Basic Reading Skills

Becoming a proficient reader requires mastery of several skills that need to be applied simultaneously.
Obviously, this doesn't happen overnight. These basic skills should be learned first in isolation, then as
readers becomes more adept at each one, they can progress and combine until they can read
independently with full comprehension of what they read. Basic reading skills encompass a range from
phonics to comprehension.
Decoding
Decoding or sounding out words is the first step in reading. Children can decode when they understand that each
letter of the alphabet has a corresponding sound. Children then learn how to look at words in print, isolate each
separate sound, then blend them to read the word as a whole. The goal of phonics instruction is to enable readers to
become proficient at decoding so they are able to read words on their own and with little effort.
Vocabulary
Good readers increase their vocabulary every time they read and are able to recall these words when they see them
again. They begin by developing a sight word vocabulary. Sight words are words that are frequently found often in
common speech and books, such as "the," "is," "were," "was" and "said." Generally, these words cannot be sounded
out, so readers have to memorize them. Knowledge of these words is essential because they can be found in any
book.
Fluency
Fluency is the ability to read accurately with expression and at a speed that lends itself to comprehension. Fluent
readers will be able to read smoothly without having to take a lot of time to sound out words. They are also able to
use context clues to figure out unknown words. Fluency is most evident when a person reads aloud, but it can also be
seen by the reader's ability to understand what they read. Fluent readers are able to pay attention to the details in a
book because they don't have to spend a lot of time sounding out words.
Comprehension
Comprehension is a basic reading skill that develops as children learn to sound out words and recognize sight words.
The more they read, the easier it is for them to remember specific things like the main characters, setting and plot. As
reading skills progress, children will develop advanced comprehension skills like inferring, evaluating and retelling.
Activities to Improve Reading in Primary School
Students
The primary grades mark a time of tremendous growth in literacy skills, making reading activities a crucial
part of the school day. Students typically learn to read in kindergarten and continue developing fluency
and comprehension in first grade and beyond. Reading activities that address all reading skills help young
students develop a well-rounded approach to literacy.
Read Together
Reading as a group or with another person improves fluency and can help young readers expand
vocabulary. A group or partner approach can give a struggling reader confidence to tackle a book since she
has support from others. When a child struggles with decoding words or reading fluently, try echo reading.
You or a strong reader in the class reads one line. The class then repeats the line, mimicking your
inflection. If the students are familiar with the text, reading together as a group is an option. Another idea is
to pair students and have them read together or take turns. When you pair a strong reader with a weak
reader, the stronger reader models reading skills.
Tell It Again
Retelling is a strategy to improve comprehension of the material. After reading a story, have the young
students summarize what it was about. Have them verbally retell, draw pictures to show the main events or
act out the drama in the story. This also gives the kids a chance to use new vocabulary words from the story
to better understand the meaning. If a child cannot retell the story, he probably doesn't understand what he
read. This often happens when the text is too difficult because the child spends too much time trying to
figure out the words and misses the point of the story.
Graph It
Graphic organizers help young children understand what they read and connect it to their knowledge. A K-
W-L chart is an example of a graphic organizer you can use with reading. The "K" column represents what
the child already knows about the book's topic. This gets her brain engaged and ready to read. The "W"
stands for what the child wants to know. She might have questions that she doesn't know about the topic.
The "L" column happens after reading to show what she learned from reading the story. To help with
comprehension, chart predictions about what will happen next. You can also create graphic organizers to
show elements of the story, such as the character, setting, conflict and main ideas or events.
Get Artistic
Poems and songs give kids a chance to practice fluency and learn new vocabulary words. Many primary
classrooms often incorporate music into the day. Instead of just singing songs, print off the lyrics for the
kids. If you don't already have a classroom playlist, find a popular song with lyrics that include sight words
for your students. With the lyrics in front of them, play the song as students sing and read along. Poems
have a similar flow and often incorporate rhyming words that allow you to discuss word families. Poems
and songs work well for repeated readings since kids often enjoy listening to and reading them several
times.

Shared Reading Activities for Kindergarten

Shared reading is a group activity. Children learn to predict and make meaning out of what is not directly
expressed. Through a sense of community, children develop a pleasure for reading while acquiring skills
such as building vocabulary, learning story elements, and tracking reading left to right and word to word.
Shared reading activities like dramatic play, echo and choral reading, narrative storyboarding and word
games engage children in reading literacy.
