Summer Reading and Fluency: Tips for Parents from Reading Rockets By: Joanne Meier (2005)

You've got the reading lists. You've got the books. But what else can you do to make your children better readers this summer? You can help them read more quickly and accurately. Schools call this reading fluency. Your kids will call it fun! When kids can read fluently, it's easier for them to understand what they're reading. And they read aloud easily and with expression. Needless to say, this makes reading a lot more enjoyable. Less fluent readers read more slowly and word by word. Their attention is focused on sounding out each word; so, they pay less attention to understanding what they've read. Their comprehension and their motivation can suffer. Of course, beginning readers aren't fluent yet, but by the end of first grade, kids should be reading books at their grade level with ease and expression. The summer months provide a great opportunity for you to help your child continue to develop reading fluency. Here are four things parents and caregivers can do to help:

Choose the right books

Help your child choose books that he can comfortably read. The "fivefinger test" is a useful guideline for beginning readers. As your child reads, count the number of words he cannot read per page. In general, there should be five words or fewer that give him trouble on each page. If a book contains several pages on which you count more than five words that he can't read, consider reading that book to your child until he develops more reading skill.

Listen every day

Once you've found a collection of books that your child can read, listen to your child read every day. Be patient new readers often read slowly! Offer help when your child gets stuck, and always give lots of praise and encouragement.

Read to your kids every day

Model your own fluent reading as you read and reread books with your child. Even though your child may be able to read on her own, continue to find time each day to read books to her that are just beyond her

reading level. She will enjoy listening to more advanced stories, and she will hear a great example of fluent reading. To find out more about helping your child become a more fluent reader, please visit Reading Rockets on the Web at www.readingrockets.org

Selecting Books for Your Child: Finding 'Just Right' Books By: Kathleen Rogers (2008)
How can parents help their children find books that are not "too hard" and not "too easy" but instead are "just right"? Here's some advice.

Five finger rule

1. Choose a book that you think you will enjoy. 2. Read the second page. 3. Hold up a finger for each word you are not sure of, or do not know. 4. If there are five or more words you did not know, you should choose an easier book. Still think it may not be too difficult? Use the five finger rule on two more pages.

Choose a book that is a good fit for you!

Read two or three pages and ask yourself these questions:

Will it be an easy, fun book to read? * * * * Do I understand what I am reading? Do I know almost every word? When I read it aloud, can I read it smoothly? Do I think the topic will interest me?

If most of your answers were "yes", this will be an easy book to read independently by yourself.

Will this book be too hard for me? * Are there five or more words on a page that I don't know, or am unsure of? * Is this book confusing and hard to understand by myself? * When I read it aloud, does it sound choppy and slow? If most of your answers were "yes," this book is too hard. You should wait awhile before you read this book. Give the book another try later, or ask an adult to read the book to you.

Tips on reading with your child

When they can't read the word, say * Can you sound it out? * Fingertap it. * Can you think of the word or movement that helps you? remember that vowel sound? * What is the first and last sound? What word would make sense? * Does it have a pattern that you have seen in other words? (ex-an, ack) * How does the word begin? * You said_______. Does that make sense? * What word would make sense that would start with these? sounds? * Put your finger under the word as you say it. When they want to read a book that is too hard, say * Let's read it together. * This is a book you will enjoy more if you save it until you are older or later in the year. * [Be honest!] When people read books that are too hard for

them, they often skip important parts. You will have more fun with this book if you wait until you can read it easily.

Ways to help your child be a fluent reader:

*Read and reread books that are at you childs level. See attached sheet for the Five Finger Rule. *Have your child read aloud, not to silently in their head. We talked about reading to a stuffed animal or someone else at home. *An adult can read a sentence aloud and then your child can reread or repeat it back. *Take turns reading every other page or paragraph with your child. You will be modeling fluent reading as you do this. *Read, read, and read some more! The more your child reads, the better reader he/she becomes. What is fluency? Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately and quickly. When fluent readers read silently, they recognize words automatically. They group words quickly to help them gain meaning from what they read. Fluent readers read aloud effortlessly and with expression. Their reading sounds natural, as if they are speaking. Readers who have not yet* developed fluency read slowly, word by word. Their oral reading is choppy and plodding. Fluency is important because it provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension. Because fluent readers do not have to concentrate on decoding the words, they can focus their attention on what the text means. They can make connections among the ideas in the text and between the text and their background knowledge. In other words, fluent readers recognize words and comprehend at the same time. Less fluent readers, however, must focus their attention on figuring out the words, leaving them little attention for understanding the text.