Stategies for Beginning Readers

There are several strategies to share with a beginning reader that makes a huge difference in his ability to solve unknown words while he is reading a book.

I recommend these strategies for readers at a beginning first grade level:

• Make a guess based on information in book and check to see if it matches.
• Look at the pictures to make meaning.
• Use beginning sounds and meaning to  make words.
• Follow text with eyes.
• Solve unknown words by looking for parts that are known.

I recommend these strategies for readers at a middle first grade level:

• Use more complex patterns of language (onsets, rimes, blends, diagraphs).
• Use a handful of phonic rules (2 vowels, e at the end makes a long vowel).
• Self-correct (fixing errors on own) and self-monitor (noticing when he makes an error).
• Reread when something doesn't make sense.
• Make predictions and reading to confirm the guesses.
• Use punctuation to pause at the proper places

Wishing you homeschool blessings,