Raising an Active Reader

Samantha Cleaver, PhD, studied read aloud and developed Active Reading during her work with Read Charlotte, a community-wide initiative to double the number of students reading on grade level by 3rd grade in Mecklenburg County, NC. She holds a doctorate in special education with a focus on literacy interventions from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Table of Contents



Acknowledgments



Introduction



Active Reading: Preparing Your Child for Reading Success



What is Active Reading?



The Case for Read Aloud when Kids can Read on Their Own



Ready to Read with Me More



Chapter 1: Keep Reading with Me



Active Reading in the Early Elementary Years



Elementary School-Aged Children Learn (A Lot) from Picture Books



Active Reading: Evidence-Based Bedtime Reading



Raising Active Readers



ABCs of Active Reading with Elementary Schoolers



A: Ask Questions



B: Build Vocabulary



C: Make Connections



Keep Reading with Me



What to Remember



Chapter 2: I Can Read on my Own!



What is Reading?



Reading and your Elementary-Schooler



The Big 5: What it Takes to Read



Phonemic Awareness



Phonics



Fluency



Vocabulary



Comprehension



Language: The Foundation for Reading



Active Reading and the Home-School Connection



How do Parents Contribute to Reading Success?



More Ways to Help Your Child with Reading at Home



Let’s Read!



What to Remember



Chapter 3: Books, Books, Books: Building a Library for a Growing Reader



Active Reading Wide and Deep



Your Child’s Reading “Diet”



Illustrated Chapter Books



Myths, Fairy Tales, and Folk Tales



Your Favorites



Your Child’s Perfect Fit



Poetry



Nonfiction



Books that are Beyond Their Years



The Latest, Greatest Books



Windows and Mirrors: Cultivating Diversity and Empathy through Books



Books as Windows



Books as Mirrors



Books They Read On Their Own



Leveled Readers



My First Chapter Books



Tree Books vs. E-Books



Books Matter



What to Remember



Chapter 4: Ask Questions



The Importance of Conversation



Why do we Ask Questions?



Asking Questions about Stories



Story Questions



Using Questions to Help Children Understand Difficult Texts



1. What Does the Text Say?



2. How Does the Text Work?



3. What Does the Text Mean?



4. What Does the Text Inspire You to Do?



Thinking Critically about Stories



How do Children Develop Critical Thinking?



How to Raise a Critical Thinker



Get Kids to Ask Questions



Tell Me More



What to Remember



Chapter 5: Build Vocabulary



Vocabulary is Important, Imperative, and Significant



How Children Learn Words



Finding Words: The Power of Books



Rare Words



Academic Words



Understanding Phrases



Choosing Words during Active Reading



Building Your Child’s Vocabulary through Active Reading



Becoming Word Learners: Developing Word Consciousness



Words, Words, Words



What to Remember



Chapter 6: Make Connections to the Child’s World: Fiction



Making Inferences: Connecting Old and New Information



Cause-and-Effect Inferences



Relationship Inferences



How Do You Know? Helping Children Make Inferences



Making Predictions



Remember to Circle Back



What if My Child’s Prediction Makes No Sense?



Connecting with Stories to Learn about the World



Using Fiction to Help Children Connect to Tough Topics



Connect to Your Child’s World



Chapter 7:Making Connections to Nonfiction Text



Nonfiction and 3rd Grade Reading



The Challenge of Reading Nonfiction



Background Knowledge



Text Structure



Academic Vocabulary



Background Knowledge: The Backbone for Understanding Nonfiction



Build Background Knowledge: Read Wide and Deep



How to Encourage Wide and Deep Reading



Talk about Nonfiction Book Structure



Text Features



Applying the ABCs of Active Reading to Nonfiction



Getting Started: Book Walks



Ask Questions about Nonfiction



Before Reading



During Reading



After Reading



Building Vocabulary with Nonfiction



Make Connections to Nonfiction



Connect with Nonfiction Text



What to Remember



Chapter 8: Active Reading with Chapter Books and Novels



What Makes Chapter Books and Novels Special?



Choosing Chapter Books and Novels to Read Together



Choosing Chapter Books for Your Child to Read On Their Own



The ABCs of Active Reading Chapter Books and Novels



Ask Questions



Story Grammar Questions



Visualizing What We Read



Build Vocabulary



Make Connections



Make Connections with Background Knowledge



Make Connections From Scene to Scene



Make Connections with Characters, Events, and Feelings



Raising a Novel Reader



Active Reading with Longer Stories



What to Remember



Chapter 9: Active Reading and the Struggling Reader



How Kids Struggle with Reading



Word Reading



Fluency



Comprehension



What Kids Who Struggle with Reading Need in Grades K-2



Perfect Practice



Build Stamina



When Children Struggle to Make Inferences



Model How to Visualize



Reread Important Sections



Work at the Sentence Level



Build a Bridge



Use Wordless Picture Books



Active Reading with Struggling Readers



More Ways to Support a Child Who Struggles with Reading



Raising Active Readers



What to Remember



Chapter 10: Raising an Active Reader



Active Readers beyond 3rd Grade



Keep Your Child Reading



Taking the ABCs of Active Reading beyond Books



Ask Questions



Build Vocabulary



Make Connections



Develop Your Child’s Interests and Passions



Keeping Read Aloud Alive in Your Family



Appendix A: Book Lists



Appendix B: Frequently Asked Questions



References



About the Author