1. 1 Read All About It! Helping Your Child Become an Independent Reader

2. 2 YOU make a difference! There is no doubt, the research is clear, that when parents are involved and supportive, students benefit.

3. 3 Research Findings Parents, you are the most important person in your child’s life. Parents, you are the most important person in your child’s life. –“the family is critical to success…” –Programs designed with strong parent involvement components produced students who performed better than identical programs that did not strongly involve parents. –Children whose parents help them at home and stay in touch with schools score higher than children of similar aptitude and family situation whose parents are not involved.

4. 4 Reading: What kids say: “It’s when you look at words and they say stuff to you.” Jim, age 5 “It’s when you look at words and they say stuff to you.” Jim, age 5 “It’s when words go in your eyes and come out your mouth…but not like puke.” Loreen, age 5 “It’s when words go in your eyes and come out your mouth…but not like puke.” Loreen, age 5

5. 5 National Early Literacy Panel (ages 0-5) Brainstorm What do you think are strong predictors of later reading achievement?

6. 6 Strong Predictors Alphabet Knowledge Alphabet Knowledge Concepts About Print Concepts About Print Phonological Awareness Phonological Awareness Invented Spelling Invented Spelling Oral Language Oral Language Writing Name/ Writing Writing Name/ Writing RAN (Rapid Automatic Naming of Letters) RAN (Rapid Automatic Naming of Letters)

7. 7 Five Areas of Reading Instruction: Phonemic Awareness Phonemic Awareness Phonics Phonics Fluency Fluency Vocabulary Vocabulary Text Comprehension Text Comprehension

8. 8 Equation for a Strong Reader Decoding Skills + Comprehension Skills = A Successful Reader

9. 9 Fostering Literacy at Home Provide a variety of books and magazines Provide a variety of books and magazines Read aloud to your child Read aloud to your child Model writing for real purposes Model writing for real purposes Find a comfortable place to read and write Find a comfortable place to read and write Collect different kinds of paper and tools Collect different kinds of paper and tools for writing/ illustrating for writing/ illustrating

10. 10 Reading/ Writing Connection Reading aloud to your child provides models of quality writing. Reading aloud to your child provides models of quality writing. Discussing stories and the author’s message help children make the connection. Discussing stories and the author’s message help children make the connection. Writing is putting your ideas down on paper. Writing is putting your ideas down on paper. Children learn phonics by writing and reading their own stories. Children learn phonics by writing and reading their own stories.

11. 11 Games to Help Your Child With His Reading and Writing I spy something that begins like ball (initial sound). I spy something that begins like ball (initial sound). Do magnet and mop start the same way? Do magnet and mop start the same way? I’m thinking of something that rhymes with mouse. I’m thinking of something that rhymes with mouse. I’m thinking of a word that starts like ball and ends like cat. I’m thinking of a word that starts like ball and ends like cat. How many parts (syllables) are in the word ______? How many parts (syllables) are in the word ______? Computer games/ websites (Starfall, Funbrain, Lexia, etc.) Computer games/ websites (Starfall, Funbrain, Lexia, etc.) Creating word ladders/ sound dominoes (girl- like- cat- top- pan- need) Creating word ladders/ sound dominoes (girl- like- cat- top- pan- need)

12. 12 Rereading Familiar Books Why is it important? Your child: Develops confidence in reading Develops confidence in reading Notices new things when other things are under control Notices new things when other things are under control Develops fluency Develops fluency Attends to only the difficult parts Attends to only the difficult parts

13. 13 Reading Strategies and Behaviors Using phonics is important in reading Using phonics is important in reading However, reading for meaning is the primary goal of reading However, reading for meaning is the primary goal of reading Students must know how to problem solve and self-correct in order to become an independent and fluent reader Students must know how to problem solve and self-correct in order to become an independent and fluent reader When your child comes to an unknown word, don’t tell him to “sound it out” When your child comes to an unknown word, don’t tell him to “sound it out” Use prompts of strategy use to help your child problem solve for the tricky word Use prompts of strategy use to help your child problem solve for the tricky word Great prompts of strategy use…. Great prompts of strategy use….

14. 14 Monitoring Reading Appropriate prompts of strategy use to help your child: “Does that make sense?” Is your child constructing meaning as he reads and is he checking to see if what he says makes sense? “Does that make sense?” Is your child constructing meaning as he reads and is he checking to see if what he says makes sense? “Does that sound right?” Is your child predicting words that are grammatically correct? Can we say it that way? “Does that sound right?” Is your child predicting words that are grammatically correct? Can we say it that way? “Does it look right?” When your child predicts a word, is he checking to see if the sounds he says match the letters he sees in the word? “Does it look right?” When your child predicts a word, is he checking to see if the sounds he says match the letters he sees in the word?

15. 15 What Parents Can Do Give wait time. Give wait time. Praise efforts. Praise efforts. Praise self-corrections. Praise self-corrections. Value partially correct responses. Value partially correct responses. Read difficult books to your child. Read difficult books to your child.

16. 16 Additional Strategies for Figuring Out Words Reread the sentence and think about what would make sense. Reread the sentence and think about what would make sense. Don’t forget to look at the picture. Don’t forget to look at the picture. Look through the word- look at all the letters in the word, look for known CHUNKS, look for endings, use fingers to cover up parts, think about another word that looks like the unfamiliar word or part of the word Look through the word- look at all the letters in the word, look for known CHUNKS, look for endings, use fingers to cover up parts, think about another word that looks like the unfamiliar word or part of the word Glance ahead at the next few words, then go back and reread. Glance ahead at the next few words, then go back and reread. Make a guess and check it (see if it looks right, sounds right, makes sense). Make a guess and check it (see if it looks right, sounds right, makes sense).

17. 17 Comprehension is Important!!! Remember to talk about what you have read! “Tell me about the story.” –Describe the setting (time, place) –Tell what happened (include as many sequential details as possible) –Characters- describe the characters using their NAMES –Make a connection

18. 18 What Comes Next? Author’s message Author’s message Plot Plot Tell about ________ at the beginning of the story and at the end of the story Tell about ________ at the beginning of the story and at the end of the story Problem/ Solution Problem/ Solution Making inferences Making inferences

19. 19 Nonfiction Texts Topic Topic “What does this book tell us about ______?” “What does this book tell us about ______?” “What did you learn?” “What did you learn?” Connection Connection Share prior knowledge/ information gleaned from text Share prior knowledge/ information gleaned from text **A great way to enrich background knowledge and vocabulary *Talk about how fiction/nonfiction texts are different