• By Ms. Sorenson

      1. Listen to your child read every day – If your child has trouble with a word, encourage them to sound it out or use a strategy to solve it. If they can’t get it in about 5 seconds, provide the word so they don’t get discouraged. Be sure to have your child repeat the word aloud while pointing to the word.

       

      1. Choose the right-fit book – When having your child practice reading aloud, help your child choose books a his/her independent reading level – use the 5-finger rule as a guide. This means that the child should not struggle with more than 5 words on a page.  When reading teachers send home books at your child’s instructional level – these are texts that they will only be able to read correctly with your support, guidance, and correction.

       

      1. Boost comprehension – Ask your child questions like, “What do you think will happen next?” or “What did he mean by that?”, or have them tell you what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of the story.

        

      1. Read aloud – Choose books about things that your child loves or is interested in. You could read aloud to your child with gusto using a different voice for each character. Show them how you love books too!

       

      1. When possible, help your child make real-life connections to the story that you read. For example, after reading a story, share an experience that story made you think of from your childhood. Encourage your child to share his/her thinking of your experiences. Having discussions with your child sends the message that the purpose of reading is to understand and think about the text rather than just reading the words.