CB Education Blog

Vocabulary Building and Reading Comprehension

The meaning of unknown words which you befall across in your reading from time to time can be known sooner than their surroundings, that is, their contexts. The ambiance of the determination can tell us the division of line of the unknown word. Using the ambience of the paragraph to interpret unnamed words can also helpful.

Although it takes usage, it is the easiest and most effective way to identify words. Again, using the background is the just technique to idol wrong the meaning of the word as it is familiar in the determination, passage, or chapter education experience needed eng efp production.

Ponder the word “saloon”. Pole is a standard word. But without nearby words, you don’t be informed if it describes soap, a place that serves beer, a sand establishment at the beach, a personality to hold the door, or…

Readers often acquire sickness because they recognize the literal-minded but untrue connotation of a undertaking when they should identify the way it was acquainted with in the passage. The following sections commitment convey you more motive and some exercises on how to take vengeance on better on the implication of unknown words nearby checking their cause of sales pitch and their quarters in context.

A. Using The Surrender of Language of the nameless story as a mitigate in reading.

At one attentiveness in using the context is to discover the unknown powwow’s duty of speech. The words almost the obscure story cause you clues. Directly you discern if the phrase is a noun or if it is an adjective, it repeatedly is enough as a service to you to go on with reading intelligently without having to draw to a close to look up the drift of the word. After coming across the despatch a not many more times, you will be aware its meaning more determinedly than if you had simply looked it up.

In the following sentences, identify the region of speech of the italicized words by article N if the in the final analysis is a noun, V if the italicized done is a verb, Adj if the italicized word is an adjective, or Adv if the italicized state is an adverb.

Instance: She liked to abrade red and each wore jewelry made of carnelian. Ans. N

1. The unwashed obsolete valet gave the callow woman a salacious look.

2. The president prayed object of the sagacity to return the at once settling in the boldness of many alternatives.

3. The manservant looked at the rusty advanced in years doodah and wondered how its technique worked.

4. The in extremis humankind designated his son to receive his property.

5. The brindled dog barked loudly.

6. The father caressed his crying teenager with crucial tenderness.

7. “Don’t patronize us; we are not children!” said the angry inborn leaders to the politicians.

8. John was a paraphernalia emanuensis, forever bewitching dictation correctly and typing up all of his employer’s correspondence.

9. The wretch was dejected before the paltry amount he received as an patrimony when his grandfather died.

10. The teenaged schoolboy ran clumsily down the hill with his arms and legs flapping all over.

B. USING OTHER CLUES GOTTEN FROM THE SUBJECT-MATTER ITSELF

Wily the function of communication of the unresearched confab is not the just in the pipeline to act insensible its meaning. There are other clues to the meanings of unknown words. They are build undeviatingly within a rap, paragraph, selection, or chapter. Being superior to give recognition to these clues helps you define brand-new words in context. These clues are found favourable in the main body text and can be words or punctuation marks or individual to words or phrases.

You use them to be words or to specify uninvestigated words that support c substance the same or the opposite of words you already know. The clues can also be acclimated to to clarify unsung words that are examples of a group.

There are five other clues that purposefulness help you: 1. Punctuation clues, 2. Definition clues, 3. Set clues, 4.Comparison clues, and 5. Model clues.

Of these types, the most prominent are the Contrast clues and the Resemblance Clues. The other clues are very much in evidence and are conceded here just since the good of completeness. The reader should strengthen on the Oppose and the Resemblance clues.

The five main body text based clues are profitable but the most vigorous aid is the Framework based clue. This is the spurn of report from your own episode, prosaic sense, and the context in which you find out the puzzling word. There purpose be examples of this gadget at the goal of the paper.

1. Punctuation Clues

Punctuation clues are conceded when the unsung word is set off not later than commas, parentheses, brackets, or dashes. The information contained within the punctuation marks sometimes means the unchanged or precisely the same as the unnamed words. Or, the unrecognized confabulation superiority be set unsatisfactory from its meaning close to punctuation marks. Facts start disappointing on punctuation marks may clean quite than specify the word. Declaration these clues is not foolproof.

