For families who are opting to educate their children in a home school environment today, or for those who simply want to encourage their child's reading development at home, here are some excellent ways to promote reading skills every day.
1. Read aloud to your child - don't stop when they have learned to read on their own! Reading aloud can model fluency, reading with expression, and instills the concept that reading is a valuable way to spend time - so much so that Mom or Dad makes time for it every day, no matter how busy they are.
2. Let your child dictate and illustrate a story to you, and make sure you write down your child's exact words. Then type it up, print it out, and glue it under their illustrations to make a storybook. Now your child has a book he or she can read, using his or her own vocabulary!
3. Buy a pack of 3x5 file cards, and neatly print words and tape them to things is your child's room and around the house: clock, door, window, lamp, sink, etc. The more objects you can label, the better! Kids will soon be reading so many words, and they will feel so proud.
4. Collect some photos of favorite people, places, and activities in your child's life. Buy a simple composition notebook, and neatly print: All About (Your child's name) By Mom (or Dad) on the first page. Glue a photo on each page, and neatly print a short simple sentence beneath the photo. For example: Every morning, David helps feed Bozo the dog. Or: On special days, Grandma Nana and Grampy come to play with David! (These very special books were my own children's favorites for years - and have been set aside in their memory boxes!)
Make reading something you do every day, and your child will too!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Really Popular Beginning Reading Series
In addition to Dr. Seuss' books, Arnold Lobel's "Frog and Toad" stories are funny, delightful, and always contain a wonderful example of true friendship and loyalty. Another charming series in "Henry and Mudge" by Cynthia Rylant, especially for children who love dogs, or wish they had one of their own. All of these are available in paperback, making them very affordable. They are also popular enough that most public libraries have a great supply on hand.
Best Book Choices for Beginning Readers
"Help! My child is just learning to read. But the books I have are difficult and my child is getting frustrated. How can I find books that won't be too hard?"
This is such a common concern from parents whose children are just learning to read. Generally, the best books for beginning readers will have lots of illustrations - this is important because the pictures will provide clues for figuring out what the words say. You should help direct your child to look at the illustrations, asking questions or pointing out specific things that will help them when they are stuck. Children should be trying to sound out words, so listen to their attempts and correct them if they are trying the wrong sound for a letter. With vowels (a,e,i,o,u and y) each one has two sounds: the short sound, (like in cat, egg, stick, pot, cut) and the long sound (or name sound: game, week, rice, boat, mule) - readers should always try the short sound first, and if that doesn't work, then try the long sound. Beginning readers should track as they read, placing a finger beneath each word. For really slow readers, take turns: let your child read a line, and you read the next line. Be sure to model good reading habits, like tracking, reading with expression, and you might even get "stuck" on a word and let your child help you sound it out! :) Give lots of praise for their efforts, and be sure to ask them questions as they read to make certain they are understanding what they read, not just sounding out words. MOST IMPORTANTLY, never stop reading aloud to your child, even after they have become a proficient reader! This is precious experience, and children become better readers while listening to others read aloud. This can be a magical time for both of you, and it allows your child to experience books they are not yet ready to read by themselves. This is an amazing opportunity for you to share a special experience with your child: enjoying a great story together. Make it a part of your daily routine - fifteen minutes before bedtime is a perfect time to set aside. As far as subject matter is concerned, try to find books on topics your child is interested in: animals, humor, sports, dinosaurs, etc. Also try to introduce poetry books, because the rhyming helps give clues about which words might come next. Many public libraries employ a children's librarian who can help you find appropriate books. Also look for other opportunities to practice reading, like menus at restaurants, labels on products at the market, street signs while driving, etc. I highly recommend the wonderful beginning reading books written by Dr. Seuss, and any other authors that have the Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat logo printed on the cover.
This is such a common concern from parents whose children are just learning to read. Generally, the best books for beginning readers will have lots of illustrations - this is important because the pictures will provide clues for figuring out what the words say. You should help direct your child to look at the illustrations, asking questions or pointing out specific things that will help them when they are stuck. Children should be trying to sound out words, so listen to their attempts and correct them if they are trying the wrong sound for a letter. With vowels (a,e,i,o,u and y) each one has two sounds: the short sound, (like in cat, egg, stick, pot, cut) and the long sound (or name sound: game, week, rice, boat, mule) - readers should always try the short sound first, and if that doesn't work, then try the long sound. Beginning readers should track as they read, placing a finger beneath each word. For really slow readers, take turns: let your child read a line, and you read the next line. Be sure to model good reading habits, like tracking, reading with expression, and you might even get "stuck" on a word and let your child help you sound it out! :) Give lots of praise for their efforts, and be sure to ask them questions as they read to make certain they are understanding what they read, not just sounding out words. MOST IMPORTANTLY, never stop reading aloud to your child, even after they have become a proficient reader! This is precious experience, and children become better readers while listening to others read aloud. This can be a magical time for both of you, and it allows your child to experience books they are not yet ready to read by themselves. This is an amazing opportunity for you to share a special experience with your child: enjoying a great story together. Make it a part of your daily routine - fifteen minutes before bedtime is a perfect time to set aside. As far as subject matter is concerned, try to find books on topics your child is interested in: animals, humor, sports, dinosaurs, etc. Also try to introduce poetry books, because the rhyming helps give clues about which words might come next. Many public libraries employ a children's librarian who can help you find appropriate books. Also look for other opportunities to practice reading, like menus at restaurants, labels on products at the market, street signs while driving, etc. I highly recommend the wonderful beginning reading books written by Dr. Seuss, and any other authors that have the Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat logo printed on the cover.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)