By doing this, good readers are able to understand what is written on a page. A good reader knows that a person would ride a horse, not a house. Good readers also use the way sentences are put together to figure out what sounds right. Good readers use what they know about the sounds of letters and groups of letters to help them figure out words. By using all three strategies, good readers are able to read and understand written language.
Parents can help their children learn to use the following process to figure out unknown words.
Look at the picture and think about the story. Go back and read from the beginning of the sentence. When they get to the unknown word, have them say the beginning sound and slide to the end of the word. Read on to the end of the sentence. Go back and try saying the word.