Create A Reading Champ for Life

Aiden: Mommy, how'd you learn to read so fast all the time?
Me: How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Aiden: Practice.
Me: There you have it!

(Can we pause for a second and talk about Aiden's response?! I mean... he's so my child!) What he was actually trying to ask was "How am I able to read so fluently all of the time?" And what I was trying to respond to him was that he'll have to put in some real work -- ie: practice -- in order read like he speaks.

You see, the kid's in the first grade right now, which means we're right in the thick of learning to read fluently, like we speak. He's got the sight words down pat, he's got the blends down, he's got the sounds of the consonants and vowels down, and he knows how to have discussions about what he's reading.

But he's working on tracking the words without using his fingers and reading fluently. Which means we're working on reading fluently.

And if you've ever listened to a kindergartner or first grader read a book for the first time, you know how choppy their sentences can sometimes be and how you sometimes feel like pulling your hair out because of how slowly they can sometimes read. 

Enter Reading Champs, by Rita M. Wirtz, MA.

Rita Wirtz is a literacy expert and her book, Reading Champs is all kinds of dope, particularly because it has time-tested, at-home support tools for elementary-aged children. The book is 213 pages, but it's a pretty easy -- and solid -- read.

From recognizing words to building vocabulary to self-correcting to boasting confidence, there are so many mini-lessons that anyone can do with their children (read: you do not have to be a teacher or work in education in order to maximize on the book's potential). The mini-lessons are as short as 20 minutes, but help you target a specific skill.

Of course, I went to the table of contents to search for the lessons on fluency. Not only did the introduction help me understand the meaning of fluency much better, but the mini lessons have really helped Aiden work towards building his fluency. It's not perfect, but it's improved exponentially.

At times, he's still reading by using his fingers to under each word, but his reading is much more smooth, automatic, and filled with expression. And I don't feel like pulling my hair out while he's reading aloud to me.

Because he's reading more fluently now, he's able to sustain a single reading session for up to 25 minutes at a time, which is like a miracle amazing since Aiden is very rambunctious and full of energy, and will almost always choose to be active over sitting still.

Needless to say, I'm pleased with the tips and tricks that I got from reading Reading Champs. Be sure to visit the Reading Champs website in order to learn more about the book and how you can buy your copy.

{Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed herein are my own. Thanks for supporting Mommy Delicious.}