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The ability to understand and make meaning from what is read.

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Comprehension is understanding what you read — the goal of reading! It is the thinking process readers use to understand what they read. Strong vocabulary, background knowledge, and an understanding of how language works are keys to comprehension.

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Dialogic Reading: Conversations During Story Time

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Dialogic Reading: Conversations During Story Time

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Dialogic Reading During Shared Story Reading in Speech Therapy

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Dialogic reading scaffolds interactions between children and adults during reading using the PEER sequence and CROWD prompts.

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A combination of three factors: rate/speed, expression, and accuracy.

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The knowledge of word meanings and how to use them.

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The understanding of the relationship between letters and sounds in written language.

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The ability to hear and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words.

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Early Learning Tip: Using Props to Grow Storytelling Skills

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When you read to your child, try this teacher strategy to build critical thinking in your child.

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Subscribe to Growing Readers!

Have Growing Readers delivered each month right to your inbox! (In English & Spanish) Sign up here >

When you share books with your children, they are learning to think and act like good readers - without even knowing it! You can help them get even more from reading time when you talk to them as you read.

Children learn when they make connections between what they hear and what they know. One method parents can use to help make these connections is called a think aloud, where you talk through your thoughts as you read. Here are three ways to use think alouds, with examples from some of our favorite kids' books. Try these ideas to expand learning and to improve reading comprehension.

Think Alouds

1. Connect the book to your child's own life experience
Example: A River Dream by Allen Say

"This book reminds me of the time my father took me fishing. Do you remember the time we went fishing?"

2. Connect the book to other books they have read
Example: Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe

"This story reminds me of Cinderella. Both stories are about sisters. Do you know any other stories about nice and mean sisters? Let's keep reading to find out other ways the stories are similar."

3. Connect the book to big ideas/lessons
Example: Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

"This story helps me understand that we are all the same in many ways, but it's our differences that make us special."

In these examples, you are "thinking aloud" many of the connections that good readers make naturally as they read. Modeling these types of connections will help young readers know how to do it when they read alone.

Citations

Adapted from: Reading Aloud to Build Comprehension (2001). Judith Gold and Akimi Gibson.

Reprints

You are welcome to print copies or republish materials for non-commercial use as long as credit is given to Colorín Colorado and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact info@colorincolorado.org.

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Subscribe to Growing Readers! Have Growing Readers delivered each month right to your inbox! (In English & Spanish) Sign up here > When you share books with your children, they are learning to think and act like good readers - without even knowing it!

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After completing this module and successfully answering the post-test questions, you’ll be able to download a certificate of completion.

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So What Are CVC Words, and Why Does My Child Need to Practice Them? | Clever Noodle

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So what’s the talk about your Kindergartener or 1st grader learning CVC words? Early learners first master sound-letter correspondence, coming to understand that each letter has a name and also a sound (or sounds). Once children learn this, it’s time for them to start decoding (sounding out) words and blending the so

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Build a Word Phonics app

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Build A Word - Easy Spelling with Phonics by @Reks

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An app designed to help your child learn new words and identify letter sounds

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At Starfall, children have fun while they learn. Educational games, movies, books, songs, and more for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade learners.

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Do you teach a young reader with the BOB Books? Then you've just struck gold! This post is FILLED with tons of FREE BOB Books printables for sets 1-5 and beyond...

*This post contains affiliate links.

What are BOB Books?

BOB Books were created by Bobby Lynn Maslen and John Maslen. While working in a preschool, Bobby began making the books for her preschoolers to learn how to read. John Maslen, an amazing water-color painter, drew the pictures. They were first published in 1976 and have now become VERY popular among beginning readers. There are even apps for the BOB Books!

BOB Books are used by many to teach reading, even to the young child. Starting with the earliest set, phonics features and sight words are introduced slowly to make it easy for your child to pick up the book and read.

FREE BOB Book Printables

I've had the honor of working with a team of bloggers to create FREE printable activities. Click on each image or link to find the printables and resources. Within each blog post, I also share the links of the other bloggers' free printables.

Click on the images or the links below to get to the free BOB Books Printables for each set!

&
BOB Books, Set 1 Printables BOB Books, Set 2 Printabes BOB Books, Set 3 Printables BOB Books, Set 4 Printables BOB Books, Set 5 Printabes
More BOB Books Resources!

Grab Your Own Copy!

If you'd like to purchase BOB Books {sets 1-5 or other ones} for your home or classroom library, please consider doing so through my affiliate links below. There is no extra cost to you. Thanks!

I am not affiliated with BOB Books, but I do have their permission to use the BOB Book logos and various images throughout my printables.

