THE NEED TO READ, 4TH GRADE THROUGH 8TH GRADE In middle school, children no longer are learning to read; they are reading to learn. It is essential to keep your child excited and motivated about reading because testing and writing become more important during these years. Children who read have been shown to score higher on standardized tests and do better in school overall. The more a child reads, the better he will be at writing clearly and creatively, and understanding the themes in assigned material. Although it may seem difficult to encourage technology-minded middle schoolers to trade a video game for a book, the growing need to read makes this more important every day. One way to encourage your child to read is to set up a reading area in your house. Fill a room with comfortable chairs, good lighting and plenty of interesting reading materials. Don’t necessarily make this room double as a homework room; if your child associates it with humdrum school assignments, he will be less likely to perceive the room as fun and relaxing. Provide a range of reading materials, including reference books and history to biography and fiction. Allow your child to choose his own reading material. Because the amount of reading for school is much heavier in middle school than in grade school, don’t pressure your child to read something you think is academically enriching. Let him find reading materials that he can be enthusiastic about; the more comfortable he becomes with reading for pleasure, the more often he will turn to challenging books on his own. Don’t give up on reading aloud. Just because a middle school-aged child might be too big to sit with you and read a book doesn’t mean that he is too big for reading aloud all together. Reading aloud helps your child understand context and gain a better grasp of the way in which words fit and flow. Encourage your child to read aloud to a younger sibling or neighbor—not only will they love the attention, but they will get valuable reading skills as well. Expand your child’s mental dictionary. Vocabulary has become a huge part of the skills your child will need. Middle schoolers can pick up good vocabulary skills through reading, but it also is fun to play word games. As your child’s vocabulary expands, games like Scrabble and Boggle are great for building your child’s database of difficult words. Plus, these games are a great way for the whole family to get involved in language building! 4-8 Reading Worksheet: Here are two recommended books for middle schoolers and some related study questions. Holes by Louis Sachar How does Stanley change during the course of the book? How do the nicknames for the boys at Camp Greenlake reflect their personalities? How does the Warden compare to villains in other movies and books? The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo How does Rob cope with things he cannot change throughout the story? What is the significance of some of the objects Rob whittles? What part does weather play in the story?