during summer
vacation (or during a family trip). Suggest that your
child write at least two or three sentences a day about
things he or she does, sees or thinks about each day.
To be supportive and set a good example,
keep a journal of your own during the
same time. Periodically read parts
of your journals to each other.
READING AND WRITING
Turn all the junk mail you
receive into learning materials.
Ask your child to circle or
highlight with a marker words
that begin with prefixes (such as
“re,” “un,” or “pre”) or words
that end with suffixes (such as
“ful,” “ness,” or “ment”).
A Guide for Parents and Families
Look through newspapers to
find examples of charts, graphs
and maps. Explain to your child
how to read the chart, graph or
map. For example, explain
what the numbers, symbols or
lines represent. Explain that
these kinds of reading tools are
similar to pictures used in the
storybooks your child read
when he or she was younger
and that learning to read
charts, graphs and maps is an
important reading skill.
reading
list
For parents
and families
of children in
GRADES
3-5
● Dear Mr. Henshaw,
Beverly Cleary
● Encyclopedia Brown: Boy
Detective, Donald J. Sobol
● Amber Brown Is Not a
Crayon, Paula Danziger
● Amelia Bedelia,
Peggy Parish
● Boxcar Children Series,
Gertrude Chandler
Warner
● Bunnicula, Deborah
& James Howe
● Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory,
Roald Dahl
● Charlotte’s Web,
E.B. White
● Chocolate Fever,
Robert Kimmel Smith
● From the Mixed-Up
Files of Mrs. Basil
E. Frankweiler,
E.L. Konigsburg
● Ramona Quimby,
Beverly Cleary
● Fudge-A-Mania,
Judy Blume
● Tales of a Fourth Grade
Nothing, Judy Blume
● How to Eat Fried Worms,
Thomas Rockwell
● The Adventures of
Captain Underpants:
An Epic Novel, Dav Pilkey
● Little House on the
Prarie, Laura Ingalls
Wilder
● Sarah, Plain and Tall,
Patricia MacLachlan
● The Great Brain,
John D. Fitzgerald
● Mirandy and Brother
Wind, Patricia C.
McKissack
● There’s a Boy in the
Girls’ Bathroom,
Louis Sachar
● Nathaniel Talking,
Eloise Greenfield
● Where the Sidewalk
Ends, Shel Silverstein
● Nothing’s Fair in
Fifth Grade, Barthe
DeClements
Talk to your child’s
teacher if you are
concerned that your
child is struggling to
read and write.
How to Help Your Child Succeed in School
READING AND WRITING
13
For parents
and families
of children in
GRADES
6-8
activities
•
•
•
•
14
If you have an older child
away at college, have your
middle school child write
monthly family news updates
to his or her sibling at college.
Have your child read
books to their younger
brothers and sisters. They’ll be
setting a great example for their
siblings while strengthening their
own reading skills.
Many daily newspapers contain a special
section once a week that is designed especially for
children. Check to see if your local paper has such
a section — if it does, set aside a small block of
time (about half an hour) each week to review
and discuss the special section with your child.
Ask your child to read
parts of the newspaper
to you as you cook dinner
or work on a small fix-it
project in your home.
READING AND WRITING
A Guide for Parents and Families
Visit the
library with
your child.
For parents
and families
of children in
GRADES
•
6-8
Ask your child to explain the lyrics of his or her
favorite songs. Ask questions such as these:
What do you like about this song? What is
your favorite part of the song — and why?
How does the song make you feel? To develop your
child’s creativity and language skills, encourage him
or her to write new lyrics to a favorite song.
•
•
Encourage your child to read
and order from the menu when
eating at a restaurant.
Doing crossword puzzles
helps children build spelling
and vocabulary skills. Try turning
crossword puzzles into family
events where everyone works
together to solve the puzzle.
Display your
child’s drawings
and writings in
your home.
How to Help Your Child Succeed in School
READING AND WRITING
15
For parents
and families
of children in
GRADES
6-8
reading
list
● Harry Potter Series,
J.K. Rowling
● Holes, Louis Sachar
● A Long Way from
Chicago: A Novel in
Stories, Richard Peck
● A Wrinkle in Time,
Madeleine L’Engle
● Across Five Aprils,
Irene Hunt
● Among the Hidden,
Margaret Haddix
● Anne Frank: The
Diary of a Young Girl,
Anne Frank
● Belle Prater’s Boy,
Ruth White
● Bridge to Terabithia,
Katherine Paterson
● Children of the River,
Linda Crew
● Crash, Jerry Spinelli
● Island of the Blue
Dolphins, Scott O’Dell
● Letters from Rifka,
Karen Hesse
● Maniac Magee,
Jerry Spinelli
● Neighborhood Odes,
Gary Soto
● Roll of Thunder, Hear
My Cry, Mildred D. Taylor
● Series of Unfortunate
Events, Lemony Snicket
● Shabanu: Daughter of
the Wind, Suzanne
Fisher Staples
● Sixth Grade Can
Really Kill You,
Barthe DeClements
● The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer, Mark Twain
● Dicey’s Song, Cynthia
Voigt
Ask your child
questions about the stories
he or she is reading. Who is
the main character? What do
you think will happen next
in this story? What was
the story about?
