Beginning to Read Home Activities

After children can read words correctly, they can begin to work on speed.

What you'll need:

* A story with words your child can sound out or read as whole words. A watch or timer.

What to do:

* Tell your child, "In this game, you're going to read a story as if you're in a race. Each time you read the story, try to read it faster with fewer mistakes."

Set the timer for one minute. Remind your child to read as quickly and correctly as possible. Say, "Start." Begin timing. At the end of the minute, say, "Stop," and count the number of words read correctly.

* Help your child with words he or she did not know. Have your child read the same story again for one minute. Count the number of words read correctly. Compare the number of words to the number read in the first reading. Have your child read the story a third time.

* Say, "When you practice reading the same story again and again, you can read faster and faster. Good job."

READ*WRITE*NOW Activities for Reading and Writing Fun - May 1997