Reading with your Kindergartener at home

Talk to your child: Ask your child to talk about his or her day. Encourage them to explain something that they did. Ask them questions that start with: Who; What; Where; When: Why; How

Say Silly Tounge Twisters: Sing songs, read rhyming books, and say silly tounge twisters. These help kids become sensitive to the sounds in words. 

Read it and Experience it: Connect what your child reads with what happened in life. If reading a book about animals, relate it to your last trip to the zoo.

Use your Child's name: Point out the link between letters and sounds. Say "John, the word jump begins with the same sound as your name. John, Jump. And they both begin with the same letter, J."

Play with Puppets: Play language games with puppets. Have the puppet say, "My name is______. I like the words that rhyme with my name. Does ______ rhyme with _____?

Trace and Say Letters: Have your child use a finger to trace a letter while saying the letter's sound. Do this on paper, sand, pudding, paint, shaving cream etc.

Write it Down: Have paper and pencil available for your child to use for writing. Working together write a sentence or two about something special. Encourage them to use the letters and sounds they are learning about in school. 

Play Sounds Games: Practice blending sounds into words. Ask "Can you guess what this word is? m-o-p" Hold each sound longer than normal.

Read it Again and Again: Go ahead and read your child's favorite book for the 100th time! As you read, pause and ask your child about what is going on in the book. 

Talk About Letters and Sounds: Help your child learn the names of the letters and the sounds the letters make. Turn it into a game. "I'm thinking of a letter and it makes the sounds mmmm."