Dear Parents,

 

One part of becoming a better reader is to become automatic at retrieving words.  In this way more energy is spent on constructing meaning, rather than deciphering the word itself.  An effective way to become more automatic is to practice red word drills.  When your child brings home word lists, kindly select three activities below to practice with your child.

 

Read and Dot

Have child read list silently to himself and dot any words of confusion.  Discuss dotted words and clarify questions.  Then have child read list down and up orally.

 

Every activity listed below assumes child has already done read and dot

 

Tap and Read

Identify difficult words after child has read list.  With your pencil tap challenging words one at a time and have child go back and forth between difficult words until they are automatic.  Do not exceed five or six taps per word.

 

Coupling

Child reads two words at a time while layering them with expression.  An angry couple means child reads couple in an angry tone, asking couple child reads as if asking a question, whispering couple, frightened couple, giggling couple

 

Loud Soft
Words are alternately read as loud and soft.  The parent can be either the loud or soft word, and the child is the other.  The list is read in this manner.

 

Follow the Leader

Parent reads words at a pace slightly faster than the child, and the child has to maintain that pace as he reads chorally with the parent.  Then the child is the leader and the parent cannot go faster than the child;the parent can only say word once the child does.