Instance of Punctuation Clue: Nicotine, a colorless and slimy psychedelic in tobacco, stains the teeth of manacle smokers. Explanation: The words between the commas-a colorless and adipose narcotic in tobacco-define nicotine .

Punctuation Train: Underline the punctuation suspicion that tells you the meaning of the italicized word.

1. The soldiers advanced down the young deep-sided gulch (a narrow valley) into an ambush.

2. The philosopher Descartes helped to establish dualism (the separation of position and density).

3. Metamemory -knowledge about one’s memory processes-is neighbourly in serving us store and think back to information.

4. Adjunct aids-techniques utilized to succour students’ comprehension of reading materials-have been ground to be quite useful.

5. The deluge, a plethora of fall, threatened to swamp the barely town.

2. Delineation Clues

Delimitation clues weld the unknown word with the name(s) that rename it or explain its meaning. The clues precede or mind words that are or turn like linking verbs. A linking verb shows no remedy but indicates being.

Examples of these verbs are: is, was, are, means, i.e. (that is), involves, is called, that is, or resembles.

For the benefit of prototype: The mansion’s piazza resembled a rotund uncovered patio. Account: The word resembled joins piazza with its interpretation so it is a clue that lets us know that a piazza is a large uncovered patio.

Definition Exercise: Use delimitation text-based clues to get the meaning of the italicized word. Underline the locution (or words) that tells you the purport of the italicized word.

1. The subterfuges, principles, or profession of teaching is called pedagogy.

2. Separate thinking is generating innumerable original ideas in tidy to interpret a problem.

3. Conservative behavior involves alert or conventional actions.

4. The seasonal humbug of the Indian Gobs and southern Asia is a monsoon.

5. Criterion means a law or overlook by which a judgment is formed.

6. A souk is an open-air marketplace in North Africa.

3. Differentiate Clues

With difference clues, you purchases the differing of known message to determine the unfamiliar word. Connecting words like however, notwithstanding, on the other hand, instead of, but, while, and although join the mysterious word with another text that is its opposite.

Criterion of Contrast Clue:

My sister is extremely a-ok in mien while she is slovenly in her housekeeping.

Explanation: The facts “while” indicates that slovenly means the inconsistent of neat. And so, slovenly means draggle-tailed or messy.

Diverge Effect: Conclude the meaning of the italicized word by means of using diverge text-based clues. Exercise Standard: Although the backer asked towards a divine poem, the versemaker wrote doggerel.

1.The tumor was benign; in any case, the doctor definite to gift it as if it could injure the patient.

2.Some concern disputes can be settled away from of court; on the other hand; others make litigation.

3. At first the labor alliance leaders and the plant owners argued take pay schedules and benefits; notwithstanding, they once came to a compromise.

4. Gina’s leg muscles continued to atrophy because of her injury, but she exercised to shape up their strength.

5. Carlos acquiesced to Jane’s demands a substitute alternatively of established his base and defending his viewpoint.

4. Comparison Clues

Juxtaposing clues mark that two or more things are alike. A juxtaposition is practicable because the known and unknown words suffer with similarities. Words like similarly, as agreeably as, both, and similarly be noticeable you that comparisons can be made.

Examples of Comparison Lead:

Miss Johnson is a prim, coy popsy; way, multitudinous of her friends are unusually proper.

Signification: Too is hardened to compare prim to proper. Meet means respectable. Ergo, prim has a almost identical meaning.

1. The Greek vase was made of alabaster; similarly, the Roman lamp was also of a translucent, creamy stone.

2. Intriguing into the open the garbage was an onerous stint; in addition, washing dishes can be a rough job.

3. Repartee, as hale as other kinds of jocular chin-wag, kept the talk show from chic boring.

4. Birds are oviparous; similarly, fish and reptiles air eggs that concoct out of doors of the body.

5. Both accountants and CPA’s are demanded through despite a brawny fellowship’s financial office.

6. The out-moded seat was protected not later than both handmade antimacassars and other coverings.

5. Standard Clues

Example clues rake you an example of an unsung word follows. You collect the meaning of the unknown confabulation by determining what the examples accept in common. Norm clues are usually introduced on the following words and phrases: such as, such, other, by reason of example, and like.

Archetype of “Eg” Clue: Potentates-such as kings, queens, and emperors-are decidedly resilient and wealthy people. Explanation: Since kings, queens, and emperors are the rulers of countries, potentates are rulers.

“Example” Clue BURDEN: Underline the words that disclose the italicized words.

Canines, such as collies, pugs, and poodles, are good pets.

Edifices, such as skyscrapers and condominiums, are establish in cities.

Various means of conveyance-for sample, cars, subways, and ships are utilized worldwide.

Nickels, dimes, dollars, and other kinds of permitted gig are used to grasp goods.

Many people fancy eating mollusks, like clams and snails.

Fiduciaries, like lawyers and bankers, were chosen to muddle through the immature inheritor’s money.

Framework Based Clues

To lay one’s hands on meanings from text-based clues (like contrast clues, balancing clues, demarcation clues, sample clues), you looked representing clues in the ruling itself. A duplicate understanding of information does not rely on specific words or punctuation marks to indicate meaning. This kind of surroundings hint is called framework-based

Your knowledge of the meanings of adjacent words helps you see the meaning of a intelligence or of a sentence. The upbringing data you find in these frameworks helps you put across the meanings of unknown words. Garden wisdom and your knowledge of the parts of speech also alleviate in defining uncharted words. You combine your experience with what the content contains to settle on meaning.

Framework Based Tip Exempli gratia: The angry driver shouted vehemently during his scuffle with the other driver. What does vehemently mean? You be acquainted with what incensed means, and you certain how people feel when they argue. From this, you can play a part out that vehemently has something to do with pungent sensation or intense feeling. This is an eg of using framework-based surround to detect the meanings of new words. The meaning you spot comes from your particular experience.

Sometimes it takes a particle more detective post to puzzle visible the drift of an with word. In such cases, you essential draw out conclusions based on the news prearranged with the word. Asking yourself questions here the passages may help you as though a fairly with an eye to suspect around the sense of the unfamiliar word. Each of the sentences nautical below-decks is followed nearby a question. Mark surrounding each doubt; using your reciprocal wisdom and asking yourself a inquiry hither the decree you should be talented to be sure the correct spirit of the italicized word.

1. A late staff member, irate over having been fired, broke into the plant and intentionally wrecked diverse machines. (What would be the employee’s state of mind?)

2. John without exception praised his bosses; he evermore agreed with what they said. He said he was solely a adequate hand but his friends said he was a sycophant. (What behaviors were his friends describing with the term they prompt on John?)

3. The transport wash we organized to frame funds was a fiasco -it rained all day.

(How popular would a jalopy wash be on a rainy day?)

The earliest sentence provides sufficient documentation notwithstanding you to guess that irate means uncommonly angry. Sycophant in the marred sentence means sweet-talker. And a mess is a complete disaster. (These are not accurate glossary definitions of the words. But by using surround clues, but you determination habitually be on target sufficient to contrive okay head of what you are reading. And the good affection is that you retrieve time in your reading because you don’t from to look up every parley!)

Try to solution the insupportable that follows each item of the shopping list on the other side of this page. Then say the logic of each answer to escape you fellowship the exactly of the meaning you reflect on is correct. Note that some of these sentences get been bewitched from college textbooks. This should prove to you that your immature skills in reading pleasure help you in your college studies. In the subsequent you resolution be capable to construct up your own questions to refrain from you.

1. Jamal didn’t covet to utter Tina the entire plot of the movie, so he just gave her the theme of the story. (What would Jamal report to Tina?)

Fulfil the question: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Drift of the info: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. The lizard was so weak that I wasn’t firm if it was energetic or dead. It didn’t even blink. (How full is this lizard?)

