Helping Your Child Learn To Read
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Helping Your Child Learn To Read
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10 easy tips how parents can improve the reading skills
of their kids 1. Reading has to be fun Try to find something that has your child's interest. For instance, if your child is only interested in baseball, give him a baseball magazine to read.
2. Words are everywhere Make reading a daily experience. When you go shopping, you can point out signs like "only ten customers in this lane", "today's special offer on spaghetti", "please wait here", "Sorry, we are closed". Children will quickly recognize these signs and will be proud to be able to read all by themselves. Read the ads on the cereal boxes, directions or recipes on food.
3. Make reading a book a special experience Chose a special moment during the day to read a book with your child. Sit close, so that the child can feel your warmth. By reading in bed for instance you can create a loving atmosphere. The child will associate reading with something pleasant .Shut off all background noises (TV, radio, air conditioner, etc.) during that time.
4. Read with your child If you sit next to your child, have your finger under the word that you are reading so that the child can follow. Point out words, which are not in the child's vocabulary and ask 'what is that?'. Encourage the child to read himself loud. If the child struggles with one word allow a couple of seconds for him to try and to sound out the word himself, then read the word together. If he mispronounces a word, give him time to correct himself, then you read it with the proper pronunciation. Let him feel that it is o.k. not to know these things. Difficult words can be broken into pieces like Hi- po- po- ta - mus. Some words make a new sense when put together like pine- apple, other words can be sounded out by breaking them into syllables or recognizable words and prefixes like Des- oxy- ribo- nucleic- acid. Laugh with your child about words that sound funny like Ku- Klux- Klan, Hima- laya, Sisy- phus, Taran- tulla, make it fun to learn a new word, then explain the meaning of it.
5. Comprehension and reading If you read with your child, stop from time to time during the story and ask who, where, what or when questions. However, do not overdo it, remember reading has to be fun.
6. Institutionalize reading Go to the Library once a week and let the child pick a book of his choice. Spend some time in the library on those cuddly pillows and let him read. Ask the librarian for advice. Browse the library computer about certain subjects. If you for instance type in baseball and juvenile, only children's books but no adult books that deal with baseball will come up on the search. Let your child get his own library card. The "Step into reading" series and the easy readers (available in the library) are great for beginning readers.
7. Struggles with reading? If your child reads below grade level try to find literature that is appropriate for his reading skills but talks about subjects that are age appropriate. Nothing is more boring for a second grader than to read "The very hungry Caterpillar" or "Spot goes to school". If your child becomes interested in reading, it will fill up the delay quickly. Underline new words, write them on index cards and keep them in a box. Go through the cards from time to time. The child will see the progress himself.
If your child cannot be interested for books or magazines at all, try different media. Computer games can stimulate reading. Try games were the game part is the main focus, not the reading part. For instance: "The Oregon Trail" or "Where in the world is Carmen Santiago?" . There are interesting web sites for children on the Internet. A pen pal might be a good idea. Games with adventure cards or question cards might get his interest. Talk with your teacher about show and tell during snack time in which the child gets the opportunity to talk about a book. Switch on the close captions on your TV. Every television set built after 1991 has a close caption decoder built in. To activate/ inactivate it, you only need to push one button.
8. Beginning reading Start with 3 word sentences. Use magazine clippings, drawings or photos to write a sentence (e.g. the baby sleeps, the cat runs, the girl laughs). Increase the sentence length slowly by adding adjectives (the little baby boy sleeps, the gray and white cat runs etc.) From there on the sentence can get more and more complex (the little baby boy who just had lunch sleeps now). Make little index cards or paper strips with words. Take turns adding new words to the sentence. Make it a fun game. When it is your turn you can add directional words (when, because, then, into, after, etc.). The sentence might grow into: "The little baby boy with the white bib and the blue jumpsuit who just had mashed potatoes for lunch sleeps now after having had a big fight with his older brother who did not want to share his toys with the baby.
9. Use whole language Nobody talks like a vocabulary list. Even though flash cards can increase the sight vocabulary, they do not teach how to read. Read whole sentences rather than single words.
10. Give an example Show your children that your are reading yourself. Give them a book of their choice, sit together and have quiet reading time. This might give you some time to read the newspaper. A Game To Practice Story Comprehension And Expressive Language
Here is a neat game from Cathy Brandt (teacher of the deaf) from the EDUDEAF list. Language Arts
Students will use critical thinking skills to find and give information from a story regarding the characters, setting, plot (problem/solution). Materials needed: Procedure: 1. Read the book to the children. 2. Review the elements of a story. 3. Explain the rules of Story Baseball. Each student has one baseball figure. As it is each student/player's turn he places a figure at home plate and comes to bat. He chooses if he would like to have a Single, Double, Triple or Homerun question. Explain the differences in the questions as Singles ask for simple remembering information or Knowledge. Doubles ask for more understanding or comprehension. Triples ask for explanations and Homeruns ask for creating ideas which are related to the story. The student chooses which level of question he wants. The teacher reads the question. The student is asked what he thinks the question means. If the student doesn't understand the question, the teacher may explain ONE time. If the child doesn't answer it correctly he is out and goes to sit in the dugout. If he answers it correctly he advances to the appropriate base. Play continues until an allotted amount of time is complete. Or, when all students have made three outs. (Have added that students must answer one single correctly before they may move to a double. They must answer then one question correctly at each difficulty level before moving to the next) 4. After the game the follow-up activity will be explained. Follow Up: Students are given a blank worksheet. They are to choose from three possible assignments. Assignment 1 - Create a different ending for this story Assignment 2 - Create another character which could have played a significant role in this story. Tell what he would have done in the story. Assignment 3 - Create a different setting where this story could have taken place but would have changed the story in some way. Assessment: Successful completion of the objectives by each student will be determined by: their participation in the beginning discussion their answers to the questions their follow-up activity Skills To Look For: Able to locate information in the book Answers related to the story - show a true understanding of the whole story and not simply a recalling of facts. Sample Questions Singles: Find one piece of information that tells where this story takes place. Find an example that tells something about the main character. Find one piece of information that tells when this story takes place. Identify who is telling the story. Tell the most exciting event in the plot. Doubles: Act out the main sequence of events in the story. In your own words summarize the story's plot. Describe the setting in this story. Some words to describe the main character are .... *Give at least three Describe the main character. Triples: Select another setting that would be appropriate. Describe an event in your life that happened in a similar setting. Change one event in the plot so that the outcome of the story is different. Select elements of this setting and explain why they are crucial to this plot. Identify a sequence of events in your life which parallels the sequence of events in this story. Homeruns: In your opinion, what would be a better, more exciting, ending?
Would you want this character for a friend? Why or why not. Support your answers with
details from the book. Select another setting that would be equally or even more effective
for this story.
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