Students have been learning about a new reading strategy that is helpful when working on accuracy, or reading the words correctly. The children use this strategy when they come to a word they do not know or when they notice they read a word incorrectly. When this happens, students can try "cross checking." This strategy is listed under our CAFE menu under the accuracy column. This is an important strategy to learn that helps them monitor for meaning. We are stressing the importance of "understanding what we read" and if you do not notice when you read the word incorrectly or simply skip it, you lose the purpose of reading. Your children have talked about the importance of reading and have discussed the idea that we read to learn and to enjoy stories. If we are not understanding what we read, there is no purpose for it.
How can you help your child with this strategy at home?
1. Listen to your child read. When he comes to a word he is unsure of, remind him to cross check.
Ask:
• Does the word you are reading match the picture or letters written?
• Does it sound right?
• Does it make sense?
2. If your child is having difficulty with this strategy at home, break down the process:
• Have child stop reading when meaning breaks down.
• Tell her/him to look at the letters and say the sounds or look for word chunks in
words.
• Remind him/her to use the pictures to help.
3. To make your child aware of using this strategy, give him a piece of paper and tell
him to make a tally mark each time he uses the cross checking strategy.
Ideas and strategies are taken from : The CAFE Book, written by Gail Boushey & Joan Moser
