Fluency is the biggest factor influencing comprehension. Students should be reading 120 words per minute! How can you tell? Read a small paragraph containing at least this many words, time yourself for one minute. How ever many words you read within that minute is your fluency rate.
How can you help your child improve their fluency?

1. Read aloud to your child to model fluency. Now, have them read the same passage or page to you. Have them repeat this until the page sounds fluent (like we talk, smooth).

2. Count to 3 and have your child read at the same time as you. Reread until it sounds "pretty" as I tell them.

3. Practice the Reader's Theater when they come home.

Use this passage over over to record fluency every other week. Start a timer. The student has one minute to read as many words as possible in one minute. The numbers indicate how many words the student has read if they made it to that point in one minute. Fluency should be 120 words per minute by the end of 3rd grade.

From Fire! In Yellowstone
by Robert Ekey
Most of the fires that start go out by themselves. Those that
burn usually burn only a few acres. But 1988 was a different
year. The heat of the summer and lack of rain left the forest
very dry. 41
The fires in and near Yellowstone grew bigger. A careless
woodcutter started another fire. 54
By the end of July, fires were close to buildings, and tourists
moved from their campsites. Rangers decided they should try
to put out all fires. 70
Most states sent firefighters to Yellowstone to battle the blazes.
More than 10,000 firefighters came from around the country to
help out. These young men and women fought hard to control
the fires. 106
But the fire had gone from bad to worse. Strong winds were
blowing, causing the fire to jump from forest to forest, creating
an uncontrollable blaze. 132
By the end of August, thousands of acres of forest had gone
up in flames. This was the worst firestorm that the firefighters
had ever seen in their entire lives. 162
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How can you help your child improve their comprehension?

1. After each page have your child summarize what happened in either a journal or aloud to you.

2. Give them a purpose for reading. Before reading make a prediction about what is going to happen today. Tell them you are going to read to check your predictions.

3. Have your child write down 3 questions about the book. Read to answer those questions.

4. Tell your child that they are going to have to draw a picture about what happened, or the setting and characters, when they are done.

5. Keep a reading journal and write summaries, draw pictures and make webs each day after reading. Make it fun!

6. Make copies of the book report and do one every couple of nights, not just on the week that it is due.


How can you help your child study at home?

1. Put the ideas on notecards or index cards, having your child flip through these and then asking them the information later is one way.

2. Have your child think of examples to go with the information and draw pictures to represent each concept. The brain hates words, but loves pictures.

3. Have your child write a story that incorporates the vocab. word and its meaning into the story. If it is funny or catchy then more than likely they will remember it. Have them read it aloud several time.

4. Have you child come up with an act or skit that incorporates the material.

5. Make a graphic organizer that lays out the material nice and neat and organized. Organizers can be remembered by the brain. Write each concept in a different color on the organizer. An example of an organizer is the book reports sent home every two weeks. Have your child create a web. Just ask them, most students can do this.

6. Make the game memory with index cards. Have the vocab words on cards and the information on separate cards. Lay them all face down and draw two cards and try to match the word with its information. If it matches you keep the pair and must read it aloud. Play until all matches are made.

7. Make a mock test and have your child take it. See what concepts they really don't know by grading it.
Remember that the tests are not simply vocab. They are application and examples using the vocab. from that subject. Use old test to help you with this.

8. Have your child skip rope as they spell their spelling words. The rhythm should help.

9. Have your child copy their study guide, each question in a different color.

10. Make up a small poem or riddle using the information. For example: In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

11. Most important, do not get frustrated and do not stop studying until they get it!
If these don't work become creative! Do what works! Every child learns differently!