YOU READ TO ME…. AND I’LL READ TO YOU!
What can I do to help my child read?
- Read to your child every day.
- Encourage
your child to read to you. (Even if he/she “reads “ the pictures).
Encourage your child to bring books home from school.
- Look at all the pictures first.
- Make predictions about what will happen next.
- After reading the story, discuss what happened.
What else should we read?
Reading is not just a bedtime story!
- Cereal boxes
- Store signs
- Road signs
- Bills
- Grocery lists
How do I choose books to read?
- Go to your public library.
- Choose books with pictures to support the story.
- Match your child’s (and your) interests.
- For younger children– large print with only a few lines on a page.
STOP! and use the 5 finger rule when you choose a book!
Read a page in the middle of the book. Put up one finger for every “clunk” you have.
- 0 fingers- too easy
- 1-3 fingers-just right!
- 4-5 fingers- quite hard
- 5+ fingers- too hard for now
My child seems to memorize the words. Is that Okay?
☺ Memorizing is a natural part of a child’s early reading development.
☺ Memorize nursery rhymes.
☺ Repeat phrases and match print to words.
☺ Memorizing builds fluency and helps reading
Should my child use his/her finger to point to the words?
- Pointing to words (tracking) is one of the first strategies that we teach.
- This helps a child look at the words and focus on the sounds and letters.
- Even adults will sometimes “finger point” when the text gets harder.
- Eventually (usually by second grade) your child will learn to “point” with his eyes or to use a bookmark.
Should I cover up the pictures? No! Looking at pictures is a strategy that good readers use. Pictures are a clue!
What do I do when my child doesn’t know a word?
- Have your child look at the pictures for clues.
- Check the first letter, say the sound, and make a guess. What about ending sounds?
- Ask the child to see if the “guess” makes sense, looks right and sounds right.
- Re-read and make another attempt.
- If your child tries and still struggles after 5 seconds – tell him/her the
How will writing help my child learn to read?
- Reading and writing are linked processes.
- Often the first thing your child reads is his own writing.
- Print sends a message.
- Build words out of letter tiles. (Making Words)
- Write at home – grocery lists, notes to you, letters to relatives, pictures with labels
- Make writing materials available –pens, crayons, envelopes, old stationary, cards
What else?
- Have your child say the word slowly “stretching it out.” You may need to exaggerate the sounds early on.
- Have your child write down the sounds that they hear. Accept inventive spelling in early grades.
- Make sure all Word Wall Words are spelled correctly.
- Your child’s reading/writing vocabulary grows from practice.
Does writing always need to be done on paper?
- Practice writing letters in shaving cream.
- Write in the air.
- Keep a journal or a diary.
- Writing opportunities are everywhere!
Finally……
- Reading should always be fun!
- Read lower level or easier books at home.
- A reader is like an athlete….the more you practice, the better you get!
- Praise your child’s efforts! “Mistakes” are building blocks to learning!
- Enjoy reading and writing with your child….make memories.
Sources:
Jeannette Mulholland, Reading Specialist, Jefferson County Schools
Read to Your Bunny, by Rosemary Wells
Read to Me: Raising Kids Who Love to Read, by Bernice E. Cullinan
When a Child Reads, by Denise Worthington