PAIRED READING is a very good way for parents to help with their children's reading. It works well with most children and their reading gets a lot better. Also, Paired Reading fits in very well with the teaching at school, so children don't get mixed up. Most children really like it - it helps them want to read.
to choose from, at home or from school or the library. School will tell you about the libraries. The child can also choose newspapers, magazines, or other items they want to read.
Your child should choose the book. Children learn to read better from books they like. Don't worry if it seems too hard. In Paired Reading you help the child through the hard bits. Your child will soon get used to picking books that aren't too hard.
If your child gets fed up with a book, and wants to change it, that's O.K. If the book is boring, it must be their own fault, of course! Perhaps they should choose more carefully next time.
Try very hard to do some Paired Reading nearly every day, even if only for 5 minutes. Aim for 5 days per week. Don't do more than 15 minutes unless your child wants to carry on. Don't make children do Paired Reading when they really want to do something else.
If parents haven't got the time to do Paired Reading 5 days a week, grandmother or grandfather or older brother or sister or even friends and neighbors can help. They must all do Paired Reading in just the same way, though, or the child will get mixed up.
Try to find a place that's quiet. Children can't read when it's noisy, or when there's lots going on. Get away from the TV, or turn it off.
Try to find a place that's comfy. If you're not comfortable, you'll both be shifting about. Then you won't be able to look carefully at the book together.
Get close - reading together can be very warm and snuggly. You both need to be able to see the book easily - or one of you will get neck-ache!
It's often harder for parents to learn new ways than it is for children! With Paired Reading, the hardest things for parents to get used to are:-
Show interest in the book your child has chosen. Talk about the pictures. Talk about what's in the book as your child goes through it. It's best if you talk at the end of a page or section, or your child might lose track of the story. Ask what your child thinks might happen next. Listen to your child - don't you do all the talking.
Talk is very important - it shows your interest in what the child is reading. It also checks on the child's understanding without seeming like a "test".
It is a help for both child and school teacher to keep a note of what has been read each day and how the child is going on.
Keep a Paired Reading Diary (on a card or sheet of paper). Note down the date, what was read, for how long, who helped and any comments about how well the child did.
This can be taken into school each week by the child to show the teacher - who will give more praise and write their own comment.
To start with, especially when reading something which is hard for the child, you and your child both read the words out loud together. You must not go too fast. Make your speed the same as your child's. This helps the child through the hard bits and gives a good example of how to read well.
Your child must read every word. If your child struggles and then gets it right, show you are pleased. But if your child hasn't said the word right in 4-5 seconds, just say it right yourself again, then let the child say it right as well, then carry on. If your child rushes past mistakes, you might have to put them right a bit quicker.
Make sure your child looks at the words. Especially on hard reading, it can help if one of you points to the word you are both reading with a finger. It's best if your child will do the pointing.
When you are Reading Together and your child feels good enough, he or she might want to read a bit alone. You should agree on a way for your child to signal for you to stop Reading Together.
This could be a knock, a sign or a squeeze. Some children like to nudge you. The signal must be clear, easy to do and agreed between you before you start. (You don't want your child to have to say "be quiet", or they will lose track of the reading).
When the child signals, you stop reading out loud straight away, and praise the child for being confident.
When Reading Alone, sooner or later your child will struggle for more than 5 seconds, or struggle and get it wrong. Then you read the word out loud right for your child and make sure your child says it right as well.
Then you both go on reading out loud Together again, to get back into a flow. Soon your child will again feel good enough to read alone and again signal you to be quiet. You will go on like this, switching from Reading Together to Reading Alone to give the child just as much help as they need. You will Read Together more on hard books, less on easy books.
Try to make sure you stick to these "Rules", at least for the first few weeks. If you don't, you may get in a muddle. Make sure you don't do each other's "job". The child signals to shut you up - don't you decide to go quiet when you feel like it. Also, when the child makes a mistake when Reading Alone, you must correct it and go back to Reading Together. The child might ask for you only to give them the word they got stuck on - but that's not what the Rules say !