Supporting
Your Beginning Reader
Beyond the classroom
Learning how to read and write isn’t just for the classroom. Parents and caregivers play an important role in supporting beginning readers.You can provide many opportunities for your child to read, write, speak, and listen that will support his or her classroom learning. Any activity that spurs your child’s imagination can become a great opportunity for literacy learning. Family discussions, trips to museums and historic sites, word games, and collaborative family projects such as family scrap booking or storytelling are all great ways to supplement your child’s growing literacy skills.
Reading aloud
Reading aloud together is another great way to build literacy. It provides an intimate, loving, and safe way for your child to practise his or her developing literacy skills. If you already have a time set aside for reading together each day, keep it up!
Here are some ideas to keep in mind:
• Read aloud to your child every day, and continue
after your child learns to read.
• Answer your child’s questions, even if they
interrupt the story.
• Talk as you read. Ask questions like “What do you
think is going to happen next?” “Why did that
character do that?” and “What would you do?”
• Don’t use books that are not interesting to your
child.
• Encourage your child to write after reading. For
example, ask your child to describe his or her
favorite part or to imagine a different ending for
the book.
• Have your child retell the story in his or her own
words.
• After finishing the book, talk with your child about
what you read, and invite him or her to reread
parts of the story with you.
Same Old Stories
Sometimes parents get frustrated when children want to read the same stories over and over again.
However, this is a normal and important step in your child’s literacy journey. Hearing a story many times helps children memorize the words and hastens the day when they will be able to read on their own. Here are some other tips for encouraging your child’s
early interest in reading:
• Learning to read is challenging! Encourage all
of your child’s efforts and praise his or her accomplishments.
• Explore the sounds that letters make. Ask
questions like “What sounds do you hear in the
word library?” and “What letter starts the word
green?”
• When your child gets stuck on a word, resist the
urge to provide the answer immediately. Instead,
encourage your child to look at the picture to get
clues or to read the rest of the sentence and then
try to fill in a word that makes sense.
• Cheer your child on as he or she attempts to read
new words and unfamiliar stories. Each word your
child reads is one step further on the journey of
literacy.
Venturing into new territories
“Choosing the correct book matters a lot,” says Dr. Lesley Morrow of Rutgers University and a past
president of the International Reading Association. Here are some suggestions for selecting good books for your preschooler:
• Get books that rhyme and books with clear,
attractive illustrations and strong texts.
• Pick books on subjects your child is interested in.
If he or she takes a trip to an aquarium, borrow a
book on sharks or dolphins.
• Ask other parents, friends, and teachers to share
favorite book titles with you.
• Check online for lists of award winning books for children.
The International Reading Association website (www.reading.org)
features Children’s Choices, a downloadable annual list of books chosen by young readers.
• Explore different genres with your child:storybooks,picture books,informational books,fairy tales,poetry,magazines, diaries, newspapers, and more.
Libraries and beyond
• The best place to journey through the world of words is your local library. Take
advantage of your library’s
reading programs, parent–child book
groups, story hours, and resource materials.
• Get your child a library card at the earliest
opportunity. This gives your child a feeling of
ownership and responsibility. Help your child find
books on subjects of interest.
• Never force a book, recommends Dr. Deborah
Wooten of the University of Tennessee. Instead,
give your child a choice among several books,
especially titles that a quick check of the
bookshelves may have missed.
• In addition to using your library, check book sales,
yard sales, thrift stores, and bookstores for stories
to add to your family’s collection. Children love
having their own books. Give books as gifts for
birthdays, holidays, rewards, and special occasions.
Hope this is helpful. Thank you for the locating the resource Kristie Leahy!
From Miss Horrocks.
