Learning to read can be so exciting for some school children, but for others, it’s a daunting time. Some kids learn to read at a much slower pace than others but, when you continue to work with those children, you see that, eventually, they’ll get it. One of the problems which haunts some kids while learning to read is that they lose their place. They’ll be reading a line, and when they get to the end of it, they don’t necessarily make it on to the next line. Maybe they pick up on the same line they just read, or they accidentally drop down two lines. It can be very disturbing for the child who is trying so hard. There’s a simple craft you can do which will help your child learn to keep track of the line which is being read. A reading guide is similar to a bookmark but much more helpful.
A reading guide looks something like a bookmark in its appearance. Some people use a bookmark to underline the line which is currently being read. For young kids who are just learning, a different type of bookmark can help them stay focused on each line, as they appear in order.
You’ll only need two types of material to make the reading guide. One is a small piece of stiff, clear plastic or acetate. A good source of this material is a product box which features a “window” so that you can see the product inside the box. Cut a very narrow strip which is 7 ½” long and a half-inch wide.
In addition to the clear piece, cut two pieces of adhesive paper. You’ll find this at craft stores in a number of colors and designs. Cut two strips to be 7 ½” long and a half-inch wide.
Remove the backing from one piece of adhesive paper and lay the paper so that the sticky side is up. Lay the clear piece on the very edge of the adhesive paper so that the paper will cover a mere eighth-inch along one long side of the clear piece. Now, fold the adhesive paper over so that it covers the opposite side of the clear window.
Follow the steps above to add the second adhesive paper to the opposite side of the window.
Cut two stars or other shapes from the sticky paper and stick them together so that you trap a corner of the window between them. This will give the child a little handle for moving the reading guide up and down. Use the cool window as a bookmark when it’s not being used for reading.