Reading is a multifaceted process involving word recognition, comprehension, fluency, and motivation.

• Step one is identifying the words in print – a process called word recognition
• Step two is constructing an understanding from them – a process called comprehension
• Step three is the coordination of identifying words and making meaning so that reading is automatic and accurate – an achievement called fluency

How do I know what level my child should be at?

New York State has very clear standards for each elementary grade level.  They can be a huge help to parents who want to prepare their children prior to entering school, work with their child during the school year, and/or help struggling readers.  Below are links to these standards:

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/ela/pub/read.pdf

Both are a bit wordy, but scroll through and you'll find expectations for elementary grade levels.

Word Recognition

Reading words in the English language is much harder than you'd think!  Beginning readers learn to sound out words using certain rules like the "Magic E" or "When two vowels are walking, the first does the talking".  Readers soon learn that there are many, many exceptions to these rules...thus, we teach sight words (words that break the rules).    Although the reading rules and sight words are usually taught and mastered by the end of 3rd grade, they are something that need constant review because they are the foundation of reading.  The following sights will provide information and practice on phonics rules and sight words!

PHONICS RULES:

http://209.184.141.5/spicewood/Parent%20Resources/Phonics.pdf Excellent sight...go to pages 3 through 6 for a complete list of the rules.

http://www.cceschool.org/hayes/Phonics%20Charts.htm  Very simply written sight that lists the basic rules (Please be aware that it is from a Christian school and references same.)

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4330  Explains and provides lessons for decoding multisyllabic words. 

SIGHT WORDS:

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/languagearts/dolch-sight-words/ A variety of levels of word lists, activities and worksheets.  Only goes as high as 3rd grade, but good for review.

http://www.createdbyteachers.com/dolchphrases.html  A different approach to sight words, this is a list of phrases...higher lists are appropriate for 5th grade!

http://www.adrianbruce.com/reading/hooked/hooked_on_phonics.htm A very cute game.  Higher levels are appropriate for 4th and beginning 5th grade.

http://www.vocabulary.co.il/  A super sight with 5th grade appropriate word games!

http://www.wordcentral.com/  An excellent sight to improve vocabulary through games and activities.

Of course, children can not memorize every difficult word so, we teach skills that will provide children with other strategies to decode unknown words.  These skills include using context clues, skipping words to see if the sentence still makes sense and rereading.  These skills are imperative becasue they lead to our next subject...

Comprehension

Comprehension is what reading is all about!   Reading skills that we teach in 5th grade include: Cause and Effect, Story Elements, Summarizing, Compare and Contrast, Inferencing and Main Idea.  The following are web sights that will provide information and practice on many of these skills.