READING STRATEGIES

Dear Parent or Guardian,

When you listen to your child read, what do you say when they struggle? Do you reply with, “sound it out?” Although stretching the sounds of each letter is a valid strategy, it is by no means the only one. I’ve included a reminder sheet of some of the other strategies we use at school for your student’s reference while reading at home.

I’d also like to caution you against immediately correcting mistakes. The goal is to get the students to monitor their own reading. When your child misreads a word, wait silently until the end of the sentence. Give them the chance to say, “Wait, that doesn’t make sense. I should reread.” If they do not self- correct, ask them if it made sense or, if they did substitute a word that made sense, to go back and reread. Often children can correctly identify the incorrect word. Do not tell them the word but suggest a strategy instead. As the year progresses, ask THEM to decide which strategy to try!" Yes, this will make your reading session longer but remember the Chinese proverb:

“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”—Author unknown

Sincerely,

Sarah Beckham