Hands-On Learning

(Please Note:  Students will not be ready for some of these activities until later in the school year).

• Practice Sight Words as They are Introduced:  (Our full list of kindergarten sight words are included on my "Resources For Home" page by clicking the "Sight Words" link.)  I encourage you to go beyond my list of words if your child is ready to do so, especially towards the end of the school year.

• Monthly Calendar Activities:   This calendar (linked below) provides lots of fun, hands-on learning opportunities you can do with your child each month.  Most of the ideas don't take very long to do, and are a great way to reinforce school learning at home.  I will continue to post them here in future months.

• Rhyming:  If you have any books that use rhyming words, have your child identify the rhyming words heard while reading aloud to him/her.  You can also, simply ask your child to tell you a word that rhymes with different examples you say.

• Adding and Subtracting within 10:  Your child can use his/her fingers, any type of manipulative available at home (beans, noodles, Cheerios, Lego blocks, etc.), the number line, or whichever way works best for him/her to practice.  If you have flashcards, you can use those to practice adding and subtracting fluently within 5.

• Reading and Writing CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) Words:  Your child will need to be able to read and write CVC words independently by the end of the school year.  (Examples of CVC words are: ham, red, sip, dog, mug, etc.)  They can be written on paper, a dry erase board, a chalkboard, or in shaving cream/sand.  If you have enough water bottle caps saved, you can have your child build CVC words with by writing each vowel in one color on the tops of the caps and the common consonants used in a different color.

• Reading to your child and asking him/her questions about the text/story.

• Writing in a journal, on dry erase board, or even just a piece of paper:  You can just have your child write about something that happened that day or pick anything he/she wants to write about.  Depending on your child's readiness, he/she does not have to limit writing to one simple sentence.  I often push my students to elaborate on their writing, especially later in the school year.  (Writing ideas are included on my "Resources for Home" page by clicking the "Writing" link.)