How
can I help my child learn to read and write?
As
your child’s teacher, parents who ask this question are the most important
partners I have in educating your child. Parents are the most important
role models in a child’s life. Parents can be especially helpful
in communicating to their children that there are good, meaningful reasons
to learn how to read and write. Here are just a few suggestions
and activities that can be done at home to help your become a successful,
motivated writer and reader. Remember the only way your child is going
to learn to read and write is to read and write!
 Writing
 Write
simple notes to your child and post them around the house Example: “Please
put away toys.” May be a message on their bedroom door.
Allow
your child to write you messages and post them around the house. Don’t
overemphasize errors in grammar, punctuation
or spelling. However, they should proofread what they
have written.
Allow
your child to see you writing every day for different reasons.
Set
up writing corner where they can write their own stories and
make their own books.
Encourage
your child to share what they have written.
When
traveling, have your children keep a journal and write
about what they do and see.
Have
them assist you in making the grocery list.
Encourage
your children to write thank you notes for presents
they receive and letters to friends and relatives.
Ask
them to rewrite T.V. commercials or make up new ones.
Reading 
Reading
needs to be a priority in your home. Be positive! Even
if you have to fake it. Reading should be a relaxed,
fun time for you
and your child. This may be hard at times, especially
when the dog is barking and the baby is crying, and the
other kids are yelling—So . . .
Set
aside a quite time for everyone to stop and read.
Remember
practice makes perfect. Rereading stories and books
is great. It is the best way to build fluency. I
tell the children
we don’t want to sound like robots when we read.
Encourage
(and model) them to read with expression.
Read
with and to your children every day. Encourage
them to read to you and
each other. Give books and subscriptions as gifts.
See me for title ideas.
Visit
the library weekly. Does your child have a favorite author
or favorite subject? Pick out a variety of books: mysteries,
nonfiction, fiction, science, animals, poems, rhymes, etc.
back
to top
 Reading
the Book. They have the book in their hands. Now What?
These
are some suggested ideas and questions. Please use your best judgment
when reading.
Before
the Reading:
Point
out author and illustrator. Has this author written any other
books you/we have read?
From
the title and or pictures, what do you think this story will
be about? Why?
Where
and when do you think this story takes place? Why?
While
you read the story, does the characters remind you
of others you have read
about in other stories?
While
you read the story, is it like any other story you
have read?
During
the Reading
What
do you think is going to happen next? Why?
How is ? feeling
about what is happening? How did you know?
How
do you think the story is going to end?
Don’t
spend an enormous amount of time trying to get your child
to figure out a word. Try to keep reading a pleasant, positive
experience.
Please
do not say, “That’s an easy word,” or “You should know
that word.”
I
play a game called “Prove It” while reading the book. After
students have read 1 long or 2 short pages, I will
ask a question about something that they just read. Then
they have to find the proof either in a sentence or
picture to support their answer.
After
the Reading
Praise
your child for a job well done!
Where
and when did the story take place? (the setting)
What
problem, conflict, and situations does the story tell
about?
Retell
the main events in sequence.
Did
the story end the way you thought it would?
Think
of a different ending to the story.
Is
this story like any other you have read?
Who
is the main character?
Is
the character like any other you have read about?
Who
are the other characters and how are they important
to the
story?
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What
To Do When They Don’t Know A Word
Parents
often tell a child to “sound out” a word they don’t know. Most
of time this works. When sounding out does not’t work, what
else can parents do? The following ideas help your child develop
other strategies in figuring out unknown words.
Give
your child 5 – 10 seconds to see what they try.
Ask “What
would make sense there”? Does
it sound right? Does it look right?
Use
the picture to help figure out what it could be.
Skip
the word and continue reading to end of sentences.
Now what do you think
the word could be?
Go back and read sentence again.
Look
how the word begins. What word would make sense?
Look
for a smaller baby word in the word
Cover –ed,
-ing and try word.
Help
with blending (sounding it out)
Tell
the word and keep on reading.
It is vital
that your child learn these strategies independently. When
your child does figure out a word, ask them how they
did it?
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Frequently
Asked Question About Reading
1. What
do I do when my child does not’t want to read?
Show your own interest in
books.
Make them feel comfortable
with books.
Look through and
talk about the book with your child.
Start off with a
few minutes a day and gradually increase time up
to 10 to 15 minutes a day.
2. What
if my child wants to read the same book over and over?
Repeat reading of the same
book helps your child to practice their
reading skills to become a more confident and fluent reader. We
learn to read by reading.
3. Should
I cover up the pictures in the book so that my child has
to read the words?
NO, the pictures help give
understanding and meaning to the story.
They are learning a very important skill – looking for additional
clues to help make sense of what they are learning.
4. My
child has memorized the story. Is this O.K.?
Yes,
memorizing stories is an important part of early reading. This
shows your child is gaining a sense of story sequence. They are
also making connections between pictures and the print.
Activities
Rhymes~Try
to rhyme everyday. Start off with saying two words that rhyme
and then ask your child to add a third word.
Crazy
Cat~ This a “hide and seek” game to help learn letters,
words, blends, etc. On each card write 1 letter, word,etc. (Index
cards are great for this) Use at least 10- 20 cards.
1. Lay cards on table
or floor with the letter/word face up so you can see them.
2. Ask child to hide their
eyes or turn around.
3. Now hide a small picture
of a cat (or other animal) under one of the cards.
4. Tell child they may look
now.
5. One card at a time or
taking turns, your child must be able to say the letter,
word, etc. that is on the card before they can lift he card
to see if the “crazy cat” is found. If it is a letter
they have to tell me the letter sound and give me a word
the starts or ends with that letter and the use that word
in a sentence. If a word card is used, then they use the
word in a sentence. Repeat until the cat is found.
Salt
Box~ Pour a layer of salt into a shallow box. Have
child write word in salt.
Journal~ Child
writes about their day.
Word Search~ Use
sight word card or letter cards.
1. Use 10 – 15 cards
2. Ask child to leave the
room so you can hide the cards.
3. Hide cards all over the
room.
4. Call child back in room
and tell them to find only certain words and the rest they
must leave where they are hidden. Let child find 5
cards. When they are found, find 5 more cards. Rehide
cards and start over.
Word
Sort~ Word sorts can be done with any set of words. The
purpose is to focus attention on certain features of the
words. Have child sort words into different piles by
1. Same number of letters
2. Same beginning or ending
3. Words that describe
4. Have same word family __at,
__am, __og, __ids, __ake, etc.
5. Words have same
blend st__,
gl__, bl__,
gr__, etc.
There are many different
ways to sort.
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