Book in review

A little review to help your little readers

ADDED October 20, 2008

Use this out loud reading activity at home to help your new readers (and even older ones) review words that cause stumbling. It's called "The Book in Review," and it's not a game, but a way to build a familiarity with newly learned words.

Here is how to do it: As your kid is reading a book out loud, keep a mental list of what words are new or that might need some review. When the reading is done, close the book and give your child a pop quiz on the tricky words.

Make it fun and, if you're up for it, make it a little bit like a game show. Find a page that has a troublesome word, point to it and ask in a booming voice, "What is the word?" If they get the word right, cheer and whoop. Make "jackpot" sound effects and an all-around big deal.

Then move onto another word and repeat the question. If your child gets the word wrong, have them work on figuring it out, and keep that page marked for further review and move onto another word. When your kid gets the next word right, quickly turn back to the word they previously got wrong, review it again until it is correct. In the end, when you are finished with the review, carry your young reader on your shoulders like they are champs that just won the big game.

Try a review with your little readers today. (But don't practice this book review with your significant other unless you are able to lift them up on your shoulders!