Wow-less than 30 days left of school left! Time flies when you're having fun! 
This week, I am going to continue working on the three foundational skills of reading:
1.)Phonemic awareness, or learning the individual sounds that constitute a language, for example, "buh" as the sound of "b".
2.)Phonics, or the letter-sound relationships available in the language.
3.)Exposure to the meaning of the written word by reading aloud to children as well as having children read independently.
All three of these parts are very important building blocks when teaching a child to read, as each piece is necessary to support the next. With phonemic awareness as the first building block, a child can begin to piece together words in books. Add a helpful person by their side and they will begin to ask questions, which lets you know that they are at the "phonics phase”. Now is the time to point out important clues, such as how letter sounds blend, how an "e" at the end of a word changes a vowel sound from short to long, or how some consonants have more than one sound. You can also show them upper and lower case letters. It is also important at this time to show your child the frequently used words, best learned by sight. Remember to keep reading to your child, to include exposure to meaning.
This week, I am including some helpful reading tips to incorporate at home:
1. Read aloud to your child from books, but also mail, instruction booklets, grocery lists, etc. (and don't stop even when your child can read independently!)
2. Take turns "drawing" a letter on each other's back with your fingers; guess what it is, tell them what sound it makes
3. Encourage hands-on play with magnetic letters and sponge letters in bath; sound out the nonsense words your child creates with them.
4. Show them how fun it is to trace letters with crayons or colored pencils.
5. Cut out letters from different types of paper; make some “ABC” craft projects.
6. Play word games like Hangman, Junior Scrabble, Boggle, ABC Bingo, word searches, or make up you own game asking them: "What begins with ‘buh?” or “What ends with ‘guh?"
7. Write a single letter on some Post-It notes and make it into a game having your child stick them on everything beginning with that letter.
8. Pick a "sight word of the day," then have your child call it out every time you find it in a story.
9. Leave fun engaging looking books around the house and car for your child to find and pick up.
10. Provide a quiet period when you both get you favorite book and go off to read alone.
11. Get cozy! Or make it an adventure for them. Read to them at night under a blanket with a flashlight, or read them an adventure story outside in a play tent.
This week, I am going to continue working on the three foundational skills of reading:
1.)Phonemic awareness, or learning the individual sounds that constitute a language, for example, "buh" as the sound of "b".
2.)Phonics, or the letter-sound relationships available in the language.
3.)Exposure to the meaning of the written word by reading aloud to children as well as having children read independently.
All three of these parts are very important building blocks when teaching a child to read, as each piece is necessary to support the next. With phonemic awareness as the first building block, a child can begin to piece together words in books. Add a helpful person by their side and they will begin to ask questions, which lets you know that they are at the "phonics phase”. Now is the time to point out important clues, such as how letter sounds blend, how an "e" at the end of a word changes a vowel sound from short to long, or how some consonants have more than one sound. You can also show them upper and lower case letters. It is also important at this time to show your child the frequently used words, best learned by sight. Remember to keep reading to your child, to include exposure to meaning.
This week, I am including some helpful reading tips to incorporate at home:
1. Read aloud to your child from books, but also mail, instruction booklets, grocery lists, etc. (and don't stop even when your child can read independently!)
2. Take turns "drawing" a letter on each other's back with your fingers; guess what it is, tell them what sound it makes
3. Encourage hands-on play with magnetic letters and sponge letters in bath; sound out the nonsense words your child creates with them.
4. Show them how fun it is to trace letters with crayons or colored pencils.
5. Cut out letters from different types of paper; make some “ABC” craft projects.
6. Play word games like Hangman, Junior Scrabble, Boggle, ABC Bingo, word searches, or make up you own game asking them: "What begins with ‘buh?” or “What ends with ‘guh?"
7. Write a single letter on some Post-It notes and make it into a game having your child stick them on everything beginning with that letter.
8. Pick a "sight word of the day," then have your child call it out every time you find it in a story.
9. Leave fun engaging looking books around the house and car for your child to find and pick up.
10. Provide a quiet period when you both get you favorite book and go off to read alone.
11. Get cozy! Or make it an adventure for them. Read to them at night under a blanket with a flashlight, or read them an adventure story outside in a play tent.
