Read-At-Home Plan

What is phonics?

Phonics is the ability to understand the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent. This includes:

• recognizing print patterns that represent sounds;
• syllable patterns; and
• word parts (prefixes, suffixes, and root words).

Vowels
a, e, i, o, u, y

Consonants
b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z

Common Consonant Digraphs and Blends
bl, br, ch, ck, cl, cr, dr, fl, fr, gh, gl, gr, ng, ph, pl, pr,
qu, sc, sh, sk, sl, sm, sn, sp, st, sw, th, tr, tw, wh, wr

Common Vowel Digraphs
ai, au, aw, ay, ea, ee, ei, eu, ew, ey, ie, oi, oo, ou,
ow, oy

Common Consonant Trigraphs
nth, sch, scr, shr, spl, spr, squ, str, thr

Letter-Sound Recognition Activities

• Write a letter on one end of each popsicle stick. On two or three other popsicle sticks, write KABOOM. Put all sticks letter-end down in a cup. Take turns pulling popsicle sticks from the cup. Each time you pull a stick, say the letter name and the sound the letter makes. If a KABOOM stick is drawn, that player must put all of their sticks back into the cup. The game is over when all letter sticks have been pulled.
• Write letters on sticky notes, and spread them out across a table top. Say a letter sound and have your child swat the letter that makes the sound.
  • Alternate version: Once your child learns all of the letter sounds, you can say a word and have your child swat the letters that spell the word (in order).
• Use sidewalk chalk to draw a hopscotch formation. In each box, write a letter. On the squares that go two across, write the letters found in digraphs or blends.
  When your child jumps on a square, he/she will say the letter’s name and sound. When your child jumps on the crossbar, he/she will say the name and sound of the letter in the left box, then the right box, then shout the sound the digraph or blend makes together.
  • Alternate version: Play the game with only vowels, but have your child give the long and short vowel sounds. Crossbars can have vowel digraphs.
• Identify which letters and sounds your child needs help with. Write the focus letter names on sticky notes and stick them to bowls (one bowl for each letter). Collect small toys and objects from around the house. Have your child say the name of an object and sort it into the bowl with the correct letter.
• Create cards with pictures of simple objects that contain a short vowel sound. Create a card for each short vowel sound. Help your child match the word on the picture card to the correct short vowel card.
  Example: https://youtu.be/EGf2lL9eALg
• Place magnetic letter tiles on the refrigerator. Call out letter names or letter sounds, and have your child swat the appropriate magnet with a spatula.
• Write the alphabet in a letter arc, or a curved shape starting with A and ending with Z. Ask your child to identify various letters and letter sounds. You can also ask them to think of a word that starts with a certain letter.
  Examples: https://youtu.be/QvN70v1QRHI       https://youtu.be/_MPZ6KAKC9k
• Have your child use play clay to roll out and make the shapes of different letters. Call out the name or sound of the letters and watch them build the letter shapes.
• Print out a nursery rhyme on a piece of paper and read it to your child. After reading, ask your child to circle a certain letter (uppercase and lowercase) throughout the story. When your child circles each letter, ask them to make the sound for that letter. Ask your child to write the letter while saying its sound.
  Example: https://youtu.be/-jkL7Plx834
• Write letters on individual pieces of paper. Ask your child to spell a word using the letters. After your child spells the word correctly, ask them to name each letter sound in the word.
  Example: https://youtu.be/AOzTD_z-6yM
• Identify letters that your child needs extra practice identifying and sounding out. Using a piece of junk mail, help your child scan through a paper and identify each of these letters. Once they identify the letter, ask them to say the letter sound.
  Example: https://youtu.be/CzhHCH0r3gA
• Help your child learn how adding a silent “e” at the end changes the word. For example: plan changes to plane, at changes to ate. Explain how adding the silent “e” to these words makes the “a” says its name (long vowel sound).
  Example: https://youtu.be/yKGL63QQUo4
• Create a chart with different r-controlled vowels (ar, er, ur, or, ir). Read a word and ask your child to identify which r-controlled vowel they hear. After sounding out the word, ask your child to write the word in the appropriate column of the vowel chart.
  Example: https://youtu.be/QKIw3-f6Cgc
• Create a chart with various words that contain the long “o” vowel. Write the word with the letters that make the vowel sound missing. Ask your child to fill in the missing letters and say the word aloud. Talk about the word and its meaning.
  Example: https://youtu.be/olDOvqyI-Eo
• Vowel diphthongs happen in words that have two vowel sounds that combine in the middle of the word. Example: coin, boat, bean). Play Bingo with your child using words that contain vowel diphthongs. After reading the word, ask your child to identify which two vowels the word contains.
  Example: https://youtu.be/WewWhd7VQnE

