Before a child begins to read a new book, I often find it worthwhile to spend a few minutes giving a short preview, or introduction. I use this time to provide a framework for learning.
The reader needs to focus his concentration on the text. Consequently, the aim of the book preview is to direct his attention to the words on the page:
e.g. "There are two boys in today's story. Can you find their names on this page?" (I would then observe to see if the child can locate, and then read, both names - does he recognise that names begin with a capital letter?)
I would also seek to draw the reader's attention to the letter detail in words:
e.g. "Have a good look at those names: 'Tim' and 'Jack'.
Show me the two letters working together to spell <k>."
Looking at the letter detail in more challenging words is another useful activity at the preview stage. With beginner readers and writers, I use magnetic letters to speedily practise segmenting and blending. If the book contains one or two words incorporating a letter-sound combination with which the child is not yet secure, introducing these beforehand prepares him for when he later encounters the word in the course of the reading.
The book preview can also provide an ideal opportunity to unpick vocabulary outside of the child's prior knowledge and experience. Yesterday, I introduced a book with the phrase 'tape the race' to a six year old boy. The young reader had no problems decoding the split digraph ('a_e') or the tricky <s> grapheme ('c'), and read the phrase 'tape the race' with ease. It was clear, however, that he had no knowledge or experience of video recording (although he knew a lot about 'sticky tape'!) Quickly informing him about how we used to record television programmes, equipped him to understand the meaning of the new phrase. Including this brief discussion in the book preview, allowed the flow of the reading to be uninterrupted when he subsequently reached this point in the text.
I actively encourage the re-reading of books (or post-reads), especially at the early stages of reading. So much initial learning can occur during the first read and reading the book again serves to reinforce this learning, strengthening connections in the brain. I am hopeful that the young man I read with yesterday is enjoying sharing the same book at home with his family this weekend. Who knows, their time together might even involve a longer conversation about the good old days of video tapes...
The reader needs to focus his concentration on the text. Consequently, the aim of the book preview is to direct his attention to the words on the page:
e.g. "There are two boys in today's story. Can you find their names on this page?" (I would then observe to see if the child can locate, and then read, both names - does he recognise that names begin with a capital letter?)
I would also seek to draw the reader's attention to the letter detail in words:
e.g. "Have a good look at those names: 'Tim' and 'Jack'.
Show me the two letters working together to spell <k>."
Looking at the letter detail in more challenging words is another useful activity at the preview stage. With beginner readers and writers, I use magnetic letters to speedily practise segmenting and blending. If the book contains one or two words incorporating a letter-sound combination with which the child is not yet secure, introducing these beforehand prepares him for when he later encounters the word in the course of the reading.
The book preview can also provide an ideal opportunity to unpick vocabulary outside of the child's prior knowledge and experience. Yesterday, I introduced a book with the phrase 'tape the race' to a six year old boy. The young reader had no problems decoding the split digraph ('a_e') or the tricky <s> grapheme ('c'), and read the phrase 'tape the race' with ease. It was clear, however, that he had no knowledge or experience of video recording (although he knew a lot about 'sticky tape'!) Quickly informing him about how we used to record television programmes, equipped him to understand the meaning of the new phrase. Including this brief discussion in the book preview, allowed the flow of the reading to be uninterrupted when he subsequently reached this point in the text.
I actively encourage the re-reading of books (or post-reads), especially at the early stages of reading. So much initial learning can occur during the first read and reading the book again serves to reinforce this learning, strengthening connections in the brain. I am hopeful that the young man I read with yesterday is enjoying sharing the same book at home with his family this weekend. Who knows, their time together might even involve a longer conversation about the good old days of video tapes...