(NAPSA)—Studies show that proficient reading skills are crucial to academic success. Yet twothirds of eighth graders do not read at the “proficient” level, according to the 2011 Nation’s Report Card, a report commissioned by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). “Building a literacy-rich environment at home can truly build lifelong readers and lead to success in school and in life,” said Francie Alexander, chief academic officer at Scholastic. “Reading at homeis a great way for families to take time out of doing ‘homework’ and turn reading into ‘homefun.’” Parents can help prepare their children for success in theclassroom by following a few tips on how to encourage reading outside of school every day: Make reading a social event: Family book clubs can be a great way to turn reading into a social activity while incorporating family and friends. Let your kids have a say: Let kids choose which books they want to read. Nine out of 10 children say they are more likely to finish books they choose themselves, according to Scholastic’s 2010 Kids & Family Reading Report. Start the day right: Breakfast can help kids boost their academic performance by increasing their focus. Before heading out the door for school, have a complete breakfast. Cereal, fruit and milk is a convenient option that kids love. Reading can be a fun family experience during afterschool snacktime. Turn reading into a fun family experience: Add fun to reading by having an animated, read-out-loud session during an afterschool break with snacks such as Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars or curling up with a great story before bedtime. Get a great start: Kellogg’s and Scholastic are teaming up to help families get a great start to each and every school day by providing a coupon for free Scholastic books valued up to $5 with the purchase of two specially marked Kelloge’s products at Walmart. To get a coupon and for full offer details, visit www.Kelloggs FamilyRewards.com/Scholastic and enter the codes insideparticipating boxes of Kelloge’s products. The coupon can be redeemed on the Scholastic online store. To further encourage in-home reading, parents can access free reading resources at www.scholastic. com/readeveryday as part of Scholastie’s Read Every Dayliteracy campaign.
