 Reading“When you read to a child, when you put
a book in a child’s hands, you are bringing
that child news of the infinitely varied nature
of life. You are an awakener.”
Paula Fox
Reading is an important part of our program.
Time will be allotted daily for various types of reading:
Shared, Guided and Independent Reading as well as Read Alouds.
Shared Reading is a text that is slightly above a child's
reading level. Through a shared lesson, students learn to
read the new text fluently and with expression. These
texts (e.g., chart poems) focus on specific areas of
grammar and phonics.
Guided Reading occurs when I work with a small group.
We work on a text that will challenge your child. We
learn appropriate decoding strategies and thoroughly
discuss the text before reading. Students all read the
text at their own pace and I conference with the child
individually and answer any questions they might have
along the way. After reading, we discuss the story elements,
themes and challenges of the text.
Independent Reading enables children to practise their
new skills by selecting a book of their choice. We divide
books into three categories: books to share (too challenging
to read independently), just right books (at level, child
experiences success and confidence when reading these books)
and dessert books (below child's reading level but they are fun!).
Read Alouds are books that I share with the class as
a whole. They are highly engaging picture or chapter
books that are challenging. Read Alouds enable students
to hear a confident reader sharing a text fluently and
expressively. As I read, I stop to ask the children to
make predictions and comment on specifc themes throughout.
Read Alouds are a great way to model good reading habits.
Home reading is an integral component of a successful
reading program. Reading to and with your child should
occur daily in a comfortable and relaxing setting. This is
a great opportunity to enjoy some quality time with your
child! The Home Reading Log can be used to celebrate
the number of books you have shared together!
If your child is experiencing difficulty reading, you
might want to consider the following tips:
•Read every day- even if it is only 5 minutes!
•Try different genres- fiction, non-fiction, poetry, jokes, recipes etc.
•Choose books that interest your child. If they are too challenging at present, read to your child. You might try to have them read a sentence or two or supply words that they know.
•Discuss your reading habits with your child-
What do you read?
Where do you read? (work/home)
When do you read? (bedtime, with breakfast, during the day)
Why do you read? (entertainment, information)
•Read as you go about your day. What signs do you see when you go shopping? Talk about the words, letter combinations and so on.
•Work with Word Families (-at family bat, cat, fat, sat, rat, flat -ank family bank, plank, stank, drank)
•Have Fun!
If your child is a confident reader, here are some ideas to extend their reading:
Relate
Relating to a text enables students to better identify with the text and its characters. They might relate on a personal level or they might be able to think of friends, family members or people in the media who might have experienced similar situations.
•This story reminds me of...
•The setting is just like...
•This character is just like me because...
•I can relate to the problem of the story because...
Reflect
Reflecting on a text helps students engage in higher-level thinking. They can consider what they have learned by considering the theme or message of the book, choices made by the author and characters. Discussing the text demonstrates that books are written for different purposes and audiences.
•I wonder why the character...
•I wonder why the author...
•If I were a character...
•If I were the author...
Check out the websites below for even more ideas:
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