“How much longer?”
“30 minutes”
“How long is that?”
“One episode of your TV show!”
“Okay!”
Kids may measure time in weird ways, but from a young age, they understand the value of time. When this realization hits, it can be difficult to get them slow down and practice school skills; but studies show if children read for just 15 minutes a day, it can greatly help children develop reading and school skills as well as vocabulary.
In a previous post, we discussed the importance of reading to children under the age of five – 15-minutes of reading daily with a child exposes them to thousands of words, closing that million-word gap.
As children get older and start to practice more advanced school skills, the benefits of 15 minutes a day practice remains the same.
“Countless studies have shown that students who practice academic skills for just 15 minutes a day show increased academic gains in the areas of math and literacy, especially when they are engaged.”
-Vanessa Maldonado, MSEd; MS Literacy Ed. K–12; Reading/LA Consultant Cert.; K–5 Literacy
These short bursts of skills practice help keep children engaged and provide a sense of accomplishment, helping motivate children to keep developing their skills. The key here is that it is practice. It is important to normalize mistakes or failures for children because this helps them be courageous and empowers them to take responsibility for their failures.
At Highlights, we believe we can help empower kids to try to something new, make mistakes, and be great! Developed with teachers, our new 15 Minutes a Day to School Success workbooks encourage children to practice their school skills in short bursts that are motivating and rewarding. This series includes 30 titles spanning from grade preK to grade 1 that are quick to start and easy to keep going. Kids won’t even realize the time it takes!