16
READING AND WRITING
A Guide for Parents and Families
● The Black Stallion,
Walter Farley
● The Giver, Lois Lowry
● The Outsiders,
S.E. Hinton
● The True Confessions
of Charlotte Doyle, Avi
● The Witch of Blackbird
Pond, Elizabeth George
Speare
● Tuck Everlasting,
Natalie Babbitt
● Waiting to Waltz,
Cynthia Rylant
● Where the Red Fern
Grows, Wilson Rawls
● Wringer, Jerry Spinelli
For parents
and families
of children in
GRADES
•
Give your child a desk
calendar that contains a
daily vocabulary word and
definition. Ask him or her to
share the new word he or she
learns each day.
9-12
•
Have a newspaper available to your high schooler
every day. Urge him or her to read it. Talk about the
day’s headlines and the stories below them. Contrast
the different writing styles in the newspaper.
For example:
News stories with their
straightforward delivery of
facts, short sentences and
neutral verbs.
Feature articles with their
more versatile, personal and
interpretive style.
•
Editorials with their more
complicated concepts and
sentences.
Encourage your son or daughter to
volunteer as a tutor or mentor for younger
children who are struggling to learn how to
read. Ask teachers, local clergy or staff at
neighborhood centers to help you identify such
opportunities. Let your child know that he or
she is helping other children acquire the most
important skills they will ever have in life.
Sports stories with their easy,
analytical and colorful
approach — and with verbs
that are more vivid
and dramatic.
Encourage your
child to write lists,
stories and poems.
How to Help Your Child Succeed in School
READING AND WRITING
17
For parents
and families
of children in
GRADES
9-12
activities
•
•
•
Find out what books and stories
your son or daughter is reading in
school. Read them yourself and then
talk about them over the dinner table,
in the car or in the evening. Start the
conversation by asking questions
about the setting, the characters
and the plot.
Encourage your child to create
picture books with imaginative stories
for his or her younger brother, sister,
cousin or maybe even the young child
he or she baby sits.
Make summer time
reading time!
Encourage your child
to read every day in
the summer.
18
READING AND WRITING
A Guide for Parents and Families
•
Go to the movies or
watch videos as a family.
Encourage your son or
daughter to read the books
the movies are based on
— and then talk with your
child about how these
presentations are similar
or different.
Encourage your child to use
the Internet to research your
family’s history, options for
college, or favorite musicians
or sports figures.
reading
list
For parents
and families
of children in
GRADES
9-12
● Fallen Angels,
Walter Dean Myers
● I Know Why the Caged
Bird Sings, Maya Angelou
● A Day No Pigs Would
Die, Robert Newton Peck
● A Death in the Family,
James Agee
● A Prayer for Owen
Meany, John Irving
● A Separate Peace,
John Knowles
● A Tale of Two Cities,
Charles Dickens
● A Tree Grows in
Brooklyn, Betty Smith
● Black Like Me,
John Howard Griffin
● Dracula, Bram Stoker
● Ender’s Game,
Orson Scott Card
● Into Thin Air,
Jon Krakauer
● The Hitchhiker’s
Guide to the Galaxy,
Douglas Adams
● Julius Caesar, William
Shakespeare
● The Hobbitt,
J.R.R. Tolkien
● Like Water for Chocolate,
Laura Esquivel
● The House on Mango
Street, Sandra Cisneros
● Monster, Walter Dean
Myers
● The Joy Luck Club,
Amy Tan
● October Sky (Rocket
Boys), Homer Hickam
● The Miracle Worker,
William Gibson
● Pride and Prejudice,
Jane Austen
● The Perfect Storm,
Sebastian Junger
● Reflections on a Gift of
Watermelon Pickle ...
and Other Modern Verse,
compiled by Stephen
Dunning, Edward Luedes
and Hugh Smith
● The Perks of Being
a Wallflower,
Stephen Chbosky
● The Scarlet Letter,
Nathaniel Hawthorne
● Romeo & Juliet,
William Shakespeare
● Tomorrow, When
the War Began,
John Marsden
● The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn,
Mark Twain
● Watership Down,
Richard Adams
● The Catcher in the Rye,
J.D. Salinger
● The Crucible,
Arthur Miller
Give books
as gifts.
How to Help Your Child Succeed in School
READING AND WRITING
19
additional
resources
for Parents and Families
Use the following resources to find more fun
and interesting ways to reinforce what your
child is learning in school.
www.eduplace.com/parents
www.funbrain.com
www.funschool.com
www.Ohioacademicstandards.com
www.pbs.org/parents
www.scholastic.com
www.school.discovery.com/parents
Plus . . .Take your child to the local library
and talk with the librarian to find helpful
resources and books for reading and
writing activities. And take your child to
the local teacher supply store to find
games, activities and books to help your
child in reading and writing.
20
READING AND WRITING
A Guide for Parents and Families
thank you
Battelle for Kids thanks the many
Ohio teachers who contributed to
the development of this Guide for
Parents and Families. Your input on
the general content, the suggested
activities and the book lists was
invaluable in making this publication
a useful tool for parents who want to
help reinforce what their children are
learning in school. Thank you for your
input — and for all you do every day
in your classrooms to help prepare
Ohio’s children for successful futures.
Supported by an initial grant from Battelle and established by the Ohio Business Roundtable in
2001, Battelle for Kids is a unique partnership initiative created to champion improved student
achievement in Ohio by supporting, accelerating and sustaining standards-based education.
Battelle for Kids works to strengthen support from the business community and the general
public for an education system focused squarely on student achievement.
For additional information, visit our Web site at www.BattelleforKids.com
Battelle for Kids
41 South High Street, Suite 2240
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone (614) 469-5966
Fax (614) 469-5964