READING MATTERS
Put a small amount of text on each page with support from photos and familiar words
you might add words like can, see, look, the, and, you or my. It is also good to include color words. You can write them in the color if your child is not yet reading those words. It is also a great idea to include names they know how to read. When I make books for young readers, I use a large font size or write a bit bigger than normal across the bottom or top of the page. I also leave extra space between words to help young readers who are still learning what a word is. You can use any materials you have available. Recycle some paper that has been used on one side. It can have lines or be blank. Cut up cereal boxes would work, too. Fasten the book together with things you have like staples, yarn or string. Have fun decorating the cover. As an example, I recently made a book with my granddaughter. She and I read it, finished some sentences I left blank, and made illustrations to match the text. We called the book See the Fish. The first page said: I can see the big fish. The next page said: I
MAJOR MA JOR LEAGUE LEAGUE
can see the little fish. You could keep that same pattern for the whole book and add color words or any other describing words like striped. We stopped after we read each page and drew the illustration. You’ll want to make the topic of your book something fairly easy to draw. For example, you could write a similar book about different shapes. I chose to change the pattern after the first two pages and wrote a question on the next two pages: Can you see my _____ fish? As we read it together, she decided on color words to put in the blanks. Then I wrote two pages with: I can see _____ fish. We put a number in the blank and made appropriate illustrations. With one page left, she confidently knew what to write: The End! You can see that I used the same words over and over: I, can, see, the, my, you. This offers a chance for repeated reading practice of those sight words. Rereading these simple books is excellent practice for young readers. Be sure they point to the words as they read and look at the print even after they have the book memorized. The books provide opportunities for building their success and confidence. More importantly, a part of the learning and a big benefit is in the process of making the book together with a special grown up. So, enjoy some time together creating your own library of easy to read books!
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Early readers need texts that support their beginning reading skills. Reading even a little bit every day will keep those skills sharp. These books should have only a small amount of text on each page, strong support from the pictures, and mostly familiar words. This column will offer some suggestions for creating your own books with your beginning reader. If your children or grandchildren have been in preschool, kindergarten, or first grade they have probably practiced reading sight words. These are sometimes called high-frequency words., Researchers have compiled these lists of the most common words in all texts. Learning to read them automatically helps young readers as they are learning to read. You might still have a list of sight words your child was working on during the school year. If so, use those to build some simple sentences and create a book. If not, choose a few words you think your child might be able to read. Most early readers will know the words I and a because they know the names of the letters. Then
COMMENTARY Mary Gardner Reading Specialist
OGLE COUNTY NEWS | Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com
You can make your own books for early readers
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