Mentor Younger Readers

Mentoring a younger reader means more than sitting beside them while they read. It means listening carefully, responding to mistakes with encouragement rather than criticism, and helping the reader build confidence alongside skill. A good mentor is patient, kind, and prepared.

Before the Mentoring Session

• Choose a text that is right for your mentee — not too hard, not too easy.
• Plan two or three vocabulary words you may need to explain.
• Think about what kind of support the reader needs: decoding, fluency, expression, or confidence.
• Prepare encouraging phrases for common mistakes (see the exercise below).

During the Mentoring Session

• Let the reader read without interrupting every mistake — wait for a natural pause.
• When a mistake happens, respond calmly: "Let's look at that word together."
• Praise effort, not just accuracy: "I loved how you kept going even when it was tricky."
• Ask questions about the text to check understanding: "What do you think will happen next?"
• End the session with a positive comment about something specific they did well.