I am going to share with you how to select the right book for 3 different types of reading– read alouds, independent reading and instructional reading. Children need all three types. They help expand vocabulary, knowledge, and fluency.
When we are reading, we want to apply the different types during our day, because all of them play a vital role in the reading development of our children. Oh, and let me let you in on a secret. (These ideas do not only apply only to the early or struggling reader.)
So, let’s grab a tasty cup of coffee or whatever you like to drink and hash out what these different approaches look like and how to make the most of each one, so that you can have a better idea on how to help your child to grow in his or her reading ability.
How to select the right book for Read alouds
Do you love read alouds? I know I have fond memories of them!
Read alouds add so much to the development of our youngsters’ love for learning. It allows our children to experience higher level vocabulary and sentence structures that are beyond what we use in spoken language. In fact, we are able to listen and understand books that are 2 to 3 levels above our current reading level.
Benefits of Read Alouds
-They help them bond with the one reading to them out loud and develop a curiosity for the world around them.
-They also help us grow in knowledge and vocabulary we have not been exposed to yet.
-Read alouds also model how our grammar works.
Best Practices for Read Alouds
Now you may be wondering what the best way is to do a read aloud. Unfortunately, it is not enough to just tell your child to listen to you read. You want to create an engaging experience and engage your child’s thinking.
Of course, the intensity of the engagement can vary depending on the purpose. But I do recommend discussing at some level what was read.
We want to remember that the reason for reading is to learn and grow and for this to take place we must THINK about what is being said.
The reason the discussion is important is because it helps keep the listener focused on what is going on, it models what we need to think about and to help understand the message the author is trying to portray,
Read alouds are not as taxing on a newer reader because they are not having to decode each word. The child is able to practice it in a safe spot and also can learn by how others formulate their thoughts. This is a good way to support a child who struggles with vocabulary, memory, or formulating thoughts.
How to Create an Engaging Read Aloud
- Make connection with the author and his purpose of writing the text.
- Ask probing questions that causes your child to think outside the box.
- Discuss unfamiliar words and create sentences using the word properly.
- Ask the 5 W questions. Who? What? When? Where? Why?
- Have your child give a summary of what was read.
- What did this remind you of?
- Ask what questions your child has about the reading.
- Does it make you wonder about something?
- Do you want to learn more about an idea?
- Do you think the action was right? What would you change?
Create memories by having read alouds and allow the read alouds to spark deeper conversations.
Independent Reading
How to Select books for Independent Reading
These are books that your child can read with about 95 percent accuracy. This just means they can read most of the words on the page without error. Independent reading is important because it builds reading fluency, confidence, and the habit of reading.
When we set aside time to read, we want everyone to really be reading, (Except the very young ones…they can just look at the book.)
Reading accurately and at the right speed takes practice. Practice blending the sounds together, practice reading smoothly and taking the proper breaths. A child can only do this if the text is just right. Because of this, I recommend having easy and just right books.
Make sure you have an assortment of books and try to find ones that suit your child’s interest. If your child is just starting out, allow him to choose between a couple different decodables so that he feels like he is having some ownership. It is sometimes hard to find super interesting decodables for our young readers. These are some decodables I like to use with my younger readers. Take a look!
Independent reading helps children develop the habit of reading on their own. You want to make sure to give books to your children that they can read successfully.
Instructional Reading
Instructional reading is when you select a book that is harder for your child to read. It would be a book that could be read with about 75 percent accuracy.
Unlike the read aloud, the child will be reading it aloud to you. This way when he or she skips or says a word wrong you can give proper feedback on how to read the word accurately. However, there are certain things you want to consider in giving your child feedback.
You want to
- Make sure your child blends the sounds of the words together as they read. My friend Marnie explains it here.
- Tell the child just the piece of information they need. For example, if they don’t know the /er/ in fern. Point out the “er” and say this says /er/. Then allow them to blend it together.
- Depending on the day or the difficulty of the word you can just tell your child the word.
I recommend parents have their child read out loud to them 5 times a week for 15 minutes. Having this instructional time allows them to practice transferring their word work activities into actual reading. It also helps them to build confidence and be willing to tackle harder texts. You may want to take turns reading so that the task is not too arduous for the child.
Learning to read is an art and a science and we have the responsibility to give the right dose to our kids.
You may be thinking, Audrey, I have been trying to help my child increase his reading abilities because he is not making much progress in school. Or I have bought an expensive homeschool curriculum that is not effective for my child, even though it has worked for my older kiddos.
The important thing is to take action now! You can support your child by making the necessary changes he or she needs.
To learn what those needs are, you can schedule a Free Reading Assessment to learn exactly where your child is at. Then your child can enroll in tutoring to help develop those skills. As we progress through our lessons, I will share with you practical tips to help your child beyond our session. It is a win-win. Click here to get started. Slots fill quickly so don’t wait.
Let’s take action and help your child soar toward his or her reading goals.
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