Saturday, December 7, 2013

Children's Books that Teach Vocabulary

In two previous posts, Vocabulary to Teach High School Students and Vocabulary to Teach Kids I shared with you how to improve your child’s vocabulary whether he is in elementary, middle or high school. In this post we are going to talk about the books and worksheets.  For grades, K-2 it is important to focus word in the sight word list whether it is the dolch or the Fry sight word list. These list contain the words that are found in high frequency use the books this age group read and it will improve the quality or read fluency which means he is less likely to stumble over words while reading. To take a look at a partial list of the Fry sight word see post Vocabulary to Teach Kids. I recommend the sight word reader series by Roxanne Lanczak because these books are specifically targeted to using sight words which makes it easier for us as parents not to play the guessing game on what books to use for sight words. Click here to see a list of sight word books. I also like the fact that the books are not too long and easy reads so that he, meaning your child, doesn’t get overwhelmed.
Generally speaking by the time he is in Grade 3-5, he is reading chapter books. It is crucial during this time that you pay close attention to his reading because the level of the books vary. For instance, the I Can Read series is good for this grade group, but their are 3 levels. Each has a varying degree of hardness. You will have to monitor it he is struggling to read the words by stubbling over too many words or that he goes through the book quickly which indicates the book is too easy. Either way you will have to adjust the reading up a level if the book is too easy or down a level if the book is too hard.
In grades 6-12, he becomes so independent, but their is still a way to help them improve their vocabulary. This age group needs to learn greek and latin root words. As I explained in a previous, post because it improves his vocabulary and reading comprehension. The best way to teach greek and latin root words is through worksheets. In conclusion, vocabulary is important to understanding what is read and the speed.
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