11

Preschool Through Grade Three

A FAMILY BOOK

ABOUT READING

Dreams

Big

Preschool Through Grade Three
2
1

I want my child to read.

I want my child to be a reader.

I want my child to have big dreams.

And I want those dreams to come true. 

How can I help my child learn to read?
2

I show her that 

reading matters.

I help her find books she likes.

She sees me read.

We go to the library together.

We write letters to her cousins and spell out all the words.

We read before bed every night.

4

We talk a lot.

I talk to her about what we’re doing.

I ask about her day.

She asks me about the world.

I tell her what I know.

We spend

time together.

6

I help him hear 

the sounds in words

when we talk.

I help him hear how baby and bubble start with the same sound. 

I help him hear that kitten and mitten rhyme. 

We sing songs. We say nursery rhymes. 

He is getting ready to read.

I am helping him.

8

We start with ant and go all the way to zebra. 

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ.

We look for letters everywhere.

We say their names 

and the sounds they make. 

We practice writing all the letters.

I help her 

learn the ABCs.

10

I teach my children that things have names.

I teach them the colors, the foods we eat.

I teach them the animals and the kinds of weather.

I teach them walk, run, jump, fly.

I teach them is, was, and will be.

I help them know 

what words mean.

12

He reads his favorite book out loud. 

I read it too. We take turns.

He reads it over and over. I don’t mind. 

He reads until the words sound right.

I say, “Great job reading!”

I help him 

practice reading.

14

I help him 

understand 

what he reads.

I say, “Tell me about the story. 

What happened?

Who did what? Why?

How did it end?”

We talk about it. 

I say, “What do you think 

about the story?” 

And I listen.

16

Reading can help 

our dreams come true.

I show her that reading matters.

We spend time together.

I help him hear the sounds in words when we talk.

I help her learn the ABCs.

I help them know what words mean. 

I help him practice reading.

I help him understand what he reads.
This publication was developed, written, and designed by

RMC Research Corporation under a contract with the

Partnership for Reading at the National Institute for

Literacy .The views expressed herein do not necessarily

represent the policies of the National Institute for Literacy.

No official endorsement by the National Institute for

Literacy of any product, commodity, or enterprise in this

publication is intended or should be inferred.

The National Institute for Literacy, an agency in the

Federal government, is authorized to help strengthen

literacy across the lifespan. The Institute works to provide

national leadership on literacy issues, including the

improvement of reading instruction for children, youth,

and adults by sharing information on scientifically based

research. 

Sandra Baxter, Director

Lynn Reddy, Deputy Director

The Partnership for Reading, a project administered by

the National Institute for Literacy, is a collaborative effort

of the National Institute for Literacy, the National

Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the

U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services to make scientifically

based reading research available to educators, parents,

policy makers, and others with an interest in helping all

people learn to read well.

Written by Elizabeth Goldman and C. Ralph Adler, design

by Lisa T. Noonis, and production by Robert Kozman of

RMC Research Corporation.

2006

This Partnership for Reading publication describes

strategies proven to work by the most rigorous scientific

research available on the teaching of reading. The

research that confirmed the effectiveness of these

strategies used systematic, empirical methods drawn from

observation or experiment; involved rigorous data

analyses to test its hypotheses and justify its conclusions;

produced valid data across multiple evaluators and

observations; and was accepted by a peer-reviewed journal

or approved by a panel of independent experts. The

application of these research-based strategies will increase

the likelihood of success in reading instruction.

Adherence to scientifically based research in this

publication was ensured by a review process that included

representatives of each Partnership for Reading

organization and external expert reviewers. For detailed

information on this review process, contact the National

Institute for Literacy, 1775 I Street NW, Suite 730,

Washington,DC 20006.

For additional copies of this booklet, download PDF or

HTML versions at www.nifl.gov. To order print copies,

contact the National Institute for Literacy at ED Pubs, PO

Box 1398, Jessup, Maryland 20794-1398. Call 1-800-228-

8813 or email edpubs@inet.ed.gov