 Parents' Frequently Asked Questions |
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Answers to Parents' Frequently Asked Questions
Dr. Rose Marie Codling
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Question 1: How should I respond when my child says, "Mom, how do you spell ----------- ?" And by the way, why is
my child's teacher telling him to spell inventively? !!!
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Answer : One way to handle requests for spelling is to simply provide the correct spelling. This reduces the amount of disruption to the child's writing and may encourage him/her to continue. However, children also need to develop independence in writing and confidence to spell words on their own. You might consider telling the child to write the word any way he/she can. At the early stages of writing, a writer needs to focus on getting the ideas down on paper; editing comes later. This is where invented spelling becomes important. If children know that it's OK to write words inventively, they will be encouraged to write freely and writing won't be viewed as tedious. Proofreading and correcting spelling errors occurs later in the writing process as the writer begins to polish the draft for an audience. If you are concerned that your child spells many simple words incorrectly, consider starting a "word bank" of spelling words. Write only a few words at a time on 3 X 5 inch cards. These should be high frequency words that are taken from the child's own writing. That is, the word bank should consist of common words that the child tends to misspell. Each time a word is added to the word bank, the child writes the word, spells it out loud, looks carefully at the word, closes his/her eyes and tries to visualize the word, and then attempts to write the word without looking at the card. Repeated practice with the word cards will help your child to remember the correct spelling. However, it is most important that this practice is coupled with opportunities to read lots of text and write for many purposes. Encountering words in meaningful reading and writing contexts is the key to reinforcing spelling. Finally, talk to the teacher about the kind of spelling instruction that your child is receiving. Formal instruction in spelling is an important part of a balanced instructional program.
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Question 2: What should I do when my child says, "Dad, what's this word?"
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Answer : Oftentimes, parents' first response to this question is, "Sound it out." However, if you pay close attention to the word, you may notice that it is not a word that can be sounded out using a letter-by-letter phonics strategy. For example, some very common first-grade words cannot be sounded out using the phonics generalizations typically taught at the first-grade level (said, want, is, the). Sometimes it's OK to simply tell the child the word. This will help to reduce the child's frustration level and to maintain reading fluency and understanding. You might also encourage the child to use a word identification strategy such as skip-it or break-it. Skip-it involves skipping an unknown word and reading to the end of the sentence, then rereading to fill in a word that makes sense. This strategy works with some reading material if the surrounding words provide useful information. Break-it involves breaking a word into smaller parts by covering up an ending or searching for smaller words within the large word. Encourage your child to break words into smaller familiar chunks and to relate unfamiliar words to words that he/she knows. Finally, check with your child's teacher to find out what kind of word attack strategy is being taught in the classroom. This reinforcement will help your child move toward greater independence as a reader. |
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Question 3: How should I react to mistakes made by my child during oral reading? |
Answer : Errors (or miscues as they are often called) that do not affect the meaning of the text are less serious than errors that change meaning. In fact, substitutions that don't change text meaning are often an indication that a person is reading for meaning, which is a hallmark of a good reader. When the reader substitutes words that change the meaning of the text or substitutes nonsense words, there is cause for concern. Reading behavior of this type indicates that the reader does not possess the awareness that reading is about constructing meaning. It is critical that all readers have this awareness. Listen carefully to your child's reading. Ignore miscues that do not alter the meaning of the text. When the meaning of the text is changed by the child's substitution, wait until the child reaches the end of the sentence, so that he/she has an opportunity to independently self-correct. If the child continues without self-correcting, say, "Wait a minute. That didn't sound quite right," or "That didn't make sense. Why don't you read that again?" These kinds of questions guide the child to the understanding that reading must make sense. Encourage your child to ask, "Does this make sense?" during reading so that he/she will begin to monitor his/her own comprehension. |
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Question 4: How can I get my child to practice her reading when reading is difficult for her? |
Answer : Children who have experienced difficulty with reading are sometimes reluctant to read for pleasure. This is unfortunate given that practice is the best way for these children to begin to be successful. Children who are provided with lots of reading materials and opportunities to choose their own materials will be more motivated to read for pleasure. In addition, there are some specific ways to practice reading that might encourage reluctant readers. -Echo reading is a procedure in which an adult and child read together. At first, the adult takes the lead, reading aloud and setting the pace for the reading. As the child gains confidence and gets into the rhythm of the reading, he/she may take the lead. At this time the adult reads more softly or stops reading altogether . However, if the child falters or slows down, the adult begins reading louder and takes over the lead. This procedure is designed to provide the child with experience with fluent reading. Questions about comprehension or word identification should be reserved for after the reading, rather than interrupting the flow of reading.
-Buddy reading can be done between two people. The readers take turns reading aloud to each other and listening and following along with the text. Buddy reading is especially motivating to children reading with peers or in an older child/younger child pair.
-Repeated readings provide children with opportunities to practice and are especially beneficial in reinforcing sight vocabulary. One way to motivate children to engage in repeated readings is to have them practice reading books that they will then read to a younger sibling or friend. A second activity that tends to motivate children to practice is tape recording of repeated readings. The procedure is to first tape record the reading of a new story. Then the child practices reading the story silently 3 or 4 times. A final tape recording is made after the silent practice. When children listen to the two readings, it is evident how much the practice has helped, demonstrating to the child the usefulness of repeated readings. |
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Question 5: How can I be sure that my child understands what he reads?
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Answer : Understanding what one reads is the most important aspect of reading. Engage in informal conversations with children about their reading, just as you might discuss a book or article with a friend or coworker. Open-ended questions encourage children to express their ideas and easily reveal whether or not they have gotten the gist of what they have read. Questions might include: "What was your favorite part?" "What did you think about when (describe some event in the story)...?" Questions can also revolve around the typical parts of a story: What was the problem in the story? How was it solved? Who were the characters? What were the main story events? Where did the story take place? Having children retell a story "for someone who has never read it before" is also a good way to check their comprehension. Some children do not monitor their comprehension as they read. That is, they will read the words, often making nonsensical errors and never stop to reread or question the meaning of their reading. It is important to always reinforce this concept by encouraging children to ask themselves, "Does this make sense?" Making predictions before reading and checking the predictions during reading is a good way to monitor comprehension. Stopping at the end of paragraphs or pages to paraphrase what has been read is also a good way to monitor one's own understanding. |
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