For most parents, reading with children is a natural part of parenting. From the time our babies were born we spent our days with children crawling into our laps to read board books, sing lullabies, and recite nursery rhymes. We read The Wheels On The Bus, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Goodnight Moon possibly thousands of times to our toddlers and preschoolers. Our kids had our undivided, complete attention during these moments and formed a love of reading early on.
As they entered kindergarten, first, and second grades, we focused on sight words, fluency phrasing, and sounding out unfamiliar words. Many families still included nightly reading as an enjoyable part of the bedtime routine. Our first and second graders gradually began leaving the Cat in the Hat and Skippyjon Jones behind and started reaching for early (or advanced) chapter books. We devoured the stories of Amber Brown, Junie B. Jones, Horrible Harry, and Fly Guy. Some parents would read a chapter every night at bedtime to their child, and others would listen as their primary-aged child would read aloud from his/her favorite novel.
By the time our kids made it to third or fourth grade, most were successfully reading independently. The parent-child read aloud slowly tapered off in a majority of households, leaving parents feeling pretty confident that all the components of their child's reading was automatic.
As a fourth and fifth grade teacher, I observe a dramatic range in independent reading ability. There are boys and girls who are voracious readers who can read and comprehend books at any level. For those kids, it's important to focus on vocabulary development. Once they start reading fluently, they often don't realize or pay attention to unfamiliar words; they simply read past them to continue enjoying the story. I often challenge those students to post a sticky note on the front of their book and jot down unfamiliar words. Reading with a Kindle is nice because you can click the word to be linked to its meaning. Keeping a dictionary nearby is a good idea, or you can encourage your child to ask you about those unfamiliar words. Have them read the paragraph to you so you can hear the context, which allows you to better connect with your child and what he/she is reading.
For those sweeties who shy away from reading whenever possible, I strongly encourage parents to practice shared reading with them, as often as they can fit it into their schedules. What I mean by shared reading is obvious to me as a reading teacher, but it's not something all parents think to do, because reading is easier for their kids at this stage. Below are my tips for shared reading:
*Choose a high interest novel for your child. Go to the bookstore to browse or ask your child's teacher and/or school media specialist to recommend titles. You can also read reviews and find suggested reading lists on Amazon or Goodreads.
*Reserve 20-30 minutes at a regular time each day. I know this can be challenging with sports, homework, and the crazy schedules we keep, but I promise you this is time well-spent. Fit it in when you can.
*Sit in a comfortable spot. Cozy couches, patio furniture, and backyard hammocks are great places to associate reading with relaxing.
*Take turns reading out loud. Your child should read a page and then you read the next page.
*Point out words you think might be unfamiliar to your child, and correct mispronunciations when they happen.
*If you notice literary techniques, such as foreshadowing, stop and say, "I wonder what will happen next?" Kids need to practice "thinking" about what they are reading, and it is powerful when teachers and parents can demonstrate this practice. Ask questions like, "Why do you think she did that," or "What could he have done differently in this situation?"
The tips above were helpful to me when reading with my own children as well as when tutoring students from elementary to high school grade levels. When kids get to middle and high school, they are often assigned specific books to read that may or may not appeal to them. When required to read a novel they don't enjoy, I have found it to be highly beneficial to use the shared reading approach. I often read the first few chapters aloud to my boys to help them get through the introduction of characters and settings, and they can then take over on their own, or with me helping them through it. At the high school level, I would get my own copy of the required readings and ask my son questions about the book as he finished each chapter. A Separate Peace by John Knowles and As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner are challenging reads for many. If you get to a book you read long ago, such as The Great Gatsby, you will certainly find that your perspective of the novel is much different when rereading it as an adult than when you had to read it as a high school student.
If you ever feel like your kids are growing up too fast, using technology too often, or just seem distant, consider the shared reading approach. They may be resistant at first, but you'll soon find that it becomes more comfortable as you go. Several of my students' parents have tried this approach. They are finding that it is quite an enjoyable, quality time experience, and it helps improve reading comprehension and build their vocabulary skills as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment