Published: June 26, 2023
2023 – The Year of the Family
The Institute of Multi-Sensory Education believes 2023 will be the year when “Families will become more engaged in their child’s literacy development.” Across the nation, parents are eager to help support their children on their quest to become skilled readers.
According to our Nation’s Report Card, reading scores dropped 3 points in 2022 for both 4th and 8th graders. The effects of the pandemic on our education system has certainly contributed to this.
As a result, many schools around the nation have adopted or enriched their curriculums based on “The Science of Reading.”
Research has found that reading and comprehension requires multifaceted skills. “The Science of Reading” introduced educators to the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope.
A model showing that skilled readers need to have language comprehension skills (background knowledge, vocabulary, language structure, verbal reasoning and literacy knowledge) as well as, word recognition skills (phonemic awareness, decoding, and sight recognition).
“All the components are interconnected and interdependent. If just one strand is weak, it affects the rope (and the reader) as a whole.”
Schools across the nation have already implemented concepts of “The Science of Reading.” Trends show it will have a broader impact in the upcoming year.
Building Vocabulary
Vocabulary is critical to comprehension. “Knowing 95-98% of the words in a text is necessary for an acceptable comprehension level.” Building academic vocabulary at home can help build a child’s prior knowledge. Parents can foster rich vocabulary by using words that are not typically used in spoken language, but often displayed in written language. Playing word games like Bananagram, Scrabble, Big Bobble and Wordle are fun and engaging ways to practice and enhance vocabulary. Working on a crossword puzzle or a word search together builds vocabulary and encourages critical thinking.
Comprehension Strategies
A great way to practice comprehension strategies at home is to start a conversation. Go beyond the book before, during and after reading. Before reading, activate prior knowledge and set a purpose for reading (are you reading to learn or for fun?). Think, what do you already know about this topic? During reading, make connections and stop and think! What’s happening? After reading, ask your child to make a quick sketch or jot down and summarize what they learned. Journals are a great way to monitor if your child really understands what they read.
Reading…A Way of Life!
Modeling reading and making it a daily habit is a great way to connect with your child. Reading together creates memories that last a lifetime. Set a time and place to read. Use your imagination and create a reading nook in your home. Who wouldn’t love a cozy fun place just for reading!
Take a trip to the library or the bookstore. Let them choose! Studies show kids are motivated to read about things they find interesting. Subscribe to educational magazines like National Geographic Kids and motivate your child to read nonfiction and learn all about the world around them. Even better, start a little free library of your own and help your child inspire others to read! (littlefreelibrary.org)
Our goal is to use explicit instruction based on the “Science of Reading.” Our tutors are experienced in literacy development and comprehension and focus on the individual needs of our students.
Our literacy services include:
- Orton-Gillingham reading remediation
- Dyslexia screening
- Comprehensive evaluations of literacy skills to establish specific competencies, using over a dozen standardized and criterion-referenced tests.
- One-on-one instruction with a certified reading specialist
- ELA tutoring
- Small group book clubs
*Written by our staff author and teacher, Maryann Moriarty. Maryann has 15 years of teaching experience in New York City and is a contributing author at the Educator’s Room.