TUTORING: FIRST STEP TO SUCCESS

Parents: Can your children read fluently and accurately what they can talk about and understand after have been in the Boise I.S.D for three or four years? If they can't, why not?

Ask yourself these questions:

• What do they do when they read to you aloud -- insert words that aren't in the text; pause unnecessarily; simply omit words; or substitute words they can't pronounce?
• When they come to a word they don't know, what do they do -- constantly just ask for you to tell them the word, or do they look at
  a picture and try and guess what it is?
• How frequently do they sound out words they don't recognize or do they ever try to do that at all?
• Does sounding out words come easily or do they avoid this attack skill?

Good readers, to the contrary, rely upon the following:

1) accurate decoding (translating written text to speech without error)
2) self-correcting (recognize mispronunciations and make corrections without guidance or encouragement);
3) speed (read at a rate comparable to talking with a friend); and
4) fluency (combining words into meaningful units when reading aloud, not "laundary-list" reading).

Children laboring with acquiring these skills by the end of the 3rd grade are in jeopardy and need help. If they don't get the help, the consequence is crippled readers, making school an unsuccessful experience, who frequently end up dropping out.

LITERACY ALERT provides that help. Contact johnoneone@q.com.