Good Readers

Proficient readers think about their reading as they read. They monitor to make sure things make sense, identify what's unclear and try to figure it out, and use multiple strategies to comprehend.

• Use prior knowledge. They relate information to what they already know.
  • Text-to-self (relate to their own experiences)
  • Text-to-text (relate to other things they've read)
  • Text-to-world (relate to other things they know about the world) 
• Focus on the most important ideas.
• Ask questions as they read.
• Visualize and make auditory and other sensory connections.
• Make inferences, including predictions and conclusions.
• Retell or sum up what they've read.
• Use strategies to understand when they don't comprehend at first, including:
  • Use the picture clues.
  • Look for patterns in words that you know.
  • Use the context. (Does it make sense?)
  • Use the syntax (i.e. sentence structure). (Does it sound right?)
  • Say the beginning and ending sounds.
  • Say the sentence with a blank for the word.

Good Reading Buddies

Good Reading Buddies are an important factor in becoming a Proficient Reader.  A reading buddy could be a parent, friend, teacher, relative, or anyone else who wants to make a positive impact on a child’s reading progress.

• Create an environment conducive to reading.
  • Well lit
  • Quiet
  • Supportive
• Read Aloud to your child, modeling Proficient Reader characteristics for them.
• When they are stuck on a word, use the following prompts:
  • Does it make sense?
  • Does it sound right?
  • Look at the first letter and tell me what word would make sense there?
  • Use the pictures to help you figure out what would make sense.
• Share your love of reading! 

Strategy Cards

These two cards will provide a struggling reader with strategies
they can use to decode words they find difficult while they read
and increase their comprehension.

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