1. Help your child carefully point below each word as he/she reads.
2. Help your child use the beginning sound, picture clues and meaning to identify unknown words. “The picture can help.” “Make the first sound to get started.” “What makes sense?” If these strategies don’t work, please just tell your child the word so he/she can continue reading and enjoy the book.
3. Help your child find, identify and write sight words, such as I, can, see, the, like, my, and to. The words mentioned above are commonly found in books and children should learn to recognize them as they read.
4. Help your child make predictions about the stories you read together. What might happen next in the story?
5. Write a sentence about a story you have read together. You can guide your child to write one sentence about their favorite part of the book or something the book reminds them of.
6. Help your child make connections to the stories you read together. What does the story remind you of or makes you think of?
7. Create a “cut-up sentence” about a story that you have read with your child.

Read the sentence together and then cut the sentence into individual word cards. Mix the word cards up and then have your child put them back in order to create the original sentence.

8. Encourage your child to read smoothly and with expression.

9. Help your child express and then write an opinion about a book he/she has read.

• Do you enjoy the illustrations or story line?
• Can you relate to the main character?
• Does it remind you of something special?
• Did you learn something interesting from the book?
• Did you find it entertaining or funny?

10. Challenge your child to find interesting details in a book he/she is reading.