First Grade Reading Tips

First Grade Reading Tips

Give your child lots of opportunities to read aloud. Inspire your young Readers to practice every day! The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week.

See what works best for your child.

■ Don’t leave home without it.

Bring along a book or magazine any time your

child has to wait, such as at a doctor’s office.

Always try to fit in reading!

■ Once is not enough.

Encourage your child to re-read favorite books

and poems. Re-reading helps kids read more

quickly and accurately.

■ Dig deeper into the story.

Ask your child questions about the story you've

just read. Say something like, “Why do you think

Clifford did that?”

■ Take control of the television.

It’s difficult for reading to compete with

TV and video games. Encourage reading as a

free-time activity.

■ Be patient.

When your child is trying to sound out an

unfamiliar word, give him or her time to do so.

Remind your child to look closely at the first

letter or letters of the word.

■ Pick books that are at the right level.

Help your child pick books that are not too

difficult. The aim is to give your child lots of

successful reading experiences.

■ Play word games.

Have your child sound out the word as you

change it from mat to fat to sat; from sat to sag to

sap; and from sap to sip.

■ I read to you, you read to me.

Take turns reading aloud at bedtime. Kids enjoy

this special time with their parents.

■ Gently correct your young reader.

When your child makes a mistake, gently point

out the letters he or she overlooked or read

incorrectly. Many beginning readers will guess

wildly at a word based on its first letter.

■ Talk, talk, talk!

Talk with your child every day about school and

things going on around the house. Sprinkle some

interesting words into the conversation, and

build on words you’ve talked about in the past.

■ Write, write, write!

Ask your child to help you write out the grocery

list, a thank you note to Grandma, or to keep

a journal of special things that happen at home.

When writing, encourage your child to use the

letter and sound patterns he or she is learning

at school.

Visit www.ReadingRockets.org for more information on

how you can launch a child into a bright future through reading.

for parents of

First Graders

Reading Rockets is a project of public television station WETA, and is funded by the U.S. Department of Education,

Office of Special Education Programs.

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