Dear St. Joseph Families,

Do you read with your child? If you do, you are doing one of the most important things for a young mind! For one, it is great bonding time. I realize that that the more children you have, the more of a challenge it can be. My wife and I have always shared this responsibility. Finding a book to share with our children has always been fun. It’s even part of our holiday traditions. Second, reading with your child helps them in learning vocabulary and increases their comprehension. Studies have shown that by reading for 20 minutes each day, a student can be exposed to nearly 2 million words in a year. If you are not doing so, then do so.

We have an incredible and new program for our students this year known as Beanstack. Many of our students are tracking their reading minutes and number of books. Some are doing it because SJS has put in place some incentives for them to do well. What we are seeing is that many are reading for the joy of reading itself- an amazing trait for any child to possess.

Please continue to encourage your child to read for at least 20 minutes each night. Sure, they need to get to the backyard and get all the sillies out before getting to the supper table. With that, many parents often speak about homework time and family time. Reading is something that should be done regardless of our opinions on work load. Whether its the 8 hours a child is at school or the time that a child is at home, kids should take time to read. Whether at aftercare, while at big brother or big sister’s soccer practice, or simply right after bedtime prayer, encourage them to pick up a book and read it.

What book will your child read this week? Pick a good one! St. Joseph, pray for us.

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Falcon News, 92324