Helping our Children Learn to Read

Some ideas for helping our children learn to read:

* teaching phonics--how sounds and letters are related.
* Giving children the opportunity to practice the letter-sound relationships they are learning. Children have the chance to practice sounds and letters by reading easy books that use words with the letter-sound relationships they are learning.
* Helping children write the letter-sound relationships they know by using them in words, sentences, messages, and their own stories.
* Showing children ways to think about and understand what they are reading. Ask children questions to show them how to think about the meaning of what they read.

* Pointing out the letter-sound relationships your child is learning on labels, boxes, newspapers, magazines and signs.
* Listening to your child read words and books from school. Be patient and listen as your child practices. Let your child know you are proud of his reading.

If your child is reading
At school you should see teachers...

* Continuing to teach letter-sound relationships for children who need more practice. On average, children need about two years of instruction in letter-sound relationships to become good spellers as well as readers.
* Teaching the meaning of words, especially words that are important to understanding a book.
* Teaching ways to learn the meaning of new words. Teachers cannot possibly teach students the meaning of every new word they see or read. Children should be taught how to use dictionaries to learn word meanings, how to use known words and word parts to figure out other words, and how to get clues about a word from the rest of the sentence.
* Helping children understand what they are reading. Good readers think as they read and they know whether what they are reading is making sense. Teachers help children to check their understanding. When children are having difficulty, teachers show them ways to figure out the meaning of what they are reading.

At home you can help your child by...

* Rereading familiar books. Children need practice in reading comfortably and with expression using books they know.
* Building reading accuracy. As your child is reading aloud, point out words he missed and help him read words correctly. If you stop to focus on a word, have your child reread the whole sentence to be sure he understands the meaning.
* Building reading comprehension. Talk with your child about what she is reading. Ask about new words. Talk about what happened in a story. Ask about the characters, places, and events that took place. Ask what new information she has learned from the book. Encourage her to read on her own.

Make reading a part of every day

* Share conversations with your child over meal times and other times you are together. Children learn words more easily when they hear them spoken often. Introduce new and interesting words at every opportunity.
* Read together every day. Spend time talking about stories, pictures, and words.
* Be your child's best advocate. Keep informed about your child's progress in reading and ask the teacher about ways you can help.
* Be a reader and a writer. Children learn habits from the people around them.
* Visit the library often. Story times, computers, homework help, and other exciting activities await the entire family.

More reading-tips.