Parent Resources

Parent Resources for Reading

Phonemic Awareness:

Phonemic awareness is commonly defined as the understanding that spoken words are made up of separate units of sound that are blended together when words are pronounced. However, it can also be thought of as a skill at hearing and producing the separate sounds in words, dividing or segmenting words into their component sounds, blending separate sounds into words, and recognizing words that sound alike or different. It is defined by reading experts as the ability to “focus on and manipulate phonemes in spoken words” (NICHD, 2000). For example, hearing and saying that the word cat has three sounds, or phonemes /k/ /a/ /t/ is an example of phonemic awareness skill. 

Resources:

1. Phonemic Awareness Activities for Parents | Heggerty

2. At-Home Parent Activities Phonological Awareness

3. A Parent’s Guide to Phonemic Awareness

Phonics:

Understanding phonics and the purpose of phonics instruction involves thinking about how written language was created. Spoken language had existed for a very long time before the need for written communication brought about the invention of various alphabets. When people began inventing the letters of an alphabet to represent the sounds of their spoken language, they eventually saw the need for a set of rules to make spelling consistent from word to word. That is, they understood it would be important for the same letter or letters to be used each time a particular sound was represented. The rules they created to establish consistency in how speech sounds are represented in print are what we now call phonics rules. 

Resources:

1. The Ultimate Phonics Guide

2. For Parents: Letters and Sounds

3. Letters and Sounds: Practical Ideas for Parents

4. What is Phonics?

Fluency:

Fluency is recognizing the words in a text rapidly and accurately and using phrasing and emphasis in a way that makes what is read sound like spoken language. Grouping words into meaningful phrases and reading with expression helps the reader understand the text by making what is being read resemble natural speech.

Resources:

1. How Parents Can Promote Reading Fluency

2. Fluency Parent Resources

Vocabulary:

What is vocabulary and how is it important in learning to read?

The term vocabulary refers to words we need to know to communicate with others. 

There are four types of vocabulary: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. 

Listening and speaking vocabularies are sometimes referred to collectively as oral vocabulary. 

There are four types of vocabulary: 

1. Listening: words we understand when others talk to us 

2. Speaking: words we use when we talk to others 

3. Reading: words we know when we see them in print (sight words and words we can decode)

4. Writing: words we use when we write.  

Resources:

1. Meaningful Vocabulary Activities

2. 21 Ideas for Teaching Vocabulary

3. Reading Rockets: Vocabulary

Comprehension:

Comprehension involves constructing meaning that is reasonable and accurate by connecting what has been read to what the reader already knows and thinking about all of this information until it is understood. Comprehension is the final goal of reading instruction. While fluent decoding is an essential component of skilled reading, (Block & Pressley, 2002) it should be considered a prerequisite to strong comprehension rather than an end in itself.

Resources:

1. Youtube: Reading Comprehension for Parents 

2. 7 Tips to Help Kids Understand What They Read 

3. ABC's of Reading Comprehension 

In order to build fluency with math facts, it is important that your child spend at least 5-10 minutes a day practicing facts for at least 5 days per week. Try to have your child study a small number of facts at a time.  

Here are some useful links for practicing math facts and concepts:

First, have your child log into his or her ClassLink account   (Click Here)

Then practice facts & concepts using the following apps and/or links below

• IXL (insert link)

• Xtra Math (insert link)

• First in Math (insert link)

Addition Practice

Subtraction Practice

Multiplication Practice

Division Practice

Long Division 

Additional Ways to Practice Mathematics 

• • Visit math game websites such as: www.multiplication.com

  • Play an App such as Sushi Monster that helps you practice facts 

  • Use playing cards to make a game like addition, subtraction, or multiplication war

  • Roll dice or number cubes to make addends or factors; then say or write the sums or products

  • Use your flashcards, wipe off cards, or wraps

  • Ask someone to quiz you or quiz someone else

  • Use a timer and have a race to see how fast you can say or write your facts

  • Try playing Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check (look at the fact, say it, cover it, write it on a piece of paper, then check it)

  • Write the facts you struggle with 9 times each

• *** Always check your child’s work!