Read with your child. A lot.

(Spanish) Choose fiction (make believe) in a genre they enjoy and non-fiction on topics they are interested in. Struggling middle school readers need to discover the passion for reading by developing their skills. While we are doing these things in class, you can also be doing them at home.

Read to your child. It doesn’t matter if you read like a pro or stumble. Show them that you value reading! Show them what you read for work, for your hobbies, to meet your family’s needs, and for fun. Or, have your child read to you or a sibling.

Read with your child. Read the same book, story, or article together and talk about it. Was it good? Bad? What did you get out of it?

Read often! Even children with dyslexia or specific learning disabilities can learn to read, given time and practice. Whether you read a whole book in one sitting or for 10 minutes, the fact that you put time and energy into a shared experience with your child can make a WORLD of difference in your child’s future!

• To work on skills...

  When they come to unknown words, ask them to break the word into syllables (beats) Have them focus on the vowels (aeiou) and what those can possibly sound like. Say the word if they haven’t already. Have them repeat it. If you don’t know how to pronounce a word, make your own guess! Then, you can go to Google. In the address bar, type: pronunciation: ___ and type the unknown word. Click on the speaker symbol🔊next to the word to hear it pronounced (in one of the common ways it’s pronounced in English).

  Did you know that the four most common prefixes are in 97% of all English words with a prefix?! Prefixes are little pieces of words you find at the beginning of words. Some words have more than one. Learning what they mean and practicing spotting them can help kids learn a lot of words! Look for common prefixes and suffixes as you read and try to guess word meanings for tricky words. Make flashcards of the prefixes and practice them together. Make it a race! Time the child to see how many they can correctly identify in one minute.

  Most suffixes are signals at the end of words (-ing = in the action of; -ed = past; s = more than one, -al = adjective, -tion = noun), others have a specific meaning (-ful = full of). Some words have more than one suffix stacked on each other (for example: nature + al (signals a descriptive word/adjective) = natural + ly = naturally (signals an adverb that describes an action verb). Ask your child for examples of other words with the same prefixes and suffixes, then have them try to figure out what the words mean.

  With unknown vocabulary words, have students write each word on paper, then rate them: 1 = I don’t know it. 2 = I’ve seen/heard it (but can’t define it). 3 = I think I know what it means. 4 = I know and can use it. Predict meaning. Then find a definition or talk together about what it means and have students try to generate sentences or phrases that use it. Tell them to look for how these words are used in the text. Can they figure out what the word means by hints the author gives in the same sentence or paragraph? Ask them what to do if there are no hints.

• When starting a non-fiction book or article…

  Preview the text together, looking only at headings, pictures, captions, and vocabulary in the margins. What is this text about? How can you tell?

  Read the text together (adult usually starts). Note sentences with vocabulary and have your child rephrase the sentence without the word to check understanding of its meaning.

• During reading…

  Pause at breaks in the text or at the end of paragraphs and talk about what that section says or means.

  Is there a wise or poetic phrase or sentence? Stop and savor it for the lesson or the joy.

  Does what the author says make you wonder? What questions do you have as you read? Sometimes, it’s good to stop reading and investigate. Sometimes, just asking the question without worrying about the answer
  is enough.

• After reading...

  Did the story/article make you think? What did you like or dislike about what you read? Talk about it! Ask questions! Then think about what’s next!

• Need some reading materials?

  We can help you find books, websites, articles, etc. in a wide variety of genres and topics suitable for your child.

• Questions? We’re here to help!

  Deb Franciosi, Patton MS Literacy Specialist, dfranciosi@msd.k12.or.us
  Heidi Sumner, Patton MS librarian, hsumner@msd.k12.or.us