How to Encourage Love of Reading

Wanda, a home schooling mom and friend in Alaska let me in on a big secret when I wanted to get our son to read more. This one works more for boys than girls, though.

The secret is to start checking out the Hardy Boys Mystery series from the library, and let him start reading one. He won't be able to stop reading - I almost guarantee it! Our son too, like hers, didn't want to even take a break from reading the Hardy Boys mysteries for lunch or dinner. He just wanted to lay on the couch and devour each book.

They'll read the whole series if made available.
I recommend, however, that you look for the Hardy Boys stories written before 1965. The newer ones have changed a bit to reflect modern times and thought.

Test Reading Comprehension Without Them Knowing It

One easy way to test reading comprehension when they read a book,  is to ask questions. Ask what the story was about. Show interest in what they reveal about the plot and characters.

Try not to sound as if you're grading them. For example, you might say, “Where did the story take place (in the country, in a city?)” “What happened?” “Then what happened?” Don't be overly inquisitive in detail. Continue with, “How did it turn out?”

Between questions, they'll  probably fill in the story- just because they want to tell it. You can comment on parts of the story to draw them out. Be an interested listener over the twists and turns.

 Check Up On Spelling and Punctuation Skills by Giving Dictation

Dictate a few sentences now and then. Either ones you make up using words he has learned, or from a classic story for his age level of interest. Tell him to make sure he uses capital letters to begin every sentence and to use the proper punctuation.

How to Improve Vocabulary

     You can teach vocabulary without your child even cracking a book- or even knowing he’s learning new words, by ‘read aloud' stories in the evening. I often read aloud one of the classics most evenings: the Little House series, or the G.A. Henty stories, and mostly historical fiction and biographies.
   The classics have the best writers who use grammatical perfection, good morals, and usually have a good ending. In the hearing of the story itself, he learns vocabulary by connecting the plot together, understanding just what the words mean, unintentionally.

How to Teach Reading Aloud with Expression

When the story includes conversation between two or more people, he needs to learn how to speak with expression and not read in a monotone voice. Reading slowly in monotone is most common in schools. If he doesn't learn it at home, he may not become a good reader.

The secret is to tell him to pretend he's acting in a play, and that he needs to sound like he's one character, then the other characters.

I recommend you check out books on audio at his interest level. Play it so he can hear the same reader change voices and tones to reflect each character in the story.

Word Families- Key To Good Reading and Spelling

Word Families are Words that use the same reading and spelling rule, and usually spell and sound nearly alike.  Learning to Read and Spell in Word Families is a vital part of what it takes to be a better reader and speller.
There are several  phonograms (combinations of letters that make particular sounds) that must be taught in their respective families.

What's the big deal?
Take these words from a particular public school's weekly spelling list.  In it there were several sounds of F such as cough, telephone, off.  All the sounds of f but no lessons on why you would use one phonogram over another to make its sound.
Sounds aren't taught in public schools, by the way, only word lists meant for memorization. This methodology makes reading and spelling so confusing!

Here are some examples of Word Families:

Words That End in the sound of f, l, or s, we usually double the consonant ending:
off, puff, cuff, muff, cliff, stiff, bluff, stuff
mill Bill spill kill hill ball fall, mall, hill, tall
grass lass kiss cross class press, chess, toss

The K Words
If the vowel is short we use ck; if the vowel is long, we use ke as in:
black, duck shock, suck, tack, crack, lock, sock, pack, truck
cake, make, lake, shake, broke, bike, coke, joke, strike, Mike
There are exceptions to these rules, but we learn those in a separate lesson.  For example, some long vowel words ending in the K sound have both vowels in the middle, such as :  soak, break, steak.
There are several other lists of Word Families that must be taught along with their Spelling Rule.  It is not uncommon for beginning students to be good readers and spellers in as little as six weeks to three month's time. Its not too hard for them.  Once learned, they will be good fluent readers - unlike the reading you hear from most students in public schools:  slow, plodding along, silence, guessing.  That is not reading!


https://www.amazon.com/How-Teach-Phonics-Phonics-First-Approach/dp/1530549035/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1477510415&sr=8-1-fkmr0