(How) Can we read? Supporting emerging readers
An interview with early elementary teacher Allison Prajapati
Full disclosure: I’ve known Allie since we were 12 years old, in 6th grade, eating giant chocolate chip cookies for lunch every day. She’s my true life partner, my ride-or-die, who I’ve talked to nearly every day of the week for years upon years, through every phase and season of life, in good times and bad.
She also happens to be an early elementary teacher at the Madison Metropolitan School District here in Madison, Wisconsin — the place we both spent all 12 years of our education, half of it, luckily, together.
In the 2020-21 school year, when I undertook the insane project of homeschooling my then-1st grader — the main focus of which was teaching her to read — Allie kept me (mostly) stable. I won’t admit to the number of nighttime phone calls she fielded from me where I literally wept from frustration and fear and the deep belief that I’d made a huge mistake and was currently screwing up my child, because there were so many, I lost count.
When I wanted to interview someone about what caregivers can do to support emerging readers, she was the first — and only — person who came to mind. There might be people out there more qualified, but I don’t care. Allie is in her 14th year teaching 4K-1st grade — in addition to one year as a three-year-old daycare teacher and two years as a Library Media Specialist — and that’s qualification enough for me.
But wait: what’s an emerging reader? “Emerging readers” are those readers who cannot yet read independently but are working on it: learning the basics of reading, making the transition to longer texts, becoming more skilled and competent bit by bit, and writing a little, even if it’s only letters or phonetic spelling of words.
Here’s what Allie has to say on this topic.
What’s the most important thing to understand regarding what K-2 kiddos are learning about reading at this stage?
K-2 readers are learning an incredible amount of phonics rules to learn how to read and write words correctly. They start by learning letter sounds, then how to put them together into consonant-vowel-consonant words (cat, hug, fit). Next they start to add consonant blends into the mix, then long vowels, double letters, and the list goes on and on. Not to mention they are learning high frequency words that don’t follow phonics rules (the, was, of…) They are also learning how to read fluently so they sound like “a reader.”
What’s the biggest reading obstacle for your students?
There is so much pressure on the kids to all learn at the same time. Kids learn to read at different times (just like babies get teeth at different ages, learn to walk at different ages, get potty trained at different ages). We can’t expect everyone to learn to read simultaneously and in the same way. The kids feel this pressure.
What’s something you wish more caregivers understood about reading and reading instruction for this age group?
Reading is a process; it takes time.
Keep reading to your child, encourage them to read and write (and don’t just tell them how to write every word — ask them to write the sounds they hear, and understand that it is very important for kids to write phonetically before they start writing correctly).
Certainly advocate and ask if it seems like something is a struggle or your child is sharing concerns, but also don’t get flustered if the neighbor kid seems like they can read better than your child can.
What can caregivers do at home to support the reading instruction happening in the classroom?
I think you need to follow your child in this. If they want to learn more and practice at home, do it. If they start resisting and don’t want to read, don’t push it.
More than likely, they have been working their butt off at school and it’s not worth forcing them to read if they just want to listen to you read a story before bed.
How can caregivers best support developing readers (often called “struggling” readers) at home?
It’s so important to play word games. These are the foundation of reading. Play rhyming games (it’s okay if the words aren’t real words), and think of words that sound the same at the beginning and at the end. The more kids can hear the different sounds in words and substitute one sound for another, the sooner they will be successful with reading.
How can caregivers best support children reading above — sometimes well above — grade level at home?
Oftentimes kids who learn to read sooner don’t have the same writing skills. If you have an avid reader, try to encourage writing (letters, stories, journals, lists, etc).
And, just because you have a reader at home doesn’t mean that you should stop reading to them. Kids need to hear an adult read for years and years (forever really — how many adults love audiobooks? and for good reason). Hearing an adult read helps kids learn correct pronunciation and cadence, how to emphasize and use punctuation, and make a story really have meaning. Kids learn that by hearing it.
Are there any books you'd like to recommend? Titles you just adore, or ones that have been a big hit in your home or classroom?
I read the My Father’s Dragon series by Ruth Stiles Gannett every year to my 1st grader students. They love the books, which work well for both children who are and children who are not used to listening to chapter books.
Regarding picture books: I find that the books I love the most are the ones I’m going to read with the most feeling and love. Your love for a story will play out in how you read.
A huge thank you to Allie for answering my questions. I hope this has been helpful.
And I want to encourage you to undertake a little homework:
Here is your assignment:
Write down all the ways you’re currently supporting your emerging reader. (If you’re not doing anything, that’s okay. Start where you are.)
Write down 2-3 things you’ve learned today — a new idea or approach — that you can start doing to support your emerging reader.
Give yourself a high five ✋ for both #1 and #2, use this information to keep going, and above all, be patient with yourself and your child. With a few exceptions, everyone learns to read eventually, and every kid gets there in their own time.
Sarah
P.S. If you need some ideas for first chapter books and/or high-quality early readers, check out my post on the topic:
Thank you so much for your insight, Allison! Great choice of interview and so relevant to my life right now. It is HARD to be patient with my emerging (and reluctant) reader after a full day at work and all the things but I'm trying so that it doesn't discourage progress. Any suggestions for a good reply to "I can't read?"
Thank you so much, Allie! This was really helpful. And I love the reminder that everyone learns to read at a different pace, just like every developmental milestone. Sometimes it breaks my heart how much undue pressure these kids feel to "keep up" with very arbitrary learning guidelines.