Home Reading Tips
Where and when?
Home reading should be done in a calm and quiet area with little to no distractions (electronics, toys, etc). Some students benefit from a consistent reading spot, whereas others enjoy choosing different locations.
Reading can be done any time of the day. It is best to have a set time, taking into account all of your child’s activities. Traditionally the best time to read is just before bed. It can help calm your child down before going to sleep, and is an excellent habit for children to have as they get older!
Before reading
Before beginning to read, ask your child to predict what will happen in the story by looking at the pictures. Look at the title page and the pictures in the book.
Encourage your child to notice a few details and try to imagine what the story will be about together.
Reading
Read out loud while pointing to the words with their finger or a reading stick (Popsicle stick). Take the time to sound out words that they are finding difficult.
Cover the letters to help them work through the syllables of the word. Even if your pronunciation in French isn’t perfect, breaking down a word is a very important skill. If they don’t understand a word then look it up together in the dictionary. Please do not use Google Translate as it only gives on definition and there are many words with different definitions depending on the context. If you do not have a paper French/English dictionary at home then you can use websites such as WordReference.
Students should also take note of the punctuation used (such as periods and commas for pauses). Also, you can talk about how we can tell someone is talking in a story. Using different voices for each character can show a deeper comprehension of what is going on in a story.
It is important to question your child throughout the whole story. Ask them about what is happening, why it is happening and what is going to happen in the rest of the story. You can also talk about the protagonist and antagonist’s point of view. Talk about how the story would be different if it was the antagonist that was telling it.
After Reading
One story can be read several times over. Focus on the individual words and sounds, then expression and then critical thinking questions. Even if the reading is done in French, students should be able to resume what happened in the story in English without repeating the story word for word.
Encourage family reading time. If your child sees how much you love to read they will want to read more as well!
Home reading should be done in a calm and quiet area with little to no distractions (electronics, toys, etc). Some students benefit from a consistent reading spot, whereas others enjoy choosing different locations.
Reading can be done any time of the day. It is best to have a set time, taking into account all of your child’s activities. Traditionally the best time to read is just before bed. It can help calm your child down before going to sleep, and is an excellent habit for children to have as they get older!
Before reading
Before beginning to read, ask your child to predict what will happen in the story by looking at the pictures. Look at the title page and the pictures in the book.
Encourage your child to notice a few details and try to imagine what the story will be about together.
Reading
Read out loud while pointing to the words with their finger or a reading stick (Popsicle stick). Take the time to sound out words that they are finding difficult.
Cover the letters to help them work through the syllables of the word. Even if your pronunciation in French isn’t perfect, breaking down a word is a very important skill. If they don’t understand a word then look it up together in the dictionary. Please do not use Google Translate as it only gives on definition and there are many words with different definitions depending on the context. If you do not have a paper French/English dictionary at home then you can use websites such as WordReference.
Students should also take note of the punctuation used (such as periods and commas for pauses). Also, you can talk about how we can tell someone is talking in a story. Using different voices for each character can show a deeper comprehension of what is going on in a story.
It is important to question your child throughout the whole story. Ask them about what is happening, why it is happening and what is going to happen in the rest of the story. You can also talk about the protagonist and antagonist’s point of view. Talk about how the story would be different if it was the antagonist that was telling it.
After Reading
One story can be read several times over. Focus on the individual words and sounds, then expression and then critical thinking questions. Even if the reading is done in French, students should be able to resume what happened in the story in English without repeating the story word for word.
Encourage family reading time. If your child sees how much you love to read they will want to read more as well!