Be Kind and Respectful 

to People and Property.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes.

Phonics

Students need to be able to figure out new words they encounter when they read.  So, we spend time in class learning phonics skills that students don't know and practicing them in different ways.

Some tools we use are chips, magnets, pop-its, highlighters, and whiteboards. We practice dividing up words into syllables so they are not so intimidating.

They will also do activities like word sorts, word chains, games and dictation to make those phonics rules really stick.

Fluency

It is important for your child to read fluently - with accuracy, speed and expression to support their comprehension.  The way they read out loud is the reading voice they hear in their head when they read silently. So it is important to make it the best reading voice possible.

I create a safe space for them to practice this skill! We do that with choral reading, repeated reading, echo reading, and paired reading.  It builds their self-assurance and comprehension so they can return to class to read aloud with confidence!

Vocabulary

If a person wants to understand what they are reading, they must know what the words mean.  

We will focus on important vocabulary students encounter in a variety of texts. There are two primary ways I help students grow their vocabulary. 

The first is through word play and discussion using words from a text. We talk about the word, give examples, make motions, look at pictures, compare it to other words, and practice using it.

The second is by learning morphology.  We will learn important word roots and affixes as we read.  We practice building and reading words using the word parts.  Once your child knows important words parts that have meaning, then they are able to understand even more words! 

Comprehension

As your child is able to read more fluently and understand more vocabulary, they will naturally be able to comprehend more of what they read.

However, I will also practice important reading skills with them that they can carry into the classroom.

We will grow habits for strategies before reading, during reading and after reading.