In an effort to support the development of your child's love of reading there are a few things you can try:

-Have your son or daughter preview a book first by looking at the pictures. This will give them clues as to what the story is about. In class I ask the children to take a “picture walk” before we read new material. This is helpful not only with comprehension, but also has a positive effect on students comfort level.
-Have your son or daughter read aloud to younger siblings or a favorite stuffed animal. This creates a low key environment free from judgment. Additionally, it promotes independence and creativity.
-Share the job of reading aloud. If your child becomes overwhelmed by the idea of sitting down to read an entire book alone, you can partner read. Partner reading is when you both read aloud at the same time. This method helps to avoid a pause in the sentence as you read. After a difficult sentence has been completed, you can then review and reread any tricky words. Be sure to have your son or daughter track the words being read with their finger.
-Take turns reading aloud (alternate pages, or even sentences).
-Have your son or daughter explore alternative reading experiences. Any type of reading is great! Perhaps you could cook together. Your child will have the job of reading the ingredients. (Something easy, brownies etc.)
-Help your child become more aware of environmental print. An easy way to do this is when your driving. Read words on signs, billboards, stores etc.
-Allow your child's interests to dictate reading selections. Often a lack of interest in the subject matter can hinder reading. Go online (Amazon, Barnes&Noble) or take a special trip to the library and find books that your child is excited about!
Enjoy, and please keep me posted.

Directional Tracking can be fun!

Tracking the words from left to right as you read is very important. Physically using your finger to follow under the words you are reading helps students keep their place. Additionally, it encourages the child to notice all of the sounds in each individual word. Tracking was fun during our first 1-1 story because we were able to use witch fingers! As we read aloud everyone was able to follow (whether it was their turn to read aloud, or to follow along).  Feel free to model this method as you read aloud to your child each evening at home.

Snow Music!

6B has enjoyed our current discovery unit on winter.  We have experienced visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile learning experiences while exploring the book "Snow Music" by Lynne Rae Perkins.  Students listened as I read the selection aloud. They looked at the pictures and then participated in a class discussion after the story was complete.  

We discussed the way it feels to walk in snow, the sounds you hear beneath your feet, and the types of prints you can make with your feet in the snow.  We demonstrated the difference between how we normally walk and how we have to walk when the ground is covered in snow- there were lots of high knees as we walked around the classroom.  We then brainstormed how we could make a straight line rather than foot prints when traveling accross fresh snow?  Students worked in groups practicing different techniques.  We decided that the two most efficient ideas were to drag your toe or heel in the snow as you walked.  Our favorite print to make when it snows is snow angels! 

At the tables we used q-Tips and paint to create our very own snow globes that captured the essence of winter fun!

Bravo friends!

Making our snow globes!

Using our imaginations to make prints in the snow. Foot prints, straight lines, even snow angels!

I hope it snows soon so we can have some winter fun. We certainly are prepared!

Ms. Clark's Reading

We've enjoyed reviewing our color words witth this quick, fun game. See us in action below.

Ms. Clark's Reading Group

 We are making great strides in reading class! We have mastered correctly identifying letters and their corresponding sounds.  We can recognize syllables in words and are able to clap, stomp, or tap out the appropriate number of beats.  We are comfortable identifying beginning and ending sounds in words, and  are able to segment sounds in  CVC words.  We have a foundation of sight words and can now recognize color words with ease. Currently we are expanding our list to include the following sight words:

the, a, is, in, not

The readers have been working with short a CVC words.

Next up, we will begin to read short a books in class that will be sent home to practice reading aloud!

Way to go readers!

Watch below as we segment sounds in CVC words. We first started as a whole group then advanced to assigning the beginning, middle, and ending sounds to individuals- seen below. We began with instruments to help us with a verbal and kinesthetic approach. We then move to a whole body approach and jump from left to right (just as we read words) as we segment the beginning, middle, and ending sounds. A great learning experience for auditory and kinesthetic/tactile learners. At the end you see a friend reading an -at family slider aloud. 

Let's Go RAVENS!

6-B really enjoyed showing their purple pride this Friday!

Go Ravens!

Love,

6-B

Let's Stay Healthy 6-B

 We certainly want to stay healthy this winter so I invited Nurse Whitman to come visit 6-B and discuss germs.  We explored how easily germs can be spread through a fun activity with glitter!

Thank you for visiting Nurse Whitman! We are going to do our best to not spread germs!