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ELA in Kindergarten
Our district uses a combination of resources to teach the foundational reading skills in Kindergarten. Below is a brief overview of our main reading programs/tools.
Wit & Wisdom is the program we use for our ELA instruction.
Heggerty is used to teach phonemic awareness skills that children need in order to become successful readers. Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. We will be practicing rhyming, syllables, beginning sounds, middle sounds, ending sounds, counting words in sentences, and nursery rhymes. Phonemic awareness is crucial, as it is a predictor of later reading success.
Fundations is the program that we use for phonics instruction.
Fundations High Frequency Words
Below you will find a complete list of the 27 high frequency words for the Kindergarten year. This list is for parents, in case you lose a word, or you are interested in seeing what your child will be learning throughout the year. I will provide your child with a word ring with all of these words. Please practice your child's words nightly using the hands-on/tactile techniques below.
Most of the words we are learning are referred to by the Fundations program as "trick words". These are words that have a tricky part that we need to know by heart. We use a word mapping technique called "heart words" where we find the part in the word that is tricky and put a heart above it. Below you can learn more about heart word magic and view videos we use to teach these words.
Multi-sensory activities allow your child to interact with the words by seeing, hearing and touching the words. Rote memorization has been proven ineffective in learning new words.
The auditory/visual/kinesthetic connection is what builds muscle memory in a young child's brain for quick recall of sight words. Think of it as a learning triangle that engages all 3 of your child's senses!
The more you practice the faster your child will be able to recall the words and learn to read!
The following photos show how you can make word study playful, fun, and engaging at home with common items you may already have, or that can easily be purchased at the dollar/ craft store.
Three important components to keep in mind when using these multi-sensory activities with your child:
First, it is important for your child to use his/her pointer and middle fingers together when completing the tracing/finger writing components of these activities.
Second, be sure your child keeps her/her eyes on the word and letters throughout the activity.
Third, be sure your child reads the word aloud, and then reads the letters aloud as he/she traces, finishing by reading the word aloud again.
The word ring is a tool for storing the words, when your child is practicing his/her words the words can be removed from the ring for the activity and then placed back on the ring in any order. Pick a different way to practice each day!
Shave Cream Words
Materials: Shave Cream/TraySquirt a little shaving cream on a table or cookie tray. Student reads the word card aloud, then the student uses 2 fingers (pointer and middle finger) to write the letters of each word. The student should say the letters and then read the whole word while drawing a line under the word from left to right.Sand Word Writing
Materals: sand/salt/sugar, cookie trayPurchase colored sand at the dollar store, or use salt or sugar and spread on a small cookie sheet (dollar store) or plastic tray. Student reads the word card aloud, then the student uses 2 fingers (pointer and middle finger) to write the letters of each word. The student should say the letters and then read the whole word while drawing a line under the word from left to right.Play-Doh Sight Words
Materials: Play-doh, paper platesPurchase Play-Doh and an adult can write the sight word on a paper plate or piece of paper, large enough for the student to roll "skinny snakes" to form the letters of the word. Then read the word aloud.Sidewalk Chalk Word Writing
Materials: Sidewalk chalkPurchase sidewalk chalk and get some fresh air! Take your word ring outside. Choose a card, read it aloud and then copy the word onto the driveway or sidewalk using chalk. Don't forget to read your words when you are finished!
Play Word Swat!
Materials: Fly swatter/post-itsStudents love this game. Purchase a fly swatter and using the word ring cards, or post it notes, spread words on the table. Say a word aloud and your child needs to find it swat it, and read the word to you.Where's the Bear?
Materials: Bathroom cups/small toy Write 4-5 words on small cups and hide one small toy under one cup. Your child has to guess which cup the toy is under, but reading the sight word. You pick up the cup to see if your child is correct. Try to trick your child by picking up the incorrect word and see if your child can be the teacher and correct you!Bumpy Word Writing
Materials: Plastic canvas sheet and fat crayonCut a plastic canvas from a craft store in half. Put a piece of paper on top of the plastic canvas. Choose a sight word from the word ring and using a fat crayon instruct your child to write & say each letter of the word while pushing down hard onto the paper. Then draw a line under the word and say the word. Next, the student should trace the letter with his/her two fingers (pointer and middle finger) and say the word while tracing the line. Practice this tracing technique three times.Flashlight Word Seek
Materials: Small flashlightTape the word cards around the house. Give your child a flashlight and send him/her on a sight word seek. Your child should shine the light on the word and read the letters of the word aloud.Below are links to 5 different websites with sight word game ideas:
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