Some ideas for supporting your child in developing fluent
reading skills
Wordless books
*Look at the cover and title—what do they think the
story will be about?
*As you read ask your child to predict what might happen
next (but not every page)
*First reading - allow your child to pick out whatever
they choose on the page.
*When you reread ask them to find more detail in the
pictures (can you find 3 things/4 things etc)
*Help your child to put their observations into sentences
so they read it like a story rather than a string of
descriptions
*Write down their sentence and then reread the book
together asking your child to point to each word as they
read.
*Ask your child to retell the story to make sure they
have understood it.
*Look at the book again, turn to a page in the story, what
happened before it, what happened after it?
*Talk about their favourite part of the story - what did
they like best? Why?
*What do the characters think and feel?
Sentence books
*Look at the cover and title—what do they think the story will be
about?
*Ask your child to predict what is going to happen next as you
read (not every page)
*Make sure your child points to each word as they read to keep
track of where they are up to and link spoken and written word.
*Continue to read the pictures, these often contain as much
information about the story as the words do. It is possible to
discuss these first before reading any of the book.
*Encourage your child to sound out any unfamiliar words (it is
vital they do this rather than you telling them the word straight
away) The more practice he/she has in sounding out and blending
the more confident he/she will become. Sounding out will become
easier as he/she learns more sounds
*If when they have sounded out they have been unable to work
out the word, encourage them to use all available clues - what
would make sense there? use initial sound and picture clues, break
longer words into parts. If, when they have exhausted all clues,
they are still unable to read the word then tell them what it is.
*Ask your child to retell the story in their own words to make
sure they have understood it.
*Reread sections of the books again, focussing on reading with
expression, using a storytelling voice.
*Look at the book again, turn to a page in the story, what
happened before it, what happened after it?
*Choose a sentence from the story and write it on card, cut it up
into separate words and ask your child to put them back into the
right order.
*Talk about their favourite part of the story - what did they like
best? Why? What do the characters think and feel?
Learning Key Words
*Some of these are tricky words that are difficult
or impossible to sound out and need to be
recognised on sight.
*Choose one key word in the story and look for it
as you read a book. How many times do you read it
in this story?
*If it is a word your child has found difficult next
time they come to it point out it is the same word
and look back to the last time.
*Play snap and pelmonism games with a set of
tricky words
*Put the words in a hat or bag, children pick out a
word and read it.
*Ask your child to think of a sentence with the
word in it.
*Reading games - choose a sentence including one
or two tricky words and write it on a piece of
paper, match the words on the dice, pick a card
and match to your board.
Encouraging independence
*Read a range of stories to and with your child,
enjoying books and stories of all kinds is vital in
encouraging a love of reading.
*When reading a favourite story point out some of
the tricky key words, ask your child to help you to
read them, this shows that the same words come
up in lots of books and the same word always says
the same thing no matter which book they are in
and also encourages them to try reading trickier
books rather than sticking to the security of
reading scheme books..
*Make sure your child points to the words as they
read rather than doing this for them.
*Make sure your child has tried to sound out a
word themselves, no matter how long or tricky it
is, before you help them or they may come to
believe that reading is about listening and
remembering. Try to resist the urge to leap in and
help immediately. However if they have exhausted
all strategies and are still struggling read the word
for them.
*Allow your child to turn the pages for themselves
If your child is reluctant to read
*Take it in turns to read a page each, the next
time you read the book swap and read the other
page. When they are confident with the story
encourage them to read the whole book.
*Suggest when they have read the book for you,
you will read a book of their choice with them.
*When you read to your child, track the text as
you read to encourage your child to do so in their
own reading.
*Give your child some control over when they read,
would you like to read it now or would you like to
read it in 10 minutes?