How do we practice reading during the summer?

The children have great ideas!

Have a WONDERFUL SUMMER! :)










 

More Summer Ideas for Literacy Fun

"Summer is a wonderful time for kids to explore their interests," says Ron Fairchild, executive director of the National Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. "So let them explore."

 

 

Continue the routine. Maintain your family’s school year habits: stock up on magazines, give books as birthday gifts, visit the library weekly, read the paper at breakfast (yes, the sports or entertainment pages count!).

Choose the right books. It’s important to know your child’s reading level (ask his teacher if you’re unsure) to help him make a proper choice and avoid the frustration that comes from books that are over his head. Additionally, allow him to choose the topic that interests him most from his school’s suggested reading list, whether it’s monsters, muffins, or motorcycles.

Offer rewards. Fairchild advises a long-term reward plan that includes keeping a log of books read and setting benchmarks to hit over the summer. As for a reward, Fairchild discourages a material gift, and instead suggests giving kids what they need and want most—time with you alone and a special experience. Try a trip to a park, museum, or sports event.

Listen to a book. Drive time is prime time. If you’re taking a road trip for vacation, bring along an audio-book series that everyone likes.

Be a reading role model. Show your kids that you like to read and keep reading materials in every room. In the kitchen, read recipes together. Let your child get and open the mail. Stack books and magazines in the bathroom and on your bedroom nightstand. Bring something to read during train rides or in the waiting room.

Extend the experience. "Make reading a social activity, not a solo activity," advises Fairchild. Take trips to the local bookstore as a family, attend a children’s book author reading, use a favorite book as the theme for your child’s birthday party, or spend time reading together relaxing by the pool or lake or after a picnic lunch in the park. Your kids won’t want to be left out of the fun!

 

from: (http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/developing-reading-skills/schools-out-reading)

 photo image from (http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/reading-language/reading-tips/the-benefits-of-kids-book-clubs/)

Fiction and Non Fiction

.

During the course of reading lessons, the children are experiencing reading both fiction and non fiction text. 


Fiction stories help us to identify characters, setting, problem and solution.  The stories help to build fluency in reading as well.  The children also practice using inference to help determine the meaning of the story and to build comprehension skills.  Writing a story sentence in a journal is an activity we often do during lessons.

Non fiction stories help us to learn new facts about topics of interest.  The children are learning the components of a non fiction text , such as the table of contents, glossary, bold words, photographs and labels.  Many new vocabulary words are learned by reading non fiction text.  Students will often post their new learning using post its on a board in our room to share with others in our group.   

fiction/non fiction image from (http://firstgradewow.blogspot.com/2012/02/fiction-and-non-fiction.html)

Reading Therapy Dogs visit Jefferson this year

 

I would like to thank all of our wonderful Reading Therapy dogs and handlers who visited our school and listened to the students read.  Each year, the children look forward to the visits.  The students have increased confidence and their reading skills are continuing to improve!  The children have developed an appreciation for the dogs and have learned how to interact with them in a supportive and positive situation.  The dogs, large and small, are great reading companions for the students!  Thank you all so much again!  :)  

 

 

 

Summer Reading

Summer is almost here! 

During summer vacation, it is important for children at every age and stage to spend time reading, writing and participating in literacy activities. 

Here are some wonderful summer reading and writing ideas to share with your child to keep summer literacy full of fun! 

Summer Reading Tips for Parents of Kindergartners, First Graders and Readers & Writers

During your child’s school vacation, it is important for him to spend time reading and writing on a regular basis–whether he is a very beginning reader or a fluent reader. Luckily, summer’s more flexible schedule and wide array of activities lend themselves to literacy opportunities. Try some of these suggestions for making your school-aged child’s summer full of literacy fun.

