Some Tips to Help with Beginning Reading and Writing
One of the best ways you
can help your child build strong literacy skills is by reading to/with them.
The greatest benefits of reading come when your child is an active
participant engaging in discussions about stories, talking about meanings of
words, making predictions, and making connections to other books, the world,
and/or your child’s life.
Here are some ideas for you to do throughout
the year:
1. Read to your child
daily.
2. Talk about the book
as you read with your child and after you have finished reading it.
3. Look at the book
cover before reading. Point out the title, author and illustrator.
4. Point out words or
phrases that are repeated several times throughout the story, including sight words.
5. Encourage your child
to finish predictable phrases or rhymes.
6. Remember to focus on
the meaning of the story. If your child reads something that doesn’t make
sense, often he/she will go back and try again. If this doesn’t happen, stop
and ask, “Does that make sense?”
7. If your child comes
to a word he or she does not know and asks for help, consider asking these
questions:
• Does the picture give
you a clue?
• What word would make
sense here?
If these strategies fail
and your child wants you to say the word, go ahead and do so.
8. Don’t worry if your
child memorizes a particular phrase or story. That is an early stage in the
reading process.
9. Encourage your child
to point to the word with his or her finger as they read.
10. Some helpful
questions:
• What happened at the
beginning, middle, or the end of the story?
• What do you think will
happen next?
• Why do you think the
character did that?
• What would you have
done if you were that character?
• What was the best
thing about the story?
11. Make sure your child
sees you as a reader, (reading a newspaper, enjoying a good book, reading a
catalog, etc...)
12. When reading with
your child, always sit beside them with the book between you so that you can
both see the text and enjoy the pictures.
13. Consider giving
books as presents so your child associates books and reading with a pleasurable
experience that has special meaning.
14. Make sure your child
sees you as a writer, (writing things such as grocery lists, thank you notes,
notes to other family members, etc....)
15. Have a wide variety
of writing supplies available for your child to write and draw on including
various sizes and types of paper, pencils, crayons, markers, chalk, etc.
16. When your child
draws a picture, encourage him/her to tell you about it. Then write down what
your child says as he/she says it. Let your child see you write down what is
said. Read it back. Point to the words as you read.
**adapted from https://www.facebook.com/groups/OntarioKindergartenTeachers/772337076138160/
