How you can help, when your child is stuck on a word

When you are reading with your child, either for pleasure or as part of their nightly homework routine, it's inevitable that they're going to come across an unknown word. The most common thing to do is say, "sound it out" and most likely that won't work thanks to the complexity of the English language, or the fact that your child has probably already tried that without success. So, what can you do besides just telling them the word? Here is a list (in order) of somethings to try. This list comes from Intervention Central and is intended for a more formal reading intervention. However, I feel it is beneficial for both readers and parents to use when reading along with a child. It gives a structured way to help readers when they are stuck. Keep in mind if a child is having trouble with many words on the page, the book may be too hard at the time. Reading a book that is too hard will not help the child become a better reader, but reading and finding a "Just Right Book" is another article. 

Alright, back to the list and a few more tips.

Before beginning the reading, let your child know that if they come to an unknown word they should try his/her best and that you're there to help. 

The List: 

1. "Try another way." This cue is given directly after a reading error and alerts the student to the fact that she or she has misread the word. If your child does not understand, "Try another way," you could ask, "How else could you read that word?"

2. "Finish the sentence and guess the word." The child is encouraged to make use of the sentence context to discover the correct word pronunciation.

3. "Break the word into parts and pronounce each one." The child is directed to sound out the segments of a word independently.

4. Using an index card/bookmark/finger, the parent covers over parts of the word and guides the child to sound out only the part of the word that is visible. This approach teaches the child a method for reducing the amount of visual information in each word.

5. "What sound does '___' make?" As the parent covers selected parts of the word with an index card/bookmark, the student is directed to use phonics information to sound out the word.

6. "The word is ___." If the child cannot decode (read) the word despite help, the parent supplies the word. The student is directed to repeat the word and to continue reading.

This may seem clunky at first, but it will become habit and more natural over time. 

Reading Over Break

The birds are chirping, the tulips are sprouting, and the bees are buzzing! Spring has sprung! Hopefully it has. Here in the mountains, it still looks like winter. I’m still hoping for spring and dreaming about all the bright colors and growth that spring has to offer.

Whether or not you’re traveling, having a staycation, or it’s business as usual in your house, most likely, your child has a spring break. School breaks can cause anxiety for kids (and parents, too) because of the change in routine, expectations, and environments. By keeping reading part of the routine, it may help ease that chaos of break! Here are a few tips to help maintain your child’s reading and routines.

Make Reading A Priority

1. Make reading a priority over break. Set aside 20 or so minutes of free reading each day.

Listen to an Audiobook

2. Take this time to listen to an audiobook. Audible and Amazon/Kindle have some great options, as well as your local library. By listening to a book, a child can read a book that may be at a higher level than his or her independent level. A child’s reading level is usually lower than his or her listening comprehension. This is a great way to expose your child to some books that might be of higher interest, level, or a book that he or she has been dieing to read, but causes frustration when reading independently.

Learn about your Destination

3. If you’re traveling, take this opportunity to read about your destination, the local animals, landforms, features, and/or the cultures.

Research Something New

4. If you’re not traveling, use this time to research something new that your child has shown interest in but you haven’t had the time to really explore. Think about those random questions they ask in the car…”Why do airplanes have a white tail?” A trip to the library could be a wonderful opportunity to research that question, or you could dive into an entirely new subject like paper making, sushi, lego history, scuba diving, or even snakes!

Set a Goal, Make a Chart, Earn a Prize!

5. Set some goals. Make a chart. Earn a prize! Maybe your child needs to read for 20 minutes a day, journal for 15 minutes, spend 20 minutes on an educational app (iXL, DreamBox, BigBrainz, Kahn Academy, Spell City, etc.) make his/her bed, and/or set the table. Make a chart where your child can mark off or place a sticker once they completed the task. If he or she can complete 20/25 tasks during the week of spring break, then he/she can pick out dessert, pick out the family movie, get an extra book at the library, 10 extra minutes of screen time, stay up 10 extra minutes, etc. Setting the goal, making a chart, and a reward create a visual representation of the tasks and helps set a purpose.

Journal

6. If you’re traveling, incorporate writing into the vacation by journalling. The journal entries can then be used in a photo book. Or, write a postcard to a family member, friend, or yourself sharing some trip highlights. Having a postcard at home when you arrive is a fun way to continue the trip and fun!

Stock up on Books/E-Books

7. Stock the house with books for reading. Ask your child’s teacher if he/she can bring home books from their book bin/classroom library/or an extra book from the school library. Or, visit the local library and bring home some extras. The public library probably has a subscription to e-books that could be extra helpful during breaks. Otherwise, Reading A-Z is a subscription that you could sign up for and have access to their e-books. A note from my librarian friend, “If you’re traveling during break, make sure your library books don’t get lost in the airplane seat pocket, luggage bag, or at your final destination.” Trust me, it’s happened before!

Read Environmental Print

8. Take advantage of environmental print and reading. Environmental print is anything we can read in our environment. This one works if you’re staying home or traveling. Have your child help navigate while driving by reading street signs, traffic signs, billboards, etc. If you’re eating at a restaurant, read the menu and the bill. Shopping at the mall or grocery store also provides tons of environmental print reading opportunities. What sale is happening? What brand is that? What does the label say?

Read a Recipe and Cook

9. Cook up some fun by cooking. Reading a recipe is an important (and fun) skill, especially if you’re making something tasty. There are tons of kid-friendly recipes to try! Or try something non-edible like putty or play dough.

Model Reading

10. Read with your child or next to your child. Have a cozy, reading night or ½ hour. Show your child that you too enjoy reading and that breaks can be spent slowing down and taking the time to relax with a good book. Turn off the electronics, get cozy, and get lost in your reading. Reading a book out loud as a family is one of our favorite ways to relax and enjoy some quality family time.

Feel free to pick 1-3 things and try it out during break! Any reading over break will be beneficial to your child. You can't screw this up, so have fun!

Enjoy your break!

Keep Reading!

Abbey