Whether your relationship to the youth in your life is one of teacher, parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or someone else special, part of what you do can be considered coaching.
As a coach, there are a few qualities that lead to success. Things like patience, fairness, commitment, leading by example, willingness to learn, keeping everyone involved, making it fun, and encouragement.
You can apply these good coach qualities to reading, in whatever reading technique you are using: reading aloud to the child, reading aloud in unison, having the child read the same thing back to you, helping the child while he or she is reading, and having the child read independently. (There are specific things you can do during and after reading, too. Another time we can touch on some of those tips.)
Coaching is important, but so is selecting the book that is just challenging enough; books should be just beyond the child’s reading ability range, but not enough so reading it is discouraging or overly frustrating. That’s where leveled books help. These are books that experts have selected according to criteria such as reading scores. For a handy table and full description of the leveling criteria used by LILY at Leveled Reader, go to Leveled Reading Guide. Once you find what level your child is at, Leveled Reader can help you select those books to enhance your child’s reading program.
And what is most important? To set aside those few minutes every day to read. Whether you are the teacher, parent, grandparent or other relative or special person, your child will remember that extra effort you made providing those books that were just challenging enough and coaching them with their reading.
Lily says “Way to go coach! You are helping your youth reach for the stars!”
Quote: “Never judge a book by its movie.” J.W. Eagan
[In honor of ‘Turn Your Television Off’ week]
