1) Have your child read aloud - not in their head. Read to a sibling, read to a dog, read to a stuffed animal, read to a parent while snuggled up or making dinner or folding laundry, read into a phone while it is recording. Read aloud read aloud read aloud.
2) Have your child use their good reader finger. Children reading at an M level or lower will benefit from traking with their finger. 2nd graders resist this. However, when they have tactile connection with the word and their finger then their brain may pay closer attention to addressing the complexities of harder words.
3) When your child stumbles on a word ask them...."Would you like time or help?" Jumping to tell them the word may frustrate them. It may also keep them helpless to your saving! Some follow-up questions may be:
"Did you look at the beginning, middle, and end?"
"Are there parts of the word that you know?"
"Try your best. Even if you get it wrong, what do you think would sound right there?"
"Do you think rereading the sentence might help?"
"Could you try a different vowel sound to make it sound better?"
Giving your child the word is okay after they have given it there best....
4) Find a perfect "just right" book for your child. Having them read a book that is too hard, or not hard enough, isn't great for them! Ask me if you need guidance on this!
5) After each page ask them "Can you retell what you just read to me?" Check to make sure they are remembering what they read.
6) Ask deep, thoughtful questions about the character or the events in the book. "Wow, how would you feel if that happened to you?" or "how do you think that character is feeling?" or "What just happened? What would you do?"
7) Find the next book...sometimes when we read a book, it leads us to another book. A book that ended at the sea may inspire a book about sharks...see if you can find a theme. This book is like this book is like this book....finding ways to hook a reader keeps the reader reading. Series books are also a good idea - books that have multiple books about the same character or are written by the same author. At this age, it takes the guessing game out of "I wonder what this book will be about".
8)If your child is reluctant to start a new book, read the first few pages aloud to them. Get them hooked! OR pre-read it before they do and entice them. Sometimes new readers feel overwhelmed with the mysteries that a new book reveals. Some info. about the book is beneficial before reading it. Students know to do a picture walk to look at the pictures first.
9) If your child is reluctant to read all the time, with an attitude that says "I hate reading"- don't pressure them. Talk to me about it. Chances are students have a block of some sort....a book that isn't good, an attitude that came from their day, a reason why reading feels wrong. We can figure it out together. Bookflix, audio books, Storyline online, are all resources for hooking your child into books again. Kids also love to be read to, of course.
10) Model reading. Grab a book with your child. Snuggle up. Show them that reading is done by everyone all the time. Make it a ritual, a habit, a way of life! Show interest in their books - start a conversation about a book you read that you know they will JUST love!
MORE TO COME as the year progresses. Enjoy!
