IDEAS TO HELP WITH COMPREHENSION AND VOCABULARY

Ideas for Reinforcing Reading Vocabulary:

• Play "Detective" - choose 6 word cards and make up riddles or clues for each word.  Your child should find the word that fits the riddle or clue and read it out loud.  Continue with that group of words until your child can read all words independently and then use another group of words.
• Put 10 word cards in different places around the house (ex. On the bedroom door, on the mirror in the bathroom, on a cabinet in the kitchen) and have your child read the word out loud as they walk by or before opening the cabinet or door.
• Use the word cards to make simple sentences - even silly sentences - to read out loud.
• Make sandpaper letters to form the reading words.  Your child should repeat the word as he/she traces the letters.
• Look for reading words in newspaper or magazines. Your child should find and  circle the words with different colors (markers, colored pencils, pens).
• Parent or older child should model reading - read chorally or take turns reading
• Read fun books - like Dr. Seuss - and books with controlled vocabulary (Margaret Hillert has good controlled vocabulary books)
• Play Reading Word Bingo.  Make Bingo cards with reding vocabulary.  Let your child also have a turn to cll out the reading words for someone else.
• Use plastic letters, cereal or macaroni to make words.
• Make word searches or crossword puzzles for reading vocabulary.

Ideas for Reading Comprehension:

• Read the story together. Ask questions about picture and story on each page.  Use questions like "What do you think will happen next?"  "What would you do in this situation?"  "What is your favorite part of the story?" "What happened first, next, and last in the story?"  "How do you think the character feels in this part of the story?"  "How would you feel?"  "What is this page mainly about?"  Ask you child to summarize the story for you.  If your child cannot answer a question, guide him/her in finding the page (by reading again) or looking carefully at the picture.
• Cut out four pictures from a magazine and have your child write 6 words describing each picture.
• Ask your child to sequence activities that he/she has been involved in during the day or sequence the steps of making or doing something (making cookies, getting dressed, etc.)
• Let your child tell stories.  Have him/her retell stories that he has heard or read (nursery rhymes, fables, and folktales are fun to retell).