Learning to read can be very hard for some, especially when learning to read happens later in life or is in a new language. The strategies highlighted in this blog will help parents support their children as they learn to read. Sometimes students have trouble with the sounds and symbols, and sometimes students have trouble with understanding what the story means. For phonics support you can visit my Phonics blog post.
This survey of home literacies is one way to evaluate the literacy support practices you provide for your children at home. Please note: As you review or take this survey you may notice that it approaches families as if they have deficits in the area of reading support in their homes. The truth is that the suggestions in this survey are activities that support ACADEMIC LITERACY practices in the schools. There are many literacy activities that take place in the home that are valid and should not be overlooked. While the recommendations in this survey will support your child's academic literacy growth, they are not superior to other forms of literacy.
Here you will find a professional article exploring the need to align home and school literacies within the academic setting.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Reflection Questions
Parents,
These questions will spark conversation between you and your reader(s). Readers need to know how to think about what, why, and how they are reading (and thinking about reading). Begin to think aloud when you read and these thoughts may end up being answers to the questions below. Soon, your reader(s) will begin thinking out loud. Then you know they are interacting with the text; something great readers do!
Remember to ask your reader(s) if they have any questions they wonder about first.
Then start with these questions to spark thought and conversation:
1. What did you notice first? What other things did you notice?
2. How did this book make you feel?
3. What does this book remind you of from your own life?
4. Did you like the pictures? Which was your favorite?
5. What picture helped you understand the story better? Why did these pictures help you?
Some Red Riding Hood questions (use a few or all depending on your reader's stamina):
1. How did you feel when Little Red met the Wolf in the woods?
2. How about when she discovered the person in the bed was NOT her grandmother?
3. What are the different ways the Wolf taught a lesson?
4. What lessons did Little Red learn?
5. What is in the basket Little Red caries to her grandmother's house? Is it the same for every story?
6. Who is telling the story?
7. Why is a wolf the "bad guy" instead of a bunny or a bird?
8. What would Little Red think if the "bad Guy" was a bunny?
9. What other stories have a wolf as the "bad guy"? Can you think of any stories with a "good guy" wolf?
Remember, after you ask the first question your reader(s) may come up with 20 of their own. These are the best questions to talk about and will be much more meaningful to explore. Try not to answer their questions. Instead try to prompt your reader to find the answer him or herself.
For those who are interested in comparing LRRH stories, see this lesson plan from Read Write Think.
These questions will spark conversation between you and your reader(s). Readers need to know how to think about what, why, and how they are reading (and thinking about reading). Begin to think aloud when you read and these thoughts may end up being answers to the questions below. Soon, your reader(s) will begin thinking out loud. Then you know they are interacting with the text; something great readers do!
Remember to ask your reader(s) if they have any questions they wonder about first.
Then start with these questions to spark thought and conversation:
1. What did you notice first? What other things did you notice?
2. How did this book make you feel?
3. What does this book remind you of from your own life?
4. Did you like the pictures? Which was your favorite?
5. What picture helped you understand the story better? Why did these pictures help you?
Some Red Riding Hood questions (use a few or all depending on your reader's stamina):
1. How did you feel when Little Red met the Wolf in the woods?
2. How about when she discovered the person in the bed was NOT her grandmother?
3. What are the different ways the Wolf taught a lesson?
4. What lessons did Little Red learn?
5. What is in the basket Little Red caries to her grandmother's house? Is it the same for every story?
6. Who is telling the story?
7. Why is a wolf the "bad guy" instead of a bunny or a bird?
8. What would Little Red think if the "bad Guy" was a bunny?
9. What other stories have a wolf as the "bad guy"? Can you think of any stories with a "good guy" wolf?
Remember, after you ask the first question your reader(s) may come up with 20 of their own. These are the best questions to talk about and will be much more meaningful to explore. Try not to answer their questions. Instead try to prompt your reader to find the answer him or herself.
For those who are interested in comparing LRRH stories, see this lesson plan from Read Write Think.
Community Reading Resources
Salem Public Library
Salem/Keizer Early Literacy Project
- Here is their monthly newsletter with a list of events. These include children and adult story time, book discussions/clubs for children and adults, homework help, author-hosted write-ins, free community computer classes, live plays and concerts, film showings, read-to-a-pet, art exhibits, and more! Have the news letter mailed right to your house.
- Library cards are free for those within city limits.
- West-Salem branch and other cooperating libraries (like CCC).
- Downloadable books available from the website.
- See this detailed over-view of the library's offered services. Scroll down to Extension Services and learn about the traveling library (called the Book Mobile) and book home delivery,
- Offers many services including a reading library for younger children, and information on sending younger children to school ready to learn
- Various classes offered to parents, some of which may be related to English language learning and adult literacy. See their Calendar of Events.
