Fun With Fluency What is Fluency and why is it important for my Pre-K Child?

Fluency is the ability to read with speed, accuracy and expression. In Pre-K we are building fluency by teaching rhymes, songs and predictable books.

Parents Are Teachers Too Parents play an important role in helping their children become successful readers. Parents can build fluency by reading a variety of literature to their children. Here are three ways that you can help your child become a fluent reader: ●Nursery Rhymes and Songs ●Predictable Books ●Take Home Books

Nursery Rhymes and Songs A Forgotten Resource

Nursery Rhymes Language Development When children hear nursery rhymes, they hear the sounds vowels and consonants make. They learn how to put these sounds together to make words. Children also practice pitch, volume and voice inflection as well as the rhythm of language. In nursery rhymes, children hear new words that they would not hear in everyday language (like fetch and pail) Nursery rhymes are short and easy to repeat and remember.

Nursery Rhymes and Cognitive Development Nursery rhymes are patterns, they help children learn easy recall and memorization Nursery rhymes usually tell a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. This teaches children that events happen in a sequence and they begin to learn how to understand stories and follow along. Nursery rhymes use patterns and sequence so children begin to learn simple math skills as they recite them. Many rhymes also use numbers, counting, and other math words that children need to learn such as size and weight. Nursery rhymes also introduce alliteration(Goosie Goosie Gander), onomatopoeia (Baa Baa Black Sheep), and imaginative imagery. Children hear these rhymes and act out what they imagine the characters are doing through dramatic play.

Building Fluency Through Predictable Books Reading and enjoying predictable books with your child is a wonderful way to build fluency. Predictable books contain repeated word patterns and rhyming which help children memorize the text and begin to see themselves as successful readers. Predictable books allow children an opportunity to predict or guess that is coming next in the story. Children can participate in reading the story by looking at the pictures, repetitive phrases and rhyming patterns. It is very important for parents to model how the reading process works. When parents read with expression, children are able to hear the rhythm of fluent reading. Repeated reading of the same book also helps build fluency, so don’t be afraid to read the same books over and over again. Children can then read or “pretend read” books that have been read to them several times. Children gain confidence and begin to see themselves as readers just like you.

Here is a list of some of our favorite predictable books which can be found at the library. ❖ Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. ❖ Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin ❖ Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault ❖ Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown ❖ The Napping House by Don and Audrey Wood ❖ Quick as a Cricket by Don and Audrey Wood ❖ Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino ❖ It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles B. Shaw ❖ The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle ❖ The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle ❖ Mary Wore Her Red Dress by Merle Peek ❖ We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen ❖ Hop on Pop! by Dr. Seuss ❖ One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss ❖ Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins ❖ The House that Jack Built by Janet Stevens ❖ Zoo-Looking by Mem Fox ❖ If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

Take Home Books You and your child can: ❖ retell you the story by reading the pictures. ❖ track print from left to right word by word ❖ point out letters and sounds ❖ notice spacing, capitalization & punctuation ❖ identify sight words

Why Read Aloud to Young Children? Because children who are read to: ➢ Discover that books are fun ➢ Become better listeners ➢ Understand the world better ➢ Have a greater chance to succeed in school ➢ Get to cuddle with their favorite person: YOU ➢ Experience beautiful art in picture books ➢ Approach learning to read with enthusiasm Reading aloud tips: ➢ Choose children’s books that you enjoy ➢ Read and reread your child’s favorite books ➢ Set aside a time, every day, for reading aloud ➢ Let your child participate in the story ➢ Remember: enjoy the book; don’t teach it ➢ Read aloud even after your child learns how to read ➢ Be a role model - let your child see you reading, too