Reading Strategies

"The only way to improve reading skills is to read." Nancy Collins

Studies show that in order to improve reading skills, children need  to practice their reading for 60 minutes each day. The 60 minutes can come in small 15-20 minute blocks or in one large time frame. Finding time for reading practice can be difficult, but it is one of the most important steps in improving a student's reading ability.  Even if 60 minutes is not possible, any time reading with your child will be beneficial to them.  Any time reading is better than no time!

• Read to your child.

• Provide a quiet place where your child can work and read.

• Talk to your child about items of interest you have seen in the newspaper or in magazines.

• Label items.  Post signs, words, and notes for your child to read.

• Permit your child to read the grocery list and locate items in the store. 

• Play reading-related games, such as letter or word bingo, "Concentration" with letters or words, and "Scrabble."

• Arrange mixed-up sentences to make a story.

• Help your child write stories or books.

• Read poetry to your child and assist your child in memorizing it.

• Encourage your child to find and circle unknown words in the newspaper.  Circle the compound words.  Circle the words with the short a vowel sound (or other vowels).

• Allow your child to help prepare a dish for dinner by reading and following a recipe. (This is also a great activity to improve math skills.)

• Reading directions for making things such as models develops a sense of purpose for the act of reading.

• Place children's books and magazines around the house.

• Place a limit on the amount of time your child may spend watching TV or playing video games.  Use TV programs as discussions to get your child interested in books.

• Use puppets for storytelling.

• Be sure to help your child select books she/he can read.  These should be easy enough so that your child knows 99 percent of the words without your help.

• Put your child's name on mailing lists.  If mail comes in your child's name, she/he will be more likely to try reading it.

• Don't compare your child with other children in the family.  Remember that she/he is a unique individual with specific likes, dislikes, and abilities. 

• Encourage your child to read to younger siblings or children in the neighborhood. 

• Explain the meaning or words to your child.  Use actual objects or pictures whenever possible.

Information from: Crawley, Sharon J., and King Merrit. Remediating Reading Difficulties. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004. 192-193.

If your child comes to a word they do not know while reading, give them a five to ten second wait time to see that s/he attempts it.  If they do not, ask them some of the questions listed below.  The very last choice should be to tell them.  If you are constantly telling them the words, they are not learning the skills they need to decode words later.  It also causes them to rely on you to tell them the word when they do not know it.  In order for them to be good readers, they need to know how to figure out a word they don't know on their own.  

• Ask, "Does that word make sense?"

• Say, "Look at the picture(s)?"

• Say, "Put in a word that makes sense there."

• Ask, "What word would make sense there?"

• Say, "Go back to the beginning and try again."

• Say, "Go back and smooth it out."

• Ask, "Do we say it that way?"

• Ask, "What letter/sound does it start/end with?"

• Say, "Skip over the word and read to the end of the sentence. Now what do you think the word might be?"

• Tell the child the word.

Information from: http://www.tooter4kids.com/classroom/reading_tips.html

Graphics by