In hindsight it seems so simple, but two tiny sticker dots have been a HUGE help to our reading lessons with our youngest. There are days when he gets overwhelmed when he sees his reading assignment for the day. And remember small progress leads to big improvement. While we don’t need to use this method quite as much anymore, it was one of those ‘aha’ moments for me – and may be for you all as well!
The reading fluency sheets from the All About Reading program are absolutely wonderful, but Kaleb’s hesitancy comes at having to read “all those words” (as he puts it). While there really isn’t a lot to read on the sheets, looking at two 8.5” x 11” pages can seem like a lot since they aren’t in typical story format like the hard cover readers from the program.
Usually we break up a reading lesson to complete over a few days, but that initial shock can wreak havoc on a little boy’s emotions (smiles). We began using some tiny little Mark-it Dots to show the stop/start point in his reading assignments and I cannot tell you the WORLD of difference that it has made.
The Mark-it Dots (found on Amazon) are reusable and lightly sticky, so you can put one dot at the starting point of the reading assignment and one at the end to show a definite end. Once the reading assignment is completed, the stickers can be peeled off and re-applied to the next day’s assignment.
We have the 1/4” Mark-it dots (there are larger 3/4” dots too) that come in a pack with rainbow colors. We use a green dot for our start point and a red dot for our ending point, and it has worked so very well!
Does your child ever get overwhelmed reading? What tips have you found that help ease the anxiety?
Every day sees progress in some small way that over time adds up to improvement. It’s hard to see at times, especially when we are a part of the small steps leading up to those larger strides. Yes, it requires perseverance and sticking through those (maybe many) rough days, but progress is being made. (read more…)
Interested in learning more about All About Reading – click here!
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