Thank you to Mrs. MacDonald for this valuable resource!

Beginning Reading Instruction:

A Practical Guide for Parents

Your children's success as learners rests on their ability to read well. Learning to read is a process that takes time and effort. At first children hear stories and poems, learn the alphabet, understand how speech and print go together, and learn that printed words mean something. After much practice, children soon read and understand many books and stories. In their growth as readers, children move from "learning to read" in the early grades to "reading to learn" in the upper elementary grades and beyond.

You are your children's first and most influential teachers. Teaching and learning happen when you and your young children do simple, fun things at home. Reading books with your children for just a few minutes each day can make a big difference in how easily and how well they learn to read. Trips to a grocery store or a shopping mall can be used to help your children understand why we have print and how we use it.

All learning activities should be enjoyable. At no time should your children be made to feel pressured or discouraged. If an activity is not going well, stop it and try it again later. Working with your children in a positive manner can build their interest in reading.

Twelve Essential Components of Research-Based Programs for Teaching Beginning Reading

One: Children have opportunities to expand their use and appreciation of spoken language.

Listening begins before speaking. Children learn the sounds of language by listening to people talk. As children learn to talk with others, they ask questions, learn the meanings of words, and find out interesting and important things about the world around them. Many experiences of listening and talking prepare children to read.

Helping your children at home . . .

Talking and Listening

Begin talking, singing, and reading frequently to your children when they are babies.
When giving directions to your younger children, use short sentences and explain clearly what you want them them to do. As they grow older, increase the length of the directions using words that describe (for example, instead of saying, "Get the book," you can say, "Please bring me your favorite storybook. It is on the desk in your room.").
Ask your children questions that require more than a "yes" or "no" answer. Some questions that help them to talk more openly are "Why do you think that happened?" "What do we do next?" "What would happen if we did it this way?" "What can we do about that?" "How can we make this better?"
Listen carefully as your children talk to you. Answer their questions and take time to explain things to them.
Teach your children songs and poems that are fun to sing and say (for example, songs like "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and poems like "Wee Willie Winkie" or "Little Miss Muffet").
Play games such as "Red-Light Green-Light," and "Simon Says" that require talking, listening, following directions, and giving directions.
Begin talking, singing, and reading frequently to your children when they are babies.

Reading Aloud

Set aside a special time each day to read aloud to your children.
Read stories and informational books aloud for as long as you can read and your children can listen. If your children become restless, lay the book aside and come back to it at another time.
Read stories to your children and have them tell the stories back to you.
Record yourself reading a book and give the tape to your children. Let them play the tape and read along in the book on their own.
Have your children "read" to you from a picture book by making up their own stories about the pictures.

Other Activities

Take nature walks in the neighborhood or at local parks. Spend time talking in detail with your children about things you can see, hear, or touch such as leaves, rain, and caterpillars.
When possible, take your children on trips to zoos, museums, nature trails, and historical sites. Talk about the interesting and unusual things you see.
Draw pictures with your children and take turns telling stories about the pictures.
Pick a topic of interest to your children and have them learn new things about it. Ask them to tell you and other family members what they have learned.
Watch educational television programs with your children and talk with them about those programs.

Two: Children have opportunities to expand their use and appreciation of printed language.

Spoken language that is written down becomes printed language that can be read and understood. Print is everywhere---on signs, billboards, labels, computer screens and in television ads, games, books, magazines, and newspapers. Children learn that print is important to daily life and that it is used in many ways for different reasons.

Helping your children at home . . .

Let your children see you read every day. When they see you read newspapers, catalogs, magazines, books, and labels, they will learn that reading is important. Read for enjoyment. Your children will copy what you do.
Make sure your children have books and other printed materials.
Point out the letters and words that you see everywhere. Read aloud traffic signs, street signs, store signs, billboards, and maps as you travel to and from home and elsewhere.
While working at home, read aloud grocery labels, notices, invitations, phone numbers, and calendar dates.
Put messages to family members under a magnet on the refrigerator or pin them on a home bulletin board.
Give your children supplies for writing, such as a chalkboard, chalk, markers, highlighters, a marker board, paper, pencils, and crayons. .
Give your children books as gifts on birthdays and on special holidays.

Three: Children have opportunities to hear good stories and informational books read aloud daily.

When children hear books read aloud, they come to understand why learning to read is important. They learn that people read for different reasons---books that tell a story can be read for pleasure; books full of facts and information can be read in order to learn new things. Children learn a great deal when they listen to books read aloud---they hear new words, learn new ways of saying things, and are introduced to new ideas, different people, and faraway places.

Helping your children at home . . .

