Build the right climate…
* Make reading pleasant
* Find or make a comfortable place for your child to read
* Find time to read together, listen to your child read or read to them
* Build your own home library by giving books for gifts
* Include reading in building, cooking and arts and crafts
* Have your child talk about the story
* Talk and sing about stories
· Create excitement…
* Use finger puppets or sock puppets to retell the story
* Start reading or telling a story and have your child finish the ending
* Before and during reading ask your child to predict he/she thinks may happen
* Read with expression
* Share your childhood through telling stories
· Offer positive comments…
* Encourage children to look at pictures to figure out difficult words or what is happening in the story
* Praise any reading your child does
* Say things like: that’s really nice, I like the way you did this, that’s quite an improvement, thank you for sharing, and very creative
* Be genuinely interested in the work your child brings home
* Never use reading as a punishment
· Develop vocabulary and T.L.C.…
* Read aloud to your child
* Use nursery rhymes and lullabies with babies
* Have your child tell you a story
* Develop vocabulary by having children tell you the opposite of what a word means or words that mean similar things
* Choose TV programs together that can help build reading development
* Sing together
Decoding Strategies
1. Look at and read the picture.
2. Look for little word chunks in the big word.
For example: 'it' in 'sit', 'and' in 'standing'
3. Get your mouth ready to say the sound of the letter(s) you are
looking at.
4. Does the word look like another word you know? (word families)
cook/look, cake/bake, skate/late, play/stay,etc.
5. Does it make sense?
6. Does it look right?
7. Does it sound right?
8. Read it again/ reread. Go back and try it again.
9. Tap it out.
10. Read on.
11. Use what you know!
12. Ask for help..
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD AFTER READING TOGETHER:
1. Can you tell me the story in your own words (from the beginning)?
2. Who were the characters?
3. What was the problem in the story?
4. How did they solve the problem?
5. What was your favorite part? Why?
6. Who was your favorite character? Why?
7. Did this story remind you of any things that have happened to you?