Learning to read and write is such an important step on the academic journey for your youngster! Just like any journey, however, there can be speed bumps and traffic jams, freeways and winding country roads. Each child will learn to read and write at their own pace. I hope this page offers some help as you encourage your budding reader and writer at home.
First and foremost...model reading and writing for your child. Let them see you enjoying a book or magazine (digital or print)! Let them see you writing a shopping list, paying bills, writing emails, etc.
Secondly...offer your child a chance to help you read and write. When making a shopping list, have your child write/draw an item or two on the list. When out driving, have your child read signs of stores and restaurants (environmental print!). This is reading!
Reading with your child:
Reading is more than decoding the words on the page, it is understanding what you read by talking about the text and making connections to it. But in order to read, we must decode the words. The first thing we need to master is the proper pronunciation of phonemes. This video will help us all to make sure we pronounce those phonemes properly! 44 phonemes
Before reading: Look through all the pictures, discuss what you think might happen in the story using the pictures. Have your child create their own story just by looking at the pictures. I like to clarify any concepts or vocabulary that might be obscure before reading while looking at the pictures.
During reading: Enjoy the story as much as possible! Get lost in the language and the characters!
After reading:Ask questions, answer questions, relate to your own life and experiences, retell key events.
When your young reader wants to take over..what should you see:
*touching each word they read aloud is a reading strategy, it is matching voice to print
*starting to sound out the word using the phonics code they know is a reading strategy.
*after reading, checking for understanding using the picture and discussion with a grown up.
If the word is impossible to sound out and beyond Kindergarten level: tell them the word right away! We only learn a portion of the phonetic code and some words "don't play by the rules"
Writing Development
What does Kindergarten writing look like?
Writing is also developmental. Some children will write sentences the very first day of school, while others are content to tell very detailed, fascinating stories through ten pages of illustrations until October! Both are perfectly acceptable and will be celebrated as wonderful pieces of writing!
Children begin to see themselves as authors by seeing the adults around them model the craft of writing. As their teacher, I will model writing daily for them and then give them a chance to tell stories of their life. After we learn some phonetic code, we will transfer that to our writing skills and developing strong sentences. Some children will jump right in, while others will gradually wade into the waters of writing!
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