It is important to maintain, or even increase reading levels during the summer months.  There are many ways to avoid "summer loss".  One of the most important things that you can do is read daily with your child, 10-20 minutes a day can greatly improve your child's fluency and comprehension.  Comprehension is an important factor when reading.  Many children at this stage are still learning that they must listen to themselves as they read, so be sure to ask your child to retell the story or information to you after reading.  They are also learning about punctuation and using their voices to convey meaning.  In order to help your child, we have put together several strategies that you may use to improve your child's reading.  You will also find two Scholastic websites to strenghten your child's reading ability and find "Just Right" books for your child to read. 

If I am Stuck on a Word, I can:

·   Ask myself: "Does it sound right?"

·   Say the beginning sound and read the rest of the sentence.  Can I figure it out now?

·   Ask myself:  "Does the word make sense?"

·   Look for key words or picture clues

·   Look and listen for letter patterns (Ex:  cat, hat, rat)

· Look for little words in big words

· Skip the word and go on

· Backtrack.  Read it again

Before your child begins reading the story:

· Take a picture walk to help determine key words

· Make predictions of what may happen in the story, based on the title and/or pictures

As your child is reading, have him/her:

· Stop and predict what may happen next

· Retell what happened so far (this will assist you in being sure they are paying attention to the reading)

· Change their voice to convey meaning and distinguish between characters and events.  (Show excitement, sadness, etc.)

When your child is finished reading, you may ask him/her to:

· Tell you who the characters in the story are-using proper names and/or the noun (girl) not the pronoun (she)

· Tell the setting of the story-where and when the story takes place

· Retell the story in the correct order (Beginning, middle and end) with details included in the retell

· Ask your child what the story makes him/her think of (Help your child make a connection to the story from his/her life.)

Remember to read a variety of literature with your child.  Include both fiction and non-fiction. Visit the library and choose topics your child is interested in.  Share your favorite books and ENJOY the time you spend reading with your child. 

Joanie Donaldson