In group 3 the time has come: children learn to read. After toddlerhood, many children really look forward to this. Some children have already picked up a few things as a toddler and already know the letters and for some children everything is new. For example, some children will complete group 3 with ease, while others will need extra help to reach the desired level at the end of the school year. That extra help can come from both the school and the parents.
How do students learn to read?
- During the first six months, children learn which sound goes with which letter (the sound-letter link). Once they know most of the letters, they learn to ‘chop’ words into pieces and ‘stick them back together.’ This allows them to read simple, one-syllable words such as cat and forest . The intention is that most children will have mastered this around February.
- During the second half of the year, children learn to read words with multiple syllables and words with different spellings such as: lion, lake, color, etc. Reading speed will also have to increase; reading should be, as it were, automatic. They also learn to write words themselves (spelling). Many schools will test this by means of dictations that can possibly be practiced at home.
What kind of tests can a school use?
- The so-called autumn signaling takes place at many schools around the autumn holidays. It is then tested whether the student can recognize all letters (by means of the grapheme test) and can write down a number of letters themselves (by means of the phoneme test).
- Basic reading skills will be tested around February: letter knowledge and reading speed. Speed can be tested by the DMT (Three Minute Test) where the student has to read as many words as possible in three minutes. AVI tests can be used to test what level the child is in terms of reading books. The child can therefore read books at their own level.
- Weak readers can be tested additionally at the end of March. It is then examined to what extent the reading is automated (comes naturally) and whether any additional guidance has had an effect
- At the end of the school year, children can be identified who could possibly be dyslexic. This may be the case if additional reading help has had no effect and/or the child still reads with spelling. In most cases, dyslexia as a real diagnosis can only be made from group 5 onwards.
What can the school do if there are reading problems?
For weak readers it is important to simply read a lot. There is no trick that will suddenly make a child see the light, it will require real training. Weak readers can be roughly divided into children who continue to spell too much but do not make many mistakes (spelling readers) and children who guess what is written, which means they read quickly but also make many mistakes (guessing readers).
- For spelling readers it can be useful to work on letter knowledge. Speed can also be practiced. This can be done with a so-called flash program. With flashing, a child is briefly shown a word (on a card or on a computer) after which he or she has to say the word as quickly as possible.
- It is important for guessing readers to learn to read more accurately. It may be useful to have the child point where he or she is with his or her finger. It can also be useful to highlight difficult words so that the child knows when they need to be extra careful.
What can parents do to help their child with reading?
Parents can help their child by reading a lot with them. Reading aloud and letting the child read for themselves can be alternated. Nowadays many booklets have also been released on audio, allowing the child to read along with the reading voice.
- Practicing regularly for a short period of time is more effective than reading less often for a longer period of time. Reading 10 minutes four times a week is therefore more useful than 40 minutes once a week.
- It is smart to offer sufficient variety when it comes to the booklets. For example, some children find informative books or comic books more interesting than stories.
- The level must match as closely as possible with what the child is doing at school. So read as much as possible in the same eleventh AVI level. Sometimes teachers can also provide booklets so that they can be read at home.
- It is important that all this is done in a relaxed, fun way. If children start reading reluctantly, they will also make less progress.
- Finally, it is important to continue reading during the summer holidays, otherwise your knowledge will disappear.