Reading with your child – part 3. By Abi Jameson Your child has a book to read you. It has come from school, so the reader should have seen it before. If the reader has not seen it, then read it to her first, then ask her to read it to or with you. Find somewhere quiet, comfortable and preferably private to sit. In an ideal world you should devote yourself to your little reader for these 15 minutes. If you can, it is worth it. Your reader is holding the book. 1. Unless your child reads the title to you quickly, TELL YOUR CHILD THE TITLE. It is not a test. The title of the story will have clues for the reader about the book; clues about the content or story (meaning cue) and perhaps some of the high frequency words that will appear in the book (visual cue). Beginning readers especially need you to tell them the title. 2. Before you open the book ask “What do you notice?” This question is much better than “What is that?” because it gives the reader freedom to notice anything from the colour of the car in the picture or the word ‘the’. 3. Discuss what might be in the book. “I wonder what this book could beabout.” “Have you ever done that?” “I wonder how that person is feeling.” (Anything you can think of is valuable, and will help comprehension – understanding.) 4. Open to the first page. Let your child start reading the words in herown time. In class I encourage children to practise the words in their head first and check the picture for clues before I ask them to read it aloud. 5. Encourage the ‘reading finger’ – the finger should bounce along from word to word in time with the reading. (The finger pointing should only be there in the early stages of reading. Once readers are competent, and the finger is only slowing them down it should be discouraged.) 6. Praise, praise, praise! “Good reading.” “Great pointing.” “You noticed the mistake – well done.” “Great fixing up.” “You are checking the letters and sounds – that’s wonderful.” 7. Be careful not to overdo the praise. What is too much? “Hallelujah! You read the first word, oh my gosh, you are a genius my darling! Look at this everyone! It’s a miracle.” Children are experts at spotting insincerity in adults. Next blog: What do I do when my child makes a mistake or stops? |
 |
|||||||||||||
 
CategoriesTransitioning to School |
|
 |
|||||||||||
    |
|||||||||||||
