There is nothing more exciting for a child than learning to read. For some kids it happens quickly and easily. For other kids it takes large amounts of effort and time to get the idea. And it’s up to us as the adults, to support our children, whatever their reading journey! There are lots of strategies that we use here at Palmwoods State School to help our students learn to first decode words (developing Accuracy to be able to read what the words say) and to understand what they’re reading (Comprehension strategies). We also teach students to read in a way that sounds like talking (Fluency and expression) and to expand their vocabulary (to ensure they are learning new words). We teach students different strategies for developing these skills and display them on a working wall in the classroom using a CAFÉ display (CAFÉ stands for - Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, Expand Vocabulary). Student reading goals are shaped around the different strategy they need to work on, that their teacher discusses with them following a shared reading interview and they are given lots of opportunities to practise and achieve these goals to improve their reading skills.
A great clip that shows practical ways that you can support your child who is learning to read at home can be found on YouTube. The main points made in the video are (with some great examples to expand on these given):
- Sit side-by-side with your child.
- Don’t ‘tell’ the words.
- Move beyond ‘sound it out’.
- Have your child re-read some passages for fluency.
- Allow some mistakes to go uncorrected.
- Allow the same book multiple times.
- Keep reading to your child.
If you have any questions about your child’s reading, please make an appointment to discuss this with their teacher.