Suggestions on
Reading
and Using Book Guides
The books in each of these backpacks were selected because they will help parents and care-takers make a strong school-to-home connection with their children. These books have a range of themes, and the book guides were designed to promote literacy show that reading is fun.
There is generally one book guide per book. Each guide has a vocabulary list, discussion questions, and activities connected to each book. Below are some suggestions on how to use these books and book guides interactively with your child.
There are many ways to read with your child. Try a variety of strategies below to keep reading fresh and interesting:
a. If a selected book is at your child's reading level (meaning they can read nearly every word by themselves), you might ask your child to read you the story.
b. If a selected book is beyond your child's reading level, but still contains ideas of interest and concepts your child can grasp, then this would be a great book for you to read aloud to your child.
c. Take turns reading—page by page, paragraph by paragraph, or whatever is fun for you and your child.
d. Older siblings with solid reading skills can also take the leadership role with a younger brother or sister by using any of the above strategies. This mentorship will provide the older sibling with an opportunity to be a role model, and it will provide the younger sibling yet another model of a fluent reader.
Vocabulary:
Exposure to a wide vocabulary helps develops your child's language skills. Below are suggestions on how to make vocabulary meaningful to your child.
If your child is reading the text to you, point out each vocabulary word listed before the reading begins. Ask your child to read them to you. If he cannot read the word aloud, help him break the word into smaller pieces, paying special attention to word parts like prefixes, suffixes, and roots. You might point out smaller known words embedded in the word or write out a known word that has a similar spelling pattern that can help your child make a connection between a word they know and this new word. If you are reading the book to your child, stop and briefly explain the meaning of new words as you read them.
Once each word has been read, ask your child, “Are there any new or unfamiliar words here?” If so, you can help your child understand the meaning of each word by telling him what the word means, and contextualizing it a sentence. The back of each book guide has definitions of the words. These of course, are just examples—feel free to use your own definitions and sentences to make the words most accessible to your child.
Consider “sneaking” some of these words into your own conversations with your child. The more your child hears new words in context, the more likely she is to understand them and use new words herself. Building vocabulary is a great way to help your child become more academically successful!
Discussion Questions:
Asking your child questions about her reading helps her to slow down and think about what she read, ultimately aiding her comprehension. Again, these questions are suggestions. Please use the ones you find most meaningful, and ask your own as well!
Before Reading
The questions here are meant to be asked of your child before she has read the book. Encourage your child to take a few minutes to preview the book or take a “picture walk” by browsing through the pictures, noticing how the text is organized, and making predictions about the text. Doing this before the book is read will engage your child and give her a preview of some of the ideas she is about to discover.
During Reading
The questions in this section are meant to check for understanding as your child reads. Each question is tied to a specific page or section of the book and should be asked after reading the noted page or section. Encourage your child to answer the question using reasoning supported by what he just read. Your child should go beyond sharing his own opinion. Encourage him to support an opinion using specific parts of the text as evidence. Your child can do this by pointing out a specific phrase, sentence, or aspect of an illustration that supports his response to your question. Again, the questions here are ideas to promote discussion and thinking—ask some of your own questions as you go too.
After Reading
These questions are designed to help your child consider over-arching themes or big ideas presented in the book. These questions are not necessarily tied to a specific page or section of the story, but often times to the book as a whole. However, a good practice is to once again encourage your child to answer these questions using evidence and examples from the book. As previously noted, your child can support her responses by selecting specific phrases, sentences, or illustrations in the book. For bigger picture ideas, prompt your child to select multiple portions of the book that support her responses.
Activities:
The suggestions for activities are included to help your child make connections between the books and their own life. It will show your child that reading opens up a world of new ideas for him to learn and apply in the real world. These connections help make reading more fun and meaningful. As you read more and more with your child, you and your child will surely think of other activities that help make these connections.
Journals
Each backpack contains an interactive shared journal. Share what you've learned and see what your friends have discovered too!