AURORA, Colo. — Seeing an improvement in children's reading levels could be as simple as cracking open a book for at least 15 minutes per night, according to educators.
Reading for just a quarter of an hour each night can help children catch up to their grade level by a third of a year, according to the Education Leaders Guide to Reading Growth.
Tiffany Shelander is an education specialist at Dean Elementary School in Aurora, and her job is dedicated to making sure children are catching up to their reading level, especially with so many kids who are behind because of the impacts of virtual learning.
"So basically, most kids after the pandemic were at least a year and a half behind," Shelander said. "If you can have your kid read at least 15 minutes a night... That's like the magic number."
Shelander said there are ways to not only encourage children to read, but also make sure they are reading the right materials to help them grow:
- Make it a routine to read every night.
- Graphic novels and comic books work, too! As long as kids are reading something, it's beneficial.
- Use the "five-finger" rule. If a child doesn't recognize one to two words on the page, that's ideal. If they don't recognize five words, it's probably too difficult.