Reading Tips and Strategies
by Tracey Jaegle
Listed below are some suggestions for helping your child succeed in reading, writing, and spelling.
Do you have a reluctant reader? Here are some tips to help your child read:
1. Make time to read aloud to them each day.
2. Do you: discuss book selection, predict what the story will be about, and make reflections after reading the book?
3. Allow time for silent reading each day.
4. Ensure that your child has access to a variety of reading materials such as magazines, poetry, novels, newspapers, comic strips, etc.
5. Model good reading habits.
Is your child becoming an independent reader?
Many parents are concerned that their child is not reading at his/her developmental or "grade level." The National Research Council, The National Reading Panel, and The National Institute for Literacy identified four skills: fluency, comprehension, spelling, and writing, and vocabulary that students need to possess in order to become strong, independent readers who enjoy reading. Readers who are fluent can recognize their words instantly. This allows them to turn their attention to making connections between ideas and background knowledge. Readers who are not yet fluent read word-by-word. They are trying to figure out individual words which makes it hard for them to get the overall meaning. Children need to read a lot to get good at reading. The more they read the better they will get and in turn, want to read more. Milestones to watch for include: recognize words instantly, reading with expression, and reading quickly and accurately. With practice, your child will soon become a fluent reader!
Vocabulary Building
One of the marks of a good reader is a strong vocabulary. Memorization and exposure to new words (through books, newspapers, and conversation) are good ways to build a better vocabulary. Look for these milestones as your child increases his/her store of words:
1. Figures out word meanings from clues in the text.
2. Uses synonyms and antonyms correctly.
3. Uses new words appropriately for his/her writing.
4. Uses knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, and root words to expand vocabulary.
5. Understands the vocabulary of different content areas such as science material.
Check back in the near future for more tips and suggestions.
