When helping your child select appropriate books, please consider…

Children need to select appropriate books in order to spark their interest for reading and develop a love of learning. If the book chosen by the child is too difficult, then the child may become discouraged with reading.

Some tips that family members should consider when assisting a child select book are:

select books that contain good picture clues that support the text
choose books that have a clear beginning, middle, and an end
choose books that contain natural language and flows easily
look for books that contain words that your child recognizes
find books with topics that your child is excited to learn
seek books that your child can connect with personally because of his life experiences
look for books that you can both can enjoy and discuss
if the child reads the first few pages and has enough miscues to count on one hand, then the text is probably too difficult

Ways Partners Can Support Readers

WAIT… for the reader to try.

PRAISE… the reader for:

using pictures.
using letter sounds.
noticing mistakes.
rereading.
fixing mistakes.
maintaining reading.
reading smoothly with expression.

CONVERSATION… Talk with the reader when:

He stops at a difficult word.
- Partner: "Read it again and think what word makes sense."
She makes an attempt which changes the meaning.
- Partner: "What word makes sense there?"
He makes an attempt which doesn’t sound right.
- Partner: "What word would sound better?"
She makes an attempt which doesn’t look like the word.
- Partner: "Does that look like the word you are saying?"

SAY… "Would (say the word) work there?"

OR partner tells the word.

© Seedling Publications, Inc. 1997 ©