Word Blending Activities

• Cut a toilet paper roll or paper towel roll in half. On one half, write consonants, consonant blends, or consonant trigraphs spaced around the edge. On the other half, write rimes spaced around the edge. Put the pieces on the bottom of a wire clothes hanger. Have your child spin the rolls to make new words.
• Stack three Styrofoam or plastic cups. On the first cup, choose six consonants to write around the outside edge. On the middle cup, write the five vowels around the outside edge. On the third cup, write 6 consonants around the outside edge. Have your child spin the cups to create new words to read.
  • Alternate version 1: Replace the vowels on the middle cup with vowel digraphs.
  • Alternate version 2: Replace the consonants on the first and last cups with digraphs, blends, or trigraphs.
  • Alternate version 3: Add a fourth cup. Write e, s, es, d, ed, ing around the edge to create new words.
• Play word building board games such as Scrabble©, Boggle©, or Word Up© with your child.
• Write the names of six different letters on notecards or square pieces of paper, being sure to use vowels and consonants. Play a game with your child to see who can create the most words out of the letters given.
• Use magnetic letter tiles to practice reading word family words. Place two magnets beside one another to make a word family word. Let your child add different letters to the beginning of the word family letters to make new words. Have your child read the words fluently before building a new word.
• Spread a small amount of shaving cream on a table or counter top. Call out letter names or letter sounds and have your child write the appropriate letter in the shaving cream.
• Using letter beads, have your child make word jewelry by stringing together different beads on string or pipe cleaners to make words.
• Help your child practice spelling words using letter cut-outs. Start with words with two sounds (like it or up) and move to three sounds. Use the word in a sentence. Sound out the letters for each word as your child is working. Make corrections and praise your child’s effort.
  Example: https://youtu.be/N0lvwxoNV8g
• Cut a paper into small squares and write various beginning letters on each square. On a different square of paper, write the end sound. (Example: the ending sound is “op” for mop, top, and pop, which have various beginning letters) Help your child create new words as you rotate between the beginning letters and sounds.
  Example: https://youtu.be/YqCmnbbVBjg
• Cut up a note card and write different letters on each piece. Say a word for your child to build using the letters. As they pick each letter, ask them to say the
  letter sound. When the word is formed, ask your child to say the whole word together. You can also talk about the word meaning after it’s spelled.
  Example: https://youtu.be/34cj31WTP6s
• Create a chart with pictures of words at your child’s level that rhyme (Example: sheep and sleep, chick and stick). Using cards with different letter sounds, help your child identify the letter sounds for each word. Help your child place the letter sounds on the chart and then say the word parts individually. Then, have your child blend the word parts together.
  Example: https://youtu.be/hhLImG-MkWA

Multisyllable Word Activities

• Write the most common English syllables on notecards. Hold the cards up and have your child practice reading the syllables.
• Have your child use newspapers, magazines, and books to hunt for words with a specific syllable. Have your child read the words and keep a list of all the words they collected for each syllable.
  Example: “Look! I found table and apple to go under Consonant-le, because ta/ble and ap/ple both have consonants followed by the letters -le in the second syllable!”
• Write the most common English syllables on different sticky notes. Have your child put stickies together to create words (real or nonsense). Have your child practice reading the words they make.
  • Alternate version: Have your child only make real words from the syllable stickies. After building the words, have your child read the words fluently.
• Using a muffin tin with six cups, label each cup with a different syllable type. Write the most common English syllables on small pieces of paper and have your child sort them into the correct cup.
• Ask your child to read a word from a list that contains words with a vowel team, or two vowels that make one sound. After reading the word, ask your child to identify the vowel team and the syllables in the word. For example, the word teacher has a vowel team of “ea” and two syllables. Ask your child to underline the vowel team and sound out each syllable in the word.
  Example: https://youtu.be/Dh9G2cWYm84
• Explain the reading rule about doubling the consonant to your child. When a word is one syllable and ends in a vowel followed by a consonant, you have to double the consonant when you add an ending, like -ed or -ing. Create a list of words that follow this rule and add a new ending to each word. Help your child identify the base word and write the word correctly using the new ending.
  Example: https://youtu.be/7d49Jm8X-Gk

What is fluency?

Fluency is the ability to read with sufficient speed to support understanding. This includes:

• automatic word recognition;
• accurate word recognition; and
• use of expression.

Fluent readers are able to remember and understand what they have read. This skill bridges word recognition and comprehension. When students can read fluently, it allows the brain to have more space to comprehend the message of the text.

How to find your child’s fluency score:

1. Choose a 100-word passage from a grade-level text.
2. Have your child read the passage for exactly one minute.
3. Count the total number of words your child read.
4. Subtract from that number the number of words they read wrong. That is the word count per minute (WCPM).

Suggested WCPM by the end of each year:

First grade: 60 words read correctly
Second grade: 90 words read correctly
Third grade: 115 words read correctly

Everyday Fluency

• Read to your child! When you read aloud with your child, you are giving him/her a model of what fluent reading sounds like. No matter his/her age, it is important for your child to hear fluent reading.
• Find opportunities for your child to listen and follow along with audio recordings. Websites such as Storyline Online (https://www.storylineonline.net) have a variety of recorded stories. Visit your local library to check out the book versions so your child can read along.
• Practice echo reading with your child. Use a less familiar story or text and read small chunks of words, using your finger to track what you are reading. After you finish, let your child echo what you just read, tracking the words. Encourage your child to use the exact same speed and voice tone you used. This is a great activity to use with poetry!
• Reread the same story many times. Repeated reading of a story helps your child to become familiar with the words and sound they make when they are read fluently. You can also encourage your child to reread the same story multiple times, using a timer to see how quickly (and accurately!) your child reads each time he/she goes through the text.
• While reading to your child, read at a pace like you’re having a regular conversation. Change your expression to model fluency for your child.
  Examples: https://youtu.be/i12X8A5giF0          https://youtu.be/4lkFh9y0C1U       https://youtu.be/0q0eiOyvycg
• Encourage your child to read independently! Make sure he/she is reading books that are on his/her independent reading level and encourage 20 minutes of reading a night.
• When reading a book together, read one sentence aloud at a time. Then, ask your child to read the same sentence aloud right after you. Read fluently and with expression to model these skills for your child.
  Examples: https://youtu.be/Gu-a0nLhZ8I     https://youtu.be/vt1Twhs8KiA     https://youtu.be/Pm_zeF0s8l8

Sight Word Activities

• Cut out squares of paper or use notecards to create sight words. Use the Fry Sight Word Lists and start with the first 100. Once your child can read those words easily and fluently, move to the second 100. Continue on until your child can fluently read all 1,000 sight words.
  • Alternate version: Use a timer to see how long it takes your child to read through a sight word list. Correct the words read wrong and try again. Keep track of the time each time your child reads through and see how his/her reading speed increases.
• Write targeted sight words on a blank tic-tac-toe board drawn on notebook or printer paper. Using coins for chips, call out sight words and have your child cover them with a chip. When he/she gets five in a row, have your child read the words out to check for accuracy and to win.
• Write high-frequency words two times each on notecards. Flip the cards over so that the word is hidden and play a memory matching game with your child. Whenever a card is flipped over, have your child say the word. You can also use the card in a sentence.
  Examples: https://youtu.be/3W0bBRRdpO4     https://youtu.be/V1IrTm5G5B4
• Write your child’s sight words on notecards or squares of construction paper. Set the timer for 30 seconds and see how many sight words he/she can read. As your child reads, separate the words into a “Words I Can Read” pile and a “Words I Need Help With” pile. Review the cards in the “Words I Need Help With” pile before trying again.
• Create cards with high-frequency spelling words. Ask your child to flip over a card, say the word, then spell the word out loud. Next, ask your child to write the word on a piece of paper and say the word aloud one more time.
  Example: https://youtu.be/nGPZ37b_CrM

Fluent Phrase Reading Activities

• Print or write out on notebook paper the lyrics of your child’s favorite songs (make sure to copy the short phrases exactly). Have your child practice reading a single line until he/she can read it smoothly, then move onto the next.
  • Alternate version: This activity can also be done with poetry or rhyming books. Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, Bill Martin Jr., Sandra Boynton, Dr. Seuss, and Anna Dewdney are a few of the many authors whose poems and books work with this activity.
• When you read with your child, listen for where natural breaks happen. There is a musical quality to fluent reading – finding the phrasing in language can help your child break longer sentences into smaller chunks, making it easier to read.
• Write common phrases on notecards. Have your child practice reading the cards individually. When he/she can read them fluently, lay cards out side-by-side to make a train of phrases and have your child practice fluently reading a longer version.