Enjoy!
~Becky

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Do you teach a young reader with the BOB Books? Then you've just struck gold! This post is FILLED with tons of FREE BOB Books printables for sets 1-5 and beyond... *This post contains affiliate links. What are BOB Books? BOB Books were created by Bobby Lynn Maslen and John Maslen.

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Note: Prosody = expression

Very important: fluent ≠ fast

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Fluency is a child's ability to read a book or other text with accuracy, at a reasonable rate, and with appropriate expression. Reading fluency is important because it provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension.

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Read a sentence and have your child read it after you, copying your expression

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If you're not confident reading to your child or for extra time listening to stories, consider these audiobook resources:

Tumblebooks (available through the public library)

Storynory - plenty of wonderful audio stories from around the world

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Talking to and reading with your child are two terrific ways to help them hear and read new words. Conversations and questions about interesting words are easy, non-threatening ways to get new words into everyday talk. Here are some ideas to get you started.

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Ideas for reading, talking and playing as a family

Developing a wide vocabulary is fundamentally important for children. The vocabulary size of a 4 year old is an accurate predictor of educational outcomes at age sixteen, and a broad vocabulary boosts social skills and confidence through childhood and into adulthood.

Alongside formal education, your input as a parent to your child's vocabulary is crucial. As much as 95% of the words a child knows is also found in their parents' vocabulary, and parental involvement in learning increases children's motivation and achievement.

It's easy to integrate vocabulary development into your home life and every day routine through reading, talking and playing. Help to give your child a head start in life while enjoying quality time together as a family.

Here are our top suggestions:

1. Bring new words to life

If your child learns a new noun, find a picture of it online or in a book. If it's an adjective, think of things that can be described using the word, like a meagre lunch or a diligent student, or if it describes an emotion, show the feeling with a facial expression or hand gesture. It's fun to act out new verbs - try prowling around the house or sauntering to the shops.

2. Visualise new words on paper

To help remember the meaning of the word 'reluctant', you and your child could draw a situation that represents that word for them, such as a picture of them eating Brussel sprouts.

3. Encourage your child to query any new words they come across

Whether they ask you for a meaning, identify it themselves by probing its context or look it up in a dictionary, make sure they don't feel embarrassed about finding out the meaning of strange words. Take time to explain a new word if they ask you, or enthusiastically find out its meaning together. Show interest and delight when they share a new word with you.

4. Talk constantly with your child

Stimulating parent-child conversations are known to be one of the main influencing factors on vocabulary development. You don't have to talk about anything exciting - if you're at a loss, just describe what happened to you earlier while your child was at school, your daily routine at home or even draw on previous family holidays and other past shared experiences. Further afield - whether you're visiting a museum, a supermarket or boarding a train - talk about what you see and experience and look out for new words on signs and labels.

5. Have two-way conversations with your child

Don't just launch into a monologue when you talk to them. Make sure your chat develops into a conversation by asking your child open-ended questions about how their own day has gone (nothing is too mundane to be shared!). The more practice they get at articulating their thoughts and feelings the more confident they'll grow in using newly learned words.

6. Don't 'dumb down' your own vocabulary

Use as wide a vocabulary as you can. Whether you're using nouns to name new or unusual objects, or adjectives to describe emotions, there's no need to 'dumb down' your speech - aim to speak to them as if you're speaking to another adult. Academics call the type of challenging words that you can drop into everyday life Tier 2 words. These are the type of words your child will need to know in order to succeed at school, such as procedure, consistent and analysis.

The three tiers of vocabulary

7. Put new words into context

A word that your child encounters in a meaningful sentence (whether that's heard or read) is much easier (and more fun) to learn than one that they find in isolation or as part of a list. For example, if you were to describe a colleague who has lost their pet as being disconsolate, the context of loss should help them understand its meaning.

Transform vocabulary by moving beyond definitions

Start your free trial today and discover how Bedrock's comprehensive vocabulary curriculum transforms learners' academic vocabulary.

8. Position a word in different scenarios

When you 'drop' a new word into conversations, try to use it in various guises to help embed your child's understanding of it. For example, if your child has learned the word 'fortunate', you could remark how you're fortunate you're part of such a kind family, and a while later say you're fortunate the supermarket hasn't run out of bread though it's late in the day.

Alternatively, you could give a usage example yourself, then ask them if they can think of their own: you might say that you felt ecstatic when your child was born, for example, while your child might describe themselves as feeling ecstatic at their birthday party.

9. Repeat, repeat, repeat

For the learning of a new word to become embedded, a child needs to encounter it more than once. Experts generally agree that typically a child needs to hear a new word between 4 and 12 times before it's committed to their long-term memory and so truly added to their vocabulary.

