Questions about Reading? You've come to the right place!
Reading fluency is the ability to read text at the appropriate pace (not too fast and not too slow), the appropriate phrasing, with appropriate expression. Being a fluent reader is essential to reading success. A fluent reader usually has an easier time understanding what he/she reads.Back to Top
How can I help my child with fluency?
There are many fun activities to increase fluency. One of my favorite fluency activities is performing reader's theater. Look on my links page to find lots of readers theater scripts. Another way to increase fluency to read poetry. Reading silly or serious poems are a great way to express yourself and become a more fluent reader in the process! Repeated readings are a great way to increase fluency as well. Pick a short passage and have your child read the passage aloud up to four times (not all in one day!!) You can also use a book for repeated readings. For example, ask your child to read what a character said, read the most exciting part of the story, read the part you like best, read the most surprising part of the story, read the part you think your best friend would like, etc.Back to Top
Vocabulary: How many words should my child know?
It's amazing to know that the English language has the largest vocabulary of all the languages in the world with 600,000 to 1,000,000 words. By the time a student reaches 9th grade, they must learn over 88,000 words!Back to Top
How can I increase my child's vocabulary?
1. Provide opportunities for your child to read many types of materials that are of interest to them including: books, magazines, newspapers, comic books, etc. 2. Build your child's experiential background (their mental museum) by exploring their community, museums, traveling, etc. A family picnic or a visit to the city are great opportunities to increase vocabulary.Back to Top
What is QAR? How can I help my students with QAR?
QAR stands for Question Answer Relationship. I use QAR strategies to help empower the students to know what to do when they are asked a reading related question. The two types of QAR questions are divided into two main categories: In the book and In my head. If the answer is "in the book" that means that they should be able to look in the text and find the exact answer. The two kinds of "in the book" questions are "Right There" and Think and Search" A "right there" question is something that can be answered by looking in one place. A "think and search" is found in the text, but the student may have to look in several places to find the answer. The two types of "in my head" questions are "Author and Me" and "Think and Search". Author and me questions are those that are not explicitly answered in the text, but a student must still read the story to answer the question. For example, "Predict what will happen next in the story" or "Is this story fiction or non-fiction" The answer to these questions cannot be found in the text, but the student must read the text to answer the questions. The other type of "in my head" question is called "on my own". An "on my own" question is one that can be answered without reading the text at all. For example, "Have you ever felt lonely before?" This question may relate to the text, but the student does not need to read the text in order to answer the question. If you'd like to encourage your students with QAR, check their reading homework. Ask them to identify which types of questions are being asked, OR have them create their own questions from QAR categories.Back to Top