| Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables | | | | "problems", "weakness" or something of the sort. |
| is a great book that can help your daughter | | | | In any case, your daughter will learn ‘how' to |
| improve her reading comprehension skills. | | | | use the sentence to gather the meaning of an |
| You can have your daughter use the reading | | | | unknown word even if she doesn't guess the |
| strategies she learns in school while reading Anne | | | | correct meaning of the word. With a bit of |
| of Green Gables or your daughter can use the | | | | practice, your daughter will learn how to guess |
| strategies while you read the book out loud (i.e. it | | | | the correct meaning. |
| is a perfect bedtime story). | | | | Questioning |
| Here is an excerpt from the book that provides | | | | Questioning is the reading strategy that keeps |
| an example of how your daughter can improve | | | | readers interested in continuing to read on. When |
| her reading comprehension skills: | | | | readers ask questions, they gain a better |
| "For reasons best known to herself, Marilla did not | | | | understanding and read on to make meaning. |
| tell Anne that she was to stay at Green Gables | | | | Try to have your daughter ask questions as she |
| until the next afternoon. During the forenoon she | | | | reads. Have her focus on questions relating to |
| kept the child busy with various tasks and | | | | ‘why' events, problems, or a character's |
| watched over her with a keen eye while she did | | | | actions occur. In this case, have your daughter |
| them. By noon she had concluded that Anne was | | | | question why, "By noon she had concluded that |
| smart and obedient, willing to work and quick to | | | | Anne was smart and obedient, willing to work and |
| learn; her most serious shortcoming seemed to | | | | quick to learn".How did she know Annie was |
| be a tendency to fall into daydreams in the middle | | | | smart? What did Annie do that showed she was |
| of a task and forget all about it until such time as | | | | quick to learn? |
| she was sharply recalled to earth by a reprimand | | | | Making Connections |
| or a catastrophe." | | | | When your child has a similar experience to that |
| While reading the text, your daughter can | | | | of a character in a book, your child is more likely |
| incorporate the following reading strategies: | | | | to understand the character's motivation, |
| Context Clues | | | | behaviors, and thoughts. |
| Sometimes, your daughter will simply have to | | | | Have your daughter make a text to self |
| take out a dictionary and find a word's meaning. | | | | connection with the following part from the |
| Other times, your daughter might want to infer | | | | excerpt, "…seemed to be a tendency to fall into |
| the meaning of an unknown word using context | | | | daydreams in the middle of a task and forget all |
| clues. | | | | about it until such time as she was sharply |
| The context refers to the text that surrounds an | | | | recalled to earth by a reprimand or a |
| unknown word. These are ‘clues' that let your | | | | catastrophe." Ask your daughter if she ever |
| child make a guess as to the meaning of the | | | | daydreams (you may have a better idea if she |
| word. That is, your daughter can try to use the | | | | daydreams than she does). Or perhaps your |
| context clue to figure out the meaning of an | | | | daughter knows someone who daydreams. Have |
| unknown word. Your daughter should replace the | | | | your daughter ask questions or infer why Annie |
| underlined word so that the sentence still makes | | | | daydreams (here, your daughter can recall |
| sense. | | | | important character traits that Annie has exhibited |
| For example, your daughter can use context | | | | earlier in the book). |
| clues to determine the meaning of the following | | | | Classic books such as Anne of Green Gables |
| word in bold, "her most serious shortcoming | | | | contain a rich vocabulary with descriptive |
| seemed to be a tendency to fall into daydreams..." | | | | characters, plot, and settings. Have your child use |
| You can ask your daughter is she has a | | | | the reading strategies he or she learns in school |
| ‘rough' idea as to the meaning of the word | | | | while reading high quality books and your child |
| ‘shortcoming' based on the sentence. Your | | | | should improve his or her overall reading |
| daughter may come up with the words, | | | | comprehension skills. |