Zac the Rat and Other Stories
The drop in literacy levels among secondary school kids in Ireland causes some concern. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s latest Programme for International Student Assessment, the reading ability of Ireland’s 15-year-olds was ranked only 17th out of the 39 countries that were studied. Ten years ago, this figures placed Ireland as the fifth nation for literacy skills among this age group. However these new figures should not cause alarm, since they could be affected by the influx of large numbers of pupils into the Irish education system, who do not speak English as their first language.
For Tipperary parents of very young children, note the reading of books aloud is one of the best ways you can help your child learn to read and this can also be fun for you. The more excitement you show when you read a book, the more your child will enjoy it. If you are looking for a fun way to start your child reading or to help your child to improve his/her reading skills, look no further than Zac the Rat and Other Tales.
Zac the Rat and Other Tales is a new set of books currently being hailed by Irish primary teachers, that make learning to read, learning letters, phonics and high frequency words, a fun experience for both parents and young children alike. These books comprise witty story lines and a whole host of quirky characters that will capture your children’s complete imagination.
The most important thing to remember is to let your children set their own reading pace and have fun learning.
Do The Following When Reading To Your Children
Use funny voices and animal noises. This will help your child get excited about the story.
If your child asks a question, do stop and answer it. The book being read may help your child to express his/her thoughts and begin the process of learning to solve their own problems.
Stop to talk about the pictures and ask your child to name things he/she sees in the pictures. Talk about how the pictures relate to the story.
Invite your child to join in whenever there is a repeated phrase in the text.
Keep reading to your child even after he/she learns to read.
Remember introducing your children to the world of books at an early age, gives them an enormous advantage and helps them to settle in more easily, when eventually they start at school.
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