1. Reading with your Child
March 18, 2015
Presented by literacy specialists, Lisa Sutta and Jenna Medvedev
Visit our Webpage on Leptondale’s Site under “Literacy & Math Lab Homepage”

2. Fluency What is fluency?
Being a fluent reader includes reading with accuracy, speed and expression.
Accuracy: reading words correctly
Speed: not too fast, not too slow!
Expression: make your reading sound like the character, or as if you are talking.
How can I help my child at home?
Model fluent reading
Re-read passages
Nursery rhymes
Poems
Resources
Handout: Fluency Bookmark
Tumblebooks (on Literacy/Math Lab website)
Starfall (on Literacy/Math Lab website)
RAZ Kids: https.//

3. Reading Comprehension
What is reading comprehension?
Comprehension is understanding what you read.
This includes understanding “right there” information as well as information beyond a text.
How can I help my child at home?
Read with your child and encourage your child to talk about what he/she reads. This can include a discussion about:
Story elements
New or confusing information and words
Character feelings
Relating the text to his or her own life
Author’s purpose
Text features
Resources
Hand outs: “Character Traits,” “Character Feelings,” “Reading Conversation,” “The Language of Response”
Post-it notes
Read, Write, Think (link on Literacy/Math Lab website)

4. Sight Words What are sight words? Also called High Frequency Words
Commonly found words that children are encouraged to memorize
Many have irregular patterns, making them difficult to decode.
How can I help my child at home?
Your child may be sent home with grade level sight words from their teacher. You can practice these by:
Creating flashcards
Playing games with the words
You and your child can create his/her own personalized list of difficult words that you come across while reading.
Resources
See “Sight Word Practice” on Literacy/Math Lab website (Dolch word lists)

5. Word Knowledge What is word knowledge?
Understanding the meaning of words; vocabulary
There are different tiers of vocabulary; basic, high frequency/multiple meaning, context specific
How can I help my child at home?
Discuss unknown words in your child’s reading.
Model how to use context clues to understand a word’s meaning.
Go beyond just the definition of the word; discuss synonyms and antonyms and practice using the word in a sentence.
Resources
“What are the Three Tiers of Vocabulary?” on the Literacy/Math Lab website
Spelling City:

6. Decoding What is decoding? Sounding out words
How can I help my child at home?
For younger students, use magnetic/movable letters and other hands-on ways to “make” words.
While reading, talk to your child about different ways to figure out what a words says. This includes looking at beginning and ending sounds, looking for smaller words within a word, studying word patterns, etc.
Resources
Hand out: “25 Ways to Use Magnetic Letters at Home”
Read, Write, Think website (link on Literacy/Math lab website)
Starfall
RAZ Kids
Spelling City

7. Additional Resources
To visit Leptondale’s Literacy and Math Lab site, click on the “Schools” tab on Wallkill CSD’s homepage and select “Leptondale.” Then click on “LES Faculty Websites” to locate the Literacy and Math Lab webpage.
Visit for access to an extensive list of free resources for both ELA and math. The link is also on our website.
The Book Wizard (See “Leveling Books” on the Literacy/Math lab site, on The Book Wizard there is a link for “Parents” on top where you can choose “Books and Reading,” which you can choose the appropriate grade level for your child and get some helpful tips)
Visit the Plattekill and Wallkill libraries and explore their websites: