Tracking with finger when reading...

[TwinMominTX]

Is this good or bad?

 

I have twin girls who are in the first grade and reading at an appropriate grade/age level. One dd loses her place frequently if she does not use her fingers to track what she is reading while the other does just fine without the finger tracking.

 

Can someone tell me the wisdom with regards to tracking? Should I encourage it, discourage it???

 

Thanks!

 

FWIW, I was reading at a high 6th grade level when in 1st grade. I was reading well before kindergarten without any teaching on the part of my parents. My mom said I simply picked up a book one day at age 3 and started to read. I have always been a good, fast, proficient reader and this whole teaching reading thing drives me batty. It just seems to me that one should be able to just simply "do it". Alas, I know this isn't the case, but I still stress about it quite a bit.

[Plaid Dad]

I modeled this for my dd, and she did it for a while when she was learning to read. I don't see any problem with it. As your dd gains fluency and speed in reading, she will probably stop using her finger without even noticing it. ;)

[Narrow Gate Academy]

My oldest would rather have died than use her finger to track words. I suggested it for my second while she was learning because she often lost her place. She simply stopped the finger tracking herself (I'm not even sure when) once she no longer needed it. If your dd finds it helpful, then by all means let her do it as long as she feels necessary.

 

HTH

[ELaurie]

ds 8 uses a blank index card, his finger, or both to track his place while reading. Both are really helpful for him right now, not only to minimize frustration, but to provide an opportunity for him to become an increasingly fluent reader.

 

ds 5 hates having his finger, or mine, or anything else on the page that might obscure the words to distract him.

 

I trust that ds8 will stop using these tools when he is ready to do so.

[kRenee]

Finger tracking is a tool to help kids focus both eyes on the words. Most kids use it until their eye tracking ability is strong enough to do it by themselves. It is perfectly okay for the beginning reader. IF it continues or if reading just doesn't come easily, I would have her eyes checked by a developmental optometrist (heck, from what I know now I think every kid should have this eye exam). This is different than an exam that measures for 20/20 eyesight and can only be performed by one who is trained. And don't ask your regular optometrist if you child needs to have his vision checked - mine said "no" and was he ever wrong!

 

It's expensive and not always covered by insurance, but a lot of kids have tracking problems and it can be 'fixed' with a little vision therapy.

[Darcy in FL]

ds 8 uses a blank index card, his finger, or both to track his place while reading. Both are really helpful for him right now, not only to minimize frustration, but to provide an opportunity for him to become an increasingly fluent reader.

 

 

My dd who is 8 -- still uses her finger or bookmark to follow along. She tries to do it without but then is constantly losing her place so I continue to encourage her to use it until she becomes more proficient in her reading. I think it's fine!

[HollyDay]

My oldest tracked lines not words. But, my youngest tracked words from the top of the word not the bottom. The eye doc said that is a common thing in dc with a vision problem. My dd does need glasses. Once she got the glasses, she never tracked again.

[Lori D.]

Blank index card worked well here, too. Eventually it's not needed.