Art and Reading Enrichment Camps

Abrakadoodle and Raising Readers are teaming up this summer to provide Art and Reading Enrichment Camps.

Are you looking for a fun, educational activity for your child (open to all K-6th graders) this summer? We are integrating literature with related art activities to inspire lifelong reading and imagination. A variety of books will be used to develop creative writing skills, reading comprehension and artistic expressions. Using art to demonstrate comprehension of literature is an indication of higher-order thinking. Spaces are limited.

When: June 15, 16 & 17 from 9 am-12 pm
July 13, 14 & 15 from 9 am-12 pm
July 20, 21 & 22 from 9 am-12 pm

Where: Eastwood Christian School
1701 East Trinity Blvd.

Tuition: $180 per session,
$30 deposit to hold your child’s space,$150 due first day of class

Contact: Susanne Estes
334-451-0917
raisingreaders.estes@gmail.com

Quantity, Quantity, Quantitiy

I have the pleasure of talking with concerned Mommas, Daddies, Teachers and Grandparents EVERY SINGLE DAY. It seems each family has a child that is struggling with reading. Here's the advice I give them. Read. Read a book. Read a magazine. Read a newspaper. Read a graphic novel. Read a cereal box. Read. Read some more. Your child should be reading every single day outside of the classroom. Your child should see you reading. Make sure your child is surrounded by books that interest him. Give your child the opportunity to buy or check out books. I know you want your child reading "War and Peace", "Little Women" and other valuable classics. However if she's not interested, let her start with Henry and Mudge, The Dish Series or My Weird School. The key with getting your child interested in reading, building fluency and increasing comprehension is quantity, quantity, quantity. It is not quality. I love to give book recommendations. If you're looking for some book recommendations for a specific need, please email me. raisingreaders.estes@gmail.com

Happy reading,
Susanne

Determining if a Book is Too Easy

Do you remember the story of Goldilocks? She tried various chairs, beds and porridge to determine which one was just right! Well, today I'm going to tell you about the Goldilocks Rule. That's how we can determine if a book is just right! There are two concepts to consider: is this book too hard or is it too easy? In a previous blog, I shared the "5 Finger Rule". This helps you determine if the book is too hard. How can you tell if the book is too easy?
1. You've read it multiple times in the past.
2. Do you understand the story without thinking through it?
3. Can you pronounce and define each word?
4. Can you read with fluidity without practice?
If you answered yes to most of these questions, you may need a book that's a little more challenging.

As a librarian-teacher, I'd always like to see a reader erring on the side of a book that's too easy, instead of a book that's too hard. Also, with struggling readers I always bring down their reading level. Even if it means reading 2 grade levels below them. It's only temporary and can offer lasting results.

Happy reading,
Susanne

Two Easy Ways to Help Your Child With Reading Comprehension

One of the primary struggles in reading is comprehension. There are two easy ways you can help your child develop comprehension skills. The first way is called foretelling. In foretelling, the child will study the book cover, title and any introductory pages containing pictures. Then, discuss what he thinks about the content of the book. After each page, chapter or section ask the child what he thinks will happen next. It's ok if he is wrong. The key is to help your child develop contextual and visual cues about the text. Typically, children do not embrace this in the beginning. You will have to lead them through some ideas.

Another way of helping your child develop reading comprehension skills is through retelling. In retelling, your child will tell you what has happened in the story. You can retell from the whole book for general ideas. However, I think the most effective is to combine whole-book retelling with retelling of a page or chapter. This will only work if you are familiar with the book. You want to help your child discern important facts and concepts.

For an example, I will use foretelling and retelling from the book, "Barry The Bravest Saint Bernard" by Lynn Hall. Looking at the cover I see a big dog, snowy mountains and a man being pulled out of the snow by a dog. What is the dogs name? What is he doing? What is the man doing? Where are they? If your child is hesitant to answer, start with easier questions. Do you see snow? Are they at the beach? Is the dog mean? Is the man happy? Next, after you read the first few pages ask some conceptual questions related to foretelling. What do you think Barry will do to help people? Are the robbers going to hurt the monks? Next, you can use retelling. Tell me about Werner and Barry. Tell me about where they live. Why do the monks have so many dogs? Anything you can do to get your child to discuss concepts of the book.

In the beginning, this may be a little difficult for you. However, you must remember these skills will help your child develop cues to help with reading for a lifetime. These cues will help them in testing and personal reading. I use these strategies with every child I tutor during each session. Even if children have strong comprehension, it is still a worthwhile activity.

What is a customized reading plan?

There are a variety of ways I can work with children. In each situation, individual needs, interests, aptitudes and deficiencies are evaluated. The primary areas of consideration are fluency and comprehension. Fluency is the ability of the child to recall correct pronunciation of a word. Comprehension is the ability to recall facts and concepts related to a reading passage.

I have a multitude of activities to develop fluency. If it's related to spelling words, we will play "Memory" each week. In addition, I will give the parent a copy of the words in a large font and I'll show them how to cut out each word to enhance differentiation of letters. I have cards with two letters printed on them. The child is given letters to "fill in the blank". These are just a few of the manipulatives that can be used to inspire your reader while making it fun.

When developing comprehension, books are used. I attempt to find books that would be appealing to the child. (Each parent fills out an information sheet prior to the first session.) I will read a portion of the book out loud. We will practice "foretelling", using text and pictures to determine what will happen next in the text. At the end of each session, I will ask questions related to concepts and facts in the text. Finally, we will discuss favorite aspects of the text. The next session, we will review what happened previously by asking the child pointed questions. Depending on the situation, the child will be asked to read aloud. This isn't usually done in the beginning because many struggling readers are self-conscious reading aloud.

I will use some of these activities to customize a plan for your child. In addition, I am happy to work with their classroom teacher to develop related activities. If you have any questions, please call me. 334-451-0917

Happy reading,
Susanne

Think-Alouds

One way to build a child's reading comprehension is through "think-alouds". Basically, a think-aloud involves having the child read a selection and then think out loud about its content. There are many ways they can think-aloud:
*summarize or paraphrase the text
*make inferences
*locate important information
*determine understanding
*interpretation of meaning

Evidence supports the ability of mature/skilled readers ability to demonstrate these skills. Inversely, struggling readers have a harder time with these skills. The goal of a think-aloud is to build relationships with the ideas. Initially, think-alouds should be used for readers that have background knowledge of the concepts (dinosaurs, trains, ballerinas, etc.). Is it possible for a child with underused or absent think-aloud skills to excel in reading? Absolutely! However, it is another tool to be used for struggling readers.

I will be including think-alouds in my individual reading assessments.