Phonics—the ability to understand relationships between letters and sounds
Write letters or blends (fl, scr, gr) on pieces of paper and put them in a bag. Let your child reach into the bag, take out a letter, and say the sound(s) that matches.
Building words—using magnetic (or handmade) letters, make a 3-letter word, have your child read the word and use it in a sentence. Change one letter to make a new word—(ex. cat, bat, hat, sat, mat, rat).
Hunting for words—choose a letter and have your child hunt 3-5 items beginning with that letter sound. As each object is found, help your child write the word on a list.
Play “Memory” or “Go Fish” using alphabet cards or cards with consonant/vowel digraphs and blends—(ex. ay, ea, oo, ch, th, sh, bl, sc, sp, gl).
Write a note or letter to your child and have them write back. Writing reinforces phonics skills.
Fluency—the ability to read with speed to support comprehension
Repeated reading—choose a book that will not be very difficult for your child. Read the passage aloud to your child and then read it together. Next, have your child read the passage to you over and over—each time getting faster and smoother.
Use different voices—when reading a familiar story, have your child use different voices. Read the story in a mouse voice, cowboy voice, or a princess voice and practice using expression.
Recite nursery rhymes and poems to build familiar phrases in speech.
Point out punctuation marks that aid in expression. Demonstrate how your voice changes as you read for each. Only focus on one at a time during a book.
Say a sentence to your child and ask him/her to repeat it to you. Challenge your child to increase the number of words he/she can repeat. As you say it, put it in meaningful phrases—(ex. The boy went/ to the store/ with his mother.).
Record the reading—after your child has practiced a passage, have him/her record it with a tape player, cell phone, or MP3 device. Once recorded, your child can listen to his reading and follow along in the book. Often, he/she will want to record it again to make it even better.
Make your own book of favorite songs for your child to practice reading. This builds confidence and helps your child identify him/herself as a reader.
Vocabulary—
Use the reading and math vocabulary words from the newsletter when talking to your child, when possible.
Read aloud to your child and preview words. Scan through the book and choose 2 words that you think might be interesting or unfamiliar to your child. Tell your child what those words mean. Show your child a picture, discuss, and draw the word. Help your child listen for them when you reread the book. Try to use the new words later in day/week in your conversations.
Hot Potato—play “Hot Potato” with synonyms. Choose a word, and have your child think of a word that means the same thing—(ex. you may say “cold” and your child might say “freezing”. Try the game with antonyms (opposites).
Play “Categories” with your child. Name topics such as “farms” and ask your child to think of all the words he/she can relate to that topic.
Talk about how things are alike and different.
Use a variety of words to describe feelings and emotions.
Discuss positional words such as beside, below, under, above, around, over, etc.
When you read a book about a topic, ask him/her to tell you all the words related to it—(ex. If you read a book about dinosaurs, he/she might say T-Rex, fossil, carnivore.).
Comprehension—the ability to understand and draw meaning from text
Sequencing errands—Talk about errands that you will run today. Use sequencing words (first, next, last, finally) when describing your day.
Ask your child who, what, when, where, why, and how questions about an even in his/her day.
Think aloud—when you read aloud to your child, talk about what you are thinking. This shows them that reading is more than figuring out words.
Before reading—point out the title and author, look at the pictures and ask “What do you think is going to happen in this story?” Make more predictions as you are reading the book together.
During reading—stop after a few pages and ask your child to tell you what has happened so far or what he/she predicts will happen. Discuss characters actions, their opinion of book, or how the book is structured (comparing, narrative, cause/effect, informative).
After reading—ask or help your child retell the story from the beginning and ask for opinions, too. Include the characters, problem, and solution in the conversation. Discuss if the story makes her/him think of another book they have read and how they are similar or different. Discuss if the story reminds them of a personal event. If nonfiction--look at headings and captions. Discuss the structure and what other questions they have about the subject. Find another book on similar topic to compare.
Questions/discussion ideas
What is the main idea? Retell or summarize the story together and come up with the main idea or theme of the story.
What is the purpose for the article, book, or story?
How did the characters change throughout the story?
Describe the setting
What are some new words you would like to learn/discuss/…
What does the author want you to learn?
What are the main things you could teach after reading this book?