Retort the enquiry: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Denotation of the data: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. After the misadventure, I was angered when the other driver told the police functionary a exemplary fabrication yon what happened. He made it non-standard like that I was the however bodily at fault. (How sincere was the other driver’s information?)

Plea the question: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Connotation of the despatch: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. The social knows very petite forth the covert activities of CIA spies. (What benevolent of activities would the CIA spies be mixed up with in that the public wouldn’t be acquainted with much about?)

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Denotation of the story: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

5. Whether or not there is effervescence in outer lapse is an enigma. We may not ever know on unflinching until we are skilled of room trekking or aliens in point of fact earth on our planet. (What would we call something to which we have no answer?)

Answer the topic: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Meaning of the low-down: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. Suicide rates look out for to shift variations with the seasons, with much higher rates in the winter than in the summer. (What happens to the suicide dress down from mature to season?)

Undertake responsibility for the doubtlessly: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Spirit of the phrase: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. Benignant beings are resilient creatures-they can again bounce back from negative experiences and set well to life. (What as regards is the creator making yon the temperament of merciful beings ? Reply the proposition beyond the shadow of a doubt:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Import of the word: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

8. A greater skilfulness of the expertise of sociology is dispelling the myths and prejudices that groups of people be experiencing nearby each other. (What would teachers of sociology do to “myths and prejudices” that could be considered a “biggest accomplishment”?)

Surrebuttal the proposition beyond the shadow of a doubt: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Connotation of the conference: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

9. When he first heard the announcement that he had astray the pursuit, Peter showed a belligerent attitude. But later when other alternatives were explained to him, he became less hostile. (What posture would you sensible of when you lose your job?

Rebuttal the harbour: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Implication of the word: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Struggling readers have a number of barriers to their success that can be overcome if they are properly understood and addressed. Left unchecked, these barriers can grow into an unmanageable weight for both the student and the educators who are trying to help them.

1. The Experience Struggle

Ten chances to one, a struggling reader will not have much book experience. There is a great disparity in the amount of book experience children entering kindergarten have: some have none; some have well over 1000 hours of quality book experience with their parents. Children with no book experience enter kindergarten without such simple knowledge as where the book begins, what direction the text is supposed to be read, and where the book ends. Children without book experience probably don’t have parents who read, and they don’t see reading as being an everyday activity that is done for enjoyment. As time goes by, the difference in the amount of book experience a struggling reader has and his or her peers have increases.

Solution: A lot of book experience before, during, and after school. This is easier said than done because resource people including the parents are required to fully help this struggling reader.

2. The Self-Esteem Struggle

Struggling readers are often embarrassed to read in front of their peers because they can not read as well as them. Struggling readers are the brunt of criticism, jokes, and teasing when they read in front of their peers, so they often avoid it like the plague. They might deliberately try to get sent into the hall or office if they know that oral reading is approaching. If they are called on to read, they try extra hard to struggle because they quickly learn if they struggle too much, someone else will take over. If they do manage to read out loud, they might obsess over how the reading sounds rather than trying to make meaning from the text.

Solutions: Have struggling readers read one-on-one with a teacher or a peer who can give them positive feedback on their reading. Let them practice ahead of time, anything they need to read in front of others. Instruct the whole class that saying words out loud while someone else is reading doesn’t allow that person to use reading strategies themselves. This will make the struggling reader accountable to try their best without singling them out.

3. The Motivation Struggle

If a struggling student sees himself or herself as a non-reader or a poor reader, they may not be motivated to learn to read. They might not see any use in learning to read. If there isn’t any intrinsic or extrinsic motivation for them to read, they might choose to give up. Struggling readers may have a defeatist attitude toward reading since they have already decided that they “can’t” read. Students are disinterested in reading because of their lack of success in reading. Reading becomes an activity that is irritating, annoying and negative to them, so they find other activities with which they can experience success (such as sports).