• Be a reader and writer yourself. When you spend time reading books on the beach or even directions for how to put together the grill this summer, you demonstrate for your child that reading is both fun and useful.
• Set aside a consistent time each day for reading. Depending on your family’s schedule, reading time might be in the morning, afternoon or before bed. Whatever time you choose, stick to it, but also remember that flexibility around trips and special family events is OK.
• Read aloud to your reader. As school-aged children become better readers, parents often stop reading aloud to them. However, by reading more difficult books aloud to your reader, you help him learn new vocabulary words, concepts, and ways of telling stories or presenting information. You also enjoy the closeness of sharing a book with your child.
• Connect read-aloud choices to summer activities. Read your child books about camping, such as “Webster and Arnold Go Camping”, before or after a camping trip. When you read and discuss books about things your child has experienced, you help her learn important vocabulary and extend her understanding of experiences.
• Allow your child to choose books for summer reading. While it is important for your child to complete reading required by his school, it is equally important for him to read about topics that interest him, whether it is insects, dragons or a favorite fiction series.
• Help your child select books at a comfortable level. Listen to your child read. If he reads smoothly, uses expression and can accurately tell you what he read, the book is probably at a comfortable level. If you are having troubling judging, consult your local children’s librarian, who is likely to be an expert at matching books to readers. In addition, teach your child to use the “rule of thumb” in selecting books: if he makes five or more errors in reading a page of about 50 words, the book is too challenging.
• Encourage your child not to limit summer reading to books. Encourage your child to read the sports page to check up on her favorite baseball team or to read children’s magazines such as Ranger Rick, National Geographic World and New Moon.
• Read a book and watch the video together. When you finish reading and viewing, discuss the similarities and differences and talk about which version you prefer. Many books, including “Stone Fox”, “Sarah, Plain and Tall” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” are available in movie versions.
• Take books along on outings. Pack books in your beach bag or picnic basket, and bring a stack on long car rides. You and your child can enjoy books together anywhere you go this summer.
• Encourage your child to write this summer, too. From writing postcards to friends and relatives to keeping a journal while on a trip, summer presents unique ways for your child to write about his own experiences. Have your child pack a disposable camera on vacations or day trips and help him create a book about his experiences.

from (http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/reading-language/reading-tips/summer-reading-tips-for-parents-of-kindergartners-first-graders-and-readers-writers/)
(sun image found on google search)

Books to enjoy with your child to celebrate the Spring season

Celebrate the Spring season with these wonderful children's books:


Bluebird’s Nest by Dorothea DePrisco
Watch a busy bluebird build a comfy nest from start to finish.




The Caterpillar and the Polliwog by Jack Kent
A determined polliwog longs to become a butterfly just like his caterpillar friend.




Cold Little Duck, Duck, Duck by Lisa Westberg Peters
As a little duckling eagerly waits for his pond to melt, he imagines all the joys that come with the warmth of springtime.




Counting in the Garden by Kim Parker
Count the bees and dragon flies buzzing around the flowers in this beautifully illustrated book.




The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss
In this Caldecott Honor book, the sweet smell of spring awakens forest animals from their long winter naps.




Hurray for Spring! by Patricia Hubbell
Celebrate the season with an energetic young boy as he splashes in puddles, swims in a pond, talks to ants, and goes bird-watching.




In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming
Leap through the seasons with a tiny frog as he guides you through his pond in this vivid Caldecott Honor book. Learn more.   




Inch by Inch by Leo Lioni
A winsome inchworm is proud to be able to measure anything, and puts his skill to good use when a hungry robin gets too close.




It's Spring! by Linda Glaser
With eye-catching cut-paper artwork, spring pops to life as a curious boy explores the world around him.



Mouse's First Spring by Lauren Thompson
Follow a little mouse and his momma as a gentle breeze blows the first signs of spring their way.




Mud by Mary Lyn Ray
Rejoice in the arrival of spring with this lyrical homage to mushy springtime mud!




Poppleton in Spring by Cynthia Rylant
The popular pig goes through the usual spring rituals of cleaning, shopping for a new bicycle, and sleeping in a tent in the backyard, with his own Poppleton twist.




Rabbit's Good News by Ruth Lercher Bornstein
Follow a little brown bunny as a mysterious "soft green sound" lures her into finding spring.




The Rain Came Down by David Shannon
Find out what happens when an unexpected downpour creates chaos on a previously sunny day.



Splish, Splash, Spring by Jan Carr
Frolic through a fun-filled day of spring activities with three friends and their dog in this bright and lively book. Learn more.



Spring Is Here by Lois Lenski
This charming classic will mesmerize a whole new generation of children who are eager to celebrate the wonders of spring.



Spring Song by Barbara Seuling
Guess how black bears, moles, bullfrogs and skunks respond to the change in season with this fascinating interactive book.



The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
In this wonderful classic, a voracious caterpillar eats its way through pages of food and transforms into a beautiful butterfly. Learn more.





Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert
Enter a vibrant spring garden and witness the beautiful metamorphoses of butterflies in this masterful nature book.

from   (http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=11566)

Kindergarten Writing

The Kindergarten students are enjoying their writing journals!  They are becoming more independent as they practice their skills.  Please see the article below, which explains writing milestones for this age and what parents can do to encourage their young writer at home.