When reading a book with your children, you can:
Let them hold the book and turn the pages.
Talk about different parts of the book such as the front, back, title page, first page, and last page.
Take your time reading. Do not rush.
Point to the words as you read. Help them to see that there are spaces between words, you read from the top of the page to the bottom, and that you read from left to right.
Ask them to think about the story as you read it.
Point to the pictures and talk about them.
Read expressively: talk the way the story's characters would talk; make sound effects and funny faces; and vary the pitch of your voice throughout the story to make it more interesting.
Encourage them to ask questions about the story's characters and events.
Talk about the story and relate it to their personal experiences.
Get library cards for your children and let them choose books to check out.
Let your children participate in community literacy programs. Enroll them in library-sponsored summer reading programs.
Ask local bookstores if they sponsor a children's story hour where good books, stories, and poems are read aloud.
Start a neighborhood reading club where children get together regularly to read and share books.
Swap books with family and friends so that your children will have more books to read.
Encourage your older children to read with your younger children.
Remember to keep reading aloud to your children even after they read on their own!

Four: Children have opportunities to understand and use the building blocks of spoken language.

Children can learn that spoken sentences are made up of words and that words are made up of separate sounds. They can learn that many words can be separated into syllables (for example, /bu/ /cket/ in "bucket" and /te/ /le/ /phone/ in telephone"). Children can also learn that syllables can be separated into sounds (for example, /b/ /u/ and /k/ /e/ /t/ in "bucket") and that words can be separated into sounds (for example, /k/ /a/ /t/ in "cat"). Later children will be able to connect the sounds in spoken words with the letters in printed words. Most children will benefit from much practice at playing with the sounds of words.

Helping your children at home . . .

Beginning and Ending Sounds

Help your children learn to identify the sounds at the beginning of words (for example, the sound /t/ in "top" and the sound /b/ in "big"). Practice with other words and their beginning sounds.
Help your children learn to separate sounds at the beginning of words (for example, ask what would be left if you took the /r/ sound out of "run" or if you took the /s/ sound away from "sat"). Continue with other sounds and words.
Help your children learn to blend the separated sounds of spoken words. Ask your children to tell you what they would have if they put these sounds together: /m/ and /other/ (mother); /k/ and /andy/ (candy); and /s/, /a/, and /t/ (sat). Continue with other words.
Ask your children which one of these words---"bag," "cat," "bike" "boat"---starts with a different sound. Practice with other words.
Say four words that have the same beginning sound. Ask your children to listen and say the beginning sound (for example, the beginning sound is /h/ in "hat," "hop," "hit," "hand").
Say four words that have the same ending sound. Ask your children to listen and tell you what the ending sound is (for example, the ending sound is /p/ in "stop," "pop," "cop," and "top").
Have your children take an imaginary shopping trip. Give each child a paper sack and an old magazine. Point out pictures of objects in their magazines. If your children can tell you what sounds the names of the objects begin with, let them cut out the pictures and put them into their sack. After the shopping trip is over, look at the pictures with your children and let them say the beginning sound of each object's name.

Rhyming

Teach your children to pick out rhyming words. Have your children find household objects which have names that rhyme, such as "bread" and "thread."
Sing songs and read rhyming books with your children.
Using old magazines, have your children look for pictures that have names that rhyme. For example, choose a picture of a cat and find other pictures with names that rhyme with "cat" such as "hat," "mat," and "bat." Have your children cut out the pictures and paste them on a sheet of paper. Have them say all the rhyming words on their sheet of paper.

Sentences, Words, and Syllables

Say a sentence and have your children clap out the number of words in the sentence (for example, they will clap five times after hearing the sentence, "The boy ran very fast," and only four times after hearing "The boy ran fast").
Choose a word that is made up of two words (for example, "sunshine" is made up of "sun" and "shine'). Tell your children that you are going to say the word and then you will say it again, leaving off part of the word (for example, say "sunshine" and then say "shine"). Ask what part of the word was left off. (The "sun" was left off.) Practice with many different two-part words.
Say a word and have your children clap out the number of syllables (for example, the word "personal" has three syllables: per - son - al. Your children will clap three times). You may want to use a dictionary for help with syllables.

Five: Children have opportunities to learn about and use the building blocks of written language.

Children who enter school able to name and identify the letters of the alphabet usually have an easier time learning to read. Being able to call out letter names quickly and easily is important. Children will also learn to use letters to write their names, other words, and simple messages.

Helping your children at home . . .

