Vocabulary is the key to reading success in school PDF Print E-mail
In middle school, your child must read at a different level than he did in elementary school. Texts are more complex and contain advanced vocabulary. A broad and deep vocabulary will help your child. A limited one may hold him back.

Your child can strengthen his vocabulary by:

* Reading. Your child should read every day. And he should read a variety of materials--novels, short stories, newspapers, magazines and websites. The more reading material your child takes in, the more words he will encounter. He should look up words he doesn't know or do his best to figure out their meaning through context clues.
* Talking. Make an effort to introduce new words when having a conversation with your child. This is a good exercise for everyone in the family. It may seem awkward at first. But it is worth making a habit of if your child struggles with reading.
* Practicing. Reading and hearing all these new words may not mean much if your child doesn't use them. Challenge him to use one or two new words a day. Contact his teachers and let them in on your efforts so they can help him put his words into practice as well.

Reprinted with permission from the March 2010 issue of Parents Still make the difference!® (Middle School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2010 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Catherine Snow, "Building vocabulary to improve reading in middle school," Harvard Graduate School of Education, www.gse.harvard.edu/blog/uk/2009/05/building-vocabulary-to-improve-reading-in-middle-school-2.html.