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English/Language Arts
Helping Kids Read: What Parents Can Do

If you are the parent of a grade-schooler:
  • Ask your child's teacher: Are children evaluated in kindergarten for reading? Is a school library of books available to students? Is students' work corrected and returned to them?
  • Make regular trips with your child to the public library so that he or she can pick out new books to read.
  • Be sure to have your child's eyesight and hearing checked every year.
If you are the parent of a middle-schooler:
  • Find out from your child's teacher the level on which your child is reading. If your child's reading below grade level, make sure that he or she gets the help needed.
  • Give your child a quiet, well-lit place to read and study.
  • Control the amount of TV and the types of shows that your child watches.
  • Ask the teacher how reading is taught in the classroom and what you as a parent can do at home to support your child's reading progress.
If you are the parent of a high-schooler:
  • Be sure you know your child's score on Maryland's ninth-grade English I and tenth-grade Reading standardized tests.
  • Check in with your child's teachers and guidance counselors to see if they see any problems.
  • Stay on top of your child's written homework.
  • Set a time every day for your child to study, with no TV and no visitors.
How do I contact the Office of English/Language Arts?
Office of English/Language Arts:
Supervisor: