Sometimes it's hard to come up with something different for new readers to practice on. We've all heard a new reader take out a book he's read a few times and say, "Look! I can read this with my eyes closed!" The repetitive patterned text in many Level A to C books is a good support as children are just getting started, but memorizing text can give your students the wrong idea about what reading really is.
Here's something to supplement those early level books. Story Cards are short "stories" of 3 or 4 sentences, stuffed full of high frequency words. New readers will also have opportunities to use meaning and structure and cross-check with visual info as they decode just a few new words. The phrases and punctuation will encourage your students to read fluently. Reading a Story Card is also an opportunity to practice directional behavior on multple lines of text - the kids are proud that they read the "whole thing" by themselves! Try them in your
Click on the picture here to get 2 summer-themed Story Cards.
Happy Teaching!
