Kindergarten Literacy Parent Resource Book Mrs. Regenauer Forwood Elementary School Book Challenge! Welcome Back! Dear Families, I hope you all had a great holiday break and a happy New Year! As the second half of the year begins, we will continue to practice our reading skills. Please continue to encourage your child to read the little books that come home each week. Find a special place in your house that your child can keep these books so that they can go back and read them at any time. Please take time each night to read with your child. This could be you reading to them or your child reading to you. Included in this resource guide are some ideas to help with supporting your child s literacy at home. Thank you for your continued support! Remember to complete your book logs, so that we can add your books to the book challenge. If we read over 20,000 books, Mrs. VanSuch and Mr. McDermott will dress up as clowns! Encourage your child to read at home: Make a list of books you read and see how many you can read in a week/month. Have a celebration or special treat after reading a chosen upon number of books.
Sight Words The words below are all of the sight words that your child is learning in Kindergarten. It is important to practice these words at home to help reinforce what is learned in the classroom. In the next couple weeks, we will start learning 6 new words a week. Ways to Practice Sight Words at Home Play memory Play Go Fish Rainbow write the words Create silly sentences using the words Play BINGO Play Tic-Tac-Toe Use play-doh to make the words Build the words using magnetic letters Kindergarten Sight Words I like the and see we a to come me with my you what are now is of so how where many find from but this came on will into your be that who go here soon for they up make them give play say new said was then good ate could she over her all when some he away must no by there do went only down little just have one every help ask walk look very there out saw put off our day take too show
Websites for parents Resources Common Core State Standards http://www.corestandards.org Read aloud information https://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200303/readingaloud.pdf Sight Word Activity Ideas http://childhood101.com/2013/09/sight-words-activity-ideas/ Tips for reading aloud to your child http://www.readingrockets.org/article/use-peer-when-you-read-aloud This website has a list of 50+ children s books and questions to discuss while reading with your child http://www.lexpublib.org/booksinkindergarten Word Building Websites for children www.starfall.com www.abcya.com www.abcmouse.com www.pbskids.com Create a set of letter cards for your child. Tell your child a word, such as cat, and ask them to build the word using the letter cards. Then have them tap and say the word. For example, for cat they would point to each letter saying the sounds /c/ /a/ /t/, and then say the word cat while sliding their finger under the word. Below is a list of words with the short a and short i sound that we have been practicing in school. Tips: Only practice one vowel sound at a time to begin with and then practice the two together. Limit the number of letter cards you give to your child. Below is a list of words that you can have your child build and read. Short a Short i cat bat fat hat mat pat sat rat cab tab lab bad dad had pad sad tad bag lag nag rag sag tag wag ham jam Pam ram Sam can Dan fan man pan ran tan van cap map tap lap sap nap gap bit fit hit kit pit sit dip hip rip sip tip bin fin pin tin win dim him Kim rim Tim big dig fig jig pig rig wig bid hid kid lid rid bib rib
Creating a Home Reading Environment Spend at least 20 minutes a night reading with your child. Allow your child to choose books that interest them. Take a trip to your local library or bookstore to choose new books. Talk to your child about what you are reading. Ask questions, such as What would you do if you were the character? or Where does this story take place? Since we are just learning to read, it is important that your child feels successful. Encourage them to choose books that you know they are able to read, so that they do not become frustrated. When reading to your child, encourage them to join in reading with you and read words that they know. Also, model sounding out words so that they can hear how to sound them out. Resist the urge to tell your child a word they are struggling with reading. Give them the chance to try to sound the word out. If they continue to struggle, model sounding the word out for them and then have them repeat it back to you. Reading With Your Child At Home When reading with your child, it is not only important to model fluent reading, but also to discuss what you are reading with your child. Below are some questions you can ask your child before, during, and after reading. Before During After What is the title of the book? What does the front cover tell us about the book? What do you want to find out about this book? What do you think the story will be about? Who do you think the story is about? Who is this story about? Where does the story take place? What is happening in the story so far? What is the problem in the story? What do you think will happen next? What was your favorite part of the story? Why? How did the characters solve the problem? Were your predictions about the story correct? What happened in the beginning, middle, and end of the story? Did you like this book? Why or why not? What character did you like best? Why?
Great Winter Books to Read Snowmen at Night, Snowmen at Play, Snowmen at Christmas, Snowmen at Work, and Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehner These are great stories that will spark your child s imagination. The Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Shirley Neitzel This book uses predictable text and rhyme as it goes through the clothes the boy has to wear outside in the snow. A Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats This story is about a boy that wakes up to find that it has snowed while he was sleeping. Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester This story teaches children that it is ok to be yourself. Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright This is a funny story about a snowman that is cold and the ways he tries to get warm. Snowballs by Lois Ehlert This book is about children building snowmen using things they have saved throughout the year.