It can be difficult
to know how to support your student during their independent reading time. Here
are some tips!
- Provide wait time.
- Allow your student time to try it on their own. If given the word every time, they’ll come to expect that.
- Give prompts or clues as needed, such as:
- Try that again.
- Does that make sense? What word would make sense there?
- Look at how the word begins.
- What reading strategy could you try?
- Go back and reread and think about what sounds right and looks right.
- Look at the picture. What’s happening?
- What could you do to help yourself?=
- Look at the parts of chunks in the word.
- Do you know something about that word to help you?
- Tell students what they do well! Give specific and positive feedback!
- I like the way you made each word match with your finger.
- You went back and fixed that tricky part, didn’t you? Good checking!
- You were really thinking when you let the word _____, which you know, help you with the word _____. Great job! That’s what good readers do!
- Let your student make mistakes. It is part of the learning process.
- For example, if your student reads a word wrong – instead of saying ‘no’ and stopping them after every word they get wrong, let them get to the end of the page. Then ask them a question like “you said ______ here, did that make sense?” It can be discouraging for students to be stopped after every missed word. L
- If your student often skips words – encourage them to touch each word with their finger or pointer while they read.
- Have your student record and listen to themselves on Raz-Kids.
- Help your student pick books that they can read independently.
- The rule of thumb for independent reading level is if there are 5 or more words on the page your student cannot read, than it is too difficult for an independent read.
