Helping your children to read and write at home will improve their skills and confidence—it will also make them get ready for learning in the classroom environment.
　    　 are needed by every child in every subject in every year of their life in or outside school. Students who improve their reading and writing skills will increase their vocabulary and their ability（能力）to use the English language correctly. As parents, you can play an important role in improving your children’s literacy（读写能力）. You can make a difference by listening, asking questions, giving information, and reading with your children outside school hours.
Here are 8 tips on how to help your children to read and write:
²  having everyday conversations with your children
²  trying to ask more “wh-” questions instead of easy “yes” or “no” questions
²  encouraging your children to talk about events you don’t know
²  reading to your children each night
²  listening to your children read
²  teaching your children how to use dictionaries
²  talking about your children’s writings
²  practicing filling in forms, writing letters, sending cards or emails
You can also encourage your children to join the Reading Challenge Club and discuss the books they are reading together. In the club, children must read 15 books from the Challenge book list and 5 more books chosen by themselves. There are over 1,000 books on the list. The reading must be done in one year. What’s more, it is a wonderful way to help your children to write. For example, you can encourage them to write diaries or book reviews. Remember to make positive comments as much as possible.
【小题1】This passage is mainly written for __________.