|
|
Get your child to love reading -- advice from a 1st grade teacherMay 07 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Books
The Bottom Line Creating a fun and supportive time with your budding reader increases their interest and success in reading! It brings you closer and develops lifelong reading habits.
Does your child struggle with reading? Do you dread the assigned reading homework for your child, knowing a battle or poor grade will ensue? Does your child avoid reading? These are common problems in a world so centered around visual media -- most movies, tv shows and video games require little to no reading. OK, we know the problem, but what’s the solution? Research has shown that children who read most read best . Children also model behavior they see around them. They notice that you value time you sit and read a mystery or the newspaper. If they see you reading a variety of types of text on a regular basis, that becomes their norm, their frame of reference. As a first grade teacher, I require that my students read for 20 minutes each night with an older family member. Even beginning readers can “read” pictures. I provide lots of patterned texts and books with pictures that support the words to boost the reading in these budding readers. In order for reading to become a lifelong pleasurable habit, it needs to be enjoyable -- especially for young readers. Reading doesn’t have to be a bother or struggle for you or your child. Likewise, it should not be a suffering or frustrating time. It is important that children learn to choose “just right books.” Books that are too easy (I call them “vacation books”) or ones that are too hard (“dream books”) leave the reader bored or frustrated. In order to help the students develop the skill of choosing just right books, I teach them the “rule of thumb”. The students open to a random page in the text and begin to read. For each word that is difficult they put up one finger, beginning with the pinky. If they get all the way to the thumb, the rule of thumb tells them that it is probably a dream book, and they should wait a couple weeks to try it out again. Note: this rule is presented after the readers are into books that have more than one or two sentences on a page. If the page only has 7 words on it, missing 5 is too high a percentage. Research from Ohio State University suggests that 90% fluency of a text is about the right amount. Decoding strategies make up for the remaining 10%. What does a parent do if your child has selected a book that is too difficult? Here are some tips to support your child so no one gets frustrated and reading remains an enjoyable experience. 1. Talk about the book before and/or after it is read. Your child needs to know that reading is a story to be shared, not the calling of words (the skill taught by Hooked on Phonics). 2. Echo reading: You read a page and your child reads the same page after you. 3. You read a page and then your child reads a page. 4. You read the book to your child. Here are some pointers to help your child become a more proficient reader. 1. If your child doesn’t know a word, have him or her skip the word and read to the end of the sentence or page. Many times the clues from the other words help him or her identify the unknown word. 2. If your child still needs help, ask what word would make sense. Giving a word that makes sense, even if it isn’t the correct word, lets you know that your child is understanding what is read. 3. Have your child look at the letters in the unknown word. Often times the letters, clues from other words and understanding of the text will be enough for the reader. 4. If the word is still not known, just tell your child the correct word. “Sounding out” a word that your child doesn’t know just adds to frustration. Giving the word gives support. 5. Self-correction -- if your child substitutes a word that doesn’t change the meaning of the reading, don’t worry. We all do that sometimes. If, however, your child is reading and miscalls words that do affect the meaning and she or he does not self-correct, it could be a sign of a comprehension problem. A reader who self-corrects is reading with understanding so encourage your child to stop and correct when something doesn’t make sense. Just ask, “Did that sound right?” or “Did that make sense?” Then have your child reread. It is also important to comment to your child about her or his reading. Tell them about the successes you see in their progress. Are they choosing to read for longer periods of time? Are they using more expression or different voices? Are they stopping at periods? Are they really enjoying a certain series of books? Do they read more confidently? Talking with your child about her or his reading let’s the child know that you are really paying attention and are proud of their success. Daily reading with you will significantly improve your child’s reading. It also is a great way to strengthen your relationship. They see you taking a genuine interest in them, and stories provide a common experience. Don’t forget to continue reading to your child even after they have become an independent reader. They will hear your expression and fluency and model that in their own oral reading. You can also build their vocabulary by reading books that are one or two levels above their reading ability but are still within their comprehension level. I will be posting lists of recommended books in the weeks to come. I’ll be sure to get some kid recommendations to add as well. Until then... HAPPY READING!  |
| Read all comments (3)|Write your own comment |
|
Ads by Google
|
by texas-swede
by dandj
by PacManY2J
by kairosdreaming
