Building Language when Reading At Home

P256Q "Kids First, High Expectations, No Excuses"

Building Language when Reading At Home

Why is Reading Important

“Reading is the process by which an individual constructs meaning by transforming printed symbols in the form of letters or visual characters into recognizable words.” - ASHA 2019

A Reminder when presenting books:

Go beyond labeling.

You can say things such as “touch the,” “point to,” or “show me.”

Books are a wonderful way to build speech and language skills

We learn vocabulary best when the words are related to a topic – semantic webs – not just names of things but the nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs that fit a subject.
Books provide the context and model the language
Children’s books are very engaging and motivating
We learn best when there is an emotional component to the topic – authentic children’s books are designed to provide this

When looking for a book to buy (for elementary age), here are some helpful tips

Look for books with 3-5 words per page
Book that are typically 10-12 pages
Look for repetitive lines/text
Close picture to text match
Text that contain simple sight words
Familiar texts, including the student can be a part of the content at times
Text that is supported/adapted with symbols is used for retelling not for reading

For older children (middle school - high school)

There are many picture books that are more age- appropriate for the older child– especially non-fiction
Science and social studies make great topics
The use of graphic organizers to help children summarize information
Photocopy the characters from the book
Creating books about your child or your child’s interests is also a great way to engage them.