Dramatic Play
Acting out stories helps children relate to the characters and choices they make. Retelling the story through
dramatic play improves reading comprehension by helping children remember what happened. Children
learn narrative structure through the characters and themes as the story unfolds, enriching play with
literacy. For example, in Aesop's Fable "The Lion and the Mouse," as children act out the story, they learn
bravery, mutual kindness and that size doesn't always equal effectiveness.
Echo Reading
In echo reading, children imitate the teacher's skilled reading. The teacher reads the words aloud while
tracking them in the children's view. This strategy allows children to learn sight words, begin reading more
advanced text, and gain confidence. Through echoing, students learn expressive, fluent reading. Read from
a variety of genres, such as poetry, folk tales and fairy tales, to spark their interests. For example, read
Robert Louis Stevenson's poem, “Bed in Summer," one line at a time and have the students read each line
back to you.
Choral Reading
During choral reading, children read aloud together with the teacher. Children are given a copy of the story
and follow along with a marker or finger. Choral reading models fluent reading and gives less skilled
children an opportunity to practice before reading on their own. Choose material that engages students'
imagination, such as Aesop's Fable "The Tortoise and the Hare" and encourage them to read each line with
the proper expression and emotion.
Narrative Storyboard
A storyboard is a graphic organizer with pictures of the story unfolding in sequence. Students visualize the
series of events as the story is read. For example, read "Goldilocks and the Three Bears” and have students
arrange the pictures on the storyboard to display the events as the story is read. Storyboarding conveys a
story's theme through visualization, which can remove barriers when English is not the primary language.
Word Games
Teaching children to recognize high frequency and sight words allows them to focus on understanding their
reading, rather than decoding unfamiliar words. Primary Concepts suggests playing games such as Word
Bingo. The teacher calls out a word. Using a Word Bingo board, if a player has the word a counter is
placed on it. The first player to get five words marked in a row or column wins. High frequency and sight
words can also be learned through music and word walls.
Developing Oral Language in Kindergarten
Children pick up on oral language from birth. While much of their verbal communication develops
naturally, they need opportunities to practice talking in order to develop their understanding of spoken
language. The kindergarten classroom is an ideal place to improve oral language through activities that
expand vocabulary and support the use of spoken words.
Let Them Talk
A quiet classroom won't encourage the development of oral language. Instead, give the kindergarten
students plenty of opportunities to talk in varied situations. Large group opportunities to test oral language
include answering questions, reading simple sentences the child wrote or doing show-and-tell. Putting
students in small groups or with partners gives them another opportunity to talk. Use group work when
possible. An example of a simple partner activity is to have pairs look at a picture and describe it to one
another. Dramatic play is another kindergarten activity that encourages language development. As the
students engage in imaginative play, they naturally make up conversations with their peers.
Let Them Listen
Listening to other people speak helps kindergarten students expand their vocabulary and learn how oral
language works. Students do a lot of listening during the average day, but you can do specific activities to
emphasize the listening skills. Reading aloud to kindergarteners is an enjoyable way to build listening
skills. Choose books with new vocabulary words to expand the students' understanding. As you read
through the book, discuss the meanings of unfamiliar words. Another way to emphasize listening is to have
students summarize something they've heard. You might tell a story and then have the children retell it to a
partner, for example.
Build Vocabulary
Kindergarten students come to school with a wide range of abilities, including the ability to speak and use a
variety of words. By intentionally introducing new vocabulary words, you help all of the students expand
their word banks. Using new words in the classroom and explaining what they mean is a simple way to
improve vocabulary. You might say, "You are all very exuberant today! Exuberant means you're very
energetic and excited." Labeling and descriptive activities also give children a chance to expand
vocabulary. Practice using descriptive words to explain how an object looks. If you have an apple, you
might say, "This apple is bright red with smooth, shiny skin. It feels firm when I squeeze it. The top is thick
but it gets narrow toward the bottom. If I bite into the apple, how do you think it will taste?" Have the
children practice describing objects in a similar way.
Support Oral Language
Your reaction when a child speaks is crucial in encouraging oral language development. Give students a
chance to think of a word when they're talking and get stuck. Finishing a sentence for a child takes away
her chance to put her thoughts into words. Always give them your full attention when they speak.
Maintaining eye contact and showing interest through your facial expressions encourages children to
continue talking. Avoid interrupting or immediately correcting mistakes, as the child may become
frustrated. Instead, rephrase what the child says using the correct word. If the child says, "I throwed the ball
really far," you might say, "Wow! You threw the ball all the way across the yard? That is impressive." You
show interest in what the child is saying and model the correct word without embarrassing him.