10. Don't bombard your child with lots of new words at once!

Introduce a manageable number of new words at a time - say, up to seven a week - for the whole family to then drop into conversation as naturally as possible.

11. Encourage them to read books

This is an obvious point, but an extremely valid one. Unsurprisingly, numerous studies show that children who read a lot have wider vocabularies than those who don't. This is because books typically include a much broader range of words than we use in everyday conversation.

12. Read aloud to your child

Even if your child is a good reader, reading aloud to them helps them access harder texts than they'd be able to read on their own. This exposes them to more challenging words, and also creates the opportunity for conversation between you.

13. Encourage your child to read material other than books

New words can be learnt in a multitude of places. At home, a cereal packet could introduce your child to the word 'ingredients' and a car handbook to the word 'metallic'. Don't overlook the merits of reading magazines and newspapers, or online content either.

14. Allow your child to choose what they read

Whether they read alone or you read together, if they're interested in a topic or author, they are more likely to be absorbed in the story and so be curious about any new words they encounter - as well as developing a life-long love of reading.

Improve learner's vocabulary with Bedrock

Introduce learners to new vocabulary in contextualised and multi-modal activities.

15. Encourage them to tackle some challenging reads

The best approach to reading takes in a broad spectrum that includes some challenging reads to help stretch your child's vocabulary - but just like adults, children need some intellectual 'downtime' and an easy-to-digest, emotionally nurturing read at times.

16. Don't over-rely on a dictionary to help understand new words

Contrary to popular belief, they aren't always the best way to help your child learn vocabulary because definitions often include more unfamiliar words. When you encounter a new word, in the first instance you could look together for contextual clues together. If you can't spot any such clues, simply give them an easy-to-understand definition, for example, ecstatic means really happy.

17. Help your child look for word roots

If they didn't understand the word 'audible' in the sentence, 'Lily was barely audible', for example, think about other words with the root 'aud' that your child already knows, like such as audio and audience. This will help your child understand that the word is about hearing and and realise the sentence is describing how Lily is speaking very quietly.

18. Use synonyms (similar words) to help define a word

If you're reading or talking together and your child doesn't know a word, rather than interrupt the flow you could give a quick definition in the form of a synonym (e.g. bereft - that means losing something). Then at the end of the chapter or conversation remember to go back to the word, pointing to it if it's in a book and repeating it out loud so they can get used to its sound. By the same token, dipping into a thesaurus can be useful because they offer a range of synonyms and antonyms (words that mean the opposite) too, for contrast. They can also be useful with creative writing by helping prevent overuse of a single word.

Introduce children to Bedrock's vocabulary curriculum

Our comprehensive vocabulary curriculum teaches academic vocabulary through original fiction and non-fiction and develops literacy for reading, writing and oracy.

19. Play games together

Board games such as Scrabble and Boggle (including their Junior versions) are a great way to discover new words and consolidate knowledge. Word searches can also introduce new words and provide conversation-starters, while crosswords are a good way to link a word to its meaning. Even 'I spy...' can be a way to introduce new nouns.

20. Encourage your child to write stories

If they enjoy it, incorporating words they've learned recently will help their creativity and imagination and they'll feel proud when they realise how much they've learned.

21. Be seen to learn yourself, too

If you encounter a word that's new to you, make a point of remarking on this to your child and introducing it to them - however obscure it is. As well as teaching them a new word, it conveys your own curiosity and shows them learning is a lifelong process.

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Discover 21 ways to improve your child's vocabulary and boost your child's literacy skills, as well as improving attainment across all subjects.

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Kid-friendly dictionary

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Designed for children K-2 and for young English Language Learners, ( WILD is Wordsmyth's most exciting, colorful, and interactive dictionary. WILD comes free with your Wordsmyth subscription. Read more...)

New! WILD Word Learner is an educational game app that is a companion to the WILD dictionary. Children choose from among 12 topics that cover nearly 200 lists of words from WILD.

For kid-friendly definitions and example sentences for older children, try Wordsmyth's Word Explorer Children's Dictionary, containing over 14,000 entries, each with human-voiced audio pronunciations. The dictionary also includes synonyms and antonyms, word histories, geographical entries with maps, and abundant illustrations.

Unique to our Children's Dictionary is the Word Explorer, a word-finding and knowledge-exploration feature. It is an index of related words, integrated within entries, that allows a child to find words connected with multiple topics and to explore whole networks of words and their meanings. Check out the Word Explorer topics below!

Word Explorer topics list and keywords

For middle school and high school students, Wordsmyth offers its Advanced Dictionary with nearly 60,000 headwords, integrated thesaurus, and an abundance of example sentences and images. The Advanced Dictionary is part of our Comprehensive Dictionary Suite, which also contains both an intermediate level (Children's) as well as a beginner level for older English language learners. The linking of the three dictionaries allows for easy navigation between the levels.

