Reading is an essential skill. It is made up of a set of different skills working together. We need to be able to decode/read the words on the page and understand what they mean. As these skills develop and children become skilled readers, they can read with understanding, joy, and motivation. In this guide you will find descriptions of the skills that make up skilled reading and ways you can work on these at home.
Reading together at home can support your child’s reading development and help to foster a love of reading. When they get stuck on a word you can try some of these strategies:
Words are made up of individual sounds. These individual sounds are called ‘phonemes’. The ability to hear and recognize individual sounds within words is an important skill for reading development. We blend sounds together when we read, and we pull words apart into their individual sounds when we write.
Some things you can do at home:
Phonics is the teaching of how sounds are represented by letters or groups of letters. This knowledge is important when we read and write.
Some things you can do at home:
Helpful Websites:
Vocabulary is all about words. It’s the words we know and understand, when we hear or read them, and when we talk or write.
Some things you can do at home:
Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately, at a good pace and with proper expression. Fluency indicates and supports comprehension of what is being read. When students improve their fluency, they can be more motivated to read.
Some things you can do at home:
Read to your child: This is a great way for your child to hear what fluent reading sounds like.
Choral Reading: When you’re reading a story that your child already knows, read the story or parts of it at the same time. Encourage your child to match your fluency and expression and to point to the words as you read.
Echo Reading: Read a sentence and then have your child be your echo, reading the sentence after you, following along with the words.
Re-read: Have your child re-read familiar stories they can read independently, trying to make their reading sound like talking.Comprehension is thinking about and understanding what you read. This is the goal of reading!
Some things you can do at home:
Learn together: Encourage your child to ask questions and look for books or online information to answer these questions.
Ask questions: Ask your child questions about the books they read and listen to. Below are some questions you can ask before, during and after reading:
Written expression is the ability to express thoughts and ideas in writing. This is an important skill in school and in life.
Some things you can do at home:
Write words: Help your child sound out and write simple words. Say the word together, count the sounds (you can have the write a line for each sound), and write the letter(s) for each sound.
Write lists: Have your child write shopping lists, packing lists, to-do lists, lists of names, lists of things to find on a scavenger hunt.
Journal Writing: Have your child keep a journal. They can use it to write about special days and activities or the special things that happen everyday.
Write Stories: Encourage your child to write little stories. Remind them to include a beginning, middle and end. They can add their own illustrations and enjoy reading their stories to others.
Write letters: Have your child write letters, cards, and emails to friends and family.
Reading is a foundational skill critical to student success both in the classroom and beyond. Early reading screening is mandated by the Ministry of Education through Policy/Program Memorandum 168.
The purpose of the Early Reading Screener is to:
1. Monitor your child’s development in early reading skills,
2. Identify children who need additional support, and
3. Inform classroom instruction.
The screening is not evaluated as part of your child’s grades but instead will help identify the support they need in order to develop reading skills.
Screening is a very quick assessment that is conducted one-on-one with a teacher. Screening is one piece of information about your child’s language and literacy skills. Grand Erie District School Board uses the Acadience Reading early reading screening tool.
French Immersion students in Grand Erie are screened using the Acadience English assessment as part of their English literacy instruction and in alignment with Ministry guidelines.
These are the skill areas and reading measures your child will be screened for through Acadience:
Scores are measured as benchmarks. Benchmarks are where students should be at a specific point in time on the journey to skilled reading.
All schools will be administering annual early reading screenings for all students in Year 2 of Kindergarten (Senior Kindergarten), Grade 1, and Grade 2.
All SK-Grade 2 students are screened one-on-one by a teacher at the beginning of the school year. Results of this screening will be communicated to caregivers near the screening period, and on the Term 1 (February) Kindergarten Communication of Learning or the Grade 1 to 6 Elementary Provincial Report Card.
If your child did not meet the benchmark at the beginning of year screening, they will be screened again between February and March. The second required screening and scores will be reported on the Term 2 (June) Kindergarten Communication of Learning or the Grade 1 to 6 Elementary Provincial Report Card.
If your child met the benchmark at the first screening, no further screenings will be required during the school year. If your child’s teacher chooses to screen these students again, those scores will not be reported on the Term 2 report card.
The data from the screening is one piece of information about your child’s language and literacy skills. Your child’s teacher will use this with information from the classroom to plan instruction. Students whose scores fall below the benchmark will be provided tiered support to help them catch up. Scores from the screening do not determine report card grades.
Your child’s teacher will connect with you to discuss your child’s strengths, areas of need, and to share examples of their growth and progress over time.
Literacy resources for families are available on the Grand Erie website: Family Literacy Resources. Here you will find information about the skills necessary for skilled reading and activities you can do at home to support your child’s development of these skills.
Should you have any questions or concerns about your child’s reading abilities, you are encouraged to read out to your child’s teacher and/or principal. Your partnership is appreciated in ensuring that your child has the best possible learning experience.