 

Kindergartner Writing Milestones

Your kindergartner is beginning to realize that he is a writer. Many kindergartners love to write, and they naturally weave writing activities into their play. They pretend to be a waiter writing down customers’ orders on a notepad and create signs for a “post office.” While not all kindergartners write lengthy stories, most can draw a picture and write a one-word label for their picture. When your kindergartner sees himself as a writer, he is more likely to practice.
Kindergartners use invented spelling. Kindergartners use what they know about letters and sounds to write messages using “invented spelling,” or spelling words by the way they sound. By learning to “stretch out” the words to help them hear individual sounds, kindergartners can label a picture. Your child may write “BR” for “bear” or “I MAD MI BD” for “I made my bed.” Kindergartners generally use mostly consonants in their writing, as vowel sounds are harder for them to discriminate from one another. Using invented spelling actually helps your child practice the letter-sound relationships she needs for reading.
Kindergartners can write some words the “right” way. In addition to writing words according to the sounds they hear, kindergartners are developing a bank of words that they write frequently and can spell the “right” way. These words might include their own names and names of friends and family members. Writing these words over and over the correct way will help your child be able to read them too.
Kindergartners can read what they have written. Although you may have difficulty deciphering the writing of your kindergartner, he can most likely read the message he has written. In school, many kindergartners take pride in sharing their writing in front of the class. Many classrooms have special writing celebrations or “author’s chair” times set aside for children to share their work. Not all children like to share their writing, so it is perfectly acceptable for a child to “pass” on sharing.


Encouraging Your Kindergartner

• Encourage your child to express ideas and emotions by writing them down. Offer your help when she needs it. A birthday card, a letter, and even a grocery list are all ways of communicating thoughts and emotions. When you show your child how useful and necessary writing is in many different situations, you encourage her to use writing to both imagine and communicate.
• Don’t worry about correct spelling. Your kindergartner is just beginning to learn about the relationship between letters and sounds. At this age, children generally know how to spell some common words correctly, such as "go" and "love," but they "invent spell" most words, using their knowledge of letter sounds to record what they hear. Celebrate your child’s first attempts at spelling! The kindergartner who spells "Elephant" as "LFNT" is thinking carefully about sounds and letters.
• Encourage your child to read her own writing. Many kindergartners are proud to read their work to a caring adult. Although parents are not always able to decipher their kindergartner’s writing, children are generally able to "read" their writing based on the letters they wrote and their memory of what they intended to write. You can compliment and encourage your child for reading his own writing by saying, "I like how you used such interesting words." Not all children like to read their writing, however, so be sensitive to your child’s desire to keep his writing private if he likes.
• Provide a wide variety of pens and papers. Children are motivated to write more often if a variety of materials with which to experiment is handy. Markers, colored pencils, sidewalk chalk, glitter pens, neon pens on black paper, chalk and easel, colored paper, and old greeting cards are all appealing writing materials for 5-year-olds. They also enjoy keeping their materials in a special box or drawer.
• Show your child how YOU write. One of the most important ways to help your kindergartner develop as a writer is by writing yourself and talking about the process with your child. As you address an envelope, you might explain why you are writing the name and address of the recipient on the front of the letter. Write grocery lists by saying the items aloud and then writing them. You can even enlist your child’s help in figuring out the first letter to write in "bananas" and "milk" as you make the grocery list together.

from (http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/reading-language/reading-milestones/kindergartner-language-development-milestones/kindergartner-writing/)

 

 

 

We Care About the Earth

In celebration of Earth Week, some of the students in my Kindergarten Phonological Awareness Group were interested in writing about the Earth during the writing portion of our lessons.

First, we did an interactive writing activity about the Earth.  Our sentence about the Earth was "Please take care of me. " Then, the students decided what they would each do to care for the Earth.  We brainstormed these ideas and wrote them down on the white board.  I was so excited about the helpful and thoughtful ideas that were shared!
The children helped to "stretch out the sounds" while we were writing new and familiar vocabulary words.  We clapped the syllables in the new words, decided how many sounds each word has and checked that our words made sense in the story.  Finally, the children published their stories to share, complete with a picture to create an image of their sentence.  We look forward to rereading these stories as a familiar reread and class book, which will help to build reading fluency and comprehension. 

The children are wonderful authors who truly care for the EARTH!  :)

  

 

More about interactive writing:

 

"Interactive writing is a dynamic literacy event in which reading and writing come together."