Fluent Passage Reading

• Find a page from a book at your child’s independent reading level. Using a pencil, draw lines between the words where you hear a natural break. Have your child practice reading the entire passage, chunking together the words between the pencil lines as he/she reads. Once your child can fluently read the phrases, erase the pencil marks and have your child fluently read the passage.
  Example: “From then on, / every afternoon, / as soon has her mother / had left for bingo, / Matilda would toddle / down to the library. // The walk took / only ten minutes / and this allowed her / two glorious hours / sitting quietly / by herself / in a cozy corner / devouring one book after another. // When she had read / every single children’s book / in the place, / she started wandering round / in search of something else.”
  “From then on, every afternoon, as soon as her mother had left for bingo, Matilda would toddle down to the library. The walk took only ten minutes and this allowed her two glorious hours sitting quietly by herself in a cozy corner devouring one book after another. When she had read every single children’s book in the place, she started wandering round in search of something else.”
• Timed, repeated readings help your child see that he/she is becoming a more fluent reader! Have your child read a new-to them piece of text – a short story, poem, or several paragraphs from a chapter. The first time your child reads it, time him/her from start to finish to see how long it took. Have your child read the same piece of text several more times, timing each time, to see how much he/she is improving.
  Suggestion: Tie this strategy to math! Let your child use graph paper to draw representation of each timed reading’s final time.
• Ask your child to read a short passage at or slightly above their reading level. Before reading, ask him/her to read a list of key words from the passage. Correct any mistakes as they happen. Give your child feedback on their reading fluency after reading.
  Example: https://youtu.be/i44PSpTgSTk
• When reading together, read one section to your child. Then, read the next section aloud together at the same time. Take turns reading to your child and with them. Pause to check for understanding throughout the story.
  Examples: https://youtu.be/IXLNRw-H6wA       https://youtu.be/x7IOPf9ULjY         https://youtu.be/KCFFqKA85tE
• While your child is reading a book aloud to you, pay attention to any tricky words or sentences. After they read the sentence, stop and make any corrections. Read the sentence correctly to them, and then ask your child to read the sentence again.
  Examples: https://youtu.be/QGr7nDCGRrM   https://youtu.be/gpZCCrnMBwo   https://youtu.be/LL0uJqW_jwY    https://youtu.be/pxrcdffJCyw

Vocabulary refers to students’ knowledge of and memory for word meanings. This includes:

• receptive vocabulary words students understand when they are read or spoken to;

AND

• expressive vocabulary (words student know well enough to use in speaking and writing).

Having a large receptive and expressive vocabulary assists students with their reading comprehension. A strong vocabulary improves all areas of communication – listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Everyday Vocabulary Activities

• Read aloud to your child! Even after your child is able to read on their own, continue to read to him/her. Choose books above your child’s reading level, which typically have a broader vocabulary. Through read alouds and talking about the book using words from the text, you are actually teaching your child new words and how they are used.
• When cooking, have your child help you read the recipe out loud. Pause to introduce and explain new words. Ask questions about what you’re doing to support vocabulary development.
  Example: https://youtu.be/PKvOIv30H8Y      https://youtu.be/y2uEltffyfM
• Have conversations with your children during dinner. Talking about your child’s day at school, weekend plans, or family memories can help grow your child’s vocabulary.
• Play Bingo with your child using common contractions. Create a Bingo sheet with completed contractions, and choose from a stack of cards with the broken up contractions. For example, if you drew the card “did not”, you would look for the contraction “didn’t” on your Bingo sheet.
  Example: https://youtu.be/KfFadqUFYjM
• Talk as much as possible about what you see, wherever you are. Have a conversation with your child at the store, describing the items you see. Using words such as first, next, and last, describe the process for pumping gas at the station. Talk about what you taste, smell, feel, and see as you follow a new recipe to make dinner.
• Watch favorite movies and television shows with your child with a focus on listening for big words to start using at home. Add these words into your everyday conversations with your child.
  Example: “Remember how in Power Rangers they morphed, and that meant they changed into superheroes? Can you morph into your school clothes?”

