Home Reading
Helping children to become strong, lifelong readers is a top priority for parents and teachers. As a result, it is important that parents and teachers work together as a team to encourage the development of reading skills in our students. A home reading program is a very important component in the partnership between home and school. It is a great way to reinforce reading skills and develop a love of reading, while involving parents in their child's learning process.
Your child is expected to read every day for 20 minutes. Please record any books read at home on their home reading log sheet (school library books, magazines, books from home, etc). Your child is to return their home reading log to school every Monday along with filling in one reading response.
Reading comprehension is the top priority in the development of becoming skilled, active readers.
Skilled, active readers:
Skilled readers also know when they are struggling to understand the text and are able to apply strategies to help them understand.
Here are some strategies for helping your child as they continue their journey as a reader.
1). Thinker stinker: What would make sense? This is the most important tool. We read to understand and get information, therefore always ask your child what would make sense in the story.
2). Eagle Eye: Use the pictures for clues. Don't hide them. Pictures are needed to help them decode.
3). Lips the fish: Get your mouth ready for the sound. Say the first sound. The word may pop right out!
4). Stretchy Snake: Sloooooooowly stretch each letter sound out and put them together.
5). Chunky Monkey: Look for parts you know. Break apart words. Look for chunks!
6). Skippy Frog: Skip the tricky word. Read to the end. Go back and try it again.
7). Tryin' lion: Go back and try again. Re-read to get more information from the text.
Remember that we always think:
1. Does it make sense?
2. Does it sound right?
3. Does it look right?
Your child is expected to read every day for 20 minutes. Please record any books read at home on their home reading log sheet (school library books, magazines, books from home, etc). Your child is to return their home reading log to school every Monday along with filling in one reading response.
Reading comprehension is the top priority in the development of becoming skilled, active readers.
Skilled, active readers:
- Predict what will happen next in a story using clues presented in text
- Create questions about the main idea, message, or plot of the text
- Monitor understanding of the sequence, context, or characters
- Clarify parts of the text which have confused them
- Connect the events in the text to prior knowledge or experience
Skilled readers also know when they are struggling to understand the text and are able to apply strategies to help them understand.
Here are some strategies for helping your child as they continue their journey as a reader.
1). Thinker stinker: What would make sense? This is the most important tool. We read to understand and get information, therefore always ask your child what would make sense in the story.
2). Eagle Eye: Use the pictures for clues. Don't hide them. Pictures are needed to help them decode.
3). Lips the fish: Get your mouth ready for the sound. Say the first sound. The word may pop right out!
4). Stretchy Snake: Sloooooooowly stretch each letter sound out and put them together.
5). Chunky Monkey: Look for parts you know. Break apart words. Look for chunks!
6). Skippy Frog: Skip the tricky word. Read to the end. Go back and try it again.
7). Tryin' lion: Go back and try again. Re-read to get more information from the text.
Remember that we always think:
1. Does it make sense?
2. Does it sound right?
3. Does it look right?