"Interactive writing is a collaborative writing experience for beginning writers in which the teacher guides students in the group-writing of a large-print text. Students participate in the composition and construction of the text by sharing the pen, physically and figuratively, with the teacher. The composition is read and reread by the group to make the reading and writing connection. "

by, Andrea McCarrier
from :(http://www.cfisd.net/dept2/curricu/ellang/INTERACTIVE%20WRITING.pdf)

 

Earth Day Preparation

Each and Everyday is Earth Day! 

  We can all do our part to help our Earth each day when we :

Reduce (to use less of an item)
Reuse  (to use items again)
Recycle  (to make new items from old items)


Some wonderful Earth friendly books to look for in the library are:

Enjoy reading these books with your children to encourage them to take good care of the Earth!


                                     

Word Family Patterns

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Spring Break and Happy April!

I was happy that children shared with me that they were reading at home over the break and practicing their reading strategies.   :)





An important strategy the children are practicing in lessons is identifying word family patterns in words.  According to research, when children recognize word patterns, decoding more difficult words becomes much easier for them. 

Here is one way we practice word family patterns during a lesson, using magnetic letters, a dry erase board and marker:

To find out more about the importance of word pattern identification and how you can practice at home with your child, please see the article below. 


Word Families

When we consider all the elements that go into becoming a skilled reader it seems a monumental task and yet some how young children learn the many different decoding skills necessary to them and most become proficient readers within the first few years of school.

However not all young children learn to read with ease and even those who will eventually succeed face struggles on the road to success. One easy way that parents can help smooth the path to reading success for their children is through the use of word families.

Word families, sometimes called phonograms or chunks, can really help emergent readers begin to understand our complicated, and often inconsistent, language by providing some predictable patterns within words. As you and I learned to read, we picked up these patterns effortlessly, and they still help us when we try to decode new words. When we direct our child's attention to these same patterns, they too will be able to untangle the seemingly unrelated sounds of English.

When learning to read, patterns are important.
 For example, let us consider the "all" word family. First, show "all" to the child and have them repeat the sound. Then show the word "ball" and demonstrate how you can "read" the word by first making the "b" sound and then the "all". Repeat it slowly and then more quickly. Now continue with some other members of the "all" family such as call, fall, hall, mall, stall, tall, wall.

Can you see how much easier this method of using "chunks" of letters is compared to sounding out one letter at a time? We break words into chunks naturally as skilled readers and teaching children this skill can help them learn to read.

What is even better is that once children learn the 37 most common word families in English they will be able to decode 500 words. That puts emergent readers well on their way to mastering the entire decoding process. The most common word families include: ack, ain, ake, ale, all, ame, an, ank, ap, ash, at, ate, aw ay, eat, ell, est, ice, ick, ide, ight, ill, in, ine, ing, ink, ip, it, ock, oke, op, ore, ot, uck ,ug, ump, unk.

Word families are indeed an efficient way to get children reading. Once children learn these one-syllable phonograms then they will more easily be able to decode longer words, too.

Exposing your child to word families, teaching the use of these language patterns, and reinforcing the knowledge with rhyming games and activities will help your child learn to read.

By Deanne Mascle

Ways to Practice Word Families

Using a chalkboard, whiteboard, magnets or even paper and pencil have your child sound out a word family such as at and print it down. Then have your child say the word cat. Ask them to identify the first sound they hear and have them place it down. Now have them say the word bat. Again ask them to identify the first sound that they hear, have them print it down. Continue until you have completed all of the at family words. * Note some students as they create word families may erase each word and print it new; some may just erase the first letter and keep the at word family; some may list all the at words together.

• Kids Zone - Free printable word family activities
• Read Write Think - Word family sorting game

(article from http://primary123abc.weebly.com/word-families.html)

(umbrulla image from:http://www.ehow.com)

 

"Reading" Illustrations to Improve Literacy Learning

When reading with young children during daily reading lessons, a strategy we teach is checking the pictures to see if the words correspond with the pictures in stories to make meaning.  We encourage children to look at the pictures and the words in books. 

The article below explains that there are reasons why "reading the pictures" is an important part of early literacy. This strategy then leads to reading the print in books and checking the pictures for clues to unknown words. These early reading strategies can be reinforced at home for added literacy learning. 



