Help students identify the main ideas presented in the text, as well as the supporting detail. Graphics help to reveal main ideas, and the relationship between text and graphics helps students understand what they are reading. Point out unfamiliar words and explore their meaning. Revisit these words frequently and encourage students to use them in their own conversations. Show children how to analyze contextual clues to figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
Research shows that most vocabulary growth comes from learning new words in reading.
After students have mastered a few letter-sound correspondences, teach them to decode words or sound them out. Begin with small, familiar words. Teach the children to sound out the letters, left to right, and blend them together, searching for the word in memory. Model sounding out the word, blending the sounds together and saying the word. The ability to sound out new words allows children to identify and learn new words on their own.