Reading & Writing Center

How to help your child with reading:

• Every night have story time.  If your child is able to read alone listen to their reading.  If they are not able to read alone, then read to them.  If they are able to read some words, let your child read the words that they know.  Once your child has learned a word in spelling, they should not be told that word again and should read it on their own.

• As you are reading with your child ask questions about their reading.  The 5 W's are important questions to ask:  who, how, why, what, and when.  Do not ask questions that can be answered with a yes or no, but ask questions that your child needs to tell you a sentence.

• After reading the story review the beginning, middle, and end of the story.

• If there is a moral to the story, discuss it.

• Have your child tell you in one sentence what the whole story was about.

How to help your child with writing:

• As the school year starts have your child illustrate a story you  have read together and help them to write one sentence about the story.

• After they are accomplished at one sentence, then start asking them to illustrate the beginning, middle, and end of the story and write one sentence for each part.

• As your child is writing be sure to check for key items: capital letter at beginning of sentence, punctuation at end of sentence, does the sentence make sense, is there a subject and an action.

• Upon returning home from an outing such as a trip to Wal-Mart, have your child write about what they did and saw.  This can be expanded to any activity they have been on.

• As your child is writing, show them how to use a Picture Dictionary to look up words, or help them sound out the words, or use their spelling books as a reference. Help them to be independent writers and use resources available to them.