As your child gets into reading longer chapter books it becomes more of a challenge for them to remember all the important details. It is important for them to read the book in its entirety but at the same time how do they remember All those important details?

For some kids assigning a book report for a longer chapter book can be daunting, and a bit overwhelming. We want to share an easy and simple way to help your child remember the IMPORTANT details for their book report while still enjoying their chapter book. 

Highlighters are the Key Tool! 

You will want to give your child a few different colored highlighters. 

Assign a color to a specific type of information:

• Details pertaining to the main character’s early/childhood years may be in YELLOW. 
• Details pertaining to a the main character’s later/adult years may be in GREEN.
• Details pertaining to the problem of the story may be in RED. 

Give them an index card with these details/ color codes as a reminder while they are reading their book. It is important to have them highlight the “most important” details in the story related to the criteria required. (You may need to model and explain this in more detail.)  After each reading session you may need to review their “highlighted” details to be sure they are on the right track! 

You will find that highlighting in the different colors will give your younger student a quick reference to their details when writing their report. This tip minimizes the “search” for details that can be frustrating for such a young student. 

We hope you and especially your child finds this tip helpful! Let us know your thoughts! Happy Reading! 

Yolanda Coleman is a proud mom of 3 young children. She is a certified teacher that founded Team Tutor, a private educational firm that serves Pre-K through College students all throughout the Delaware Valley. Team Tutor's mission is provide the highest quality of individualized tutoring, test prep and enrichment programs. Team Tutor offers weekly tips and educational resources on their blog (http://www.yourteamtutor.com/blog) for students, parents and teachers alike.