Choral readingĬhoose a book at your child’s reading level and read a page or passage together in unison. Repeat the game every few paragraphs as you read through the book. Then, have your child mimic you, reading the same sentence and using the same expression and pauses. Echo gameĬhoose a book at your child’s reading level and read a sentence aloud using appropriate expression and pauses. Once your child is comfortable enough, and familiar enough with the book, take turns reading page for page. You’ll notice that your child’s reading will start to sound more and more like yours. Then, ask your child to re-read the same page you just read. You go first, as your reading provides a model of what good fluent reading sounds like.

Sharing your audio recordings with family and friends is a great motivator! Paired or “buddy” reading

Your child might need a few “takes” to get his reading just right. This can be done simply with a tape recorder or audio recording feature or app on your phone. Record itĪnother fun way to practice reading and build fluency is to have your child create her own audio books. This activity can get pretty silly right away, but it’s a great way to practice expression in reading aloud. Take turns reading the passages aloud, using dramatic voices and gestures appropriate to the story. Just choose a favorite picture book that your child is familiar with, and one that has lots of dialogue. You don’t need a script or costumes or props. Learn more in this article, Poems at Home (in English and Spanish). See if you can do that while maintaining the rhythm of the poem. Reread the poem several times. Once a poem is familiar to your child, take turns reading! First you read one line or one stanza, and have your child read the next. Have fun with the colorful language and word play. Read dramatically to emphasize the breaks and phrasing of the poem. Emphasize the sound of the words and the rhymes. Nursery rhymes and Mother Goose collections are early favorites. Start with playful, rhyming poetry about topics that are familiar to your child like animals, food, and bedtime. Your child will hear how you raise your voice at the end of question sentence or how you change your voice for different characters. She will enjoy listening to more advanced stories, and she will hear a great example of fluent reading - how you change your expression throughout a story and read with ease. 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. Model your own fluent reading as you read and reread books with your child. With each reading, you may notice your child reading a bit easier, a bit faster, and with a bit more confidence and expression. Encourage your child to reread favorite books over and over again. Reread favorite booksīuilding fluency takes a lot of practice! Keep a collection of books that your child can read quickly and easily.

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

In general, there should be five words or fewer that give him trouble on each page. As your child reads, count the number of words he cannot read per page. The “five-finger test” is a useful guideline for beginning readers. Help your child choose books that he can comfortably read. Try these fluency activities at home Choose the right books

Sight words first grade game