• Strategies to Help Young Readers

     

     

                             

     

    Before reading, have your child go on a "picture walk" of the book or story. A picture walk is a fun activity where the child looks at the pictures, captions, and headings before the real reading begins. Then, you can ask your child these questions:

    • Is this a fiction or nonfiction text? (Real or Imaginary) 
    • What comes to mind when you read the title?
    • What clues do the pictures or drawings give you about the text?

     

    During reading, allow your child to read and take time to stop to check for understanding after each section or page.

    For a fiction story, you can ask your child these questions to check for understanding:

    • Who are the main characters?  Describe him/her/it.
    • Who is telling the story?  How can you tell?
    • What do you think will happen next?
    • Describe the problem for the main character(s).
    • How was the problem solved?
    • What pictures do you have in your mind as you read?

    For a nonfiction story, ask your child these questions to check for understanding:

    • What is the main idea? 
    • What supporting details give you information about the main idea?

     

    After reading, have a discussion with your child about the text. 

    For a fictional story, you can ask and discuss these questions:

    • What did you like or dislike about the story?
    • What questions would you ask the author?   
    • What amazing adjectives did the author use? Give examples.
    • What was the author’s purpose in writing this story?
    • What did this story make you think about?

    For a nonfiction story, you can ask and discuss these questions:

    • What new facts did you learn by reading this text?
    • What was the main idea?
    • What questions do you have about the topic?
    • What interesting words did you learn?
    • How can you apply what you just learned?