If You Want to Help Your Child be a Better Reader, Learn Their Strengths

How do you know how to help your child as a reader?

When we work with our kids at home, sometimes it can be intimidating to try to figure out where to start or how to best support your child.

There are so many worksheets and systems available on the market, that sometimes we just dive in. This can work sometimes but we need to be careful that we don’t discourage our children by giving them things that are way too easy or too far out of their reach. We also don’t want to waste time and money on things that simply don’t help. 

In classrooms, teachers assess their students strengths and needs on a frequent basis. Depending on how much of that information is shared and how often it is shared, we can often go off of the information they provide. However, there may be times that you want to see how your child is doing and/or you simply need more information.  

Sometimes we simply need to take an inventory of where they are. Even though this may seem basic, without thinking about each aspect of their reading, we can often miss critical skills they need in order to be increasingly more successful.

Concepts of Print (for Pre-k – 1 students)?

  Check to see if your child

• Starts on the left?
• Goes left to right?
• Makes the return sweep to the next line?
• Matches words by pointing to each word when reading?
• Can point to just one word?
• Can point to the first and last word?
• Can point to just one letter?
• Can point to the first and last letter?

Phonemic Awareness?

(Phonemic Awareness is the ability to manipulate sounds. Phonemic Awareness develops through a series of stages: first becoming aware that language is made up of individual sounds, that words are made up of syllables, and that syllables are made up of phonemes. Phonemic Awareness develops as a result of exposure to oral and written language.)

            Check to see if your child

• Recognizes rhymes?
• Can play with letter sounds to make new/different words?
• Can use what they know about sounds when they read?
• Can use what they know about sounds when they write?

Letter Names and Sounds?

You can give your child a sheet of paper on which the letters are listed in random order and ask her to point to and say aloud all the letters and sounds she knows.

            Check to see if your child

• Can identify each uppercase letter?
• Can identify the sound for each letter?
• Can identify each lowercase letter?

Word Learning?

You can listen to your child read a book of his choice.

            Check to see if your child

• Recognizes most high frequency words?
• Problem solves when they get to a word they don’t know?
  • Do they look through the letters?
  • Do they think about what would make sense?
  • Do they check the image?
  • Do they think about the pattern of the text or how the book is going?

Fluency?

Fluency is the ability to read accurately, quickly, expressively, with good phrasing, AND with good comprehension.  

            Check to see if your child

• Accurately reads most words in their book?
• Correctly and quickly corrects a reading error?
• Reads in a well-phrased manner (not choppy or monotonic)?
• Reads smoothly at a conversational pace?

Applying Strategies?

It doesn’t matter if you practice word solving skills or comprehension strategies, if you don’t actually use them. Noticing whether or not your child uses the reading and writing tools they have, can show you where and how you can help them put it all together to read and write successfully.

Check to see if your child

• As you read with your child, pay attention when they make an error while reading. Think about what kind of error they made and whether or not they catch it and attempt to correct it.
• Ask your child questions about their reading
  • You can visit the reading level specific pages for targeted questions to ask your child.
  • You can also visit the reading strategies pages to give your child ways to practice their reading strategies.

Hope these questions help as you learn more information about your child as a reader. Taking notes on these aspects of literacy can give you great insights as to where you can help your child. I do recommend taking notes as you listen (or after you listen) to your child read and as you talk with (or after) your child. Notes will be much less intimidating than a formal checklist for your child. Getting to know your child’s strengths and needs can you focus your support and time. 

Please be aware that many of these skills continue to develop over time. Your child will not do them perfectly all of the time, in every situation. Continue to give them grace as they learn and grow. If you want to learn more about the progression, be sure to check out the Reading Levels section to see how the level of books change and what your child can be expected to do at each reading level. 

 References: 

Cunningham, P. and Hall, D. (2008). Month-by-Month Phonics for Second Grade. Four Blocks, 2e. 

T. Rasinski (2003) The Fluent Reader,  Scholastic Professional Books.

After reading through these questions, leave a comment about what strategies and supports you’d like to see more of.