Tips for Reading Aloud

When you are reading to a child, it is important to help the student sound out the word without giving it away. This will help the student gain confidence and enjoy reading even more.  Here are a few tips on what to do when your student is struggling with a word.

• When you come to a word your student does not know, do not simply say the word.  Have your student use two fingers to bracket the word, have them identify the sounds he/she knows.

• Use clues to help your student sound out the word.
• What sound does the word start with?
• What sound does it end with?
• Can you sound the word out with that much information?
• What does this part sound like?

• If your student uses an incorrect sound, help by correcting that sound and have them follow your lead to sound the word out.
• For example: the word CLOCK.
• What sound does that start with? “KL.”
• What sound does it end with? “K.”
• What sound is in the middle? “O.” (Make sure they use the short “o,” not the long “o.”)
• Now, say the whole word while running one pointer finger along under the words as they make each sound. “CLOCK.”

• If it is a longer word, try breaking down by covering up part of the word.
• For example: the word PANCAKE.
• Break the word down to 2 separate words, “pan,” & “cake.”
• Sound out “pan,” and then “cake.”
• After you have sounded it out, reread the sentence in order to not lose the meaning of the word in context.

Using these simple steps when reading with a child can improve not just reading level, but their confidence and reading enjoyment. There is no feeling more enjoyable than seeing the look on the child’s face when they are finally able to sound out a big word.