Tip #71 from 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents (McKinley & Trombly) - Rule of Thumb for Reading
Today's tip for parents from two talented teachers comes from 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly.
#71
"The
Rule of Thumb"
Educators
are increasingly encouraging their students to read and write on their own
outside of school
~The Condition of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics 1999
When your child is
looking at a new book and deciding whether to begin reading it (such as at the
library or a bookstore) ,sometimes it may be difficult to tell if it is at the
right reading level for her. A quick look on the cover (both front and back) of
the book may tell you what grade level it is intended for. However, not all
books carry that code and not all children are reading exactly at grade level.
A quick and easy way to
judge whether a book will be too difficult for her to read can be called the
"Rule of Thumb.” Here’s how to do it:
1. Simply
have your child begin reading a page from anywhere in the book (not from the
ending, though!).
2. Each
time she comes to a word that she does not know, have her put one finger down
starting with her pinky.
3. By
the end of the page, if she has put her thumb
down (indicating at least 5 difficult words), it probably means that the text
will be too difficult for her and comprehension may be lost. Stopping to decode
too many words breaks up the flow of reading and interferes with reading for
meaning.
If she found too many difficult words but is still dying to read the book, perhaps it would be a good one to read aloud to her or buddy read together!
Cindy McKinley Alder Patti Trombly
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