Listening Games for First Grade and Kindergarten
Classes
Listening skills are an important aspect of appropriate classroom behavior -- although at the kindergarten
and first-grade levels, such skills can be a bit tricky to master. Including interactive listening games in your
curriculum can help develop these important skills while still maintaining an entertainment element. Your
creativity and proactive approach will be rewarded with refined listening ears and eagerly awaiting faces.

Memory Game
Test your students’ memory skills and ability to follow simple instructions with this listening game. Grab
four musical instruments, such as a drum, xylophone, bell and whistle. Assign a task for each instrument.
For instance, if you ring the bell, your students should make a ninja pose. When you hit the drum, they
should pull their body into a ball shape. If you blow the whistle, the children should bark and act like a dog.
When you sound the xylophone, they should make their best silly face. Go through the instruments several
times. By the end of this activity, you should all be smiling.
Nature Walk
This activity implements listening skills for walking in line, using pedestrian safety, and following
directions. It also fosters appreciation for nature while sharpening students' sense of hearing. Walk with
your class until you find a safe, dry place on the grass. A play field works well for this. Ask the kids to sit
or lie down on the grass and close their eyes. Take a few minutes to listen to the sounds around you. Take
turns and state a sound, such as birds chirping, cars driving by, or the crunch of someone walking on
gravel.
Animal Talk
An animal activity will spark your students’ attention and get them excited about this listening game. Find
a recording of different animal sounds, or, if you’re good at doing animal sounds, you can do the sounds
yourself. Play the recording or make the sounds and ask your class to tell you what animal makes that
sound. You can ask them to raise their hand to be called on for their guess, or you can just have them call
out the animal when they know it. You can end the lesson after the recording is done or you can finish with
a few minutes of “act like your favorite animal” activity.
Red Light, Green Light
The game “Red Light, Green Light” incorporates listening skills while providing a physical activity to get
your students’ wiggles out. Find an area outside that is flat and dry or go to the gym. Line your students up
shoulder to shoulder. Stand at least 20 feet away from them. When you yell out “Green light,” they should
run toward you. If you say “Yellow light,” the children should move toward you very slowly. When “Red
light” is called, your students should freeze where they are. If any student moves when you say “Red light,”
he should go back to the start line. The first child to reach you gets to be the person calling out colors. Have
the children start over when a new person is assigned.
Teaching Kids to Read Time in Seconds & Minutes
By the time kids are five or six, they can understand concepts of time and start learning how to read a
clock face. Of course, this may not stop the question "Are we there yet?" but it can help you communicate
expectations about putting away toys in a timely manner or needing to leave the park to make it home in
time for dinner. Teaching kids how to read time in seconds and minutes is a good way to begin teaching
them how to tell time.
1 .Talk about the concept of time. Before kids can start reading a clock, they have to understand exactly
what it is the clock measures. Time can be an abstract concept for younger children. Introduce terms like
"before," "after" and "later" to start talking about time, such as, "We can eat dessert after dinner" or "We
will buy the toy later." Explain what these terms mean, and link them to specific events, like dinner or
buying the toy, so your child has a frame of reference.
2
Provide examples of activities that only take seconds or minutes to complete when you start introducing
these units of time. For example, you could ask your child to think about how many minutes it takes to
brush his teeth or how many seconds it takes to jump hopscotch. You can start by counting out the
seconds for shorter activities, and then you can watch the clock together for activities that take minutes.
3
Challenge them to complete activities within a certain time frame. For example, you could say, "Let's see
how many toys you can put in the box in 10 seconds" or "How many times can you run around the swing
set in one minute?" Activities like these help your child get a sense of how long seconds and minutes last.
4
Make clock faces with your child. Hands-on activities of this sort can help some children learn better. By
making their own clock, children may be more comfortable with the components of the clock face, such as
the second and minute markers, and thus may be able to read them easier on a real clock. Create a clock
face by drawing the numbers and time units on a paper plate with a marker. Cut out the hour, minute and
second hands from construction paper, and attach them to the center of the plate with a brad. Mark off
second or minute intervals on your paper clock for practice.
5
Ask them to time activities with a stopwatch. Get a stopwatch that has a digital display similar to an analog
clock. Instead of simply tallying the numbers, the stop watch simulates a second hand moving around the
face of a clock. Ask children to use the stopwatch to time short activities, such as how long it takes you to
pour a drink or to make a sandwich.
6
Buy them a watch. Choose an analog watch with a second hand. Ask your children to tell where the
minute or second hand is at any given moment or to time you completing activities to help get them
comfortable reading the clock face.
