All Star Reading
All Star Reading Strategies
* Check out the book:
This simply involves reinforcing the understanding of how to approach a book. (e.g. Where is the front cover? Where is the title? Where is the back cover? Where do you open the book to start?) Pass the book to the child and ask him/her to show the parts of the book.
* Look at the book:
Each new book is looked through cover to cover prior to first reading. The student is encouraged to guess the content of the story and predict possible vocabulary. This prepares the student for making predictions when attempting to uncover/decode the print in new readings.
* Which Way do I go?
Young readers need to recognize where to start when a book is opened. They need to know that it is the print that they will be interpreting or reading and that the message goes from left to right on the page. Finger pointing/following the words is beneficial for young readers.
* Look at the pictures:
The student is encouraged to refer to or look at accompanying pictures to help uncover/decode the story print.
* I like it. Let's read it again:
Previously successful books are reread prior to discussing and attempting new reading. This serves to confirm reading vocabulary and more importantly encourages a feeling of well-being as a reader. Positive esteem about reading is a good warm-up prior to new reading.
* Shadow Me:
With shadow reading the parent reads at the same time as the student. The coach/parent slowly lowers his/her voice and allows the child's voice to be louder. When unknown words are encountered the child will hear the coach/parent say the word and will be able to continue to read the story without stopping the flow of reading.
* Nudge:
Sit beside the child; he/she gently nudges your arm when he/she needs help with a word or he/she wants you to take a turn. When you want him/her to resume reading, you nudge back. This can also be done with a tap on the table to indicate the child's request for assistance.
* You read then I read:
With repeated reading the coach/parent reads a part of the story first and the student repeats the same part.~This continues throughout the entire reading selection. The size of the segment can vary with comfort and capability of the child. With this approach the child hears the pattern and phrasing that they are expected to reproduce. If the process works comfortably the child should be able to re-read the entire selection with little or no assistance.
* What's the sound? What's' the letter?:
When you are reading with the child point to letters and ask: "What is the letter?What sound does it make?"
* Move on:
This strategy encourages the student to use the context of the print passage to help uncover/decode unknown words.~If a student stops at a particular word while reading a passage he/she should be encourage to skip the unknown word and move-on through the passage, thereby allowing the context of the print to prompt prediction for the unknown word. The passage is then re-read to confirm. If the student has some phonetic skills, he/she could be encouraged to sound out what he/she knows before he/she moves on.
* Give-it-a-go or Make a Good Guess:
This strategy simply encourages good guessing. Coaches/parents can prompt good guessing with statements such as, "What do you think would fit there? Does that word make sense?"
* Give me a clue:
When encountering an unknown word the student can ask "Give me a clue?". The coach/parent would respond with either a language clue such as, "It means the same as..." OR a non-verbal clue (e.g., the word is back and the parent touches the student's back) OR a sounds like/rhyming clue.
* I can prove it:
Students are asked to explain (prove it) how they unlock the word.
The Coach/parent could say, "How did you figure that word out?"
Answer: "I looked at the picture to get the idea and then I looked at the letters and proved it with sounds."
* Super See-Through:
This involves using a tracking device. It consists of a piece of acetate approximately 7cmx12cm with a highlighted line along its length. Have the student place it over the line being read in order to focus on the line of text being read.
* Read and Do
Find something with simple instructions to make (ie a recipe, craft, science experiment). "Read and Do" it together.
*Tell a Story
Often children enjoy telling a story about an experience such as a birthday, family trip, something scary, etcv. It's fun when parents tell stories too! Encourage children to tell their story in sequence. For example, "What happened first, what happened next, what was the last thing that happened?"
*Act it Out
Retell a favourite story or experience with actions or puppets.
* Sound it Out
This approach emphaszies phonetic decoding. The student is encouraged to use letter sounds or sound combinations to work through the unknown word and assist prediction.
Tips for Reading with Your Child
Kindergarten - Grade 3
1. Cuddle up and read. Put some excitement into your voice. Encourage your child to chime in along with you when they can. If they are beginning to read or are developing their fluency, encourage them to read every other page. As you go, explain any new words or ideas. Enjoy this quiet time together to share a story!
2. Be a reading role model. Show your children that you enjoy reading and that you find pleasure in doing so.
3. Take your child to the public library. Make library time special time between you and your child; look for new books, magazines, non-fiction materials, cd-roms, and even dvds at your library. Take advantage or reading progrmas that the public library has to offer as well.
4. Play game together. Board games or card games like word bingo, memory, rhyming cards can be fun ways to learn about words, letter sounds, and reading. You can also use the computer to play games and develop literacy skills. Some websites to check out include:
Grades 4 - 6
1. Keep reading with your child. Kids are never too old to be read to or to read to you. Read a variety of material -- magazines, newspapers, books, poems and comic books are a few suggestions. Consider having a special reading time, perhaps right before bed, where you can read together or your child can have quiet reading time to him/herself.
2. Tap into interests and hobbies. Kids love to read books about the things that they love, including sports or crafts. Don't worry if your child is reading comic books, magazines, or graphic novels more than novels or non-fiction. All reading is good and their tastes will change as they grow older. Some websites that may be of interest to your junior learner are listed below:
www.sikids.com (Sports Illustrated Kids)
3. Read some of the same books as your child. You can have some great conversations about the characters, stories, and topics if you have read the same books that they are reading. It's also a neat way to see what your child enjoys. You may wish to check out www.readaloudamerica.org/booklist.htm for ideas of books that some suggest are fun and age appropriate to read with children.
4. Ask your kids to talk to you about what they're reading. Ask what it's about and what is most enjoyable about the text that they are reading. Some great questions to ask your child include: