Helping your child connect to the texts they read

Often one of the reasons our kids aren't willing to finish a book is because they say, "It's boring! I can't understand it. The characters are strange. It doesn't mean anything to me." But perhaps one of the reasons our kids aren't into the book is because they aren't connecting properly. Or connecting at all. When readers make connections to the texts they read, they're more likely to understand what they read, remember what they read, and enjoy what they read. It's a fact. Though it sounds like helping kids make connections to their texts is complicated and involved, it's really not. Strong readers make connections every time they read, and they do it without batting an eye. Connecting is natural and habitual for strong readers. They connect to characters and events in texts; they connect to settings, themes, and messages in texts. There are three main ways that readers make connections to texts: they make connections between the text and themselves or their own life; they make connections between the text and another text they've read; they make connections between the text and what they know about the world around them. How do we bring this connection stuff home for our kids? How do we gently urge them into making connections so that they become stronger readers? Simple. Whether they like the book or not isn't relevant. You can initiate the connection conversation any time you'd like, any day of the week. Consider using the following phrases to help your kids make text-to-self connections with what they read: Oh, it looks like Arthur is really trying hard to train his pet, Pal. What kinds of things do you remember doing to help us train Brady? Hey! Chrysanthemum loves her name now just like you love your special name. Harry is so nervous for his first day at Hogwarts. I know you felt just as nervous when you started your new school. The following ideas will help your child make text-to-text connections: Wow! We just read a book that took place in France like this book does. Can you remember the title? Oh boy. Brother and Sister Bear are not doing a good job of taking care of their things. Think back to the book that Nanny read you this weekend. Who else did you read about who was having a hard time being responsible? What did we read about in "Time: for Kids" last month about bats? Where do they find most of their food? And helping your children make text-to-world connections will also help them become stronger readers: What do you remember about how people get around in big cities? Can you imagine how it might feel for Trixie to live in her New York City apartment? This dog looks so much like President Obama's dog, Bo. What ways are they alike? Remember how some towns require that people recycle with those big blue bins? Looks like they're doing kind of the same thing in this book. Connections are easy once you get started, and your kids will love to share with you the connections they make on their own! (From:http://www.scholastic.com/parents/blogs/scholastic-parents-raise-reader/help-your-kids-connect-to-books-they-read)

What to say when your child doesn't know a word...

We are winding down the first semester of school and our Jefferson Bear readers are becoming more independent in their reading each day. However, there are still opportunities for parents to help out when your child gets stuck on a tricky word. The article below gives some handy tips on how you can help without having your child become to reliant on you for reading their take-home books:
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Reading Strategies for Unknown Words
Please take into consideration that the reading strategies you pick for your reader will totally depend on his reading development. For example, if a child is reading at a third grade level, the strategy of “look at the picture” may not be appropriate for him or the text he’s reading. At this point, he has most likely outgrown that strategy.

Think about the Meaning

Encourage readers to THINK about what they are reading. After all, reading=thinking! Here are some things you can say to help them do just that:

• What would make sense in the sentence?
• You read ________. Does that make sense?
• Look at the picture to help you read the word.
• Think about what is happening in the story right now.
• Go back to the beginning of that sentence and start it again.
• Skip over the word and continue reading until the end of the sentence. Now, go back to the beginning of the sentence and start again.

 Use Visual Clues from the Words

• Look at the first letter(s) of the word. Say the first sound(s).
• If the word is ____________, what would you expect to see at the beginning/middle/end of the word?
• Spell the word out loud. Look at each letter.
• We’ve seen that word before in this book. Let’s find it on the other page.
• Do you see a part of the word (word chunk) that you already know?
• Let’s cover up a part of the word and read the part we see. (For example, if the word is jumping, cover up the -ing)
• Sound it out. (This only works if the child has the word knowledge and/or strategies.)
• Do you see a prefix in the word that you know? (longer words)
• Do you see a suffix in the word that you know? (longer words)
• Can you break the word into syllables?

Relate it to Talking

• Does that sound right to you?
• Can you point to the word that sounded wrong?
• You read ______, is that how we say it?

 (from: http://thisreadingmama.com/strategies-for-unknown-words/#comment-24314)