"Read” Illustrations to Improve Literacy Skills By Katrin Oddleifson Robertson

Snuggling up with my children and a good picture book was one of my favorite things to do when my son and daughter were little. As parents, we intuitively know the value of this intimate exchange, and understand that reading to our children helps them internalize the structure of language and develop their appreciation for the power and beauty of the written word.
How many of us, though, think to “read” the illustrations in a book with the same amount of attention and care that we read the words? And why might this be important?
On a daily basis we are presented with a steady stream of advertisements, signs and symbols designed to shape our decisions and direct our attention. In addition, one look at the Internet makes it obvious that we are becoming an increasingly visual society. If we want our children to be intelligent and discerning consumers of visual information, we need to teach them how to read visual compositions for meaning.
Picture books present a perfect opportunity for parents to introduce their children to the language of visual composition and its power to inform. Illustrators and writers work closely together to tell stories. Thus, when reading the text, it is well worth taking the time to carefully examine what the images have to say. Liz, a parent of two elementary school-aged children, describes how she encourages her kids to explore images in books: “We take ‘walks’ with our eyes through the illustrations of a new book before reading the words. My kids and I have fun together describing what we see, imagining the events of the story and guessing what might happen next when we turn the page.”
Another mom, Diane, uses the illustrations to pique her son’s imagination: “I asked him to tell me the story he saw in a picture. He described himself within the scenes, imaginatively interacting with the characters and participating in the adventure the illustration unfolded. A visual image often became the basis of his pretend play later on.”
Here are more ways to explore illustrations with your child and to help him develop his ability to “read” visual compositions:
Colors
If your child is very young, ask him what colors he notices most in an illustration. Based on what he says, help him connect the color(s) to particular feelings and/or actions. For example, is red describing something exciting, black telling the story of fright, blue something sad, or yellow revealing excitement or happiness? When you read the words, see how they extend or confirm what you “read” in the image. Or, do the opposite—read the words first, then see how the illustrator helps to further the plot with color. An example of a great book that explores the connection between colors and emotions is “Yesterday I Had the Blues” by Jeron Ashford Frame.
Lines
Ask your child to identify different kinds of lines in an illustration and trace her finger along them while describing what the line is doing. A dotted line might be skipping happily across the picture, a thick line plodding clumsily about the page, curly lines laughing, and thin, pointy lines jabbing angrily. Talk together about how the quality and movement of the lines in the illustration match the story that the words are telling. An exciting example of this is the book “Ish” by Peter H. Reynolds, as it incorporates a variety of different lengths and textures of lines.
Shapes and Objects
Engage your child in naming some of the shapes and objects in an illustration and ask him to describe how big those objects are in relation to each other. Help your child see that the bigger the object and the closer it appears to the viewer, the more important it tends to be in the story. Next, ask your child to notice where his eye is initially drawn into the illustration, and to describe the path around the page his eye naturally takes. Notice together if moving in a horizontal path signals that a problem has been resolved; vertical paths indicate ascending steps toward problem resolution, or diagonal paths create anticipation about a solution that is yet to come. Once again, compare how the verbal text matches the visual story structure. Jan Brett incorporates this skill with great consideration and inspires young readers to infer what might happen next in “The Mitten.”
We live in a world where being visually literate is as important as being verbally literate. The more we can help our children understand the language of visual form and how images interact with words to communicate ideas, the better positioned they will be to interpret, understand and engage in the world around them.

from:
http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/reading-language/reading-tips/read-illustrations-to-improve-literacy-skills/
 

Congratulations Star Readers!

Congratulations go out to the following students who have met their reading goal for reading at grade level and who have been discontinued from the program:

Isabela
Athena
Alijah
Julia
Jordan
Shailyn

We are so excited about their progress and wish them continued success in reading and writing in their classrooms!


It is so important to continue to read at home and practice reading strategies to further accelerate reading progress!   


Reading aloud, shared reading and independent reading are reading activities that should be encouraged at home!

WONDERFUL READING EVERYONE!







star image from:
http://theschoolgardenllc.com/onlineshopping/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=46_47

Read Across America Week this week!

(from www.earlymoments.com)

The children had such a great time reading favorite Dr. Seuss books in their classrooms this week! 
They listened to guest readers share books on Wednesday, and enjoyed wearing fun hats and pajama day too!
This week certainly promoted literacy in an enjoyable and positive way!


Here are just a few special spectacular Seuss quotes to share:

"Unless someone like YOU cares a whole awful lot.  Nothing is going to get better.  It's NOT." (The Lorax)

"Today you are YOU!  That is truer than TRUE!  There is no one alive that is you-er than YOU!" (Happy Birthday to You!)

