The keys to reading early are
simple
- The starting point for reading is for your
child to recognize the letters of the alphabet. We’ve created games for
that.
- As we’ve seen‚ up to 90 per cent of everyday
language is comprised of 3‚000 words. If he can read the first 400 of
those 3‚000 words‚ he has mastered about 65 per cent of the words he’ll
find in most of the books he reads.
- Introduce him to written words in the same
sequence as spoken words: nouns first‚ then verbs‚ then adjectives and
adverbs. And introduce those 400 beginner words in large type. Starting at
6 cm (2 in) and down to 2.5 cm (1 in) at about four years old.
- Play games to introduce him to phonics – the sounds
of words – so he can decipher thousands more. Make games of these steps‚
and most children will be reading confidently before school.
Read‚ read‚ read!
This is the number one factor in your child becoming a successful
reader. Here are some simple tips to keep your child actively involved as you
read to him.
- Stop every now and then and ask: “What do you
think will happen next?” or‚ “Why is baby bear’s bed broken?” Prompt him
with‚ “Because …” In other words‚ keep him actively involved‚ instead of just
passively listening.
- Run your finger underneath the text
occasionally so he reads left to right.
- Re-read a book with simple‚ large text with
your child‚ rather than to your child. Let him retell the story by looking
at the pictures.
- Re-read nursery rhymes and stories and
hesitate before a key word so he can supply the word and “read” it at the
same time‚ eg‚ “Jack climbed the … (beanstalk).”
Inter-active Reading
By stopping regularly
during a story‚ you can recap together what has happened and predict what might
happen next. Recapping and predicting are great future comprehension skills. So
you can ask:
- What size were the
Billy Goats Gruff?
- Why did the troll let little Billy Goat Gruff
past?
How to read together?
When your child shows he
may be ready to read his first book‚ choose one with big print. Read it
yourself first. Then sit beside him and try this sequence of reading together:
- Give him “the big picture” first: “This is a
story about a friendly dinosaur that travels around town looking for a
bunch of flowers to take to his mother for her birthday.” Getting the big
picture or overview first helps all learning.
- Read the first passage‚ with plenty of
expression‚ at a normal pace for about one minute – running your finger
under the print.
- Talk about the story‚ explaining any points‚
encouraging any questions.
- Now suggest he reads the same passage with you
– again with you running your finger under the words as you read them
together.
- Praise him for his efforts‚ and suggest you
read it again. Continue to run your finger under the words‚ but pause a
few times for the child to provide the next word or phrase. If he
hesitates or makes a mistake‚ pause‚ then supply the correct word and let
him carry on.
- At the end‚ praise him for reading so well. And
the next time you try that section‚ suggest that
you start and he carries on reading‚ with you using your finger and
picking up any words to keep the pace going.
The “pause‚ prompt‚ praise”
technique is one that also works well when older children help their younger brothers
and sisters to read.
From learning to read to reading
to learn.
One of the key steps to
learning self-learning is to learn how to use reference sources. When you see a
word that you don’t understand‚ look it up together. Talk
about what you’ve found and perhaps write it down with the meaning written
under it. Invest in the best children’s encyclopedia and world atlas you can
afford‚ and help the family get used to the idea of using it. Above all‚ get
your children used to using the public library. Visit it with them from early
on.
From Learning Fundamentals‚ 3 – 6 Starting
School
MariBaca
Team – Reading Awareness Campaign.
http://readaloudkb.blogspot.com
http://darnur-alzahra.blogspot.com
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