Reading tips for parents

What to Do Before You Read

* Remember the main purpose of reading is to gain meaning, not just sound out words. Use these strategies to help....

1. Take a "picture walk" through the book. Look at the pictures and talk about what might happen in the story. Talk about the charcters you see, where the story takes place, etc. make some predictions about the book from what you see and what you already know about the things in the story. Pictures help developing readers make sense of the words and understand the words better.

2. Help your child think out loud. Make connections from the book to your own life, other books that you've read, or something you know about. Successful readers rely on their prior knowledge to help them make sense of the print.

3. Look at he features of the book-the cover, the title page, dedication page, the author's name. etc.

**Remember to keep enjoyment and spending time together your first priority when reading with your child!!

What to Do While You Read

*Remember the main purpose of reading is to gain meaning, not just sound out words-use these strategies to help...

1. Model reading strategies such as pointing to words as you read, rereading a word/sentence to clarify what it means, reading left to right and them returning back to the left to read the next line, etc.

2. Point out to your child words that start the same, rhyming words, big/little words, words that start with letters your child knows, little words "hiding" in big words, etc.

3. Think out loud about what the story reminds you of in your own life, another book or story you've heard, something that happened . Connecting what you read to what you know is a powerful comprehension strategy.

4. Stop at certain parts of the story to talk about and reflect on what has happened, what might happen, etc. Talk about why a character did what he/she did, how they might feel, etc.

What to Do When the Book is Through...

* Remember the main purpose of reading is to gain meaning, not just sound out words-use these strategies to help...

1. Talk about your child's like/dislike of a book. What was their favorite part? What was their least favorite part? Favorite/Least favorite character?

2. Dramatize parts of the story. Make puppets or masks of the characters and simple props. Draw a background or setting too.

3. Adapt the story by rewriting the ending (i.e. "Did Goldilocks really run out the door or did the bears invite her to stay and talk about her manners?"). Dramatize or draw a picture of your new ending.

4. Compare the book to others you've read. If your child really likes the book, look for others written by the same author or others about the same subject.

5. Write a "book report" by drawing your favorite part of the story and writing a few lines to summarize it. Give it to a friend or family member to encourage them to read it!

6. Go back and find letters/words you know. Find rhyming words, big words, etc;

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