"...A person's a person...no matter how small." (Horton Hears a Who)

"You have brains in your head.  You have feet in your shoes.  You can steer yourself any direction you choose."  (Oh, the Places You'll Go!)

Bring Your Family to School Day at Jefferson

It was so great to see many families at Jefferson's "Bring Your Family to School Day"  on February 21.  It was wonderful to help Mrs. Hendricks and Mrs. Galewski in their Kindergarten classrooms as we explored and experienced learning through technology on the computer.

The websites that we shared that day are very engaging to young learners, and we encourage you to try these and other websites and activities using technology at home.  The children enjoy the activities so much, and their enthusiasm about learning is terrific!

These are some of the websites we shared in Kindergarten.
The children can help log into the sites with assistance or independently.

www.abcya.com
www.starfall.com
www.k-5mathteachingresources.com
Interactive songs on YouTube from Harry Kindergarten :
                                            Hip Hop Around the Clock
                                            (telling time to the hour w/Jack Hartmann)
                                            Vowel Bat (kid song by Shari Sloane)
                                            Show Me the Money (children's coin song by Jack Hartman)

Enjoy!  :)

             

Shared Reading

As children develop their skills as readers and writers,  modeling and sharing the process is important as we teach children to become increasingly independent.  I use Shared Reading during my group kindergarten lessons with children to help them build their skills and confidence in reading.  Children become familiar with the patterns in books, and this helps them to increase their reading fluency and sight word recognition.
Enjoy reading aloud and Shared Reading at home with your child!


See the article below for more information about the benefits of Shared Reading.

 

Why use Shared Reading?

• It provides struggling readers with necessary support.
• Shared reading of predictable text can build sight word knowledge and reading fluency
• Allows students to enjoy materials that they may not be able to read on their own.
• Ensures that all students feel successful by providing support to the entire group.

How to use Shared Reading

1. Introduce the story by discussing the title, cover, and author/illustrator. Ask the students to make predictions regarding what they think the story might be about.
2. Read the story aloud to the students using appropriate inflection and tone. Pause and ask the students to make predictions. Ask brief questions to determine students' comprehension level.
3. Conclude the reading by reserving time for reactions and comments. Ask questions about the story and relate the story to the students' similar experiences. Ask the children to retell the story in their own words.
4. Re-read the story and/or allow time for independent reading.
5. Conduct follow-up activities such as making a craft related to the story.

An example of a children's book to use with this strategy


Weather: Poems for All Seasons by Lee Bennett Hopkins (HarperCollins)

Easier to read poems focus on weather and seasons.

 

http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/shared_reading/

 

 

 

 

Reading Comprehension

Reading fluently and being able to decode words easily are essential elements to becoming a proficient reader.  Comprehension strategies are very important to practice too!   

Have you ever wondered as a parent how you can help your child improve comprehension skills at home? 
Featured below is a wonderful article from Scholastic which provides ideas to help your child to improve reading comprehension skills.

 

Help your child improve reading comprehension — a crucial reading skill, especially as he gets older & needs to glean information from textbooks.

Here are six tips to improve reading comprehension in your early reader:

1. Have him read aloud. This forces him to go slower, which gives him more time to process what he reads, which improves reading comprehension. Plus, he's not only seeing the words, he's hearing them, too. You can also take turns reading aloud.
2. Provide the right kinds of books. Make sure your child gets lots of practice reading books that aren't too hard. She should recognize at least 90 percent of the words without any help. Stopping any more often than that to figure out a word makes it tough for her to focus on the overall meaning of the story.
3. Reread to build fluency. To gain meaning from text and encourage reading comprehension, your child needs to read quickly and smoothly - a skill known as fluency. By the beginning of 3rd grade, for example, your child should be able to read 90 words a minute. Rereading familiar, simple books gives your child practice at decoding words quickly, so she'll become more fluent in her reading comprehension.
4. Talk to the teacher. If your child is struggling mightily with reading comprehension, he may need more help with his reading — for example, building his vocabulary or practicing phonics skills.
5. Supplement class reading. If your child's class is studying a particular theme, look for easy-to-read books or magazines on the topic. Some prior knowledge will help her make her way through tougher classroom texts and promote reading comprehension.
6. Talk about what he's reading. This "verbal processing" helps him remember and think through the themes of the book. Ask questions before, during, and after a session to encourage reading comprehension. For example:
   
   Before: "What are you interested in about this book? What doesn't interest you?"
   
