Bring your child to the library to pick out a few books related to her special interest area. Maybe she is really excited to learn about animals, how to conduct a science experiment, cars, sports, or famous people. Have your child read books based on the same topic, and talk about what your child learned. Ask your child what she learned about and what possible jobs someone could have related to that topic. Also, you could ask, “What are you still curious about learning?”
Encourage your child to make connections to other books he has read. Ask, “Does the character in this book remind you of another book you read?” “Can you think of another book that had a similar problem? How did the characters solve a problem in that book? Do you think this book will have a similar solution?”
Enjoy a creative art project with your child based on a book she has read. For example, first, ask your child to paint a “picture” in her mind about a scene from her book. Then have your child describe the scene to you. This is called visualizing a story, and it is a great reading strategy that helps students remember and understand what they read. Then draw or paint a picture together of that scene. Finally, have your child give the picture a title and put it on display.
Remind your child that there are many different types of text he can read such as fiction (made up story) and non-fiction (story based on facts). Also, tell him that he might be reading a science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, realistic fiction, biography, folktale, poem, informational poem, or non-fiction text. Ask him, “What type of text are you reading? How do you know?” Point out the different text features that might provide your child with some clues such as the title, table of contents, headings, the author’s writing style, how the words are printed on the page, the back cover summary, or events in the story versus a description of facts.
Book Suggestions (Classic and Contemporary) for Third Graders:
