So, I read with my kid… Now what? A Resource for Parents of Readers Created by Lindsay J. Rooney

Objectives PWBAT list the five components of reading. PWBAT feel more equipped to push their children’s thinking while reading by guiding and asking appropriate questions. PWBAT enjoy time well spent engaged in literacy activities at home. PWBAT = parents will be able to

The 5 Components of Reading Phonemic Awareness Phonics Fluency Vocabulary Comprehension

Phonemic Awareness Ability to differentiate all the sounds in words Can be practiced in the dark (requires no letter recognition) Game: remove, add or change sounds at beginning, middle or end of words Game: push a marble for every sound heard in a word

Phonics Letter/sound recognition Ability to blend sounds or use “rules” to decode words Game: Fishing for sounds - have kids fish with a magnetic pole to pick up letter cards (with paperclips) and say the sound

Fluency Ability to read aloud quickly and without errors Reading should sound like natural talking Practice: do a “cold read” (time child reading a passage for one minute - count words read correctly), practice reading aloud a few times, do a “hot read” (time for one minute again and count words), and chart both scores on graph paper to show growth

Vocabulary Context clues can be helpful for readers to figure out what a unknown word may mean. Identifying parts (prefixes, suffixes or roots) can help readers deduce meanings of unknown words. Vocabulary increases as readers spend more time in text. Game: create a “dictionary” of new words that you and your child come across in your reading together.

Comprehension Reading Comprehension entails a lot more than just understanding what was read… There are actually a number of different comprehension strategies that are necessary for understanding various texts.

Seven Strategies of Comprehension Making connections Asking questions Visualizing Drawing inferences Determining important ideas Synthesizing information Repairing understanding

Making Connections By tapping into your children’s prior knowledge, you are able to not only help your children make connections to the text, but also comprehend, remember, and be excited about what they read.

Asking Questions When children ask questions when they read, they clarify what they already know and seek out new information about the topic.

Visualizing When readers visualize or create pictures in their minds, they are better able to understand the text.

Drawing Inferences If readers are able to generate, “If…then” statements that go beyond what the text says, they will be able to understand the text at a higher level.

Determining Important Ideas Readers need to be specifically taught how to determine what the main idea is rather than just recalling specific details from the text.

Synthesizing Information When children are able to dissect the text and put it in their own words, they are showing a deeper level of comprehension.

Repairing Understanding If confusion disrupts meaning, readers need to be able to stop, reread and take the time to think about what the text is really saying.

Just Read! Reading aloud with your children every day will make a difference! Play games to help them become better readers. Ask questions to further their understanding. Have fun!

Easy, Just Right and Hard - Kids Need them All Easy books boost confidence and increase fluency. “Just Right” books challenge readers while giving them a taste of success. They should spend most of their independent reading time in these books. Hard books can spark interest in reading, expose children to more difficult text and can be a great way to enjoy reading together as a family.

You don’t have to take my word on it… American Library Association - *tips on reading aloud with your children *links to parent resources about reading *lists of benefits of reading with your children - /aasl/aboutaasl/aaslcommunity/quicklinks/el/e lread.cfm

Other Resources for Parents Check out Scholastic for video clips of reading aloud with various aged readers le.jsp?id=

Bibliography American Library Association. American association of school librarians: School library media specialists can assist you: Reading with your children: How to read aloud to your child and why it’s important. Retrieved from aboutaasl/aaslcommunity/quicklinks/el/elread.cfm Freeman, D.E. & Freeman, Y.S. (2004). Essential linguistics: What you need to know to teach reading, ESL, spelling, phonics and grammar. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Hancock, M. (2004). A celebration of literature and response: Children, books, and teachers in K-8 classrooms, 2 nd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Harvey, S. & Goudvis, A. (2000). Strategies that work: Teaching comprehension to enhance understanding. York: ME: Stenhouse. Scholastic. Read aloud with your child: Video demos: What’s the best way to help your child in school and life? Read to him, early and often! Retrieved from com/browse/article.jsp?id=