Fun with Movies

Books are usually better than movies because our imaginations can paint more vivid pictures than cameras can and because books usually include more details than time will permit in movies. For these reasons, I think it is fun to read the book version with my children first and then watch the movie together. This opens up some interesting conversations about which parts they liked better in the book and which in the movie. What parts were left out of the movie that they wished had been included? What parts did they add to movie which weren't in the book? Were the scenes set-up how you imagined them? So when you have the chance, enjoy the movie more by enjoying the book first!

How to Start a Chapter Book

When reading a chapter book as a family, take a couple of minutes to really study the first paragraph or first five or six lines of text before reading the rest of the chapter. Authors deliberately state important information at the beginnings of chapters. This information, if examined, will prove helpful in understanding the text more fully. Discuss the content of the paragraph and why the author might be telling the reader this particular information. Make some predictions about what will happen in this chapter. Using this strategy will help each reader to gain a better understanding of the chapter.