Reading with your child
The following tips are for your reference over the course of this year. All children learn to read at different times and at different speeds. These tips are intended as a resource as your child becomes an emergent reader.
Things To Do While Reading Together
• You and your child can use a “magic pointing finger” or a “reading stick” to point to the words in a book. A tip of a wooden chopstick dipped in glue and glitter is a great “reading stick.” The finger or the stick will draw your child’s eyes to the print. By pointing to the print, your child will learn to match a written word with a word read aloud. This is called “one-to-one correspondence.”
• A “picture walk” is useful for emergent readers. Quickly look through the book and discuss pictures and make predictions about what is to come. This will help your child start to think about vocabulary in the book, as well as what will happen.
• To promote ownership, have your child actually hold the book and turn the pages. Do this even when you are sharing the book.
• Enjoy reading! This should be a fun time. You can share the reading (if possible) by taking turns. If your child isn’t ready, have them hold the book and turn pages. The goal is to encourage independence when possible. Can they chime in with a known word along the way? Can they look at the picture and guess which word might be on that page? All of these things are great!
The following tips are for your reference over the course of this year. All children learn to read at different times and at different speeds. These tips are intended as a resource as your child becomes an emergent reader.
Things To Do While Reading Together
• You and your child can use a “magic pointing finger” or a “reading stick” to point to the words in a book. A tip of a wooden chopstick dipped in glue and glitter is a great “reading stick.” The finger or the stick will draw your child’s eyes to the print. By pointing to the print, your child will learn to match a written word with a word read aloud. This is called “one-to-one correspondence.”
• A “picture walk” is useful for emergent readers. Quickly look through the book and discuss pictures and make predictions about what is to come. This will help your child start to think about vocabulary in the book, as well as what will happen.
• To promote ownership, have your child actually hold the book and turn the pages. Do this even when you are sharing the book.
• Enjoy reading! This should be a fun time. You can share the reading (if possible) by taking turns. If your child isn’t ready, have them hold the book and turn pages. The goal is to encourage independence when possible. Can they chime in with a known word along the way? Can they look at the picture and guess which word might be on that page? All of these things are great!