My favorite part of being a teacher is watching kids learn to read. My own daughter just started reading by herself, and I have to admit that it is the best feeling as a mother who also loves reading.
But what do you do when your child struggles? While teaching in the public school system, teaching kids that were struggling was such a joy. There is nothing more rewarding as a teacher to see a kid take off.
As parents, there are several things you can do with your children to make this happen. If you are reading this article, then you already care about the learning experience. Kudos to the good parenting!
Here are some simple steps to get your children reading on level.
Making Connections
Good readers constantly make connections between what they are reading and their own lives, the world and other books. It is how kids can bring meaning to the story.
There are some questions you can ask your child to prompt them to make these connections. You can ask, "Have you ever felt like the character?" or "Does this story remind you of anything?"
You can also model connecting it to another text. "This character reminds me of that character in the story we read last week. Remember when he . . . . " You can also ask if the story reminds him/her about any problem in another story or solution, lesson, illustrations, tone, etc.
Asking Questions
Good readers constantly ask questions before, during and after reading. Questioning keeps your child engaged in the story. It keeps them working to find answers.
Before starting to read a book, ask your child what they think is going to happen, what they are going to learn, what they think the title means, where they think the story takes place, etc.
During reading, ask what will happen next, how the character is feeling, why did an event happen, what would you do, why would the author say something, why would that information be important, etc.
After reading, ask about your child's feelings of the book, what the main idea of the book, was the problem or issue solved, did they like the author or character, etc.
Reading with your child is also a great bonding experience. Once you start spending time with them while reading you will enjoy getting to know your child better through these questions and the books he or she likes.
It will also become a cherished time. Then when your child takes off into the world of reading you can give yourself a pat on the back for taking the time out of your busy schedule to grow your child.
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