Reading Tips
Learning to read is one of the most important skills your child will learn this year. Here are a few suggestions you can try that might be helpful for supporting your budding reader at home.
Learning to read is one of the most important skills your child will learn this year. Here are a few suggestions you can try that might be helpful for supporting your budding reader at home.
Before you start:
Before you start:
*Make reading a cozy event. Help your child find a comfortable, distraction free space.
*Make reading a cozy event. Help your child find a comfortable, distraction free space.
*Try to make reading time consistant each day.
*Try to make reading time consistant each day.
*Ask your child to take look at the cover and make a guess about what the book might be about.
*Ask your child to take look at the cover and make a guess about what the book might be about.
*Encourage your child to make personal connections with the subject. Does it remind him/her about something he/she knows or experienced?
*Encourage your child to make personal connections with the subject. Does it remind him/her about something he/she knows or experienced?
*Encourage him/her to look at the pictures in the book even before trying to read the words and talk about what's he/she sees.
*Encourage him/her to look at the pictures in the book even before trying to read the words and talk about what's he/she sees.
As your child reads:
As your child reads:
Here are a few prompts you can try if your child is stuck on a word.
Here are a few prompts you can try if your child is stuck on a word.
* Did that make sense?
* Did that make sense?
* Look at the pictures
* Look at the pictures
* What happened in the story when ______?
* What happened in the story when ______?
* What do you think it might mean?
* What do you think it might mean?
* Can you re-read this?
* Can you re-read this?
* Did that sound right?
* Did that sound right?
* Can you say it another way?
* Can you say it another way?
* What is another word that might fit here?
* What is another word that might fit here?
* Does it look right?
* Does it look right?
* What sound/letter does it start with?
* What sound/letter does it start with?
* What would you expect to see at the beginning, middle, end?
* What would you expect to see at the beginning, middle, end?
* Point to the words.
* Point to the words.
* Did that match?
* Did that match?
* Can you point to _____?
* Can you point to _____?
* Can you find ____________?
* Can you find ____________?
* How did you know that word was ____________?
* How did you know that word was ____________?
* Is there another way to tell?
* Is there another way to tell?
* It could be ______ but look at _________
* It could be ______ but look at _________
Afterwards:
Afterwards:
*Talk with your child about how the story/words might make him/her think about something in her/his experience or another book.
*Talk with your child about how the story/words might make him/her think about something in her/his experience or another book.
*With longer stories, encourage your child to try to retell the beginning, middle and end.
*With longer stories, encourage your child to try to retell the beginning, middle and end.
*Have fun talking about events, characters, problems from the story.
*Have fun talking about events, characters, problems from the story.
*Remember that continuing to reading aloud to your child during this time is just as important
*Remember that continuing to reading aloud to your child during this time is just as important
as her/his own attempts. Reading aloud allows your child to continue to develop vocabulary and comprehension skills.
as her/his own attempts. Reading aloud allows your child to continue to develop vocabulary and comprehension skills.