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Encompass Learning Solutions Summer News |
June, 2008 |
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 Dear
Parent,
Summer is off and running! It is easy to get caught up in
swimming, baseball, tennis, and lots of other activities. I
hope you will make time to relax and read with your child
every day.
Some families get a novel on CD or tape from the library and
listen together, talking about the new words and ideas in the
story. Novels are available for all ages from toddler through
adult. I often listen to a book on CD in the car while I
commute. CDs and tapes are located in several places in a
library, so ask your librarian for help locating listening
materials for different ages.
Talking to children, using more words rather
than fewer, about lots of subjects is critical to raising
vocabularies. Spoken language forms the basis for reading
comprehension. Think about what language skills are learned
from these two conversations:
Parent 1: "Please hand that rusty nail to me."
Parent 2: "Rusty metal things, like the nail you are
holding, can have germs that will make people sick if they
scratch our skin. It is not a good idea to pick them up.
Please hand it to me." (Taken from
"Nourishing Vocabulary" by Shira Lubliner)
Which child had the potential to learn new words? Ask
questions about new ideas...what is rusty? metal? how can it
make us sick? I encourage you to take time to talk so that
children will learn new words and ideas. It makes a difference
to language skills and, ultimately, reading skills.
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How do we learn new words?
Vocabulary is the base of the
reading pyramid
 People
used to think that reading the dictionary was a good way to
build word knowledge. We found out that people don't
usually remember all those words unless they use them in
conversation several times.
Do we improve our reading vocabulary by talking with people
who know lots of new words and ideas? Do we gain vocabulary by
experiencing new places and things, such as museums or other
learning events? These activities can help improve vocabulary,
as long as we talk about those new words and
use them a few times.
Reading researchers, such as Andy Biemiller, tell us that we
encounter the most new words in the books we read. Researchers
believe that We tend to talk with the same 5,000 words (even
though there are about 500,000 words in the latest edition of
the New Oxford Dictionary).
This is why reading books to your struggling
reader, or listening together on CD or tape, is the most
important thing you can do for vocabulary. When a struggling
reader is reading a book at her reading level, the language is
often lower than she uses in speaking. Listen to a book
together (car commutes or vacation travels are great
opportunites) and read wonderful story books to your child.
Talk about the plot (what happened), character's
personalities, and new words. Go up a grade level or two if
your child has a good vocabulary and we are working in
tutoring on word recognition skills.
Need a list of great books? I'll bet I can come up with
one...or library websites have favorites for each grade level.
I asked my now-grown son about some of his favorite childhood
books...and I added a couple of my own. Here are some favs
from our house to yours:
- "Winnie the Pooh" by A.A. Milne (Funny! Lots of new words!
#1 recommendation by James, my son)
- "Bunnicula" by James and Deb Howell
- "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
- "Tuck Everlasting" by Natalie Babbit
- "Tale of Despereaux" by Kate DiCamillo
- "Because of Winn-Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo
- "Pictures of Hollis Woods" by Patricia Giff Reilly
Tune up listening skills by reading to your child or with a
good story on CD! |
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Books
for Home Reading: How do I help my child select one?
 How
your child (grade 3 and up) selects a book depends on
whether he will read the book all by himself or with adult
help. To select a novel (not a picture book) that he can read
independently, try the five finger rule: Read the first page
of the book with full text (at least 100 words). Each time he
comes to a word that he cannot say OR understand, put up one
finger. If five fingers are up in the first 100 or so words,
the book is likely too difficult. Read a couple more pages and
see how many fingers are up on each page. One finger up on
each page? Perhaps that book is a little too easy (unless he
needs a confidence builder). Having two or three words to
figure out on a page (of about 100 words) is a good thing.
What about using the Lexile levels from school testing? That's
a great idea, but include the five finger rule, too. Lexile
levels are computer generated and only a guide. Plus, the
computer skips any foreign or made-up words and that can throw
off the level.
What about students in grades 2 and below? They will be
reading shorter books, often with many pictures. Consider
having the child read to you the first time through and read
it independently later. Need books for K-1-2 students? Send an
email to
susanlong@comcast.net. I have access to hundreds that can
be printed on your home computer.
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Around town this summer
Vocabulary builders to enjoy...and talk about
Even if children visit with school groups, they will get more
out of an event if they are with a family group and adults who
are paying attention especially to them. Did your child have a
field trip he or she did not enjoy? Revisit in the summer and
make it a positive experience to remember. Here are some
ideas:
Wow! Who needs to go away for vacation with so much to
experience right here in Kansas City! |
Help a
teacher...and get free or low-cost tutoring!
During the second week of August, area teachers will be
learning the Orton-Gillingham approach to teaching
multisensory reading, writing, and spelling... and they will
need a student to assess and tutor.
Tutoring sessions will be with a at Lee's Summit West High
School August 4-8 for about 2 hours per day (late
morning/early afternoon). If you are interested, email
susanlong@comcast.net for more information.
Families who have received tutoring with Encompass this
summer may receive August 4-8 tutoring without cost. Other
families may receive tutoring for $50.00 for the entire
week. Still a great bargain!
We need students so that teachers may learn. Please help us
with the class. We ask that students be available each day
of that week so that teachers may practice all the skills.
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 To those
of you with children I am teaching or have taught, I thank you
sincerely. Watching reading skills grow gives me great
joy. For others with whom I have not yet had the pleasure of
working, I hope to see you soon.
Just like the girl pictured here, have a great summer!
Sincerely,
Susan Long
Encompass Learning
Solutions LLC |
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