An easy way to begin a book introduction is to think in terms of the problem and resolution of the story. For example, the book Mushrooms for Dinner (Randell, 1996), might be introduced by saying, “Father Bear had not been able to catch any fish for dinner, so Baby Bear went into the forest to look for mushrooms. After looking high and low, he finally found some and took them home for dinner.” Following this quick introduction, teacher and students look at the picture on each page to predict where Baby Bear looked and whom he asked for help. On page 5, the teacher might draw attention to the phrase “uphill and downhill”, asking students to locate the unknown words uphill and downhill. When queried as to how they located those words, children may comment on the first letters, or they may point out the smaller words within the big words. The
To explain prompting for graphophonic information we will revisit our example of the text stating that we are taking the horse back to the stable. Should the child substitute the word barn for stable, the meaning and structure part of the child’s reading orchestration is intact, as the sentence makes sense and is structurally correct. However, the child is neglecting the graphophonic cues. The teacher can prompt with one of the following:
You said you were taking the horse to the barn. Does that word look like barn.
Does that look right?
Do you recognize any part of the word?
Read that again and think about what would look right.
These prompts cause the child to think about what letters are seen on the page. The child will reread the sentence, making the appropriate correction.
It is extremely important when prompting children to praise specifically what they are doing well at the same time you are encouraging a new behavior to emerge. For example, the teacher might say, “You are doing a great job of making sure the text makes sense, but we need to look more closely at this word” or “I like the way you are looking at the letters, but readers always check to make sure the story is making sense”.
Some Final Thoughts
It is always important to keep in mind what the child understands and can do well. Learning to read is a monumental task for the young student. Recognizing and focusing on the strengths of the child will make the process more pleasant and meaningful. No one likes to be reminded about how much they have yet to master. Keep the instruction positive by letting children know on a regular basis what they are doing right.
Build on the strengths you have observed in the child. Use what they know to bridge to the unknown. From day one, make the child feel like a reader. Ensure the child that you are there to help them become an even better reader. The child will come to view the teacher-student interaction as a partnership. In this partnership, the teacher is the more knowledgeable other and will gradually be releasing the responsibility of the reading task to the student.
Follow the child’s lead. Observe them daily for new literacy behaviors that emerge. Support and add on to these new learnings. Follow the child’s interests. Look for texts that the child will find interesting and motivational. During the reading task, children should be both successful and challenged at the appropriate level. As the child’s ability to read grows, they will internalize the teacher’s voice making it become their own inner voice. The child will develop their ability to problem solve independently, and in so doing, will find joy in learning to read.