Home Strategies for Supporting Reading

• Say a familiar name, word, or compound word and clap each syllable.
• Play rhyme games. Make up silly rhymes with real and made-up words.  Do these words rhyme? Ball, tall.  What rhymes with (insert word)?
• Find items that begin with the same sound: bat, ball, balloon, etc. Focus on different letter sounds each time. 
• Say a word such as bat. Have your child name the sounds they hear or tap their fingers for each sound in the word: /b/ /a/ /t/

• Write letters. Make it fun and multisensory by practicing with shaving cream, sand, pudding, finger paint or even mud!
  • 8 Multisensory Techniques for Teaching Reading
• Sing Alphabet Songs

• Play games with an ABC Chart such as asking your student to:
  • “Point to the letter that makes the SSSSSS sound.”
  • “Point to the letter the word _____start with.”

• Demonstrate figuring out new words by sounding them out while you read signs and words aloud. 
• Use Elkonin Boxes to help your student sound out words. Use the enclosed link from Understood.org to learn how to use this researched-based strategy.
  • Elkonin sound boxes: An evidenced based literacy strategy

• Write together often. Model how you say words slowly and record letter sounds as you say them.
• Simply reading a word off a flashcard does not help students remember a word. Try these ways to practice spelling a word:
  • Pretend to dribble a ball as you say each letter, then shoot the imaginary ball as you say the word.
  • Write the word with your finger in a tray of sand or shaving cream.
  • Type the word.
  • Write the word on a whiteboard.
  • Close your eyes and write it in the air.
  • Do a jumping jack as you say each letter and then a push-up as you say the full word.
  • Write the word with your finger on a piece of sandpaper.
  • Write a sentence that uses the word.

• Play board games to develop oral language and print awareness.
• Encourage your child to speak in complete sentences.
• Play with new vocabulary terms you read in books. How else could those words be used?

• Read aloud often. Talk about favorite parts of the story, make and check predictions, retell stories. 
• Read TO your child. Choose texts that may be a little challenging for your child to read independently but are engaging and spark great conversation. Read with expression and phrasing that supports understanding of the text.
• Read poetry. Play with rhythm and rhyme while you read. 
• Phrasing: A Simple Technique to Help Your Child Read Fluently
• 10 Ways to Encourage Your Grade-Schooler to Read
  • Read it again and again. Encourage your child to read familiar books. Re-reading helps build speed and accuracy, which also builds confidence.
  • Make reading real. Connect what your child reads with what’s happening in real life. For example, if you’re reading a story about basketball, ask questions about when your child learned to shoot hoops and how similar it was to the kids’ experience in the story.
  • Don’t leave home without something to read. Bring along a kid-friendly book or magazine any time you know your child will have to wait in a doctor’s office, at the DMV, or anywhere else. 
  • Take your time. When your child is sounding out an unfamiliar word, leave plenty of time to do it, and praise the effort. Treat mistakes as an opportunity for improvement.
  • Point out relationships between words. Talk about words whenever you can. Explain how related words have similar spellings and meanings.
  • Make reading creative. Change up reading activities to play to your child’s strengths. If your child loves to draw or make things, create a book together. Fold paper and staple it to resemble a book. Work together to write sentences on each page and have your child add illustrations or pictures. Then read it out loud together.
  • Look for a series of books. Ask a librarian or a teacher for suggestions about popular book series your child might like.
  • Let your child choose. Some kids prefer nonfiction books. Some love only fantasy or graphic novels. Or maybe your child prefers audiobooks or reading things online. The important thing is to practice reading, no matter where or how it happens.

Your child has access to award-winning digital resources through Raz-Plus. Through these resources kids have access to thousands of books and literacy-rich experiences. The easiest way to access RazPlus resources is through ClassLink.

Get to ClassLink here.

Once students are logged into ClassLink, look for these icons:

At Raz-Plus, you can register to receive activity and progress reports. After your child logs in, click on the green parent button at the top right of the screen and enter your email address. Your child can read great texts and build literacy skills through listening, reading and fun activities.

As always, thank you for partnering with us to help your child discover the joy of reading!