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Resources
Tips for Reading Success
Tips
for reading aloud - Why is reading aloud to your children
the number one suggestion from reading experts across the
country? Because it builds the desire to read - with just
15 or 20 minutes a day.
Whether your
youngsters are already reading or haven't yet begun, now is the
perfect time for reading aloud regularly. Here are a few
tips to help you get the most out of your time together.
Get
comfortable - Offer your children soft mats or pillows to
sit on. Give them blankets to snuggle up in on cold days,
or sit near a cool breeze when the weather is warm. Let
them have a snack or drink before you start.
Remove
distractions - Make your reading spot as quiet as
possible so your youngsters can focus on the story. Turn
off the television and consider ignoring the phone to avoid
interruptions.
Encourage
participation - Children are apt to enjoy reading more when
they're invited to join in. Let them take turns choosing a
book and turning the pages. If there's repetition in a
story, challenge them to recite the key phrases with you.
Keep it
appropriate - If you kids have trouble following the
language or plot of a story, it may be too difficult for them.
Look for books that are closer to their reading levels.
Tip: Ask a librarian or your children's teacher for
suggestions.
Fun with Words
Dictionary Games
You can
help your child practice dictionary skills and build vocabulary
with these activities.
Word Race -
Write down several words, and time your youngster to see how
fast she can find each one in the dictionary.
Word of the
week - Ask your child to find one word each week that's new
to her. Post the word on the refrigerator, and challenge
her to use it as often as possible during the week.
Mixed-up
definitions - Write down a new word. Then, write out
two phony definitions for it, along with the true definition.
Read the three choices to your youngster, and see if she can
guess which definition is the real one.
Reading
for Meaning
Who?
what? When? Where? Why? Experienced readers ask themselves
these questions as they read. Finding the answers helps
them understand the story.
To boost your
child's comprehension, ask a few simple questions before and
after reading.
What do you
know? Together, look at the cover of the book before
you begin reading. Read the title and talk about the
cover's picture. For example, a book called "Polar Bears
of the Cold" may have a picture of a mother polar bear with her
baby. Ask your child, "What do you already know about
polar bears?" She may say: "They are white.
They eat fish." This gets your child thinking about polar
bears before she starts to read the story.
What do you
want to know? Have your youngster think of questions
she has about the story. she might ask: "How much do
polar bears weigh?" "How do they keep warm in icy water?'
"Do they teach their babies to fish?" By deciding what she
wants to know, she has set a goal to reach by reading.
What did you
learn? Ask your child questions about the story after
you've finished reading it together. Examples - "Did you
learn what you wanted to know about polar bears?" "Did you
learn some news things? What were they? This will
reinforce what she has learned.
Book Picks
Read-Aloud
Favorites
Too Many
Tamales - Maria feels grown-up when she helps make tamales
for the Christmas party - and gets to wear her mother's ring.
But she loses the ring, and there's only one place it could be.
This book by Gary Soto is also available in Spanish.
I Know
a Rhino - What kind of house contains rhinos that drink tea
and giraffes that take bubble baths? A child's house!
Charles Fuge's book portray the magic of children's
imaginations.
Don't Let
the Pigeon Drive the Bus! - The pigeon knows he's not
allowed to drive the bus, but he begs, bargains and argues.
This hilarious story by Mo Willems is great to read aloud.
Let your children tell the pigeon, "No! You CAN'T drive
the bus.
Miss Nelson
is Missing - How can nice Miss Nelson's class be so mean to
her? The kids in Harry G. Allard's popular classic don't
know how good they have it until a grumpy substitute teacher
takes Miss Nelson's place.
Parent to
Parent
The Family
Chat Book
With
our family's busy schedule, we needed a way to communicate.
I was thrilled when my husband came up with idea for a family
chat book.
We keep a
spiral notebook, and a pencil attached with a string, on the
counter. That way, the pencil doesn't get lost.
The notebook is
for family messages. For example, we send each other notes
to say thanks, ask a favor, apologize, or share jokes.
It's been a big hit.
The old
notebooks are great fun to browse through from time to time.
It's always interesting to read about things we used to do.
And the kids enjoy seeing how their writing - and their
handwriting - has improved over the years.
Playing With Sounds
Q:
My son's teacher told me that in order to learn
to read successfully, Michael needs help recognizing the sounds
that letters make. Any suggestions?
A:
Try playing games with letter sounds. Here are some ideas:
- Put three
different objects on a table. Example: an apple, a
fork, and a sponge. Ask your youngster, "Can you guess
what starts with the sound that the letter 's' makes?"
(Say the sounds - "sssssssss" - rather than the names of the
letter "s."
- Substitute
beginning sounds in words (cap, lap, map, nap, rap, sap, tap,
zap)
- Ask your
child to say a word without the first sound. Example -
"Bat" without the "b" becomes "at."
See Me Read
It's a
fact of life - children watch what their parents do.
To encourage your kids to read, show them how with these tips.
Make it
easy. Keep good books, magazines, and newspapers
around the house. You'll give your kids plenty of
opportunities to read.
Let's
hear it. Read interesting things aloud: news
stories, funny jokes, a delicious recipe, or words to a song.
You'll boost their excitement for the written word.
Do it.
Let your children see you read for pleasure every day.
You'll set a good example for them to follow.
Source: Reading
Connection, Tips for Reading Success, 2006 Resources for
Educators, a division of Aspen Publishers Inc.,
www.rfeonline.com
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