Ready, Set, Read!

Let’s Get Ready To Read! Tips to help your First Grader learn to read.

What You Need To Know

Learning to read is one of the most enriching things a child will do. And some of the most important parts of the process happen in First Grade. Wow. This isn’t like learning to ride a bike – it’s not a case that one day, they’ll just ‘get it’. Reading is a series of small skills, which parents can help with, one by one. Think of it like a book, a series of chapters, which are then broken down into paragraphs, sentences, and finally, individual words.

At the start of First Grade, most children working at the standard level will know all or part of the alphabet. They will recognize familiar words (including their names!) and they will understand that words printed on a page have meaning. Now they’re ready to read. Learning how to say words using sounds (Decoding) and understanding what they mean (Comprehension), is the key to the whole process. Sounds easy? Maybe. Just remember, it doesn’t happen overnight, even if you’ve spent the hour before bedtime reading with them. That’s a great start though, and when you next sit down together with a book between you, remember these ways to help your child master those important small skills. 

How You Can Help

1. Decode. Help your child break down new words.
2. Summarize. Ask your child to express what you’ve read in their own words.
3. Predict. Can your child work out what will happen in the next chapter?
4. Extend. Test your child’s imagination by asking them to invent further stories.
5. Discuss. Talk about a character and his or her reasons.
6. Connect. Help your child use a book’s pictures to aid understanding.

From decoding to discussing, these skills are all important, but there’s one word missing from this list. Fun. The more children enjoy reading, the more they will read. Studies show that reading encourages literacy, understanding, comprehension, and self-expression. So wherever you are, make reading together fun.

For more information on what happens in First Grade reading, please see the full article:

www.education.com/reference/article/first_grade_reading/