Parent Tips
Supporting Literacy at Home
Reading Reminders
GRades K-1
Read slowly, with expression. Try using different voices for different characters.
Follow the words with your finger as you read. Your child will see that words are read from the left to the right of the page.
Point to the pictures and say the names of objects and colors.
Have your child help turn the pages.
Ask your child to describe pictures, repeat phrases used in the story, and predict what will happen next.
Take time to answer his/her questions.
Read a variety of books. Continue reading favorites, but don’t be afraid to try new stories.
Grades 2-3
Take turns reading paragraphs or entire pages.
Help your child with words he/she has trouble reading. Ask him/her what word would make sense in the story, or supply the correct word so she can move on and read the rest of the sentence.
Be encouraging. Tell your child he/she is doing a good job.
Talk about the book as you read together. Ask questions that allow your child to express their ideas and opinions.
Grades 4-5
Read short sections of books or articles aloud to catch your child’s attention. Encourage your child to read the rest on his/her own.
Call your child’s attention to an illustration or photo on the cover of a book or magazine. Ask what he/she thinks about it.
Encourage your child to read the book or article, and then discuss it with them.
Encourage your child to reads aloud to younger brothers, sisters, cousins, or family friends. All children will benefit.
Comprehension Questions to ask
At first, ask your child the "in the text questions." Once they have mastered those questions, then ask them the more complex "in my head" questions to help them grow as a reader.
In The Text Questions
These are questions that your child can look back in the text to find the answer. Encourage your child to "go on a hunt" to locate the answer to help them formulate their response.
Who...?
What...?
Where...?
When...?
How...?
Retell...
Summarize...
Compare and Contrast...
Give an example of...
In My Head
These are questions that require your child to use their background knowledge and what they have read to make an inference. Remember to ask them why they came to that conclusion.
Predict what will...
Do you agree/disagree that...?
Why did the author write....?
Did you know...
Have you ever...
How would you feel if...
Essential Components of Reading
Please click on the link at the bottom of the description of each component to obtain more information about that aspect of literacy.
Phonemic Awareness
Phonemes, the smallest units making up spoken language, combine to form syllables and words. Phonemic awareness refers to the student’s ability to focus on and manipulate these phonemes in spoken syllables and words. According to the National Reading Panel, teaching phonemic awareness to children significantly improves their reading more than instruction that lacks any attention to phonemic awareness.
Phonics
Phonics is the relationship between the letters (or letter combinations) in written language and the individual sounds in spoken language. Phonics instruction teaches students how to use these relationships to read and spell words. The National Reading Panel indicated that systematic phonics instruction enhances children’s success in learning to read, and it is significantly more effective than instruction that teaches little or no phonics.
Fluency
Fluent readers are able to read orally with appropriate speed, accuracy, and proper expression. Fluency is the ability to read as well as we speak and to make sense of the text without having to stop and decode each word. The National Reading Panel’s research findings concluded that guided oral reading and repeated oral reading had a significant and positive impact on word recognition, reading fluency, and comprehension in students of all ages.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary development is closely connected to comprehension. The larger the reader’s vocabulary (either oral or print), the easier it is to make sense of the text. According to the National Reading Panel, vocabulary can be learned incidentally through storybook reading or listening to others, and vocabulary should be taught both directly and indirectly. Students should be actively engaged in instruction that includes learning words before reading, repetition and multiple exposures, learning in rich contexts, incidental learning, and use of computer technology.
Comprehension
Comprehension is the complex cognitive process readers use to understand what they have read. Vocabulary development and instruction play a critical role in comprehension. The National Reading Panel determined that young readers develop text comprehension through a variety of techniques, including answering questions (quizzes) and summarization (retelling the story).