Learning Word Meaning Activities

• Use pictures from magazines, advertisements, and newspapers to create word collages to show the meanings of new and difficult words. Having a picture to think about will help your child remember the meaning of the word.
• Write targeted vocabulary words on sticky notes and place them on a checkerboard. Play checkers together. When you land on a space with a vocabulary word, give the definition of the word and use it in a sentence to claim it.
• Before reading a book aloud, introduce any challenging or new words. Explain what the words mean and ask your child to say each word. While reading, point out the words and explain their meaning again.
  Examples: https://youtu.be/F1h6xPV98JY     https://youtu.be/ibFW6nXYlkY     https://youtu.be/CwtaMw1Jgoc
• Using a ball or soft stuffed animal, play “Vocabulary Hot Potato.” The person starting with the “potato” will call out a word, passing the “potato” while music plays. The person who ends up holding the “potato” when the music stops must give a definition and use the word in a sentence.

Synonym and Antonym Activities

• Create a family “Bad Word” jar. Pick a few commonly overused words to go in the jar, such as good or sad. Listen for family members using the “Bad Words,” and encourage your child to think of more specific words to replace the “Bad Word.”
  Example: “I had a good day; I made a 100 on my vocabulary test!”
  “Don’t use that bad word! Use another word!”
  “I had an excellent day; I made a 100 on my vocabulary test!”
• Name a word. Take turns brainstorming words that mean the same thing as the word that was named.
  • Alternate version: Play the game brainstorming words that mean the opposite of the word that was named.

Word Connection Activities

• Play a word association game with your child. Call out a category name, and take turns brainstorming other words that make you think of the category word.
  Example: “The category is ‘places to go on vacation.”
  “The beach!” “Theme parks!”
  • Alternate version: Write down the words as they are brainstormed. Afterward, have your child sort the words into other categories, based on their similarities. Have him/her explain what is similar about all of the words in their new categories.
    Example: “I put train, monorail, boats, and strollers in the same category because they are all types of transportation people use at theme parks.”
• Practice vocabulary in the kitchen! Pick an ingredient and brainstorm as many words as you can to describe what it looks like, tastes like, feels like, and smells like. Discuss what other recipes use the same ingredient.

Affixes Activities

• Using newspapers, magazines, cookbooks, or storybooks, have your child hunt for words with the targeted prefix or suffix, writing the words your child finds on a piece of paper. Once he/she has found several words, have your child break the words into the affix and the root and explain what the word means.
  Example: “I found the word unthinkable! If I break it into the root and affixes, it is un-think-able. That means that if something is unthinkable, you are not able to think of it.”
• Use craft supplies and items found around the house to make a tree. It can be drawn or 3D. At the bottom of the tree, have your child write or attach a card with a prefix or suffix on it. Write or add cards on the branches with words that have the targeted affix in it. Have your child explain what each word on the tree means, using the affix as a clue.
  Example: “My prefix is mis-, and it means ‘wrong.’ So then misjudge means to judge wrongly, and misbehave means you behaved wrongly.”
• Create a list of words with common suffixes that change the meaning of a word when added (these are inflectional endings). For example: “s” means plural, “ed” means something that already happened. Help your child work through the list to identify the base word and inflectional ending. Talk about how the meaning changes when a certain ending is added to the word.
  Example: https://youtu.be/bwJ0tnRTQZU
• Talk about common prefixes and suffixes with your child. Ask them to read a word from a stack of cards and determine if the word has a prefix or a suffix. Help them underline the base word and circle the prefix or suffix on the card. Ask your child to sort the words with prefixes and suffixes into separate piles.
  Examples: https://youtu.be/j8L7QZc7ZeI     https://youtu.be/MULUBiHkE6Q

Comprehension is the ability to understand and draw meaning from text.

Comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading. Students who easily comprehend what they just read are more likely to enjoy reading. They are also more effective readers, which helps them academically and in their personal life.

