As early readers develop into fluent readers, one of the skills they must master is being able to read accurately. Included in that accuracy is noticing punctuation in the text and reflecting it in their reading. This isn't just to make them sound right or fluid while reading; it's to make sure the text is being understood. If they don't understand or use punctuation properly, they aren't getting a proper understanding of what the author is trying to say.
Mastering any skill takes practice, and becoming a fluent reader is no exception. This might not sound like a lot of fun but it can be, and you can help make this work fun for your child. One of my favorite ways to slip in extra practice of reading punctuation is with the book Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka.
This book was made for practicing reading punctuation. The text is packed with simple words and a ton of exclamation points, question marks, and commas. The story is a conversation between two boys on the street. That's it. The illustrations are a wonderful support for readers practicing reading with expression, and since it's a conversation between two people it's perfect for partner reading. A parent can be one character and model reading the punctuation correctly while the other character can be read by your child. This book makes working on fluency fun and easy, and kids love this book. Working on reading doesn't have to be a battle, and with wonderful books like this our kids won't even know they are working on anything. They will just be having fun reading a great book.
Do you have a favorite book that helps your child work on reading punctuation or with expression? Tell us about it on the Scholastic Parents Facebook page.