Games to Improve Listening Skills for Kids
Using games to teach effective listening to children is a fun way to develop auditory skills and social
development. Listening is key to following directions and developing the ability to remember concepts
taught in the classroom. Games serve as repetitive activities that enhance these skills and cultivate
auditory and literacy development. You can even use games as a way to exercise the brain and promote
retention of academic content. Listening activities condition children to develop new vocabulary and
recognize appropriate grammar.
Hide And Seek
Following directions is a beginning listening concept that is critical for young children. Try hiding a small toy or
treat and use verbal cues to help your child find the item. Use simple directions but emphasize that finding the
treasure hinges on their ability to listen to you. Older children can hone their listening skills by working together to
decipher a verbal puzzle. For example, pick a famous person and tell the group they can ask 20 questions to figure
out the name of the person. Impress upon the children that listening and connecting the information shared is the key
to success.
Follow The Leader
Facilitate an old-fashioned game of Simon Says as a way to emphasize the importance of focus and following
directions. Try saying, "Simon says touch your toes and then say sit on the floor." If your child follows the second
direction without hearing Simon says, they lose. This game reinforces how effective listening relates to following
directions. For older children, use a picture that includes geometrical shapes. Give the child a blank piece of paper
and then describe the picture and ask them to draw what they hear. Compare the two pictures and discuss how
listening to directions played a role in replicating the picture.
Copycat
The ability to grasp rhythmic patterns encourages the development of listening skills and helps young children learn
language skills. Try clapping simple patterns and ask your child to clap it back to you. Older children can benefit
from an awareness of how listening can impact a final outcome of a project. Whisper a sentence to one child and ask
them to repeat the sentence to the person sitting next to them. Continue this until everyone has heard the sentence.
Ask the final child to say the sentence aloud. Ask the group why the sentence changed and stress the importance of
listening in everyday life.
Guess Who
Playing games with varying sounds helps children learn to identify and connect sounds with objects. This promotes
perception and language development. Try making animal sounds or use a recording and ask your child to identify
the corresponding animal. If they identify the animal, show them a picture to reinforce their learning. This listening
and identification activity will reinforce the connection between sounds and symbols. Share 10 key concepts with a
group of older children and ask them to write down five of them. Repeat this three or four times and give a prize to
the child that recalls the most. This game connects listening with memory and content retention.
Examples of Phonetics Activities for Third Grade
By third grade, most students are good readers, but phonics still comes into play as they advance their
reading and spelling skills. Reinforcing phonics, which is the sounds that letters make, will help third-
graders continue to build the arsenal of words they can read by sight, as well as their ability to
comprehend and decode new words they come upon as they read.
Tongue Twisters and Nonsense Words
Tongue twisters are entertaining, but they also force third-graders to pay close attention to how they enunciate
words. Provide your third-graders with a variety of tongue twisters and have them read them aloud to each other.
Once they have the hang of reading tongue twisters, encourage them to write their own to share with their
classmates. Along those same lines, having third-graders read nonsense words also forces them to enunciate. Give
students a list of nonsense words and time them to see how quickly they can read the list. Let the students reread the
lists several times to help build their skills and improve their time.
Phonics Match-ups
Matching phonetic blends, such as "sl" or "cr," with potential end sounds, such as "ed" or "ow," helps build third-
graders' ability to sound words out. Write a blend on the board and encourage third-graders to write as many words
that have that blend as they can think of. Ask the students to share their lists. Repeat the activity with different
blends. The Scholastic website suggests playing a bat and ball game. Write different blends on baseball-shaped paper
cutouts and then give students a bat-shaped cutout with a variety of possible word endings. Ask the students to write
a list of the words they can make by combining the letters on the bat with the letters on the ball. Extend the activity
by having the third-graders write sentences with the words they've made.
Sound and Spell
Invite your third-graders to do show and tell, but with a twist. Ask students to bring an object from home and have
them share the items one at a time. Before the students talk about their object, however, they need to sound it out and
attempt to spell it phonetically. Encourage students to choose something that has two or three syllables to make the
activity age appropriate. As an alternative, provide the third-graders with objects that you've selected and have them
try to spell them phonetically.
A Few More Ideas
Have a phonics race with your third-graders. Divide the class into two teams and them give them a blend, such as
"bl." Set the timer for two or three minutes and challenge the teams to come up with as many words as they can with
that blend. The team with the most words gets a point. Continue playing with different blend sounds. Another
activity requires students to think about individual letter sounds. Give students a letter, such as "g," and ask them to
write sentences that include as many words with that sound as they can think of. Invite students to share their
sentences with their classmates. Repeat the activity with different letters.