Home-school reading activities
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
A home-school reading sheet is a one-page weekly note. The school fills in the skill your child is learning, the practice words and a short passage. Your family picks two or three 10-minute activities, marks what you did and writes any questions. The sheet goes back to school each Friday, so the teacher sees what is working at home.
A home-school reading connection is a simple routine that lets your child practice at home the same reading skill they are learning at school. It does not need to be long. Ten minutes a day on the right skill helps more than an hour on the wrong one.
This page gives a fill-in weekly sheet, a completed example, a menu of short activities, and notes on what teachers and families look for. Teachers can copy the sheet. Families can ask the school to start one.
Why a weekly sheet helps
When home practice matches school, your child gets more practice on the exact skill. When it does not match, your child may practice words that are too hard, or guess at words instead of sounding them out.
The sheet also opens two-way communication. Families know what is being taught. Teachers learn what is happening at home. Working with families as partners is a core part of special education.[1] The law also gives you the right to take part in decisions about your child's IEP.[2]
The fill-in weekly sheet
Part 1: The school fills in
| Item | What to write |
|---|---|
| Week of | Date |
| Skill this week | The pattern or skill, in plain words |
| Practice words | 8 to 10 words with the skill |
| Tricky words | 2 to 3 words to learn by heart |
| Practice passage | A short passage your child has read at school |
| How to help when your child is stuck | One sentence |
| Teacher note | What went well this week |
Part 2: The family fills in
| Item | What to write |
|---|---|
| Days we practiced | Circle: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun |
| Activities we did | Pick from the menu below |
| Minutes each day | About how long |
| What went well | One sentence |
| What was hard | One sentence |
| Questions for the teacher | Anything you want to ask |
Completed example
This example is fictional. Noah is in 1st grade and has an IEP for reading.
Part 1, filled in by his teacher
| Item | What the teacher wrote |
|---|---|
| Week of | October 20 |
| Skill this week | Words with sh and ch, like ship and chop |
| Practice words | ship, shop, fish, dish, chin, chip, much, rich, shed, chat |
| Tricky words | said, was, of |
| Practice passage | "The Fish Shop," 42 words, read 3 times in class |
| How to help when your child is stuck | Point to the letters and say "What sound do these make?" Then have him read the word again. |
| Teacher note | Noah read 8 of 10 sh and ch words on Thursday, up from 5 last week. |
Part 2, filled in by his family
| Item | What the family wrote |
|---|---|
| Days we practiced | Mon, Tue, Thu, Sun |
| Activities we did | Word hunt, reread the passage, write the words |
| Minutes each day | About 10 |
| What went well | He found 6 sh words in a cereal box and a sign. |
| What was hard | He keeps reading "chip" as "ship." |
| Questions for the teacher | Is it OK if I tell him the word when he gets frustrated? |
The teacher replied: "Yes. Tell him the word, have him point and read it, then keep going. We are working on ch next week."
A menu of 10-minute activities
Pick two or three each week. All of them use the words and passage from the sheet.
- Reread the passage. Your child reads the practice passage to you two or three times. It should get smoother each time.
- Word hunt. Look for the week's pattern on signs, boxes and menus. Write down what you find.
- Build the words. Use magnetic letters or paper squares to build the practice words. Change one letter to make a new word: ship, shop, chop.
- Write the words. You say a practice word. Your child writes it, then reads it back.
- Word card race. Write words on cards. Time how many your child can read in 1 minute. Try to beat the score the next day.
- Read to a pet or toy. Low pressure, lots of reading.
- Read-aloud time. You read a book your child chooses. Talk about it. This builds words and understanding, even when your child cannot read the book alone yet.
- Tricky word game. Put the tricky words on cards. Play a matching game with two copies of each.
Notes on each part
Skill this week. Families look for plain words. "Digraphs" means little to most parents. "Words with sh and ch, like ship and chop" is clear.
Practice words and passage. Teachers should send only words and text your child has already read at school. Home is for practice, not for new teaching.
How to help when stuck. This line matters most. Without it, many families say "Look at the picture" or "Guess." The school should tell you exactly what to say, so home and school match.
Family section. Teachers look for which activities you did and what was hard. "He keeps reading chip as ship" tells the teacher what to reteach. Short notes are enough.
Questions. This is your line. Use it every week if you want. Questions do not need to wait for a meeting.
How this connects to your child's progress
The weekly sheet shows practice. Your child's progress on IEP goals is measured at school. For reading, teachers often give a short timed reading each week or two and record it on a reading fluency data sheet. That data shows words read correctly in 1 minute and how accurate your child was.
You can ask to see this data. For example, Noah's teacher shared these weekly scores:
| Week | Words read correctly in 1 minute | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 6 | 18 | 78% |
| Oct 13 | 20 | 81% |
| Oct 20 | 23 | 85% |
| Oct 27 | 25 | 87% |
These numbers are illustrations, not targets. The oral reading fluency guide explains how the timed reading works. To learn how to read the school's report, see how to read a progress report.
If the sheet is not working
- Too many words. Ask for fewer. Five words practiced well beat 15 practiced in a rush.
- Your child is upset. Stop for the day. Do a read-aloud instead. Tell the teacher on the sheet.
- No time this week. That is fine. Mark what you did. Even two days helps.
- The words seem too hard. Tell the teacher. The words may be ahead of what your child has learned.
For a step-by-step plan to practice your child's actual IEP reading goals, see supporting IEP reading goals at home. To prepare questions about the school's reading help, see questions to ask about school reading interventions. The reading goal bank shows the kinds of goals your child's IEP might include. For more on how schools teach reading to students with IEPs, see the reading intervention guide.
Your state's Parent Training and Information Center can also help you work with the school. The Center for Parent Information and Resources lists every center.[3]
Frequently asked questions
How much should my child read at home each day?
Ten to fifteen minutes on the skill from school is a good start for most young readers. Short, regular practice works better than one long session. Add a read-aloud whenever you can.
What should I do when my child gets stuck on a word?
Ask the teacher what to say, so home and school match. Many teachers use: point to the letters, ask what sounds they make, then have your child read the word again. Avoid telling your child to guess from the picture.
Can I ask the school to start a home-school reading sheet?
Yes. Ask your child's teacher or case manager. You can bring this page as an example. A weekly sheet takes the teacher a few minutes and keeps everyone working on the same skill.
Should I read to my child even if they are learning to read?
Yes. Reading aloud builds vocabulary and understanding, and it keeps books enjoyable. It does a different job from practice reading, so do both.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Reading fluency data sheet
- Oral reading fluency measurement guide
- Reading IEP goals
- How to read a progress report
Related guides
- Reading intervention for students with IEPs: assess, group, teach, monitor
- Supporting IEP reading goals at home
- Questions to ask about school reading interventions
- IEP goal examples for reading
Sources
- Family Engagement: Collaborating with Families of Students with Disabilities, IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University
- 34 CFR §300.322: Parent participation, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
- Center for Parent Information and Resources, CPIR
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.