Okay, so youโre all into reading aloud with your kids, right?
Youโve got a great bunch of books to read, but your child insists on reading one thatโs a notch (or two or three!) above her reading level?
It happens more often than not, so donโt be alarmed.
If your childโs friends are all reading Harry Potter and sheโs still at the Cam Jansen or Amelia Bedilia stage? Sheโs going to want to read what her buddies are reading.
And thatโs okay. Thereโs nothing wrong with striving high and reaching far.
But it means that sheโll need a bit more support than she wants to admit.
So if your child wants to work through a difficult text, you need to establish some SOSS rules.
SOSS stands for:ย
- State the facts
- offer an Opt out
- create a Signal
- Shake on it
You need to be clear about the reading situation so that the child doesnโt reach a frustration level early on; or, if she does become frustrated, you need a plan.
Because friends, most likely at some point sheโll be frustrated through the text if itโs not at her working, instructional level.
Hereโs the thing to always, always remember: reading aloud, at home with parents, should be easy and fun. It should be low-stress and enjoyable. Bottom line.
Reading. Should. Be. Fun.
There are some ways to work through a difficult text together if you, as the parent, arenโt going to do the reading yourselfโif your child wants to do the reading.
Hereโs the skinny. .ย .
How To Support Your Child Through Difficult Texts
1.ย state the facts
Say, Okay, this is a little more difficult text than weโre used to, so that means a few things: 1. It means weโre going to run into words we donโt know how to pronounce or words we donโt know. 2. It also means that we may run into ideas we donโt understand.
2. offer an opt out
Say something along these lines:
Knowing that this is a tougher text, you now have a choice: do you want to find a new book, one thatโs less challenging, or do you want to work together through this one? You decide.
3. make a signal
If the decision is to drop the book and find another, find another best fit book.
If the decision is to stick with it, say something like:
Cool. Weโre sticking with this book, so we need an SOS signal to use whenever we hit a word we donโt know how to pronounce or know the meaning. The SOS signal can be a snap, a clap, a raised arm, a whistle, a hoot, a holler, a whisper, a โHelp!โ, a shimmy shakeโanything.
It just has to be easy to do, and you have to be comfortable doing it whenever you need a hand.
Once the signal is decided upon, make sure that the signal is used and that you follow up with:ย Do you want the word or want me to take over the reading? Either way works for me!
4. shake or slap on it
Like any big business transaction, to seal the deal, you need to shake on it.
But in this case, you can slap five, too. Either way works.
Just make it clear that everyone understands how to proceed. That way, there will be no hard feelings, no upset, and (hopefully) no frustration.
Friends, itโs just about letting kids know that as parents, weโre here to help them. And that itโs okay to ask for help.
And that weโre not judging them or grading them while they readโweโre supporting them.
Cheers, and happy reading during this incredibly exciting journey!
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