A New Michigan Reading Law

Doug Scheer, Scheer Assemblies, Reading, Michigan Reading Law, Doug Scheer Reading Assembly, Scheer Genius Reading Assembly

There’s a new Michigan Reading Law that you need to know about.

Back in 2016 the Michigan legislature voted on a new law that goes into effect this school year. Starting in the 2019-2020 year, all third graders must pass a state reading test in order to move on to fourth grade. Of course, every parent and teacher wants their students to be successful in school, so we’ve put together a few tips to set kids on the road to reading success. Moms and dads know that spending quality time with your child is the easiest way to show love and reading is a great way to do it.

Set aside some reading time.

  • Read out loud to your child.
  • Listen as they read aloud to you
  • Echo read (that means you read a line then they repeat it)
  • Read together at the same time
  • Reread and retell favorite stories.
  • Have you child recap a story in their own words once a book in finished.

Talk to your child about reading

  • Ask your child to share their favorite parts of the story.
  • Ask your child what part of the story made them feel happy, worried, scared, or excited.
  • Connect the stories you read to personal experiences in their life. Ask your student if they can identify with the main character in some way. Ask if they understand a character’s feelings (have empathy).
  • Ask your child if the story you just finished reminds them of another story. Read that one too to find the similarities and differences.
  • Don’t be afraid to use big words around little kids. Exposing them to a wider vocabulary will help with reading success.

Encourage your child to write

  • Encourage your older kids to keep a journal. And encourage your younger children to write the sounds they hear. Proper spelling is a developmental process that takes time. Don’t stress out your kids by correcting their spelling. That will come with time.

In our reading assembly shows, Adventures in Reading and The Magic Bookshelf, we always tell the students that if they don’t like reading, that’s only because they haven’t found the right book yet. With literally millions of books to chose from, students need to keep searching for genres and books they love.

Our two reading and language arts assembly shows for elementary schools make reading fun. We tell kids that most movies started out as books, so if they love movies they will love books even more. Be sure to schedule a reading show for your March is Reading Month celebration early so you can get the best dates. By mid February every year, our calendar sells out and we barely even travel much outside Southeast Michigan and northern Ohio. Learn more about our reading shows by clicking the link below.