Fluency
Help your student become a fluent reader by reading effortlessly with meaningful expression by implementing the following strategies:
1. Continue reading aloud to your child modeling proper phrasing and expression.
2. Try Echo Reading. Read a sentence, exaggerating proper phrasing and expression.
Have your child "echo" you.
3. Encourage your child to re-read a familiar book or passage.
Research indicates that "repeated readings" is the primary means by which fluency is attained.
4. Try Choral Reading. Read aloud together. Gradually reduce the volume of your voice as
your child gains confidence in oral reading.
5. Fluency will increase when your child recognizes high-frequency words. Refer to the
this website to find basic sight word lists and be sure to visit the websites listed that
offer interactive sight word games.
1. Continue reading aloud to your child modeling proper phrasing and expression.
2. Try Echo Reading. Read a sentence, exaggerating proper phrasing and expression.
Have your child "echo" you.
3. Encourage your child to re-read a familiar book or passage.
Research indicates that "repeated readings" is the primary means by which fluency is attained.
4. Try Choral Reading. Read aloud together. Gradually reduce the volume of your voice as
your child gains confidence in oral reading.
5. Fluency will increase when your child recognizes high-frequency words. Refer to the
this website to find basic sight word lists and be sure to visit the websites listed that
offer interactive sight word games.
Vocabulary
Help your child increase their word knowledge by doing the following:
1. Write new and interesting words on index cards. Challenge family members to use words in daily conversations.
2. Discuss word parts and their meanings. Prefixes and suffixes can alter the meaning of
of a base word.
3. Listening to stories being read aloud and books on tape will improve your child's
listening skills and increase their exposure to new vocabulary words.
4. Encourage your child to make a "good guess" at a word's meaning based on the context
in which it is used.
1. Write new and interesting words on index cards. Challenge family members to use words in daily conversations.
2. Discuss word parts and their meanings. Prefixes and suffixes can alter the meaning of
of a base word.
3. Listening to stories being read aloud and books on tape will improve your child's
listening skills and increase their exposure to new vocabulary words.
4. Encourage your child to make a "good guess" at a word's meaning based on the context
in which it is used.
Phonics
Help your child read unfamiliar words.
1. Make words with cut-out letters or store-bought magnetic letters. Have your child
manipulate the sounds/letters within words (i.e. change "spin" to "spun").
2. Praise any attempts at decoding and supply the word if your sense any frustration.
3. Give your child at least a 5-second "wait-time" before prompting. Possible prompts
include: "What smaller word part do you see inside the big word?"; or "Try going back to
the beginning of the sentence and get a running start?"; or "What makes sense?".
4. Play on-line word games by following the link to websites listed on this website.
5. Play Tic-Tac-Toe with short or long vowel word families.
1. Make words with cut-out letters or store-bought magnetic letters. Have your child
manipulate the sounds/letters within words (i.e. change "spin" to "spun").
2. Praise any attempts at decoding and supply the word if your sense any frustration.
3. Give your child at least a 5-second "wait-time" before prompting. Possible prompts
include: "What smaller word part do you see inside the big word?"; or "Try going back to
the beginning of the sentence and get a running start?"; or "What makes sense?".
4. Play on-line word games by following the link to websites listed on this website.
5. Play Tic-Tac-Toe with short or long vowel word families.
Comprehension
Help your child understand what they read. Developing predictions, connections, questions, and visualizing and summarizing will increase comprehension skills.
1. Before reading, look at the book cover. Take a "Picture Walk" through the initial pages.
Encourage your child to make predictions about what the book will be about.
2. Pause frequently during reading to think about what is going to happen next. Make
connections with the your own lives, characters in the story, other stories.
3. Practice visualization strategies by talking about how you "see" the action and the
characters in your own mind.
4. Ask questions! What would you do if you were the character in the story? Why do you
think the main character did that?
5. Summarize with your child what your child just read. What was the main idea? Who were
the main characters? Was there a problem in the story? How was the problem solved?
1. Before reading, look at the book cover. Take a "Picture Walk" through the initial pages.
Encourage your child to make predictions about what the book will be about.
2. Pause frequently during reading to think about what is going to happen next. Make
connections with the your own lives, characters in the story, other stories.
3. Practice visualization strategies by talking about how you "see" the action and the
characters in your own mind.
4. Ask questions! What would you do if you were the character in the story? Why do you
think the main character did that?
5. Summarize with your child what your child just read. What was the main idea? Who were
the main characters? Was there a problem in the story? How was the problem solved?
Strategy Cards
Click on the file below to download, print or view reading strategy cards.