What can I do to help my child read?
My child seems to memorize the words. Is that OK?
What else should we read?
How do I choose books to read?
Should my child use his/her finger to point to the words?
Should I cover up the pictures?
What do I do when my child doesn't know a word?
Should I make my child sound out the words?
What other strategies can we use?
Should I make my child sound out the words?
Proficient Readers
Before Reading...
Understand that reading is a process to make meaning.
Build up their background knowledge on the subject before they
begin to
read.
Use their background knowledge as they read.
Know their purpose for reading.
Strive for fluency (conversational-like reading).
Ineffective readers...
Think of reading only as decoding--one word at a time.
Do not expect reading to make sense.
Start reading without thinking about the topic, the language, or
the
structure of the text.
Do not know why they are reading.
During reading proficient readers...
Give their complete attention to the reading task.
Keep a constant check on their own understanding.
Adjust their reading rate to match purpose and reading material.
Monitor their reading comprehension and do it so often it becomes
automatic.
Can match their reading strategies to a variety of reading
materials.
Ineffective readers...
Stop only to use a fix-up strategy when they do not understand.
Do not know whether they understand or do not understand.
Do not understand the concept of varying reading rates.
Do not monitor their own comprehension.
Lose their place often.
Seldom use any of the fix-up strategies.
They do not self-monitor: Asking does what I just read make
sense, sound
right, and look right?
After reading proficient readers...
Decide if they have achieved their goal for reading.
Respond personally and critically to what they read by making
connections
text/self; text/text; or text/real world.
Evaluate their own comprehension of what they read.
Summarize the major ideas.
Seek additional information from outside sources.
Ask questions.
Ineffective readers...
Do not know what they have read.
Are unable to respond critically to what they have read, although
they may
have a limited personal response.
Do not follow reading with comprehension self-check.
(Adapted from Irvin, 1990, p. 29)
What can I do to help my child read?
Read to and listen to your child every day.
Praise your child for bringing books home from school.
Look at all the pictures first.
Make predictions about what will happen next.
After reading the story, discuss what happened.
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My child seems to memorize the words.
Is that OK?
☺ Memorizing is a natural part of a child�s early reading
development.
☺ Memorize nursery rhymes.
☺ Repeat phrases and match print to words.
☺ Memorizing builds fluency and helps reading
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What else should we read?
Reading is not just a bedtime story!
Cereal boxes
Store signs
Road signs
Bills
Grocery lists
Label things around the house.
Appliances
Furniture
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How do I choose books to read?
Go to your public library.
Go to the Brushy Creek Library with your student.
Read the books sent from your child�s teacher.
Choose books with pictures to support the story.
Match your child's (and your) interests.
For beginning readers, large print with only a few lines on a
page.
STOP! and use the 5 finger rule when you choose a book!
Read a page in the middle of the book. Put up one finger for
every chunk you have.
l0 fingers- too easy
1-3 fingers-just right !
4-5 fingers- quite hard
5+ fingers- too hard for now
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Should my child use his/her finger to point to the words?
Pointing to words (tracking) is one of the first strategies that
we teach.
This helps a child look at the words and focus on the sounds and
letters.
Even adults will sometimes finger point when the text gets
harder.
Soon your child will learn to point with his eyes or to use a
bookmark.
We try to drop the finger point by the time our students are
reading level 5 books. This helps with fluency.
Have your child look at the pictures for clues.
Check the first letter, say the sound, and make a guess. What
about ending
sounds?
Ask the child to see if the guess makes sense, looks right and
sounds right.
Re-read and make another attempt.
If your child tries and still struggles after 5 seconds, tell
him/her the word.
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Should I cover up the pictures?
No! Looking at pictures is a strategy that good readers use.
Pictures are a clue.
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What do I do when my child doesn't know a word?
Have your child look at the pictures for clues.
Check the first letter, say the sound, and make a guess. What
about ending sounds?
Ask the child to see if the guess makes sense, looks right and
sounds right.
Re-read and make another attempt.
If your child tries and still struggles after 5 seconds tell
him/her the word.
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Should I make my child sound out the words?
We now say stretch out instead of sound out. Knowing the sounds a
letter makes is important. Sounding out each individual letter or
word is tedious and no fun!
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What other strategies can we use?
Read words in context, not in isolation.
Read books with predictable rhymes or patterns and lots of
pictures. (Dr.Seuss, Brown Bear, Brown Bear)
Have your child search through the whole word. (or play Guess the
Covered Word)
Look for word patterns. (cat to mat to matter)
Check for prefixes and suffixes. (un-, -ful)
Does what I read make sense?
Does it look right? Fit the letter patterns?
Does it sound right?
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Now what if my child still does not have letter-sound
identification?
Letter-sound knowledge is very important! They can't move on to
reading or writing without knowing letters and the sounds they
make.
Use alphabet books.
Make flashcards with a letter and corresponding picture.
Put magnetic letters on the refrigerator.
Practice and read to your child at home.