Ways to Support Your

Where do I start?

Provide… the correct level of text or reading material. This is one of the most critical steps to a successful reading experience. If your child misses more than 2 words out of 40, it is likely too challenging at this time (don't count names).

If the text is too hard, either stop the reading, increase your level of support, share the reading (by reading every other page), or just read the story to your child and enjoy it together.

Introduce... the book, if it is new. Adults orient themselves to new texts by reading the back of the book, flipping through and looking for chapter titles, pictures, etc.... give the beginning reader the same type of orientation to a new book, by:

	Telling the child the title of the book and giving them a brief idea of what it might be about
	Take a picture walk - look at each page and talk about what might be happening
	Use the words from the story if they are unusual (this is a path, a postman, an oak tree, etc.)
	Engage the child in predicting what might happen, but don't give everything away.
	Don't read the story to your child - if it is the right level and you have introduced it sufficiently enough, your child should have a little reading work to do and still be successful.

Wait… for the reader to try something. Don't jump in every time your child gets stuck on a word. Trust them to apply their letter-sound knowledge, or information from the picture, or context information. Give them wait time. If you know it is a word they don't know and can't get - just tell them the word and go on.

Praise… the reader for doing any of the following:

Making an attempt to figure out the word (sometimes beginning readers won't even try, so they need to be praised, just for trying). If they get it wrong, just tell them the word and praise them for what they tried.

Checking pictures for information - pictures are part of the story and the context. Beginning readers need to use the picture to support their beginning attempts. Say, "I like the way you checked the picture for information."

Using letter sounds (for example: "I like that you noticed it started with a /k/ sound.")

Noticing errors - "Good job of noticing that _________ wasn't right."

Rereading to get more information - rereading is a good strategy to try when the reading doesn't make sense or a word doesn't look right.

Self correcting errors -"Good job of checking on yourself and fixing that."

Maintaining the meaning (making their reading make sense)

Fluent and expressive reading - "Your reading sounded just the way you talk."

Prompting the Reader When Stuck

What do you do when the reader stops at a difficult word?

Say: “Read it again and think of what word makes sense there.”

When the child's attempted word changes the meaning of the story

Say: “What word would make sense there?”

When the child's attempted word doesn’t sound right

Say: “What word would sound better?”

When the child's attempted word doesn’t match or look like the word in the book

Say: “Does that look like the word you said?”

or “Would (say the word) work here?”

Finally, just say or tell the child the word and move on. Don't ruin the story by too much reading work. The child will see this word again, so there will be lots of opportunities.

It is important to balance reading pleasure
with reading work.

Successful reading experiences pave the way
for a desire to read,

which is a critical ingredient for successful reading.

Enjoy the journey!

For more tips on what to do when your child is stuck,
click on Tips for When Your Reader is Stuck

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Ways to Support Your Beginning Reader