Tips for Reading With Your Child at Home

     Listening to My Child Read:  Questions Parents Ask

1.  How can I help?

    *Your role is to provide support.  Don't try to be the teacher.

    *Praise your child's reading.

    *Enjoy reading together; reading should be fun.

    *If it gets frustrating, stop listening and start reading.

 

 

2.  What can I do when my child stops at a hard word?  Say...

      *"That's a hard part, you found it!"

      *"What can you do to help yourself?"

      *"Can you reread?"

      *"Let's reread the whole sentence together."

      *"What word would make sense?"

      *"What word would sound right?"

      *"Could it be ___________?" (suggest a word to try)

3.  What can I do after a mistake has been made?

 Let the child read on.  The child will either notice the mistake or not notice it.

       *If the mistake makes sense, let the child read on.

       *If the mistake doesn't make sense, use one or more of the questions listed under number 2.

4.  When can I tell the word?

       *Use common sense.  You know your child best.

       *If you think your child may not understand what the word means, tell the word.

       *If the book seems too hard, read it together, or read it to your child.

       *Don't feel guilty when you tell your child a word.