3 Guided Reading Activities Parents Can Do With Their Kids
Reading is a fundamental skill that builds a child’s imagination and lays the foundation for their academic success. As parents, we can actively engage our children in guided reading activities to enhance their reading skills, language comprehension, and love for books. Not only does guided reading help your child get ahead academically, but it’s also a great way to bond with your younger kids and toddlers. In this blog post, we will explore three engaging guided reading activities that parents can do with their kids. These activities promote interaction, critical thinking, and vocabulary development, fostering a lifelong passion for reading.
Guided Reading Activities
Shared reading involves parents and children reading together, with the parent taking the lead and the child actively participating. Choose a book at an appropriate reading level and take turns reading aloud. Pause occasionally to discuss the story, characters, and predictions. Ask open-ended questions to encourage critical thinking and comprehension. This activity builds vocabulary, strengthens reading fluency, and cultivates a love for storytelling.
Story Retelling and Sequencing
After reading a story together, engage your child in retelling and sequencing the events. Ask questions like, “What happened first?”, “What was the problem in the story?”, or “How did the story end?” Encourage your child to use their own words and recall details from the book. This activity enhances comprehension, memory recall, and storytelling skills while developing an understanding of story structure.
Word Hunt and Vocabulary Building
Transform reading into an exciting word hunt game. Select a book and create a list of target words for your child to find as they read. Encourage them to identify and underline the words in the text. Discuss the meaning of unfamiliar words and explore their synonyms or antonyms. Extend the activity by creating a word wall or a personal vocabulary journal where your child can record new words and their definitions. This activity expands vocabulary, improves word recognition, and enhances comprehension.
Bonus Activity!
Reader’s Theatre
Reader’s Theatre is a fun activity where children bring stories to life by acting out scenes from books. Choose a book with dialogue or create a script based on a favourite story. Assign characters to family members and read the lines with expression and enthusiasm. Encourage your child to use gestures, facial expressions, and props to enhance their performance. This activity improves reading fluency, expression, and understanding of character development.
Important to Note
Additionally, it is crucial for parents to create a supportive and encouraging reading environment. Set aside dedicated time for reading activities, free from distractions. Create cosy reading nooks with comfortable seating and a variety of age-appropriate books within reach. Show enthusiasm and model a love for books by reading aloud to your child regularly. Celebrate their achievements and progress, no matter how small, to boost their confidence and motivation.
Remember, the goal is to foster a positive association with reading and make it a cherished bonding experience. By incorporating these elements into guided reading activities, parents can cultivate a lifelong love for reading and empower their children to become confident and avid readers.
Technology
In addition to the activities mentioned, parents can also leverage technology to enhance guided reading experiences. There are numerous interactive reading apps, e-books, and websites that provide engaging content and interactive features like read-along options, word highlighting, and comprehension quizzes. These digital resources can complement traditional book reading and provide a dynamic and interactive learning experience for children. However, it’s important to strike a balance and ensure that screen time is moderated and used purposefully.
By combining both print and digital resources, parents can create a well-rounded guided reading experience that appeals to their child’s interests and harnesses the benefits of technology while fostering a love for reading in the digital age.
Conclusion
Guided reading activities provide wonderful opportunities for parents to foster a love for reading while nurturing their child’s reading skills. Through shared reading, story retelling and sequencing, word hunts, and reader’s theatre, children develop critical thinking, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. By making reading interactive, engaging, and enjoyable, parents play a vital role in instilling a lifelong love for books and setting their children up for success in their reading journey!