Reading

“Oh magic hour, when a child knows she can read printed words.”
Quote from A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

Being able to read with accuracy and at a sufficient rate to develop comprehension is the primary goal of any reading program.

Teachers of primary and junior grades often comment that the early primary grades are where we teach “how” to read and the late primary and junior grades is where we teach “what to do” with the knowledge developed through reading text.

By observing and assessing your child’s reading strategies, fluency and accuracy levels while reading words, text and stories, I will develop a profile of your child’s reading strengths and needs. I will construct an individual reading support plan outlining specific goals and skills to assist your child to become a fluent, confident and successful reader.

Key reading skills identified for different levels of readers are:
Emergent and Early Readers (Primary Grades)
Focused Skills:
• Phonics – knowing the names of letters and the sounds they make
• Blending sounds to learn new words
• Rhyme – identifying when words rhyme and using common spelling patterns to read and spell new words (e.g., “If I know seat, then I know treat”)
• Recall of common high frequency sight vocabulary
• Practice reading of stories and text at your child’s level

Transitional and Extending Readers (Junior Grades)
Focused Skills
• Use a variety of reading strategies to read and spell new words
• Use reading strategies to guide spelling of new words
• Timed and tracked reading for increased accuracy and fluency
• Read with fluency, accuracy, and speed to increase comprehension

“Major consensus of research is that the ability of a teacher to deliver good reading instruction is the most powerful factor in determining how well children learn to read.”
Report from Expert Panel on Early Reading in Ontario 2003