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 helful for supporting him/her.
Before you start:
*Make reading a cozy event. Help your child find a comfortable, distraction free space.
*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.
*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.
As your child reads:
Here are a few prompts you can try if your child is stuck on a word.
* Did that make sense?
* Look at the pictures
* What happened in the story when ______?
* What do you think it might mean?
* Can you re-read this?
* Did that sound right?
* Can you say it another way?
* What is another word that might fit here?
* Does it look right?
* What sound/letter does it start with?
* What would you expect to see at the beginning, middle, end?
* Point to the words.
* Did that match?
* Can you point to _____?
* Can you find ____________?
* How did you know that word was ____________?
* Is there another way to tell?
* It could be ______ but look at _________
Afterwards:
*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.
*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
as her/his own attempts. Reading aloud allows your child to continue to develop vocabulary and comprehension skills.
Before you start:
*Make reading a cozy event. Help your child find a comfortable, distraction free space.
*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.
*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.
As your child reads:
Here are a few prompts you can try if your child is stuck on a word.
* Did that make sense?
* Look at the pictures
* What happened in the story when ______?
* What do you think it might mean?
* Can you re-read this?
* Did that sound right?
* Can you say it another way?
* What is another word that might fit here?
* Does it look right?
* What sound/letter does it start with?
* What would you expect to see at the beginning, middle, end?
* Point to the words.
* Did that match?
* Can you point to _____?
* Can you find ____________?
* How did you know that word was ____________?
* Is there another way to tell?
* It could be ______ but look at _________
Afterwards:
*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.
*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
as her/his own attempts. Reading aloud allows your child to continue to develop vocabulary and comprehension skills.