Here you will find lots of information about how to help first grade students become better readers. There are lots of ideas and games.

So let's get started reading........

Is This Book Right For Me?

Ask yourself these questions. If your answer is YES, the book is probably:

Too Easy Have you read it lots of times before? Do you understand the story very well? Do you know almost every word? Can you read it smoothly?

Just Right Is the book new to you? Do you understand a lot of the book? Are there just a few words a page you don't know? When you read, are some places smooth some choppy?

Too Hard Are there more than 5 words on a page you don't know? Are you confused about what is happening in most of this book? When you read, does it sound pretty choppy? Is everyone else busy and unable to help you?

Reading together can be fun as well as helpful if you follow some of the suggestions given here.

Reading for Meaning

Check for meaning by asking these questions:

• Did that make sense?
• Look at the pictures.
• What happened in the story when _ ?

Word Attack Skills

When your child comes to a word they don’t know, try some of these clues instead of giving them the word right away:

Ø Did that sound right?

Ø What sound/letter does it start with?

Ø Read through the word (Beginning/Middle/End)

Ø Point to the word.

Ø Before you give them a word, you should try saying the first sound for that word. If you START the word for them, they may finish it on their own!

Ø Can you reread that?

Ø What is another word that might fit here?

Praise them when they fix a word they've said incorrectly OR when they figure out a word on their own.

Self-Checking

It is important that your child should learn to check himself/herself as he/she is reading. Here are some suggestions to encourage self-checking:

v Why did you stop?

v Can you find the tricky part?

v Try that again.

v Are you right?

v How do you know?

Talk to Your Child About Books

SELF - this book reminds me of when I...

TEXT - this book reminds me of when I read the book (name a book it reminds you of)

WORLD - this book reminds me of something I heard on TV, saw on the internet, etc

Help your child "shop" for library books using Authors or Series

Encourage your child to read trade books (books from the library.)

Know their favorite author or series OR help them find one.

(see above: Is This Book Right For Me?)