   During: "What's going on in the book? Is it turning out the way you thought it would? What do you think will happen next?"
   
   After: "Can you summarize the book? What did you like about it? What other books does it remind you of?"

(from  http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/reading-comprehension)

Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Activities at Home

The following ideas can help build a child's phonemic and phonological awareness skills!

Play with letters, words, and sounds! Having fun with language helps your child learn to crack the code of reading.

          *Say silly tongue twisters.

*Sing songs, read rhyming books, and say silly tongue twisters. These help kids become sensitive to the sounds in words.

          * Play with puppets.
             Play language games with puppets. Have the puppet say something like, "My name is Mark. I like words that rhyme with my name. I am going to say some words and I want you to tell me if they rhyme with Mark. Ready? Does park rhyme with Mark? (Stress the words park and Mark). Does ball rhyme with Mark? Does shark rhyme with Mark?" Wait for your child to answer each question, yes or no. When your child answers yes to the word shark, the puppet could then pretend to be a very energetic shark who, of course, wants to tickle your child.

• Play sound games.
  Give your child practice blending individual sounds into words. For example, ask, "Can you guess what this word is? m - o - p." Say the sound each letter makes rather than the name of the letter. Hold each sound longer than you normally would. This will help your child recognize the different letter sounds.
• Use the sounds and letters in your child's name.
  Draw your child's attention to the letters in his or her name. Point out the link between letters and sounds. Say things like, "John, the word jump begins with the same sound as your name does. John, jump. And they both begin with the same letter, J."
• Trace and say letters.
  One way to help your child learn letter sounds is to have him or her use a finger to trace a letter while saying the letter's sound at the same time. You can do this on paper or in a sandbox or on a plate filled with sugar. Involving touch, sight, and speech in this way has a powerful effect on learning. Another option is for you to draw the outlines of a letter using dots and then have your child connect the dots while also saying the letter sound out loud.
• Watch my lips.
  This may feel odd at first, but encourage your child to watch your lips and mouth while you make certain sounds. Have your child think about how his or her own lips and tongue move. You can say something like, "Can you feel how your mouth moves the same way at the beginning of the words mouse, mom, and man? Watch my mouth while I say them. Now you say the words and feel your lips make the mmm sound." Remember to make just one m sound that you hold for longer than you normally would.
• Read it and experience it.
  Help your child make the connection between what he or she reads in books and what happens in life. If you're reading a book about animals, for example, relate it to last month's trip to the zoo.
• Let your child choose.
  Give your child the chance to pick his or her own books, even if the reading seems too easy. Easier books build confidence and letting children choose their own books nurtures independence and their own interests.

In order to read, young children have to learn that written words are made up of letters that also represent the sounds we speak. Reading experts call this skill "phonological awareness." It's a lot for a five-year-old to figure out.

There are many things parents can do to help kids in this early stage of reading. Try some of the tips listed above to help your child recognize that there are different sounds in the words we speak, that letters on a page represent these different sounds, and that putting the sounds together makes words. This is a vital step on a child's road to reading.

But don't make it too serious. Mix it up, be playful, have fun with language. Remember, not only do we want kids to be able to read, we want them to want to read.

 

 

(from http://www.pbs.org/launchingreaders/parenttips_2.html)

 

 

Reading At Home With Your Child

Reading Activities at Home

  You can support your child’s learning while you do daily chores. You can invite your child to help you, or you can provide an activity for your child to do close to you. That way, you can talk and listen to your child while you work.

 

Preschooler/Kindergartner

Super Shadows. Place a large sheet over a table so that it hangs down around the table. Show your child how to use a flashlight safely. Invite him to go into his cave under the table to make shadows. Use words like dark, light, bright, night, shine, and shadow. Notice words that rhyme like light, night, and bright. Add small toys and encourage him to make shadow shapes in his cave. Notice words that start with the same sound like shine, shape, and shadow.
Making Boats. Your child can use recycled materials to make boats. Collect items like foam meat trays, small pieces of cloth, toothpicks, craft sticks, tape, bottle caps, paper, and crayons. You will also need scissors. Help your child think about how he can use these materials to make a boat. “What will you use for the bottom of the boat?” “Will you make a sail?” Then, help him to make the boat. Later, he can use it in the bathtub. “Do you think it will float?”
Reading Corner. Make a small reading corner for your child. Put pillows and a soft blanket in a corner of the room where you are working. Add some of your child’s favorite books, or some new books, for him to look at. Ask him to choose a book, look at the pictures, and tell you the story in his own words. Give him lots of encouragement for looking at books independently.
Pretend Party. Children love to play pretend. Invite your child to have a pretend birthday party. Provide paper and markers or crayons so she can make the invitations. “Who will you invite?” Write down the names of the friends she wants to invite. She can copy these names onto the invitations. Then decide on the menu. Explain that the menu means what food she will have at the party, just like the menu at a restaurant. “What will you wear to the party?” If possible, let her dress up. Then have a special snack and a party for two!

