Storybook Reading

So far during reading time, students have been reading non-fiction books, or "Learn-About-The-World" Books.  These books are easy for budding readers, because even the most adamant non-reader (you know, the child who insists he "doesn't know how to read" when picking up a book) will look at photos of real-life stuff and point, sharing what he notices.

Throughout the last week and a half, though, students have listened to me reread class favorites over and over again.  They've heard Harry the Dirty Dog, Caps for Sale, The Carrot Seed, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, and every book in the Otis series multiple times.  The more we read them, the more excited they get because they can anticipate what's going to happen next.  They were so excited to get copies of class favorites added to their book bins.  

Now student reading is going from sharing what books can teach you to a focus on retelling.  We're practicing using transitional words when we turn the page ("and then.."), using exact story language ("trip-trap, trip-trap") and making sure the part of the story we're saying aloud matches the page that we're on.

All of this work is preparing children for reading in the traditional point-and-read-the-words way. 

If your child is approximating the story, congratulate him or her on being a great reader! 

THE BIGGEST FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS CREATING A LOVE OF READING. If you, as a parent or a teacher, tell a child he/she is "not reading" or "is wrong" in his/her approximations, you're not helping.  Build up your child's confidence and love for reading.  Encourage him/her to share what's happening in the pictures if the words are too difficult at this point.  The traditional reading will come.