Home Reading Program

Dear Parents and Guardians, 

We are starting a new activity called the Home Reading Program. For the remainder of the school year your child will have the opportunity to take home books from the Home Reading library to share with you and your family members. This sharing can take place in a variety of ways.

1.  You may read the book to your child while he/she listens.

2.  You and your child may read together:

·        Choral reading (parent and child read in unison).

·        Echo reading (parent reads aloud one line at a time and the child reads the same line immediately afterwards).

3.  Your child may wish to read to you:

·        She/he may look at the pictures and tell the story in his /her own words.

·        She/he may share a book and is just beginning to read and the reading may only be an approximation of the story.

·        She/he may have memorized a story and be able to recite it verbatim, often without looking at the text.

·        She/he may read the text independently, needing help occasionally.

Please note that all of these attempts at reading reflect normal development and should be encouraged & celebrated.   If your child is telling the story in his/her own words, ask him/her if she would like to read the story again. Encourage your child who has memorized the book to focus on the print by underlining the words with their finger as she/he reads (finder tracking).

If your child is reading independently, but gets stuck on a word:

·        Let your child try to read it, encourage predicting from the context and the sound of the first letter.

·        If your child struggles with the word for more than ten seconds simply supply the word and allow your child to keep reading.

·        As your child becomes more confident and willing to take risks, have him/her skip the word and read to the end of the sentence. Then have him/her read the sentence again, putting in a word that makes sense.

·        Have your child look at the picture for a clue to the word.

Discuss the story and its characters as you read. Make predictions about the story. Before and during reading ask your child, “What do you think will happen next?” Read to confirm or correct your predictions.

The Home Reading booklets came home with your child on Friday in a purple bag.  A home reading log sheet was also sent home with your child to help us communicate regarding your child’s level and a way to keep track of the books your child reads.  Please be sure your child’s books are always transported in the purple bag provided to ensure they are not damaged.  Happy reading and thanks again for your help and support. 

Sincerely,

Mrs. Lai