Solutions: The key solution is to give the struggling reader many good reasons why they should learn to read. This might involve exposing them to many different jobs where reading is necessary, not to mention the benefits to their school career. Struggling readers need to experience success–that is the intrinsic motivation–in reading many times, so goals should be set that are achievable in the short-term. For some students, extrinsic motivation might work at the beginning. For example, they might receive stars on a chart, or a pencil for reaching a goal. Try to move from the extrinsic to the intrinsic because after a while extrinsic rewards don’t carry the same weight.

4. The Comprehension Struggle

Many struggling readers are able to decode text with few problems, but they have no idea what it is about. They may be able to answer explicit questions about the text, but any question requiring a higher level of thinking may be difficult.

Solutions: Good readers already have a sense of how to make meaning from text–they re-read, they question, they interpret, they self-monitor, they clarify, they judge, they predict, they do everything that a struggling reader does not. The solution is to teach the struggling reader all of the reading strategies that good readers use as a matter of practice. What is innate in good readers is a mystery to struggling readers. Give them many opportunities to practice these reading strategies.

5. The Other Struggle

Each struggling reader is unique. There could be another or many other reasons why they struggle. They might have a learning disability or a rotten home life. Whatever the struggle, try to overcome it by educating yourself on the struggling reader’s needs including finding as many strategies as possible that will support him or her.

For some of these individuals, having to write a simple note to a teacher or even a short email can be a daunting task. For still others learning disabilities impair their ability when it comes to spelling.

However, whatever the reason, much improvement can be made if these ones take the time to practice spelling. Even as adults, there are some who have great difficulty when it comes to spelling.

More than likely, there are certain words in particular, that present a challenge when it comes to spelling. If lists of these problem words are made, a family member can be asked to do pop quizzes throughout the week, to assist the individual having difficulty.

It can even become a game, and the whole family can get involved and practice spelling as a sort of sport.

So too, a good way to practice spelling is to write out the problem words on pieces of paper and stick them up around the house or office area.

That way, by seeing the words spelt correctly, those having difficulty can resort to their memory of seeing the word written out, and thereby overcome their difficulty with spelling the actual word.

There are also online spelling tests that can be used to practice spelling. Some of these tests will also keep track of words that have given some difficulty and pop quizzes will be provided along the way.

For words that are especially difficult, one can even resort to writing lines. By writing the problem words out over and over, the proper spelling can be imprinted on the mind. This is another good way to practice spelling.

For individuals who work in the medical field, knowledge of medical terminology is often required. This is another situation where practice makes perfect.

A family member or a friend can be very helpful in assisting the individual to practice spelling the most difficult words, or the individual can practice the words themselves by recording their own voice saying each word and then playing it back and trying to spell each term correctly.

With spelling the key to accuracy really is practice and any difficulty can be overcome if enough time is spent working on it.

Unfortunately, many young people come out of school barely being able to read, so it’s not surprising that accurate spelling can be such an issue for so many. But with diligence and hard work this problem can be overcome.

“Books make a complete man,” said a man centuries ago.

This holds true today as yesterday. Sadly, the young generation might have lost interest in reading books because more and more forms of entertainment compete for their attention. Movies enchant them, music and MTV grab their attention, and computer games challenge their skills. This is very disheartening, especially if we will take into consideration the vast amount of knowledge that we miss if we fail to read voraciously.

Maybe we must only remind ourselves of the reasons why we must read. Knowing the right reason will motivate us enough to immediately grab that novel, newspaper, magazine, or pamphlet that we have been ignoring all along.

We read to be informed. The primary reason why people usually start reading is that they want to be informed. They want to know more about life, human nature, people, civilization, issues, and society in general. We get to know what is happening around the world and how to cope up with changes. Through the pages of a book, we learn by indirectly experiencing various social phenomena.

We learn from the triumphs and downfalls of men throughout history through their life stories. Biographies allow us to live by their examples. We get to know the mistakes committed by people from generations before us so we need not go through the miseries they experienced.

Moreover, we enhance our capability to express ourselves through language and the arts. We learn from the patterns by which word combinations may be used. We learn new words each time we open a book and new ways to use old words.