- 503-588-0307
Salem/Keizer Early Literacy Project
- Offering early childhood education classes, parent education, and home visits for Spanish-speaking children ages 0-3.
Oral Reading - Reader's Theater
I really like the way Bruce Lansky describes Reader's Theater. He explains that students take on different roles when reading a story: one reader for each character and one reader to be the narrator. This helps students tackle reading that may be too long or complicated to do alone. It also allows English Language Learners to practice speaking (one way to strengthen language acquisition). This activity will also strengthen your reader(s) fluency, inflection, and expressiveness. I think it is more fun to act out the story, especially if I can dress up to do it!
These steps are an amended approach. There are many Reader's Theater scripts and detailed procedures to follow but my point is this: don't stress, just have fun with it! (for those who are interested in more visit Rick Swallow's page for printable scripts.)
1. Decide who will be who (characters and narrators). If there are only two of you, one of you can be all the characters while the other is narrator. Be sure the reader acts out character voices as he/she reads. Don't be afraid to get into it!
2. Begin reading the text side-by-side. The first few time will be rough but keep practicing. Eventually you will be able to recite the story without the words in front of you. This is especially cool because then you can "read" in the car by performing a well known Reader's Theater.
3. When you are well rehearsed in your part try to change parts. This will be hard and will create lots of laughter and funniness as you read parts that are no longer yours. Have fun with it!
Watch this example by ThePatiences of students performing Reader's Theater. Remember, this is a formal presentation. What you are doing with your reader(s) should be for fun and practice.
As an extension to this strategy consider making these craft puppets to use for a puppet Reader's Theater. The website SPROUT suggests using a lot of craft products. I say some pens and a paper bag are fine. Adapt the craft as you wish.
What teachers might do in class is not reasonable for home, but if you want to know more about the detailed strategy visit ReadWriteThink's lesson plan using this strategy.
These steps are an amended approach. There are many Reader's Theater scripts and detailed procedures to follow but my point is this: don't stress, just have fun with it! (for those who are interested in more visit Rick Swallow's page for printable scripts.)
1. Decide who will be who (characters and narrators). If there are only two of you, one of you can be all the characters while the other is narrator. Be sure the reader acts out character voices as he/she reads. Don't be afraid to get into it!
2. Begin reading the text side-by-side. The first few time will be rough but keep practicing. Eventually you will be able to recite the story without the words in front of you. This is especially cool because then you can "read" in the car by performing a well known Reader's Theater.
3. When you are well rehearsed in your part try to change parts. This will be hard and will create lots of laughter and funniness as you read parts that are no longer yours. Have fun with it!
Watch this example by ThePatiences of students performing Reader's Theater. Remember, this is a formal presentation. What you are doing with your reader(s) should be for fun and practice.
As an extension to this strategy consider making these craft puppets to use for a puppet Reader's Theater. The website SPROUT suggests using a lot of craft products. I say some pens and a paper bag are fine. Adapt the craft as you wish.
What teachers might do in class is not reasonable for home, but if you want to know more about the detailed strategy visit ReadWriteThink's lesson plan using this strategy.
Predicting - Probable Passage
I learned about Probable Passages first by experience and found it to be really engaging. This strategy will help students to develop the important skill of predicting. All good readers predict what will happen next as they read. You may have experienced this as you watch a suspenseful action movie and you just know "if he goes in there he will be caught". This is the same kind of predicting good readers do and just what we want your reader(s) to become good at. Here is how to help them work on this particular reading skill:
1. Pick 7-12 words or phrases from the book and list them on a piece of paper. These words should reflect the characters, setting, problem, and outcomes, as well as some unknown words that are critical to the theme of the selection. I have included some words that may work in general for the Little Red stories but please go to the books yourself and pick a few more important phrases from each specific book.
3. Now come up with a Gist statement. This is a statement (one sentence usually) that gives us a prediction for what the story is about. It is kind of like a summary of the story before you read it. Begin the gist statement with "I predict this is about..." As you read you discover if your prediction was correct!
4. Any words that went in the Unknown category (under step 2) or any questions that came up while you examined the list of words and phrases you can look for as you read the story. Your reader(s) may be able to answer their own questions!
Please consider viewing page 13 & 14 of this article about literacy tips for 7th-9th graders. Yes, the content is much more advanced, but the completed template will give you a good idea of how this activity should look.
1. Pick 7-12 words or phrases from the book and list them on a piece of paper. These words should reflect the characters, setting, problem, and outcomes, as well as some unknown words that are critical to the theme of the selection. I have included some words that may work in general for the Little Red stories but please go to the books yourself and pick a few more important phrases from each specific book.
- Little Red Ridinghood:
- Big Bad Wolf
- Little Red
- Grandma
- "Grandma, what big teeth you have!"
