Interview a Character

After reading a fiction text, or a biography/autobiography, have your child write interview questions to ask the main character. These questions could be fact-based, or inquiry-based. After, have your child respond to the questions as if they were the person being interviewed!

Adaptation: You as the parent can become the interviewer, and have your child be the interviewee, acting as the main character. Set up a space to hold the interview, and invite others into the audience. Encourage audience participation with additional questions!

Before and After

Select a nonfiction text to read with your child. Before reading, discuss all that your child already knows about the topic, adding some of your own understanding to build background knowledge. After reading, have your child share 3 questions or surprising facts they learned.

What's It All About?

Have your child visit a kid-friendly news site, such as DOGO News, and select an article to read. After reading, have your child state the main idea of the article in a complete sentence, and provide 2-3 details or reasons from the article to support their thinking. Remind students that the main idea should answer the question: What is the text mostly about? Often, the title of the article can support this work!

Need for Speed... When Reading

Provide your child with an unfamiliar passage. Have them read the passage out loud, timing them for one minute. Record the number of words read correctly and incorrectly; briefly discuss the words read incorrectly. Repeat this procedure 3-5 times during the week, working towards a goal of at least 120 correct wpm (words per minute).

"Recorded Reading"

Using a recording tool on a cell phone or computer, have your child record themselves reading a short text, or portion of a longer text. After recording, have them listen to their reading, and self-assess themselves on any fluency area, including speed, phrasing, accuracy, expression, intonation, and voice. They can use this self-reflection to set personal goals for the next recorded reading.

Adaptation: Parents can record themselves reading the passage first, to provide a model of the text read fluently. Your child can then listen to this recording first, working towards matching their fluency to yours.

Chunking

Select a short passage or text for your child to read. Prepare the text by using slashes to mark phrasal boundaries- places where you would naturally pause while you read. Consider using single slash marks for pauses after short phrases within a sentence, and double slash marks for longer pauses at the end of a sentence. Over time, reverse roles, and have your child chunk a text for you to read, marking appropriate phrasal boundaries.

NOTE: It is recommended that you ask your child questions following any fluency reading activity to monitor for comprehension. List of suggested questions

Family Game Night!

Play word games to support your child's automaticity with reading and writing words, such as Scrabble®, Boggle®, Upwords®, Bananagrams®, and Scattegories®. Many even have online versions!

Silly Dictionary

Help your reader decode and read unfamiliar words by creating your own! Cut small index cards in half; using the List of common syllables, have your child write one syllable on each card. Then begin by putting two cards together to make a two-syllable nonsense word. Help your child read the word, and come up with a silly definition of what the word could mean! Continue this process, building up to three-, four-, and even five-syllable words!

Break It Up

Help your child decode multisyllabic words by breaking them up into individual syllables. Check out this video on the six syllable types to help you and your child identify and read the different syllable parts in a word.

Word Ladders

You will need a piece of paper, dry erase board, or something else to write on. Begin by writing down a multisyllabic word. Have your child identify the base/root word, and any affixes (prefix or suffix). Underneath, your child must write a word that contains either the same base/root, prefix, or suffix. Continue this process, taking turns and creating a ladder of words with similar word parts. Discuss the meaning of each word as you write!

Example:

dictionary- predict- preview- review- redo- doable- forgivable- unforgiven- unfair

Take it for a Spin

Draw two circles, with 8 equal pieces on each; cut the circles out to create two spinners. On one circle, fill in each space with a familiar root word or base word; record common prefixes and/or suffices on the other circle. Using a pencil and paper clip, have your child spin both spinners. Work together to decide if the two parts make up a real or nonsense word; if real, discuss its meaning!

Spread the Word

Have your child create a personal base/root words and affixes dictionary, that can be shared with others! Create a booklet of 10-15 pages, either by stapling or placing in a folder; as your child reads, have them be on the lookout for any words with common bases/roots or affixes. On the top of each page, have your child record a base/root word, prefix, or suffix they find. Each page should then be divided into three columns: one for the word, one for its meaning, and one for a picture. Encourage them to add multiple words for each base/root or affix, to create a dictionary of words that they can share with other readers!

Word of the Day Hunt

Write a new or unfamiliar word for your child on a sticky note daily; hide the sticky note somewhere around the house. If your child finds the word, you must provide them clues to its meaning- use it in a sentence, provide a synonym or antonym, act it out, etc. Keep a running tally of how many words your child correctly defines, challenging them to set and reach or exceed a monthly goal!

Nonfiction Categories

Select several nonfiction texts to read with your child; keep these books secret! Write down 5-8 vocabulary words from each text, some familiar and some new. Present your child with words recorded from two of the texts; work together to group these words into categories, based on your book topics. Let your child decide which text they want to read together; while reading, highlight and discuss the vocabulary terms sorted. Repeat this process with additional nonfiction texts!

Road Trip!

Have some fun playing with vocabulary while in the car! Start by saying a familiar word; your child must give a new word, using the last letter as the first letter of theirs. Keep the chain going- see how far you can get!

For Example: elephant -> tornado -> octopus -> sandwich -> hilarious