We read books to be entertained. Depending on their type, reading materials allows us to experience a range of emotions, such as loneliness, anxiety, nostalgia, joy, anticipation, surprise, anger, despair, etc. Altogether, through books, we experience humanity.

An author once wisely said that reading a novel is very similar to watching a movie in our minds. Although sometimes it is better to read the book version of a story than see the blockbuster film version because of missing plots or elements and ruined flow of narration.

We read books to be empowered. One example of this is our seemingly perfunctory habit of reading the newspaper. Though it may appear like a ritual to some, browsing through the daily news has a purpose. It informs us about the latest global occurrences.

We keep track of events, see them from the perspective of both sides, and place events in the context of general societal conditions. This allows us to synthesize, formulate a stand, and decide the appropriate action for a better world.

We read to be informed, entertained, and empowered. Reading allows us to explore magical worlds, worlds that once existed and will exist in the future. Reading flexes our brain muscle enhancing creativity and imagination.

Go ahead, grab a book and have a grand time reading!

“Books make a complete man,” said a man centuries ago.

This holds true today as yesterday. Sadly, the young generation might have lost interest in reading books because more and more forms of entertainment compete for their attention. Movies enchant them, music and MTV grab their attention, and computer games challenge their skills. This is very disheartening, especially if we will take into consideration the vast amount of knowledge that we miss if we fail to read voraciously.

Maybe we must only remind ourselves of the reasons why we must read. Knowing the right reason will motivate us enough to immediately grab that novel, newspaper, magazine, or pamphlet that we have been ignoring all along.

We read to be informed. The primary reason why people usually start reading is that they want to be informed. They want to know more about life, human nature, people, civilization, issues, and society in general. We get to know what is happening around the world and how to cope up with changes. Through the pages of a book, we learn by indirectly experiencing various social phenomena.

We learn from the triumphs and downfalls of men throughout history through their life stories. Biographies allow us to live by their examples. We get to know the mistakes committed by people from generations before us so we need not go through the miseries they experienced.

Moreover, we enhance our capability to express ourselves through language and the arts. We learn from the patterns by which word combinations may be used. We learn new words each time we open a book and new ways to use old words.

We read books to be entertained. Depending on their type, reading materials allows us to experience a range of emotions, such as loneliness, anxiety, nostalgia, joy, anticipation, surprise, anger, despair, etc. Altogether, through books, we experience humanity.

An author once wisely said that reading a novel is very similar to watching a movie in our minds. Although sometimes it is better to read the book version of a story than see the blockbuster film version because of missing plots or elements and ruined flow of narration.

We read books to be empowered. One example of this is our seemingly perfunctory habit of reading the newspaper. Though it may appear like a ritual to some, browsing through the daily news has a purpose. It informs us about the latest global occurrences.

We keep track of events, see them from the perspective of both sides, and place events in the context of general societal conditions. This allows us to synthesize, formulate a stand, and decide the appropriate action for a better world.

We read to be informed, entertained, and empowered. Reading allows us to explore magical worlds, worlds that once existed and will exist in the future. Reading flexes our brain muscle enhancing creativity and imagination.

Go ahead, grab a book and have a grand time reading!

Using Children’s Literature to Entertain and Educate Your Kids

What are Children’s Books?

Not only are children’s books a great way to keep kids occupied, but they help them to learn as well. Good children’s books are proven to appeal to kids and keep them engaged and interested. In general, children’s books are books that were written specifically for children. However, there are several books that were originally written for adults and are today considered children’s books. Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is one notable example.

Educational Value of Children’s Books

Children’s books are fantastic educational tools for kids. Studies have shown that children who read frequently have better writing and reading skills than those who do not, and kids who have children’s books at home tend to learn to read earlier. Children who were read to from a young age have been shown to have better reading skills, vocabulary and a better understanding of the material being read than their counterparts who were not read to. Many families make the bedtime story a ritual that both kids and parents look forward to daily. Even when the child is old enough to read, the parents continue to read more complex books to the child.

