Reading Tips for 2^nd Grade

One of the best ways to get better at reading is to read a lot!  It is very important that your child read "just right" books at home every night for at least 15-20 minutes.  Your child will be bringing these books home from school everyday.  Because it is important for your child to also listen to what fluent reading sounds like, I encourage you to read to your child on a regular basis.

We work hard on becoming independent readers in 2nd grade!  If your child asks for help on a tricky word, rather then telling him/her what the word is, encourage your child to be an independent word solver.  Ask questions like: Does it sound right?  Does it look right?  Does it make sense?

Engage your child in conversations about books!  Here are some discussion ideas you might want to try:

• Before reading a book, have your child predict what he/she thinks is going to happen and explain why he/she has made that prediction.  Your child should also be predicting as he/she is reading (after every chapter or in the middle of a book).
  

• After finishing a book, ask your child to retell what he/she has just read.  In the retelling, your child should discuss the characters, the setting, the problem, and the solution.

• Ask your child to tell you about the characters in the book he/she is reading.  Here are some possible questions to ask: 
  

- What type of person is the character?  Why do you think that?

- How would you feel if you were in the character's shoes?

- What do the character's actions tell you about the character?

- How has the character changed from the beginning to the end of the book?  What caused this change?

Most importantly, have fun reading! :)