{"id":21068,"date":"2021-11-08T09:00:31","date_gmt":"2021-11-08T15:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.allaboutlearningpress.com\/?p=21068"},"modified":"2023-07-27T16:27:37","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T21:27:37","slug":"after-all-about-reading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.allaboutlearningpress.com\/after-all-about-reading\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happens after All About Reading?"},"content":{"rendered":"\"What

If your child has recently finished All About Reading<\/a><\/cite>, my first piece of advice to you is…celebrate! Have a piece of cake. Call Grandma and Grandpa. Take the rest of the day off and go to the park!<\/p>\r\n \r\n

And of course, don\u2019t forget to document this milestone and send us a photo! It makes my day when we hear from kids like Katie who complete our program! The accomplishment feels fantastic, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Now your child has a rock-solid base upon which to grow in reading ability. First celebrate--then come back here for some ideas about\u00a0what comes next. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

Let's take a quick look at the big picture, then we'll dig into specifics.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The Two Major Stages of Reading<\/h2>\r\n\r\n

There are two major stages of reading: \u201cLearn to Read\u201d and \u201cRead to Learn.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\t\r\n

After your child has completed four levels of All About Reading<\/cite>, she\u2019s officially done with the \u201cLearn to Read\u201d stage.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n

She now has the phonics and word attack skills necessary to sound out just about any familiar word. She can figure out words by dividing them\u00a0into syllables, making analogies to other words, sounding out the word<\/a> with the accent on different word parts, and recognizing suffixes<\/a> and prefixes<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Now your child is ready for the next major reading stage: \u201cRead to Learn.\u201d<\/h3>\r\n\r\n

At this stage, reading is used to gain knowledge. Your child will grow in her ability to react to information and connect ideas. The possibilities for her to explore the world around her are\u00a0limitless, and she can embark on this exploration through reference books, trade books, text books, magazines, and an endless array of literature. Ideally, this stage has no end; your child will \u201cread to learn\u201d for the rest of her school career\u2014and beyond.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Download our Mastery Evaluation<\/a> to be sure that your child has mastered the \"learn to read\" stage and is ready for the \"read to learn\" stage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\"downloadable<\/a>\r\n\r\n

Recommendations for the \u201cRead to Learn\u201d Stage<\/h2>\r\n\r\n

The \"Read to Learn\" stage does not require formal instruction like the \"Learn to Read\" stage does. As your child moves away from learning to read, her\u00a0knowledge and vocabulary should grow and her\u00a0reading should become more automatic<\/a>. But that doesn\u2019t always happen entirely on its own. You will need to be proactive to ensure that your child continues to grow as a reader and as a learner.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\"\"

Have your child read for 30 minutes every day.<\/h3>\r\n

Help your child choose reading material that is interesting to him, both fiction (such as great chapter books<\/a>) and nonfiction (such as kid-friendly magazines<\/a>). For more ideas, check out resources such as Honey for a Child's Heart<\/cite><\/a> by Gladys Hunt and IEW Book Recommendations<\/cite> (from IEW's free download page<\/a>).<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Work on building your child\u2019s vocabulary.<\/h3> \r\n\r\n

For most kids, reading and being read to are the best ways to do this. But for some great practical tips, be sure to check out this comprehensive article about building your child\u2019s vocabulary.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

What About Literature?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n

A study of literature is an important component of the \"Read to Learn\" stage, but for many kids, studying literature can easily become a \u201cdrag.\u201d Remember, your goal during the \"Read to Learn\" stage is to encourage reading and to help your child continue to develop fluency and confidence, so it\u2019s important to let your child be drawn into the joy of reading.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\"\"

How do you make a study of literature more interesting? Here are a few ideas.<\/p>\r\n