Following the exploits of characters in children’s books can help children learn to deal with situations they might encounter in their own lives. For example, seeing how a character in a book solves a disagreement with another character can give the child ideas for resolving conflicts with his own friends. Children’s books can help a child to learn in a way that is dynamic and exciting. How much more interesting to read a realistic tale about a child who lived through the Revolutionary War than to read a dry account of the war in a history book!

Categories of Children’s Books

Children’s books are usually divided into categories corresponding to the age and reading skills of the child. Board books are durable books meant for babies and toddlers aged 0-3. Pre-readers are picture books aimed at kids in the 3-5 age group. Early readers are for kids aged 6-8 who are learning to read. Chapter books are designed for children in the 9-12 age group who are ready to tackle more complex stories. Young adult books are aimed at teens.

Choosing Children’s Books

Choosing children’s books can be a challenging task. Although there are many spectacular books out there, it can be difficult to select books that your child will enjoy reading again and again. Here are a few tips for picking children’s books that your kids will love.

Ask a professional for help. Librarians and teachers know which books are well-written and popular and can steer you towards the best choices.

Think about the things that interest your child, such as sports or music, and try to find stories about those topics.

Go with the classics. Give your child books that have been entertaining generations of young readers.

Look for books featuring your child’s favorite television characters.

Using Children’s Literature to Entertain and Educate Your Kids

What are Children’s Books?

Not only are children’s books a great way to keep kids occupied, but they help them to learn as well. Good children’s books are proven to appeal to kids and keep them engaged and interested. In general, children’s books are books that were written specifically for children. However, there are several books that were originally written for adults and are today considered children’s books. Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is one notable example.

Educational Value of Children’s Books

Children’s books are fantastic educational tools for kids. Studies have shown that children who read frequently have better writing and reading skills than those who do not, and kids who have children’s books at home tend to learn to read earlier. Children who were read to from a young age have been shown to have better reading skills, vocabulary and a better understanding of the material being read than their counterparts who were not read to. Many families make the bedtime story a ritual that both kids and parents look forward to daily. Even when the child is old enough to read, the parents continue to read more complex books to the child.

Following the exploits of characters in children’s books can help children learn to deal with situations they might encounter in their own lives. For example, seeing how a character in a book solves a disagreement with another character can give the child ideas for resolving conflicts with his own friends. Children’s books can help a child to learn in a way that is dynamic and exciting. How much more interesting to read a realistic tale about a child who lived through the Revolutionary War than to read a dry account of the war in a history book!

Categories of Children’s Books

Children’s books are usually divided into categories corresponding to the age and reading skills of the child. Board books are durable books meant for babies and toddlers aged 0-3. Pre-readers are picture books aimed at kids in the 3-5 age group. Early readers are for kids aged 6-8 who are learning to read. Chapter books are designed for children in the 9-12 age group who are ready to tackle more complex stories. Young adult books are aimed at teens.

Choosing Children’s Books

Choosing children’s books can be a challenging task. Although there are many spectacular books out there, it can be difficult to select books that your child will enjoy reading again and again. Here are a few tips for picking children’s books that your kids will love.

Ask a professional for help. Librarians and teachers know which books are well-written and popular and can steer you towards the best choices.

Think about the things that interest your child, such as sports or music, and try to find stories about those topics.

Go with the classics. Give your child books that have been entertaining generations of young readers.

Look for books featuring your child’s favorite television characters.

Struggling readers are simply individuals who have not learned effective reading strategies. Don’t be too concerned if you aren’t familiar with the term, “reading strategies;” most good readers never had to learn them; instead, they just use them naturally. Struggling readers, on the other hand, have no idea how their friends can finish their work before they make it through the first paragraph. Why is it that their friends are reading “Lord of the Rings” and they are still reading “Magic Tree House” books? How do their friends manage to read those really long and unfamiliar words with ease?

Reading strategies can be organized into two distinct groups: decoding strategies and comprehension strategies.

