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~Reading Strategies~
Setting the Atmosphere Help your child find a quiet, comfortable place to read. Have your child see you as a reading model. Read aloud to your child. Discuss the stories you read together. Recognize the value of silent reading. Keep reading time enjoyable and relaxed.
Responding to Errors in Reading Based on the way most of us were taught to read, we have told the child to "sound it out" when he comes to an unknown word. While phonics is an important part of reading, reading for meaning is the primary goal. To produce independent readers who monitor and correct themselves as they read, the following prompts are recommended before saying, "Sound it out". *Give your child a wait time of 5 to 10 seconds. See what he attempts to do to help himself. "What would make sense there?" "What do you think that word could be?" "Use the picture to help you figure out what it could be." Skip the word and continue reading to end of line or sentence. Go back and read the sentence again. If the word was on a previous page, go back and try to find it. Look for a smaller word in a big one. Cover the ending (-ed, -ing) with your finger and try the word again. Look how the word begins. Let the sound "pop" right out. Help with blending (sounding it out). Tell the word and keep on reading. Most important, focus on what your child is doing well and attempting to do. Remain loving and supportive. When your child is having difficulty and trying to work out the trouble spots, comments such as the following are suggested: "Good for you. I like the way you tried to work that out." "That was a good try. Yes, that word would make sense there." "I like the way you looked at the picture to help yourself." "I like the way you went back to the beginning of the sentence and tried that again. That's what good readers do." "You are becoming a good reader. I'm proud of you."
Important Things To Know It is important to keep fun in your parent-child reading and to let joy set the tone and pace. Here is a story to keep in mind. Shamu is a performing whale, to the delight of many. However, she sometimes gets distracted and refuses to do her tricks. When that happens, her trainers stand around in dripping wetsuits and wait for her stubbornness to pass. They know that when a 5,000-pound whale decides she doesn't want to flip her tail on cue, there is very little anyone can do about it. But whales like to play, and sooner or later Shamu returns to the game of performing for her audience. Shamu's trainers know this so they're always patient, they're always confident, and they always make performing fun. While helping your child become a reader is certainly different from training a whale, the same qualities of patience, confidence, and playfulness in your approach will get results. If, from time to time, your child gets distracted and loses interest, take a break. Children love to learn. Give them a little breathing room, and their interest will always be renewed.
It's Part of Life Although the life of a parent is often hectic, you should try to read with your child at least once a day at a regularly scheduled time. But don't be discouraged if you skip a day or don't always keep to your schedule. Just read to your child and with your child as often as you possibly can.
10 Things You Can Do at Home With Your Child 1. Read a book with him/her each evening. Your child is never too old for listening to stories. You are an excellent role model for tone and inflection. Ask questions about the story which begin with "Why" and "How", since they require higher level thinking skills. 2. Ask about themes studied each week and reinforce main ideas at home. -See if anything in your home (ex: books, magazines, newspapers, objects) relate to the theme. -Generate discussion about those objects. 3. Encourage your child to write often (ex: shopping lists, friendly letters, creative stories, puppet show scripts, thank you notes, etc.). 4. Show him/her the ways you use skills, such as reading, writing, and math, in your daily life (ex: reading menus, recipes, directions, & signs; writing lists and letters, balancing a cheque book). 5. Explore the outdoors closely with your child. Many wonders can be found right in your own backyard! Identify sounds and sights you encounter along the way. Use the encyclopedia, newspapers, the Internet, or CD-ROM's to answer any questions and learn more about what you have discovered. 6. Use "throwaways" for learning. Empty cans and food boxes can be used for measuring quantities, estimating amounts, reading and comparing nutritional information, writing letters to manufacturers, and creating sculptures and other masterpieces. Even your Sunday coupons and sale folders can be used to teach math skills, which, in turn will make your child a smart shopper! 7. If your child is having difficulty calculating sums or differences, provide real objects (ex: crayons, pasta, buttons, beans, etc.) for counting & problem solving. Verbalize your thought processes, trials, and errors as you solve with your child. It is important for children to be able to explain how they solve problems orally and in writing. 8. Demonstrate how to draw pictures to help solve problems. 9. Supply your child with old magazines and newspapers for "detective work". -Have your child look for as many words or pictures which contain a certain vowel sound, consonant blend, rhyming word, or compound word. -Have your child create a collage of theme- related objects and words. -Send your child on a mission of your own! 10. Play listening games in which your child must follow specific directions. -Helping your child cook or perform an art project at home involves following exact directions in sequence to create a desired result.
Special Thanks To, Helena
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Ways to Help Your Child With Reading at Home
