1) Be a reader. Keep reading materials nearby. If you do most of your reading on devices, share your screen and read aloud. If you order books for your child, order one for yourself as well. Have Silent Sustained Reading (everybody reads silently for a specific amount of time) while waiting in the car, after cleaning the kitchen, when all the Saturday chores are done, etc.
2) Encourage choice. Place a basket near your child's bed. Allow your child to choose what books will go into the basket. Your child's basket collection may include books that are too difficult, books that are too easy, and books that are read time and again. Thatʻs a great collection! Search for books about an interest you know your child has. Share a new book and ask your keiki to read it and tell you what he/she thought of it. Is it "basket worthy"?
3) Keep a consistent family reading time. Take turns choosing the family read aloud. Use that time to laugh, share, wonder, and in any other way enjoy the time and book as a family.
4) Make reading time a time to talk and enjoy one another. Research shows that children become great readers because they acquire more language given a daily reading time with adults. And, the children who become great readers point to the talking and sharing during family time as the most important and memorable feature of reading time at home.
5) Use reading wisely. Donʻt use reading as a punishment, instead use reading to reconnect to the family rather than correct poor behavior.
That's great! Hereʻs why:
Children often want to read what their friends or older siblings are reading. Sharing books and hearing others make recommendations is a great way for all readers to look forward to specific authors, titles, and types of reading material. These are the habits of confident readers. We want our young readers to learn and practice these habits.
Sometimes they want to learn more about a topic, but can't find a book with the information they want, at a level they can understand independently. This motivation to learn more about an interesting topic can also encourage them to use different strategies as they problem-solve their way through higher level books.
Sometimes young readers choose titles based on covers. Flashy, funny, or dramatic pictures and titles can capture a young reader's imagination and draw them to a book that may be beyond their understanding. The great thing about this is it means they are ready to learn how to choose books in other ways.
Here are some things you can do:
Start a list: One thing older confident readers do is they keep a list of books/materials they would like to read. You can start this early by encouraging your young reader to write down the titles he/she would like to read.
Read it with your child: Ask your keiki if you can read a challenging book together, and let your reader decide what that might look like. You might take turns, read the captions, or end up reading the whole thing out loud. Whatever way is chosen, your child will have enjoyed the many benefits of reading a self-chosen book with you.
Check in with your reader: For some children, books that are beyond their skills when they start the book, often become the books that make them a stronger reader. Let your reader decide if the book is interesting enough to work through. Check in periodically to see if there is enjoyment and satisfaction. If not, assure your reader that it is perfectly fine to set aside a book to go back to in the future.
Share appropriate reading material: Find a few books or reading items that are about topics of interest to your child and closer to their level of understanding and skill. When you share, talk about what might be learned, a part that caught your attention, or something unique about the book, the illustrations, etc.
Have a conversation: Find out what's interesting about the more challenging books your reader is attempting to read. If the book is chosen because "so and so likes it" talk about what your reader likes. Together, make a list of his/her interests and connect with other adults to find appropriate reading material.
Encourage reading: Just as we want our keiki to be nourished with a healthy diet of food, we want to provide a healthy diet of reading material to feed their minds. Some easy reading, some "just right" reading, and some materials that are challenging, will give your reader a balanced diet of stretching, and relaxing back, into success. Key ingredients for growth!
It's okay, and here's why:
We want our keiki to read volumes of material, even if it's easy. Especially in their young years. Research has shown that the amount of reading is the greatest factor in reading achievement.
Easy reading gives our young readers confidence. The confidence motivates them to later take on more challenging reading.
Easy reading is often the rereading of favorite or just finished books. Rereading is a great strategy for checking and deepening their understanding, as well as reliving the joy of getting lost in a book. Rereading is something confident readers do.
Easy reading is high success reading, and we want our keiki to always feel successful as readers.
Here are some things you can do:
Have a conversation: Listen to your child read an easy book. Talk about whatʻs enjoyable. Make this a time to find out what your keiki is interested in, sees as a strength, enjoys about this book or books in general.
Share: Find a few books, poems, or short articles that would interest your reader. Talk about what your reader might find interesting about them. Ask if he/she would like to read it with you or have you read it out loud. You might read some of it and leave it with your reader to finish it. Talk about it.
Connect: Spend time talking with your child about his/her reading interests. Make connections to other people, other topics, other activities. There may be reading material that interests your reader in those connections.
Encourage reading: Just as we want our keiki to be nourished with a healthy diet of food, we want to provide a healthy diet of reading material to feed their minds. Some easy reading, some "just right" reading, and some materials that are challenging, will give your reader a balanced diet of stretching, and relaxing back, into success. Key ingredients for growth!
Why is my child making so many mistakes?
How do I correct my childʻs reading mistakes?
Should I correct every mistake my child makes when reading?
When your child stumbles on a word, says words that donʻt make sense, or sits in silence, you are witnessing problem-solving. The brain of your young reader is doing what the brains of all readers do – searching rapidly through patterns of language and knowledge to find helpful information to use. We want to support that active search while continuing to build the joy of reading.
Hereʻs what NOT to do:
· Do Not express anger, frustration, or impatience. Thinking is suppressed in the presence of these feelings. Children hear it in our voices, see it in our bodies and in the expressions on our faces.
· Donʻt spend a lot of time stopping or correcting your young reader. Overcorrecting can cause your reader to depend on others and avoid problem-solving. It's okay to correct in a few places during the reading, but focus on enjoying the time and story with your keiki.
Hereʻs what you CAN do:
· If your child is making a lot of mistakes, this is probably a book just beyond the ability of your young reader.
o Take turns reading. You will be supporting the addition of new information through your reading.
o Ask your child if this is a book he/she wants to continue to read. Often young readers choose books are beyond their ability because friends or family members are reading it, or the movie has come out. Assure your keiki that readers often set aside books to pick up in the future.
o Ask your child if he/she would like you to read it – for now. Then follow through.
· Correcting mistakes:
o Encourage problem-solving in your child: ask your child: What are you thinking? What can you do?
o Quietly and calmly read the challenging word/words, then read on or encourage your child to read on.
o If your child reads the wrong word or skips a word, only stop the reading if it causes confusion. You can say something like, “Wait a minute. Did that sound right? Letʻs go back.”