- "She ran away"
- He was hungry
- forest
- Characters - the people who are in the story
- Setting - where the story takes place
- Problem - what sorts of trouble are the characters having?
- Outcomes - how are the problems resolved?
- Unknown Words
3. Now come up with a Gist statement. This is a statement (one sentence usually) that gives us a prediction for what the story is about. It is kind of like a summary of the story before you read it. Begin the gist statement with "I predict this is about..." As you read you discover if your prediction was correct!
4. Any words that went in the Unknown category (under step 2) or any questions that came up while you examined the list of words and phrases you can look for as you read the story. Your reader(s) may be able to answer their own questions!
Please consider viewing page 13 & 14 of this article about literacy tips for 7th-9th graders. Yes, the content is much more advanced, but the completed template will give you a good idea of how this activity should look.
Questioning Strategy - Say Something
Good readers think about what they are reading as they read. They even do it without knowing they are doing it. But struggling readers need some help to get started thinking about what they read. This strategy helps readers formulate questions and comments that give reading purpose and improve comprehension (understanding).
1. Read part or all of the story. Some students need to stop along the way and think about the Say Something questions while others can read the whole story first. Think about how much help your reader(s) might need, or ask the teacher. Read out loud, have your reader read out loud, or share the oral reading.
2. Look at the Say Something list and pick one or more of actions listed below to respond to.
3. Take turns responding to only one of the prompts. As an example, I might respond to the classic nursery rhyme Little Miss Muffet by asking the question "what is a tuffet?" or by making a connection to my visit at the Tillamook dairy where I sampled curds (little cheese bits). Sometimes it is hard to know how to start. If this is the case for you and your reader(s) then you can use these starter sentences to help get you started. These will get you going and soon you will not need them!
4. Respond to each other's comment,but don't spend too much time talking about what was said because the goal is to "think out loud" and not to have an extended discussion. If either of you have questions, they may be answered as you continue to read.
5. If you or your reader(s) can't find a way to Say Something that is a clue that you need to go back and read it again. Don't forget to look at the pictures because they help to tell the story. The pictures often tell more story then the words do so have fun looking!
You can find the Say Something guidelines and response prompts here.
1. Read part or all of the story. Some students need to stop along the way and think about the Say Something questions while others can read the whole story first. Think about how much help your reader(s) might need, or ask the teacher. Read out loud, have your reader read out loud, or share the oral reading.
2. Look at the Say Something list and pick one or more of actions listed below to respond to.
4. Respond to each other's comment,but don't spend too much time talking about what was said because the goal is to "think out loud" and not to have an extended discussion. If either of you have questions, they may be answered as you continue to read.
5. If you or your reader(s) can't find a way to Say Something that is a clue that you need to go back and read it again. Don't forget to look at the pictures because they help to tell the story. The pictures often tell more story then the words do so have fun looking!
You can find the Say Something guidelines and response prompts here.
Summarizing - somebody*wanted*but*so
After we read students often have to summarize: that means to give the main ideas. Summarizing is one way to show we understand what we read. I remember this being a very hard thing for my daughter to learn. In order to help readers learn this skill we can support them with a learning strategy called Somebody-Wanted-But-So.
I like to have readers use a template like the image below to keep them focused and organized. The link above will give you access to a printable template. But this is not necessary because parents or teachers can simply ask the prompt questions or draw columns on a blank sheet of paper. As readers reply they are not only summarizing what they red with our help, but if they are English Language Learners they are getting oral practice as well.
Follow these steps:
1. Start by having the reader pick a character from the story (or a participant if the story is non-fiction).
2. Then ask the student to state what that character wants according to the story (the "wanted" of the strategy).
3. Now have the student think about an exception to what the character wants (the "but" of the strategy).
4. finally, finish with what the character does to resolve the exception (the "so" part of the strategy).
An example of a completed sentence would look something like this:
I would encourage you to view this sample page; I found it really helpful when I was first learning this strategy.
I like to have readers use a template like the image below to keep them focused and organized. The link above will give you access to a printable template. But this is not necessary because parents or teachers can simply ask the prompt questions or draw columns on a blank sheet of paper. As readers reply they are not only summarizing what they red with our help, but if they are English Language Learners they are getting oral practice as well.
Follow these steps:
1. Start by having the reader pick a character from the story (or a participant if the story is non-fiction).
2. Then ask the student to state what that character wants according to the story (the "wanted" of the strategy).
3. Now have the student think about an exception to what the character wants (the "but" of the strategy).
4. finally, finish with what the character does to resolve the exception (the "so" part of the strategy).
An example of a completed sentence would look something like this:
(somebody) Little Red Ridinghood wanted the person in the bed to be her grandmother but she wasn't sure it was so she began to ask questions.
I would encourage you to view this sample page; I found it really helpful when I was first learning this strategy.
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