Before Reading Activities

• Take a picture walk with your child. Have your child go page-by-page through the book and look at all of the illustrations, including the cover image. Ask your child what they think is going to happen in the book based on what he/she sees. Who does your child think the story will be about? What does he/she think is going to happen? How does your child think the story will end?
  • Alternate version: If you are reading a non-fiction text, have your child look at the different text features to help him/her make predictions about the text.
• Read the title of the text to your child. Ask him/her what the title makes them think of – a movie, a television show, another story, or an event from their own life.
• If you are reading a non-fiction text, have a discussion with your child to learn what he/she already knows about the topic. Ask your child if there are any questions about the topic they hope to find answers to as they read the book.
• Set a purpose for reading. It might be to learn something new or to enjoy a story together. Having a reason for reading can encourage reluctant readers to open a book!
• Ask your child to read a passage at their level. Before reading, point out any word rules or interesting words that they may come across. After reading, ask questions about tricky words and the passage to check for understanding.
  Example: https://youtu.be/Rrc_a2edRY4
• If you are reading a chapter book with your child over several days, have your child give you a recap of what has already happened in the story before starting the new chapter.

During Reading Activities

• While reading a text, pause every few pages to check your child’s understanding of what is being read. Ask who, what, when, where, why, and how questions. If your child does not know, go back and reread or use pictures to help prompt his/her response.
• While reading, ask your child if what is being read is causing them to think of questions they want answered further in the text.
  Examples: “I wonder where else Junie B might be hiding scissors since her mom took her first pair away. I don’t think she is done cutting hair yet!”
  “It says that Dalmatian puppies are born all white, and then develop spots as they grow older. I wonder if zebras are born all white and develop stripes as they grow older?”
• Help your child learn how to infer meaning from what is not said in the text. When a character has a major event, ask your child to think about how the character might feel, or what their next steps might be based on what he/she has already done in the story.
• If you are reading a chapter book together, have your child summarize what happened at the end of each chapter.
• When reading both fiction and non-fiction texts, it can be helpful to have your child sequence the events of the story to better understand what is happening.
• Encourage your child to visualize the characters, setting, or events from the book he/she is reading. Ask your child to describe, using details from the text, what he/she pictures when reading the story.
• When your child is reading a passage aloud, pay attention to any errors they make. If your child makes an error, stop and read the phrase just as they read it. Ask “does that make sense?” Help your child make the appropriate correction and continue reading.
  Examples: https://youtu.be/VMTWP2Rhlo0   https://youtu.be/bW7nalwle9U      https://youtu.be/6MwITzOnD6U
• Have your child look back at the predictions made prior to reading the story. Ask your child if his/her predictions came true. If not, ask your child to make new predictions based on what was read.
• When reading a book to your child, pause to talk about the pictures and story. Ask questions about what is happening, make predictions, and explain any unfamiliar words or concepts.

Example: https://youtu.be/OEz4Z7w85Tw   https://youtu.be/HtVdIHBpjyM    https://youtu.be/swGWVqJRc2g   https://youtu.be/UMSxzZiCGSs   https://youtu.be/XzrAQxZOSZI

After Reading Activities

• After reading a story, have your child retell you what happened. Ask your child to include details on the main characters, the setting, and the major events. Encourage your child to retell the story in the correct sequence of events.
• Ask your child to write a letter to the main character in the text. Have your child write about his/her favorite part of the book and include any questions he/she might still have after reading.
• Create a story bag. Use a grocery bag, gift bag, or brown paper lunch sack and fill it with items from around the house that will help your child to retell what  they read.
  Example: “I read Fancy Nancy. In my bag I have glitter because glitter is fancy, and Nancy loves fancy things. I also have an advertisement from the newspaper because Nancy makes an advertisement for her family for fancy lessons. I cut this picture out from a magazine of a lady in a fancy dress because Nancy and her family got dressed up to go to dinner. Then I have a washcloth because Nancy spilled parfait all over herself and had to take a bath. And finally, I have a Hershey’s Kiss© because at the end of the story Nancy’s mom and dad give her a kiss in bed and tell her they love her.”
• Ask your child if he/she liked how the story ended. Ask your child to write or describe a different ending to the story. Encourage your child to think of an ending that makes sense with the rest of the story.
• If you have read the story together, ask your child to come up with test questions for you about the book. Let your child grade your test to see how well you did.
• If your child has read a non-fiction text, have him/her look online, in newspapers, and in magazines for more information on the book’s topic. Have your child decide if the different texts give similar or different information about the topic.