Sing the alphabet song with your children as they play with alphabet books, blocks, and magnetic letters.
Help your children learn to identify the letters in alphabet books.
Play alphabet games: Take turns with your children in naming a favorite food for letters of the alphabet. Have them tell you girls' names that begin with certain letters in the alphabet (for example, "Jennifer" begins with the letter "J"). Do the same with boys' names.
Have your children say the alphabet as they jump a rope, ride a seesaw, push back and forth on a swing, or go up and down the stairs.
Encourage your children to cut out letters from the headlines of newspapers and put the letters in alphabetical order.
Ask your children to take a page from a magazine, newspaper, or catalog and draw a circle around a letter. Have them identify the letter and circle some matching letters on the page.
Put cornmeal or sand in a cake pan or on a cookie sheet. Say a letter and have your children draw the letter in the cornmeal or sand.
Provide your children with pencils, crayons, and paper so that they can learn to write individual letters and gradually learn to write their names.

Six: Children have opportunities to learn the relationship between the sounds of spoken language and the letters of written language.

Children learn that written words are made up of letters that match the sounds in spoken words (for example, the letter "n" matches the /n/ sound in "nurse"). Children can be taught to match the sounds with letters in an orderly and direct way. But, be prepared for them to figure some matches on their own. As they learn letter-sound matches, children can practice using them in words.

Helping your children at home . . .

Make letter-sounds and have your children write the letter or letters that match the sounds.
Play word games that connect sounds with syllables and words (for example, if the letters "p-e-n" spell "pen," how do you spell "hen"?).
Write letters on cards. Hold up the cards one at a time and have your children say the sounds (for example, the /d/ sound for the letter "d").
Teach your children to match the letters in their names with the sounds in their names.
Point out words that begin with the same letter as your children's names (for example, "John" and "jump"). Talk about how the beginning sounds of the words are alike.
Use alphabet books and guessing games to give your children practice in matching letters and sounds. A good example is the game, "I am thinking of something that starts with /t/."
Write letters on pieces of paper and put them in a paper bag. Let your children reach into the bag and take out letters. Have them say the sounds that match the letters.
Take a letter and hide it in your hand. Let your children guess in which hand is the letter. Then show the letter and have your children say the letter name and make the sound (for example, the letter "m" matches the /m/ sound as in "man").
Make letter-sounds and ask your children to draw the matching letters in cornmeal or sand.
Take egg cartons and put a paper letter in each slot until you have all the letters of the alphabet in order. Say letter-sounds and ask your children to pick out the letters that match those sounds.

Seven: Children have opportunities to learn decoding strategies.

Children can use what they know about letter-sound matches to decode (figure out) written words. They can do this by saying the sounds of the letters and by smoothly putting the sounds together (blending) to make words. Being able to decode words helps children to read new words on their own. Good readers learn to decode so quickly and easily that they do not have to use pictures to help them figure out words and what they mean.

Helping your children at home . . .

As you and your children look at a new word, touch each letter and say the sound, moving from left to right through the word (for example, say the sounds /s/ /u/ /n/ and blend the sounds to make "sun"). Begin with short, easy words such as "hop," "mat," or "cat."
Play games: Write words on cards and place the cards upside down in a stack. Take turns choosing a card and blending the sounds to form the word seen on the card. Use the word in a sentence.
Write words on pieces of paper and hide them throughout the house. Have your children go on a treasure hunt looking for the words. As they find the pieces of paper, have them blend the sounds of the words. Reward your children with a treat.
Take packaged and canned goods from the kitchen and have your children sound out words on the labels, such as "corn," "bread," and "beans."
Have your children sound out words on your grocery list.

Eight: Children have opportunities to write and relate their writing to spelling and reading.

As children learn some letter-sound matches and start to read, they begin to write words and sentences. Seeing how words are spelled helps children in reading and writing. In the early grades, reading and spelling are learned together. As children become better readers, formal spelling lessons are helpful.

Helping your children at home . . .

Children can learn to spell some words by sounding out each letter. Short, simple words are best to learn in the beginning. Encourage your children to write stories and to spell words using the sounds the letters make.
Make a puzzle word by writing a word on paper and cutting the letters apart. Magnetic and felt letters can also be used for this activity. Mix the letters and have your children spell the word by putting the letters in order.
Say a word and have your children repeat the word. Then have them write the letters that match the sounds in the word.
Point out that some words are similar. Talk about how "hop" is similar to "top," "cop," and "mop." Ask your children to say words that are similar to "fun," "man," "pay," and "pin."
Ask your children to draw a picture of a family activity. Have them write a sentence about it below the picture. Encourage your children to say the sentence and write letters to match the sounds in each word. Then have them read what they wrote.
Have your children cut a picture from an old magazine and write a story about the picture.
Tell your children a story and have them write their own ending for it.
Have your children write letters and thank-you notes to friends and relatives.
As your children progress, help them learn the correct spelling of the words they write.
Say a word and have your children repeat the word. Then have them write the letters that match the sounds in the word.

