Reading Strategies K-2
l. Pointing to the word–This is one of the earliest strategies taught. We take the skill for granted, but some children have a hard time keeping their place or knowing where their eyes should focus next. As reading improves, the need to point will decrease.
2. Monitors his/her own reading–this occurs when the child hesitates, frowns or indicates something isn’t right, even if it is. Monitoring also occurs when the child rereads to check. This indicates the child is trying to make sense. It is important to allow WAIT TIME for the child to find his own error. If an adult always points out the error, then the child never learns to check for himself. He/she will never become an independent reader. WAIT AT LEAST UNTIL THE END OF THE SENTENCE TO SEE IF YOUR CHILD NOTICES THE ERROR. If he/she doesn’t, then say: “Try that again, think about the story and keep in mind that first letter.”
If that doesn’t work, merely tell the child the word. If you do need to tell the child the word, he/she MUST GO BACK AND REPEAT THE ENTIRE SENTENCE, in order to keep the meaning.
Praise the child for monitoring, even if he/she doesn’t get the word right. The mere fact he/she stopped is WONDERFUL.
3. Searching-this skill goes one step farther than monitoring. The child searches the picture. He/she thinks about whether what is read makes sense or sounds right and whether the attempts are matching some of the letters in the words. Sometimes a child rereads a sentence, and this indicates he/she is searching for meaning and whether what is read sounds right.
There are 3 sources of information in reading text. We call these “cues.”
MEANING CUES: The child has a “sense” about what the story is about. He expects it to go a certain way. We teach the children to pay attention as they read, to make sure it makes sense.
STRUCTURE CUES: The child expects the story to “sound right.” He has been using verbal language for quite sometime and knows how it should sound. For example if he read: “I want my blue.” He would realize that after the word “my” should come a noun (ball). You can’t play with a “blue.” The more language background a child has the more knowledge he has available to him.
VISUAL CUES: Hopefully your child will use these cues as a cross check to see if the visual matches what he/she predicts the text is going to say.
4. Cross Checking–This is the ability to use two or more of the above cues at the same time. Most of us were taught to “sound it out.” While phonics is important, getting the meaning is what reading is all about. The child must search the picture, think about whether it makes sense and sounds right in addition to using phonics.
Remember WAIT TIME of 5-10 seconds is necessary for your child to work it out. You want your child to become independent, to work it out by himself, so don’t be too fast to tell your child what the word is. Ask the following questions to help him/her figure it out by him/herself:
“What would make sense there?” “Go back to the beginning and try again.” “Use the picture to help.” “Look at how the word begins .”
5. Repeat on “tolds”–after you have asked the child one of the questions above, and they still don’t get it, give them a “told.” Then he/she MUST GO BACK AND REPEAT THE ENTIRE SENTENCE, in order to keep the meaning.
6. Fluency–is the ability to make oral reading sound like talking. To develop fluency, it is helpful to have several reading of the same book or parts of the book. Even though it is often boring for parents to hear the same story over and over, it is very helpful for the child. Remind your child to read with expression. Smooth flowing reading will help him/her to keep the meaning in his/her head.
Reading Strategies for Second-Graders and First-Graders who are reading like second-graders.
l. Look at the picture for clues.
2. Get your lips ready – Say first sounds. Read and say it again.
3. Stretch word out–Put sounds together.
4. Chunk the word–Look for a word chunk. e.g. “all” within the word “ball”
5. Skip the word-Read to the end of the sentence and go back and reread it.
6. Flip the vowel–Try the other vowel sound -hide- if child says hid, try the long vowel sound.
7. Ask for help.
