parents and children reading together at home 1

Liz Oldridge R.T.Lit

Parents and Children Parents and Children Reading Together at Reading Together at

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Parents and Children Parents and Children Reading Together at Reading Together at

HomeHomeLiz OldridgeLiz Oldridge

Resource Teacher: LiteracyResource Teacher: LiteracyNelson Central SchoolNelson Central Schoolrtlitliz@paradise.net.nzrtlitliz@paradise.net.nz

Liz Oldridge R.T.Lit

Reading toYou may have tangible wealth

untoldCaskets of jewels and coffers of goldRicher than I, you will never beI had a parent who read to me

Liz Oldridge R.T.Lit

It’s true• Reading is the cornerstone of

success• Children who read more achieve

more• Reading is a vital life skill• Reading is the basis for all good

communication

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Tessa Duder saysA quote from a well-known NZ author of

children’s books:“ If I had my time again as a parent, I

would go on sharing books with my daughters much longer than I did. I allowed - because they were all good readers, who could read themselves to sleep - that special time of reading aloud at bedtime to fall away far too soon. We never made it alas to myths, legends and a chapter-a-night novels.”

Liz Oldridge R.T.Lit

Supporting your Child• Never do for the child what they

can do for themselves

• Holding the book• Pointing• Monitoring

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Learning to Read• Orientation, directionality, 1:1• Monitoring• Kinds of information: meaning,

syntax (sense) and visual• Searching, rerunning and fixing up

errors• Fluency and phrasing

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Choose the moment• The right time and place• Ensure no distractions; TV off!• Make sure you have the time• Don’t let it become stressful; read

the book to your child• Remember, little kids get tired

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Concerns • Too tired/too busy• Books are too hard/too easy• Child not interested- hard to

motivate• Child brings home a book they’ve

brought home before• No book coming home

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Dos and don’ts• If the book is too hard, just read it to

him• If he is a bit reluctant, read a page each• Don’t expect him to know every word• Always talk through the book first. This

reminds him what the story is about

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We’re not trying to trick them!

• The pictures are there for a reason• Reading a word on one page

doesn’t mean you know it• Reading at home practises

strategies he controls and is a chance to show off- not a teaching session

• Celebrate what he can do

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What you can do• Share the book- look at the

illustrations• Ask questions to help him

understand the story• Ask him to retell the story• We want to build confidence and

make reading at home enjoyable

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Positively supporting• PLEASE don’t ask him to sound out

the letters• Looking for recognisable chunks• ‘What do you know about that

word that can help you?’• Talk about the meanings of words

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Pause When reading, let the child fix up

the error if possible. Give him a chance to think.

• This means: Don’t say anything Don’t point Count to 10… slowly!

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Prompt – giving a clueIf the reader stops at a difficulty:• Say “Try that again”• Ask him to read on to the end of the

sentence (from about 6 ½ to 7 yrs)• Ask him to look at the first sound and

think about what would make sense• Is there a clue in the picture?• Tell them the word

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Praise• Lots of it!• Be specific • I like the way you fixed that up by

yourself.• Great expression; it sounded just like

talking• You tried to fix that word. You nearly

got it right.

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When he makes a mistake

• Does that fit with the story?• Does that make sense?• Does it sound right?• Does it look right?• Make meaning the focus always

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Specific prompts• If the word doesn’t make sense,

ask a question about meaning• If the word makes sense but is

incorrect, give a visual or sound prompt. i.e. direct attention to what the word looks/sounds like. “It could be, but look at …”

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Be encouraging • Accept his efforts• Remember to praise when he attempts

and doesn’t succeed• Avoid criticism, threats and comparison

with other children• Encourage him to take a risk- it’s okay

to make an error; you can fix it up

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Making it work• Any concerns? Direct them to the teacher• Ask the teacher how you can support what

they are teaching your child• You are the parent; it’s a very special role• Learning to read is a very complex

business. Don’t lose sight of how hard these little people have to work to gain control of it.

Liz Oldridge R.T.Lit

Liz Oldridge R.T.Lit

Liz Oldridge R.T.Lit