"Reader's Toolbox!"
Your son/daughter will be learning several reading strategies to help them read difficult words that they may come across in a text. These reading strategies are so important to your son/daughter's reading progress. Please help to remind your son/daughter to use these reading strategies when they come across word/words that may be difficult. Please do not tell them the word if asked, rather ask them to use their reading strategies first!
* Sounding out the word (stretch the word apart so you can sound out each letter)
*Get your mouth ready with the beginning letter sound.
* Sounding out the vowels in each word (Try reading the word with a short vowel sound and then a long vowel sound...see which one sounds best)
*Use the pictures to help you figure out a word.
* Chunking (looking for "chunks" of words within in a word) Example: Sit (it)
* Skipping the word and reading on, then going back to figure out what the word might be. Students are to make a good guess based on the beginning letter and the ending letter of the difficult word. I often ask them "does it look like it can be that word?"
*Looking at the caboose (end of a word). Example: -ack, -it, -ing, etc.)
*Looking for blends in a word. Blends are 2 letters that make one sound. Example: Thing, fish, chimp, etc.