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.

Sight Word Practice

In reading we are ready to begin our first set of sight words: color words! Of course you can use flashcards, but here are some other fun ideas to try:
Use coins or buttons to form your words
Print your words on someones back using your finger. Have the person guess the word
Use yarn or string to form your words.
Record yourself saying and spelling your words
Use cooked spaghetti to form your words
Play BINGO with your words
Spread peanut butter or jelly on bread then use raisins to form your words
Use colored crayons or pencils to copy your words in as many different color combinations as possible.
Paint your words using water color or finger paint
Read a story. See how many times you can find your words
Write three or more sentences using each word
See how many times you can write your words in 1 minute
Use colored chalk to write your words on the sidewalk
Write your words in shaving cream
Fold a sheet of paper in fourths. Write your words one time in each square and decorate the squares with art supplies, stickers, etc.
Use cookie dough to shape your words and bake them
Write three or more words that rhyme with each of your word
Play Tic-Tac-Toe using your words
Create a game of "Memory" with your sight words
Create flashcards to review your words

Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!

"The Spoon Game"- Letter Identification

 One of the letter identification games we have been playing in reading is called the "Spoon Game".  This fun, hands-on approach to identifying upper and lowercase letters could easily be played at home too!  All I did was use a permanent marker on spoons. Uppercase letters are written on colored spoons and the corresponding lowercase letter is written on a clear plastic spoon.  At the start of the game all of the letters are mixed up.  Students work together to find and match the letters. As the place the clear spoon onto the uppercase match they say the letter sound aloud.  To make things more tricky, I ask the students to place all of the "matches" in proper ABC order.

Bravo Readers!

Reading Begins!

I am so excited to have started our groups.  Each class we will begin with our morning message.

Why do we write a morning message?

By participating in the writing of our morning message, students learn...

writing is speech written down
proper letter formation 
upper and lower case letter recognition 
associating letters and sounds 
left to right progression 
differentiate between a letter, a word, and a sentence 
reading of common sight words
spacing 
punctuation 
to look for patterns within words (word families)

Sample Questions I will ask the students:

Can someone show me where I start my morning message?
What sound do you hear at the beginning of this word?
What letter do I write at the beginning of that word?
What do I put at the end of that sentence?
What do I put at the end of that question?
How do I show that we are excited about going?
How do I end my sentence?
Can anyone help me spell the word, 'love'?
Does anyone know what letter to begin 'Today' with?
Can you find a word you know and circle it?
Can you find a word that begins like Adam?
Can you find a word that rhymes with ______?

Progression of  the morning message:

Over time I will start to make mistakes in the morning message. I may:

Omit letters on purpose

   Make mistakes in capitalization “good Morning”

      Incorporate sight words and have students spy them

      Phonemic awareness mistakes “Good Torning Class”

     Make Calvert handwriting mistakes! Forget the tail on a letter

        Invert letters! Write a backwards “b” “j” etc.

Currently we are working on letter recognition in our morning meetings.  
For example, for our initial message (pictured above) we found each work that contained 
the letter "e" in it. Each friend had a chance to "share the pen" and circle an "e" that they found.  Once we found the total number of "e" letter we did that many jumping jacks.  I then read the message aloud again and had students clap each time I read a word containing an "e"

I love that the morning messages contain VAKT linkages

Visual: see the message as I read it aloud and point to each word
Auditory: hear the message as I read aloud and point to each work
Kinesthetic: practice jumping jacks (harder for this age group then you would expect) completing the number dictated by the message. Leaving a seated position to "share

the pen"
Tactile: share the pen as they find and circle specific letters, punctuation, words etc.

Feel free to use any of these ideas at home for a fun learning experience.

Busy Bee's

We completed the 1-1 Reader and will begin stories in the 1-2 Reader after the New Year!

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 to keep their place. Additionally, it encourages the child to notice all of the sounds in each individual word. Tracking was fun because we were able to use witch fingers! As we read aloud everyone was able to follow (whether they were reading aloud, or following along). How much fun!

Sight Word Memory

Sixth Age readers did a phenomenal job reviewing our popcorn words through a game of memory.
Each friend was able to get a match!

Focus Skill: Sequence of Events

In reading, students have been focusing on the short "a" vowel sound. This week we have been reading the story, "The Hat" by Holly Keller. Our focus skill in this story is the sequence of events. We have been paying close attention to the order of events in this story. In the activity above, students were given a sheet of paper with the events placed out of order. We worked together to cut out each sentence and put it in the proper order.

Great job readers!

Web of Sounds: Short "a"

To prepare for our first story unit, we have been focusing on the short "a" /a/ sound.

Our task during this game was to create a web of sounds with string. One person starts the web and says a short "a" word then tosses the ball of yarn to another student. Using only words that have the targeted sound we continued taking turns and were able to successfully weave the web! A few of the words we cam up with were: hat, apple, bat, & map.

Great Ways to Practice Sight Words

Use coins or buttons to form your words
Print your words on someones back using your finger. Have the person guess the word
Use yarn or string to form your words.
Record yourself saying and spelling your words
Use cooked spaghetti to form your words
Play BINGO with your words
Spread peanut butter or jelly on bread then use raisins to form your words
Use colored crayons or pencils to copy your words in as many different color combinations as possible.
Paint your words using water color or finger paint
Read a story. See how many times you can find your words
Write three or more sentences using each word
See how many times you can write your words in 1 minute
Use colored chalk to write your words on the sidewalk
Write your words in shaving cream
Fold a sheet of paper in fourths. Write your words one time in each square and decorate the squares with art supplies, stickers, etc.
Use cookie dough to shape your words and bake them
Write three or more words that rhyme with each of your word
Play Tic-Tac-Toe using your words
Create a game of "Memory" with your sight words
Create flashcards to review your words

Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!

Congratulations Sixth Age Readers!

What an incredible year! Bravo to the Sixth Age readers for all of their hard work. On the last day of class they were presented with their "Reading Licensce".
Don't forget to continue to read over the summer months!
I will miss you!

Long Vowels

Sixth Age friends have done a wonderful job working with long vowlels. We have just completed our magic e phonics books!

Bravo!

Magic "e"

Sixth Age friends are hard at work reviewing long vowels. We are focusing on words that have the magic e at the end. The magic e forces the vowel to say its name!
{cape, made, cube, time, pine, home, here}

Sixth Age students are currently focusing on consonant blends.

Our phonics packet emphasises initial blends with “l”

(bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl- block, clip, flap, glad, plan, slap)

A Play!

Sixth Age readers have done a wonderful job with our latest reading selection, a play, "Did You See Chip". Sixth Age friends especially enjoyed taking turns reading as different characters.

BRAVO!

R-controlled vowels ar

Sixth Age students have done a wonderful job reading ar words and correctly using them in a sentence.

Bravo!

Long A Loop Game

Sixth Age readers did a great job reviewing long "a" during our loop game.

Backwards Alphabet?

Every day we get our brains ready for reading by completing alphabet warm-up activities. We identify letters, produce their sounds, and often are allowed to sing the alphabet backwards. The Sixth Age readers have had a lot of practice, and now, they do not even need to look at the alphabet to sing!

I am thoroughly impressed by their hard work! Bravo!

Bravo!

Sixth Age readers have just completed the Harcourt 1-2 reader! The students will be borrowing the book to practice reading the selection of stories at home. In class, we will begin the 1-3 reader.