First-Grader/Reader-Writer

Scrubbing bubbles. Older children love to help with washing dishes. Provide a stool for your child at the sink. Give him the dish soap and read the label together. For example, one phrase may be “Avoid contact with eyes.” Explain what that means. Then, tell him and show him the steps for washing a dish (remove fragile items). For example: 1) Put water in the sink; 2) Add dish soap; 3) Scrub the dish; 4) Rinse the soap off; and 5) Place the dish in the drainer. Later, during a family conversation, encourage him to explain the steps for washing dishes.
Sorting Socks. While you fold laundry, put your child in charge of matching the socks. “Now you can match the socks in pairs.” Invite him to make a plan to do it. “How do you think we should start?” Tell him and show him how to separate different colors and sort them into piles. Next, tell him and show him how to put socks together that look the same. Remind him to compare the size and the design of each sock as he puts them together.
Make a Book. Give your child some paper and markers or crayons. Invite her to write a story about a favorite activity, for example, playing at the park. First, talk with her about what she did. “First you played baseball with your friends. Then we looked at trees and collected leaves.” Then help her put each activity into the story. Use words like begin and end. “How will you begin the story?” When she is finished encourage her to number the pages and decorate the cover. Help her to write her name on the cover using the words author and illustrator.

(from: http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/reading-language/reading-activities/reading-activities-at-home/)



 

Welcome Kindergarten Students!

We want to extend a warm welcome to our Kindergarten Star Students!



Nicole
Anthony                                                     
Dajuana
Jaelyn
Landen
Vicky
Joel
Dillon
Sarai
Aiden

We will be focusing our learning on phonological and phonemic awareness. Lessons will include the following components:

*Rhyming
*Identifying the number of syllables in a word
*Matching initial sounds in words
*Counting phonemes in words
*Comparing word lengths
*Writing words

We will be reading poems, stories, and even writing our very own books to share at home and in the classroom!

The Kindergarten students are all very excited to read, write and share!

It was so nice to see many parents at conferences on Wednesday evening.  Thank you so much for all of your wonderful support for your child's learning!

Nurturing Writing Potential

Young children are already writers by the time they reach preschool and kindergarten. 

They are filled with stories to tell and ideas, and they want to show the world what they see and know. 

A wonderful way to support your child's writing and to refine their thinking about writing is through activities and strategies such as:
Read aloud stories
Writing with your child and "sharing the pen".
Listening to your child share their writing with you.

Early writing can be illustrations, a string of doodles and letters, or complete words and sentences.
All should be encouraged as your child moves from stage to stage in development.

Journal writing can be done at home as well as at school.  You can begin with words which are found in the child's world, such as words on food labels and names of family members.  Illustrations can be added to the story as well.
Children can compose their own stories inspired by their favorite books and use creativity.

Within the structure of a reading lesson, writing is a key component and is connected to the text.

One of the most valuable and enjoyable activities for the children is rereading written stories.  This activity builds fluency and confidence.

 

Have fun sharing writing time together!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year wishes go out to all parents and families! 

We hope that you were able to spend quality time with your children reading great books together!

Congratulations go out to those students who returned the little "Winter Journal" writing book and shared their entries with us!  It was fun to hear about the different activities that children did over Winter Break!  This was also great writing practice for the students.


Another fun writing activity to share with children could be to write "New Year Resolutions" together.  These may include keeping a writing journal over the year to express special ideas and events through writing.  Or another activity could be to discover a new tradition, like a family reading or literacy game evening.
Visiting the library more frequently could be one too.  There are so many great events going on at the library this Winter!

Some events going on at the West Allis Public Library include:

January 2 - February 27  Bucks Reading Challenge

January 8  Preschool Evening Story Time for ages 3, 4, and 5 years old

January 9  Toddler Story Times for 2 year olds with a caretaker

January 12  Friends of the West Allis Public Library Book Sale



Enjoy!