Literacy

I use a variety of activities and techniques to teach students reading and writing skills. We have Writing Workshop and Literacy Stations daily. Writing Workshop gives students the chance to tell stories using a combination of pictures and words. Literacy Stations allow students to practice skills through retelling familiar stories, illustrating known poems, manipulating letters and words, writing friendly letters, cards and stories, reading books, and making literature related art.

Writing

As children begin writing they flow through various developmental stages. They often begin experimenting with writing by drawing pictures, scribbling and writing letter-like symbols. Children then progress to writing random letters and finally their writing will look more conventional where the letters actually represent a sound and/or a word. You may notice your child going back and forth between stages as they progress. This is perfectly okay. Whichever stage you see your child writing in, praise them and ask them to read you their writing. This is encourages them to keep experimenting with writing. Soon they will be writing stories you can read!

Stages of Writing

Reading

In addition to explicitly teaching phonics and reading skills, I use meaningful and authentic activities to reinforce skills through the year. I begin with using the students' names to teach letters and sounds. This is called Name Game! There are various rounds of Name Game and it continues the entire school year. Each round is little more challenging and focuses on teaching a new literacy skill.

I also use skill-based phonics and reading groups. These small groups allow me to work with students who are either reading at the same level or who all need work with a specific skill. During small group reading students practice reading independently and are encouraged to use the newly taught skill. While students read I observe their fluency and reading strategies, so I know what to teach them next.

Kindergarten Literacy Focus:

By the end of kindergarten students will be able to:

  • Identify all capital and lowercase letters

  • Identify consonant and vowel sounds

  • Read 25 sight words

  • Recognize and produce rhymes

  • Write first and last name

  • Write phonetically (sound out words and write the sounds they hear)

Alphabet Letter/Sound Linking Chart

Literacy Fun at Home!

Play I-Spy Rhyming. For example: "I spy something blue, that rhymes with rock." Answer: "The sock!"

Sing Silly Songs. Substitute beginning sounds in familiar songs. For example: "Bary had a bittle bam, bittle bam, bittle bam. Bary had a bittle bam its bleece was bite as bow."

ABC Picnic Game. Each player has to bring something on the picnic. The first person brings something that begins with an A, the next person brings something that begins with a B. Continue naming items until you reach the end of the alphabet.

Other variations: bring items that rhyme. For example: "I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing a bat." Next player says, "I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing a rat (cat, mat...)." Keep playing until you run out of rhymes and start over.

Special Reading Area. Designate a special area in your home, or your child's room, just for reading. Perhaps allow your child a space on the bookshelf or have your child decorate a shoe box to keep in the special area to store all their favorite books (including the ones they make at school!).

Don't forget to let your child see you reading too! You are the most important role model in your child's life.