How to Teach Kids to Read With a Reading Wallet
Classrooms in the United Kingdom have used the reading wallet for some time to strengthen the reading and early literacy abilities of young students. This technique is spreading through the United States, and teachers are using reading wallets to encourage students to read at home with their parents.
Instructions
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Create a reading wallet by placing a piece of lined paper inside the folder. The student then puts his reading book in the pocket of the folder. The parent and teacher will use the paper to write down the books that the child reads and to make notes about the student's progress.
The folder allows easy transfer of the reading book between home and school, and aids communication between parents and teachers about the reading record. Parents and teachers may add notations about books or words that are a struggle for the student, so further review may be completed.
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Choose books that are on the reading level of the child. One way to determine reading level is by looking at the Lexile level of the book. For example, a book rated at a 150 Lexile level is equivalent to the median reading level of the middle of the first grade year. Encourage a high rotation of books, but allow children to repeat favorites.
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Emphasize repeated words and word sounds by pointing to the word or word sound while the child is reading. Repetition will help the student identify both the sound and the word. It will also aid her in learning letter combinations, such as sh, th and the ending -ed.
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Take turns reading new books. Read a new book to the child first, while pointing out repeated words and sounds, then allow the child to read the book out loud themselves.
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Make a game out of finding letters or words that are difficult to the child, or that are found on the Dolch sight words list.
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Allow the child to make mistakes, and try not to correct the mistakes until the end. Also, practice the habit of alternating reading the book, so the child gains practice in the accurate reading, but does not feel like reading is a chore because she is constantly corrected.
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Discuss the relevance of the story in the book to the child and his life. Are there emotions or actions accomplished in the story to which she can relate? Does he like or dislike the main character, and why? Is there another story she knows that is like the one she just read?
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Write down each book read and make notes on problem words and phrases on the paper inside the reading wallet. Keep the book in the folder, and send it to school with the child for the teacher to evaluate, or simply use it at home. Make hatch marks for books read more than once. Keep the book and the paper together in the folder, and keep the folder in a place where the child can access the book whenever they wish to read it.
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Read with the child every day, even if for a few minutes. Teachers and parents should encourage a high rotation of books and reading materials to increase exposure to reading. Daily reading helps the student's reading fluency, accuracy and comprehension. Students learn to love reading, and cultivate a passion for stories and books.
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Tips & Warnings
Helping a child learn to read does take a time investment, and some children may struggle with reading. Working with the classroom teacher by sending the reading wallet to school once in awhile or copying the reading notes may help the teacher to collaborate with the parent in helping the child to read faster and more accurately.
The reading wallet concept can be applied in a variety of other ways. It could be used as a way to record at-home reading for school-based reading programs. Teachers might want to create an essential skills homework wallet, customized with practice work in areas where each student might struggle. Either books or worksheets could be used in the essential skills wallet. Writing practice might be a next step to the traditional reading wallet, where students write on a different topic each night.
An exploratory learning wallet could offer a number of activity options for students and parents to be completed over the course of a month, with enrichment activities such as chalk drawing, nature walks and word games. Parents and students can choose which activities to complete out of a number of different suggestions.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit reading girl image by Julia Britvich from Fotolia.com