Nine: Children have opportunities to practice accurate and fluent reading in decodable stories.

Stories that have words made up of the letter-sound matches children are learning are called decodable stories. These stories can give children practice in what they are learning about letters and sounds. As children learn to read fluently, they are more easily able to comprehend (understand) what they are reading.

Helping your children at home . . .

Practice

Ask your children's teachers how you can help your children practice at home what they are learning at school.
As you read with your children, show them that reading aloud should sound like talking.
If your children are decoding the words in a sentence slowly, word by word, have them reread the sentence to make the reading sound like talking. This gives them practice in reading the new words and helps them understand the meaning of the sentence.
If your children make a mistake in reading a word, stop their reading and point out the word they missed. You may want to help them read the word correctly. When they come to the end of the sentence, have them reread it to make the reading sound like talking. If they make many mistakes, the book they are reading may be too difficult. Try another book.

Other Activities

As you listen to your children read, give them praise and encouragement.
Post on the refrigerator or home bulletin board a list of the books and stories your children have read.
When your children have finished reading a book, have them read it to another family member or friend.
Make audio or video tapes of your children reading and send them to their grandparents or other family members.

Ten: Children have opportunities to read and comprehend a wide assortment of books and other texts.

As children become fluent readers, they will begin to read and comprehend more complex books and stories. Children become excited about reading. They enjoy reading all kinds of books, stories, newspapers, and magazines by themselves. Having books at home for children to read is important. Classroom and school libraries must offer children many kinds of reading materials; some should be easy to read while others should be more difficult. Children should be able to bring books home for reading with family members.

Helping your children at home . . .

Encourage your children to read books and other materials related to their interests or hobbies.
Have your children read game instructions, recipe directions, comic books, catalogs, toy advertisements, and children's magazines.
Make sure each of your children has a comfortable, quiet spot for reading.
When your children finish reading a book or story, find time for them to tell you and other family members about t.
Set aside a special time during the week for everyone in the family to read. Turn off the television and enjoy the quiet. This lets your children know that reading is important and pleasurable for everyone in the family.

Eleven: Children have opportunities to develop and comprehend new vocabulary through wide reading and direct vocabulary instruction.

Learning the meanings of new words (vocabulary) helps children to read more complex books and stories and to learn wonderful new things. Children learn new words by being read to and by reading on their own; the more children read, the more words they are likely to know. Children also learn words through lessons that focus on the meanings of words and how the words are used in written materials. When children write stories, they often use their new words.

Helping your children at home…

Select many kinds of books, stories, and other printed material to read to your children. Also, help them choose different types of books and stories to read on their own.
Talk with your children about daily events, about events that have happened in the past, and about plans for the future. Every once in a while, use a "hard" word and discuss the meaning of that word.
Have your children keep a list of new words they have learned. Ask them to listen for new words as people talk. Have your children find new words in newspapers, books, catalogs, and magazines. Discuss the meanings of the new words with your children and have them add these words to their list.
Give your children a word that is found in other words (for example, "grow" is found in "growing" and "growth"). Ask them to name other words that are related. You can call this group of words a "word family." Have your children make a book of word families by writing words from the same family on a page and by drawing pictures about the words. Clip or staple together several pages of word families and pictures to form a book.
After talking about a new word and its meaning, ask your children to write their own sentences using the word.

Twelve: Children have opportunities to learn and apply comprehension strategies as they reflect upon and think critically about what they read.

Children who identify quickly and correctly most of the words in the books that they are reading usually comprehend what they are reading. However, comprehension involves more than just reading the words; it involves understanding, thinking, and often learning something new. The more children know about what they are reading, the more likely they are to comprehend what they are reading.

New information, ideas, and vocabulary learned from reading are added to children's store of knowledge. Children benefit from comprehension activities such as talking about what they have read, discussing the meanings of new words, and comparing one story with another. As children start reading more complex books in science and social studies, they may learn some specific comprehension strategies.

Helping your children at home . . .

As you read a book with your children, ask them questions about the book's characters, places, and events.
When returning to a story, have your children talk about what they have already read.
Have your children read a new story; then ask them to tell you the story in their own words. Have them tell the story in the order in which it happened.
Talk about any new words your children have read in a story. Ask them to make up sentences with the new words and have them write out the sentences. Then post the best sentences on the refrigerator or on a bulletin board. Encourage your children to use the words in other situations.
As you read together, but before you come to the end of the story, ask your children to tell how they think the story will end or how they think the problems in the story could be solved.
Talk with your children about how the books they are reading are similar to other books they have read. Ask your children to tell you things they have done that are similar to the events in the story.

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This page was last updated on 07/31/06.