Reading with Partners is a great way for young readers to build fluency. I was very hesitant to pair my son & daughter together for reading time, but after much thought I gave it a go . . .
They have been reading Magic Treehouse’s, Eve of the Emperor Penguin, to supplement our Winter Promise, Animals & Their Worlds study of Artic animals. (Penguins are Momma’s Boy’s favorite!!) At first, this experiment didn’t start off well. Daddy’s Girl tends to be just a little bit too bossy & was overly excited about being “the teacher.” - Tyler grew frustrated with her quickly! So I listened in & suggested that she listen more than correct. This time was NOT for her to teach him to read, but rather to LISTEN to him read. If he misses a word say, “try that one again.” If he continues to miss it tell him the word & move on. Once some ground rules were in place their partnered reading time became very successful & she would tell me, “he is doing so good!” This encouragement from his big sister has been great & it has been a wonderful bonding time for the two.
After they read (usually 1-2 chapters) I will ask them questions like:
- Who is your favorite character? -Describe them in 10 words.
- What is the setting like? Would you like to visit there? Why?
- What Godly Character Traits do you see the characters display?
- What do you like about the plot?
I also had them pick an unfamiliar word from their reading, look it up, & make silly sentences with it.
*Winter Promise curriculum includes “Great Ideas for Narration” with over 2 dozen discussion prompts that are fantastic for creating teachable moments in a low-key way.
