Reading Extensions
- Have child read to you or a sibling.
- Read with your child a book 2 to 3 reading levels above their reading level. Helps increase vocabulary.
- Use higher level vocabulary words in everyday conversations and discuss their meanings if they do not know what they mean. ( For example instead of saying "Susie said she was coming today" , say "Susie replied that she was coming over today")
- Word of the day. Discuss a higher level vocabulary word in the morning and make it a goal for the family to use it in their conversations throughout the day.
- When reading with your child ask them questions. Below is a list of questions from basic to higher level questioning.
>Locate facts in the story and make a list of the main facts.
>Find the two most interesting sentences in the story and tell why you feel they are the most interesting sentences.
>Make a list of the word in the story you do not know. Then find out what they mean and use them in a sentence.
>Identify the characters in the story by making a list of the characters. Which one is the main character?
>When and where does the story take place?
>Tell what the story is about.
>Explain the main idea of the story by retelling it in your own words.
>Summarize the main facts in the story and discuss how they relate to the main idea of the story.
>Locate sentences or phrases in the story you do not understand and figure out their meanings with context clues.
>Describe the characters in the story.
>Describe how you think the main character feels in the beginning (middle, end) of the story.
>Describe the main character's feelings at the end of the story.
>Has anything in your life happened that is similar to things that happened in the story?
>If you could have a conversation with one of the characters in the story which character would you choose and what
would you talk about?
>Give an example of someone you know who is like one of the characters in the story.
>Find words or phrases in the story you do not currently use and write a short story using these words or phrases.
>Construct an illustration that shows the main characters in the story in a real life situation.
>What events in the story could not happen in real life? Why?
>Compare and/or contrast the facts in this story to facts in another story you have read.
>Explain what part of the story was the funniest or the saddest or......and why?
>Explain what part of the story was the most exciting to read and why.
>Write a critique of the story, and highlight the main facts or main idea of the story.
>Classify and/or categorize these feelings as the same or different.
>Examine and analyze the main character(s)' feelings at the beginning, middle, and the end of the story.
>Generate a new title for the story. Explain your new title and why you chose it.
>What changes would you make to the story?
>Then -Predict how your changes would transform or change the story.
>Rearrange or change one main fact in the story. Does this change the entire story? How?
>Combine two characters in the story in order to invent a new character, and write a short story with this new
character as the main character in your story.
>Create a new ending for the story. Share this new ending with someone.
>Do you agree with all of the facts in the story? Explain your opinion.
>What is your opinion of the story? Did you enjoy reading this story? Why or Why not?
>Was the main character(s) in the story good or bad? Support your opinion with words from the text.
>Rate the story on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest. Defend your rating of the story.
>Would you read other stories like this story? Justify your opinion to sway people in your direction.
>Compare this story with other stories you have read in the past? Give evidence from the texts.
- Read with your child a book 2 to 3 reading levels above their reading level. Helps increase vocabulary.
- Use higher level vocabulary words in everyday conversations and discuss their meanings if they do not know what they mean. ( For example instead of saying "Susie said she was coming today" , say "Susie replied that she was coming over today")
- Word of the day. Discuss a higher level vocabulary word in the morning and make it a goal for the family to use it in their conversations throughout the day.
- When reading with your child ask them questions. Below is a list of questions from basic to higher level questioning.
>Locate facts in the story and make a list of the main facts.
>Find the two most interesting sentences in the story and tell why you feel they are the most interesting sentences.
>Make a list of the word in the story you do not know. Then find out what they mean and use them in a sentence.
>Identify the characters in the story by making a list of the characters. Which one is the main character?
>When and where does the story take place?
>Tell what the story is about.
>Explain the main idea of the story by retelling it in your own words.
>Summarize the main facts in the story and discuss how they relate to the main idea of the story.
>Locate sentences or phrases in the story you do not understand and figure out their meanings with context clues.
>Describe the characters in the story.
>Describe how you think the main character feels in the beginning (middle, end) of the story.
>Describe the main character's feelings at the end of the story.
>Has anything in your life happened that is similar to things that happened in the story?
>If you could have a conversation with one of the characters in the story which character would you choose and what
would you talk about?
>Give an example of someone you know who is like one of the characters in the story.
>Find words or phrases in the story you do not currently use and write a short story using these words or phrases.
>Construct an illustration that shows the main characters in the story in a real life situation.
>What events in the story could not happen in real life? Why?
>Compare and/or contrast the facts in this story to facts in another story you have read.
>Explain what part of the story was the funniest or the saddest or......and why?
>Explain what part of the story was the most exciting to read and why.
>Write a critique of the story, and highlight the main facts or main idea of the story.
>Classify and/or categorize these feelings as the same or different.
>Examine and analyze the main character(s)' feelings at the beginning, middle, and the end of the story.
>Generate a new title for the story. Explain your new title and why you chose it.
>What changes would you make to the story?
>Then -Predict how your changes would transform or change the story.
>Rearrange or change one main fact in the story. Does this change the entire story? How?
>Combine two characters in the story in order to invent a new character, and write a short story with this new
character as the main character in your story.
>Create a new ending for the story. Share this new ending with someone.
>Do you agree with all of the facts in the story? Explain your opinion.
>What is your opinion of the story? Did you enjoy reading this story? Why or Why not?
>Was the main character(s) in the story good or bad? Support your opinion with words from the text.
>Rate the story on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest. Defend your rating of the story.
>Would you read other stories like this story? Justify your opinion to sway people in your direction.
>Compare this story with other stories you have read in the past? Give evidence from the texts.