3. Match Words to Pictures
Connecting printed and spoken words to visuals
also helps kids better grasp meaning and
context, which will in turn help them become
better spellers. “You want children to be able
to retell the story using vocabulary from the
text, so look for the names of characters or
words that you can match with pictures in the
book,” says Burnap.
Try this with: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What
Do You See? The ultimate practice in pairing
descriptive words with images, this classic
rhyming book lets children match words on a
page with the image they see. It also challenges
them to predict what the image on the next
page will be, based on the words they see.
4. Give Context to "Mystery" Words
When you come across a word your child
doesn’t understand, Burnap suggests giving a
simple explanation before continuing to read.
Having a children’s dictionary handy can be
a great tool for more established readers ages
eight to ten after story time. Once you finish
a read-aloud, ask your child if they’d like to
look up a particular new word. If so, discuss
the word, its definition, and how it is used
within the story (and elsewhere).
Try this with: Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Try not to
be critical
when your
child makes
an error,
especially
if they’re in
preschool.
Attempting
to spell at
this age is a
positive sign
that they’re
developing
a sense of
letter-sound
awareness.
Fire, Illustrated Edition. This lavishlyillustrated
edition of J.K. Rowling's beloved
fourth Harry Potter book will teach
your child rich new vocabulary like beadily
and exasperation while still capturing and
holding their attention with a visual representation
of the world of magic and the Triwizard
Tournament.
5. Encourage Your Child to Write in
Creative Ways
Writing a word is a surefire way for kids to
visualize how words are formed and build
muscle memory for spelling. Ask them to
draw a picture of their favorite character or an
event from a story you just read, and to write
a caption describing it. This will not only help
improve their spelling, but it will also inspire
them to think critically about the book's plot.
Try this with: Dog Man #8: Fetch-22. The
newest installment of the hilarious Dog
Man series will provide plenty of comiccreating
inspiration for your kids. In this
book, Petey the Cat is out of cat jail and
has reevaluated his life, but Li'l Petey is still
struggling to find the good in the world.
Can Petey and Dog Man stop fighting long
enough to put paws together and work as
a team?
A note on correcting mistakes: Try not to be
critical when your child makes an error, especially
if they’re in preschool. Attempting to
spell at this age is a positive sign that they’re
developing a sense of letter-sound awareness.
Applaud their effort! For older children, help
them identify and correct their own mistakes.
For example, if your child is having difficulty
spelling a word, give them a gentle reminder
to sound it out or think of a word they know
that sounds the same. If they spell it incorrectly,
mention that a little mistake was made
and encourage them to find it.
With each subsequent read of a book, use just
one of these strategies and see what resonates
with your child—and have fun! The most
important thing is that your child loves to
read, because avid readers are likely to become
strong spellers.
https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-andreading/
raise-a-reader-blog/how-to-improve-spelling
skills-kids.print.html
Scholastic is the world's largest publisher
and distributor of children's books,
connecting educators and families through
accessibility, engagement, and expertise.
They are a leading provider of literacy
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magazines, and a producer of educational
and popular children’s media. Scholastic is
currently in 115,000 schools, reaching 3.8
million educators, 54 million students, and
78 million parents/caregivers.
DID YOU KNOW?
World Read Aloud Day is February 5!
This annual advocacy day is presented
by global literacy nonprofit LitWorld and
sponsored by Scholastic, and unites
people around the world by highlighting
the importance of reading aloud and
sharing stories. To take part, grab a book
with your child and read aloud. Learn
more about World Read Aloud Day at:
scholastic.com/worldreadaloudday/
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