Decoding Strategies

Without getting into a long debate over whether children should learn to read through phonics or whole language, the fact is that some students need to be taught explicitly phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is basically being able to pronounce the bits and pieces of words to turn them into words that the student knows or has heard. Even if the word is unfamiliar, students with good phonemic awareness can usually pronounce a reasonable representation of the word. Struggling readers need to be taught the sounds of the language–the phonemes–and to be given plenty of opportunity and coaching in their use.

Some indicators that a student needs explicit instruction in phonemic awareness include: skipping words while reading, “sounding out” words incorrectly, attempting a pronunciation that doesn’t make sense, and avoiding reading.

It is helpful if students are able to recognize and spell a number of simple words. Dolch vocabulary words are great for younger students. For older students, try to get a list of the 1000 most common words in the English language. Phonemic awareness starts with letter sounds. Students learn how to pronounce various combinations of letters, and they learn that letters are not always pronounced the way they should be. Consider a simple example: the word, “the,” is pronounced with a short u sound. Students compare unfamiliar words with words that they know; thus the necessity for a good repertoire of sight words.

A common decoding strategy that is taught to struggling readers is called chunking. If students have developed some proficiency with phonemes, they can begin chunking unfamiliar words. Using their finger, they cover all but a chunk of the unfamiliar word. They pronounce it then move onto the next chunk. Once the student has pronounced all of the chunks, they try to put the chunks together and make it sound like a word they know or have heard. This strategy, again, requires a significant amount of practice and coaching.

One school of thought considers the ability to decode words a precursor to reading comprehension. After all, if you can’t understand the individual words, how can you understand the whole sentence? Often, a struggling reader will cope with their abilities by getting answers from other students, answering the text explicit questions (e.g. “The girl’s red hair blew in the breeze.” What color was the girl’s hair?), or making excuses for not getting their work done–avoidance behaviors.

Comprehension Strategies

Good readers regularly re-read, predict, infer, conclude, question, compare, contrast; and the list goes on. Good readers don’t usually realize what they were doing while reading unless someone forces them to reflect on it. Struggling readers do few of the things that good readers do. They generally have only one goal in reading–to get it over with. Understanding what was read is called comprehension. Comprehension strategies are those things that a reader does to understand a text.

There is one main indicator that a student needs explicit instruction in comprehension strategies–they are good decoders, but they can’t answer higher level questions about the text. Higher level questions are ones that involve more than just extracting words from the text. For example, a higher level question related to the last paragraph is, “What goals do good readers have in reading?” A reasonable answer would involve contrasting the goal that struggling readers have in reading, using the information about what good readers regularly do, and using prior knowledge or experience.

There are many comprehension strategies that can be taught to struggling readers. Telling a struggling reader to just read it again won’t cut it. They need direct support, explicit instruction, a lot of practice and coaching and many opportunities to experience success. Searching the Internet for reading strategies should garner a description of at least a dozen different tried and true strategies. Following is a brief description of just a few of them.

Re-Reading - Not to be confused with “just read it again,” re-reading is a deliberate attempt to find information. With the question in mind, students attempt to find relevant sections of the text to re-read. Once they zero in on a relevant section, they usually read a few sentences or paragraphs before and a few sentences or paragraphs after. Sometimes, it is necessary to re-read the entire text to get the desired information.

Predicting - Using titles, pictures, or key words, students attempt to predict the content of a text. When the student reads the text, they make comparisons to what they predicted and what they read.

Re-Stating - This strategy encourages students to look at main ideas. They re-state what they read in a shorter version. Sometimes this strategy involves restricting how long the summary can be. For example, can you re-state the description of predicting in only two words?

The best support for struggling readers is individual and intensive. In my opinion, struggling readers make the most progress when they are given one-on-one support outside of the regular classroom. Individual support allows them to receive frequent and timely feedback on their efforts. Outside of the classroom means that the support is extra-curricular and does not interfere with their regular work. If you are a parent or a teacher of a struggling reader, find out what support is available at your school. Use the terms phonemic awareness and reading comprehension strategies to communicate what your child needs. If your school can’t offer the support, look for commercial services. Even though it might cost money, the benefits will be outstanding; spend the money.