( Subscribe to Wordsmyth to get Spanish and Chinese support, roots and affixes study feature, word-combining information, and marking of grammatical patterns in examples sentences. A parental filter is also available in the Settings with your subscription. Read more...)

The Comprehensive Dictionary Suite has a companion app available for both Android and iOS devices. The app provides for a better user experience on mobile devices and is accessible with or without the internet. ( Read the full description)

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Wordsmyth Word Explorer Children's Dictionary; WILD dictionary K-2 | Wordsmyth

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Best online English dictionaries for children, with kid-friendly definitions, integrated thesaurus for kids, images, and animations. Spanish and Chinese language support available

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Read The Word Collector with your child...

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Read The Word Collector with your child...

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...and begin a word collection!

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Read Aloud Childrens Books And Fun Stuff

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There are 26 letters in the English alphabet, but 44 phonemes (individual sounds). This is because we often combine letters to make new sounds, like /th/ in thumb.

Practice saying these sounds with your child along with the video. Be sure to pronounce the sounds without any extra sounds after them, just the "pure" sound of each letter, as modelled in the video.

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Try out the app on this page and/or download it to a device.

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Use this free program on your computer, tablet, or phone. This app features clear pronunciation of the sounds of the phonograms (letters and letter combinations). Hear all 72 of the basic phonograms as taught in All About Reading and All About Spelling.

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As modelled in the video, try stretching out the following sounds with your child:

sat, sun, sip, sock

fan, fit, fun, fog

van, vet, vase, vim

zip, zoo, zap

ship, shop, shut, shed

thin, thud, thing

mat, mud, map, men

net, nap, not, nut

wet, wig, win, wax

yes, yam, yap, yell

sand, melt, milk, nest

fast, mask, went, wish

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Whole Brain Reading and Phonics: How to Stretch Sounds Together, Blending Phonemes Visual #phonics

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This game is easy to play no matter where you are—at home in the kitchen or driving home from school. Take turns "spying" objects with your child that begin with different sounds. For example, "I spy with my little eye, something that begins with sssss." (Answer: sandbox)

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Have your child retell you stories from books or movies you have shared together. Try using a simple framework such as:

Somebody

Wanted

But

So

Then

Here's an example:

S – Cinderella
W – Wanted to attend the King’s ball.
B – But Cinderella’s stepmother forced her to do chores to keep her from going.
S – So, her Fairy Godmother helped her do the chores and get her to the ball.
T – Then she met her Prince Charming.

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Challenge your child to think of "fancier" ways to say the same thing. Instead of "happy," we might be "joyful."

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Practice telling and retelling stories and/or answering comprehension questions with DIY story cubes.

Some question ideas:

Who are the main characters?

Where does the story take place?

What happens at the beginning, middle, and end?

What is the problem in the story? How is it solved?

What is your favorite part? Why?

Does anything in the story remind you of something from your own life?

What lesson or message does the author want you to learn?

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Practice moving different ways. Can your child "scamper silently, crawl slowly, scuttle rapidly, smile sweetly, or speak menacingly"? (Idea from https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/building-a-strong-vocabulary-how-to-help-at-home/)

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Welcome to our freebie index!

These are the free files that I've created and shared over the 11+ years that I've been operating The Measured Mom website.

Just click on an item below, and you will be sent to the page or post where you can download the free file(s).

Email subscribers get even more freebies!

P.S. We are always happy to share our freebies, but we also want you to know that you'll get instant access to 2500+ files, workshops, and more when you join our membership, The Measured Mom Plus. Learn more about membership here!
ALPHABET & LETTER SOUNDS COLORS COMPREHENSION DECODABLE TEXT GRAMMAR & PUNCTUATION HANDWRITING HIGH FREQUENCY WORDS MATH MORPHOLOGY OPPOSITES PHONEMIC AWARENESS PHONICS GAMES & WORKSHEETS POCKET CHART SENTENCES PROBLEM SOLVING RHYMING SPELLING SYLLABLES VISUAL DISCRIMINATION VOCABULARY TEACHER TOOLS MISCELLANEOUS

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Welcome to our freebie index! These are the free files that I've created and shared over the 11+ years that I've been operating The Measured Mom website. Just click on an item below, and you

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Ontario Language Curriculum: Guide for Parents

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Ontario Language Curriculum: Guide for Parents

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Parent Guide to Phoneme Blending and Segmenting

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Parent Guide to Phoneme Blending and Segmenting

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Before, During, and After Reading Questions

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Before, During, and After Reading Questions