Parallel Reading

Reading Classification:
Classified Cards
Materials Collections of pictures dealing with:
A. The home environment: furniture, things in the bedroom,
bathroom, kitchen, clothing, appliances, types of homes
B. The social environment: things on the street, things in a park,
school, playground, transportation, professions, types of buildings, on a
farm
C. Cultural Areas: illustrations of geographical, geometrical,
biological and scientific terms. (parts of the….) classification of
land/water, classification of living/living, vertebrate/invertebrate,
classifications of vertebrates, genres of art, parts of animals and plants

There are two sets of the cards for each classification. Mute cards with
detached labels and a set of control cards with the name attached. They
are in a folder or box with an indication of the classification on the
outside.

Purposes  Reading exercises to introduce the child to the written form for the
 Parallel Reading
Reading Classification: Classified Cards

vocabulary he already knows from the Enrichment of Vocabulary

 To help the child in his classification of the environment
 Preparation for further studies

Age 4 and up

Preparation  The child is becoming fluent decoding phonetic and words with key
phonograms without having to sound them out.
 The child knows the related vocabulary from enrichment of
vocabulary cards

Presentation Part A: Social

1. Choose one packet of classified cards, leaving the control set on the
shelf or place it face down on the right side.
2. Remove the key card and place it at the top of the table.
3. Find its label and place it below the key card.
4. Help child place cards in 1-2 columns leaving space for their labels.
5. Ask child to read each label and place it under appropriate picture.
6. If a label is unknown, set it to the side and return to it later.
7. When finished, introduce control set to check child’s work – either
placing control card on top or next to the picture.

Part B: Scientific
1. Invite a child and bring materials. Review story if necessary.
Note: whenever possible introduce real object with spoken language.
3. Continue as in Part A.

Part C: Biology Classifications

C1: Living and Non-Living
1. (review books if needed) Bring packet, remove and place headings.
2. Child sorts pictures according to classification leaving space for
labels, coming back to unknowns as needed through elimination.
3. Check work with the control cards.
4. OR Arrange the pictures randomly in columns – read and place the
labels, check with control cards, then classify as living or non-living.
C2: Plant and Animal
1. Proceed as in C1.
C3: 5 Classes of Vertebrates
1. Start with just two classes at a time. Discuss information about the
chosen two before proceeding with the presentation.
2. Proceed as in C2.
Note: On other days, show other classifications, working up to all 5.
Extension: Mix up two sets of cards and sort according to
classifications; read the labels; work up to 5 sets.
 Parallel Reading
Reading Classification: Classified Cards

Control of Error None

Following 1. Invite the child to use the prepared slips for objects in the
Exercises environment.

Pedagogical  You should have about 40-50 sets of three part cards for reading
Notes classification. The classifications are the same as those for
Enrichment of Vocabulary.

 What skills does the child now have for reading? They can read
mechanically (phonetically, key phonograms) and know some puzzle
words. What will help them become more fluent? Lots of practice.

 For child to reach total reading, they need opportunities to practice in

things that are interesting, not just phonetic words and puzzle words
and phonogram, which are limited and mechanical.

 For some children, discovering a word that isn’t phonetic, can

inspire them to turn to phonogram work.

 If you don’t do oral language well, children will struggle to read.

 If this work is done well, there is no need for dry, phonetic readers.