Teaching Your Child to Read Using Little Books.

Teaching Your Child to Read Using Little Books. 1) When teaching your child to read its best if you both are sitting at a table with your feet on the floor. 2) Your child sits on the left and you sit on the right. 3) Hand your child the book backwards and upside down so they can figure out which way the book needs to be before you start reading it. 4) Let your child flip through the book and look at the pictures. Ask your child if they can guess what is going to happen in the book. (This is called predicting.)(Nb: Looking at pictures first is something we do as adults - we look at pictures in magazines before we read the articles). 5) The book should be placed flat on the table, halfway between you and your child. 6) Say the title out loud in a very quiet voice. 7) Let the child turn the pages - explain how to turn the pages properly so the book doesn't get ripped. 8) As your child reads they will come across words that they may not know. If they say the wrong word don't correct them: you can come back to that page again later (read the book again). If they get stuck on a word you say -"get your lips ready to say this sound" Use two of your fingers to separate the word into sounds. 9) If they make a mistake that changes the meaning of the sentence, ask the child, "Does it sound right," or "Does it look right? You say the first sounds in the word and they may figure it out, however if they can't figure the word out whisper it to them. Avoid using the word" no' - it can make the child feel frustrated and they may not want to read anymore. 10) Save all conversation about the book until the end, then keep it simple. At the end of a page, avoid too much praise. Simply say thank you. 11) Children have a difficult time remembering proper names - so you may need to tell your child the character's name every time it's in the book. 12) Read the story again later. (Many times if you can.)Don't worry about the child memorizing the text. Good readers rely on their memories. Use expression. Enjoy the parent-child time together. Note: These little reading books don't have much of a story. They are intended to teach a child to read aloud, decode the words and understand what is happening.. When you share real storybooks (ie: by Robert Munsch) with children, you will use an entirely different style. Sit on a sofa or lie down on a bed, chat about the pictures, repeat the best part, laugh a lot and make connections with the child's personal knowledge and experiences.