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If
the child has trouble
decoding words,
try
-
Reading words around it:
“What word would make sense here?” Then ask, “Does your word look
like this word?”
-
Finding
a word that is similar
to the unknown word (rhyming word).
-
Breaking a word
with more than one syllable into parts.
To monitor the student’s comprehension
(understanding) of the text:
Stop from time to time
to ask questions. What do you think will happen next or why do you think
this happened?
Pay
attention to the student’s
reaction to the text
while
reading.
Does
the student laugh at funny
parts?
After sounding out a word
does the student look puzzled?
(they probably don’t know the meaning of the word and often, struggling
readers will not ask!)
Does
the student say things like “I didn’t know that” or “I thought that was
going to happen!”? These types of reactions show
the student is
engaged and understanding what they are reading
-
If
the student struggles on more than 5% of the words, then
the book is
probably beyond the child’s reading level. You can then either read the
book to the student, or choose a new book. Reading to the student
is just as valuable as having the student read, just be sure the student
is engaged in what you are reading and that you are showing them good
reading habits as you read.
-
If
the student doesn’t seem interested
in the book, offer him/her the choice to
select a different one.
But do not allow a student to simply switch from book to book.
Students need to feel they have the choice and control to read what is
interesting to them; however that needs to be balanced with actually
getting some reading
done during the
short time we have!
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