Shelia Moore Tanya Ragan Spring Garden School (K-12)

1. Workshop Shelia Moore Tanya Ragan Spring Garden School (K-12)

2. Two Components of the Workshop • When a Child Reads and When a Child Writes • Both of these are important in helping your child become a reader. • Reading and writing should be viewed together, learned together, and used together. • These two processes are intertwined in such a unique way that some say that writing is reading turned inside out. Together they form a lifelong adventure in literate activity.

3. When a Child Reads: • There are no magic formulas to instantly transform your child into a fluent, effective reader. • When your child was learning to walk, first he crawled, then pulled himself up, and finally took those first tentative steps. • The same thing can be applied to helping your child learn to read.

4. Steps to Helping Develop a Reader • Model reading aloud. • Use high interest books, with colorful pictures • Reading the same book over and over is encouraged. • Memorizing is an early part of a child’s development.

5. Show Child Proper “Book Handling” • Turn pages from front to back • Follow print from left to right • Recognize where print begins on a page • Become aware of spacing in words and sentences • Talk about differences in letters and words • Picture Walk: “Walking” through the book and talking about the pictures before you start to read • Point to the words as you read. This is one of the first steps as a beginning reader.

6. Developing Reading Comprehension: Understanding What You Read • Retelling a story as you read is key to helping build reading comprehension. Stop and talk. • Making connections to the text or story is important. The more they can relate to a story, the better they will understand it • Use books that use “natural language”… Words that are familiar. If you come to words that are unfamiliar, always stop and explain the meaning of those words. • Books that have repeated phrases help children to join-in the reading of a book.

7. Demonstrate Curiosity About Print in the Environment: Show your child that reading is important in everyday life.

8. How Do We Do This? • Reading road signs, logos, and words • Reading recipes, grocery lists, newspapers, magazines etc…. • Model reading as entertainment or pleasure as an adult reader

9. Help Your Child DevelopPhonemic Awareness • Refers to the awareness that words are made up of individual sounds • Letter/sound correspondence (Phonics)

10. Help Your Child DevelopPhonemic Awareness • Rhyme recognition--Hearing and recognizing rhymes through Nursery Rhymes, poetry, and singing

11. When a Child Writes….. • The intent of writing is not to produce grammatically correct sentences, but for the child to discover the relationship between oral language (talking) and symbolic print (writing.)

12. Stages of Writing Development • Scribbles are actually the first stage of a child’s writing.

13. Stages of Writing Development • Eventually, the scribbles start to look more like letters. • Shapes begin to appear in the child’s early drawings. • The child may choose one motion and write it over and over.

14. Stages of Writing Development • The child discovers that writing carries a message. • The child learns directionality (left to right, top to bottom). • The child begins to form letters in name.

15. Stages of Writing Development • At around age five, the child will begin to mix letters and squiggles in the writing. • Eventually, letters will dominate the writing. The child may be able to tell you the story.

16. Someone Please Read This I found a lamp and a genie came out.

17. Temporary Spelling (Creative Spelling) • Temporary spelling is what it means: “temporary.” • A child should not have to spell correctly when they first begin the writing process. • Usually a child will represent a word by using the beginning sound or first letter… Later he may add the ending letter. • Consonants are usually easier to hear than vowels in words, so that is what will appear first in their writing

18. Please Read This! Once upon a time there was (were) four butterflies. They went on an adventure in the woods.

19. PENCIL TIPS Bilateral Coordination Pencil Grasp Writing Instrument A wide pencil is more comfortable for young hands.

20. CONCLUSION • A powerful predictor of reading success is the child’s automatic knowledge of the letters of the alphabet. • Successful reading requires mastering of the alphabet. • Successful reading requires understanding that written symbols represent spoken words.

21. CONCLUSION • A child with automatic, accurate recognition of letters will have an easier time learning about letter sounds and word spellings than a child who DOESN’T know the letters of the alphabet.

22. Boost Your Child’s Self-Esteem And Independence • Expect your child to succeed in school. • Children work hard in school when their parents expect more, and relax when their parents expect less. • Give your child challenges he/she can master. • Help him/ her learn to climb the steps to the playground slide. • Teach him/her to button their own clothing. • Help him/her to learn to ride bike. • Each of these skills will boost self-confidence. Be sure to praise him/ her as he/ she meets each new challenge. • Let your child make choices. • “Ask would you like to take bath first or pick up your toys?” • When you offer a choice, you’re letting him/ her know you have confidence in them. • Hug your child and tell him/her you love them. • Your love will give your child the confidence to go out into the world and succeed.

23. Play Time Can Be Learning Time • Look for shapes. • You might say, “I see a blue square. Can you find it?” When your child locates the item, it’s her turn to ask you next. • Cook together. • As your child helps measure, he can learn some basic math skills. • Best of all, the whole family gets to eat the result! • Fill your sink with water. • Let your child find objects that sink and some that float. • Allow your children to finger paint, color, draw, cut and paste. • Take a walk with your child. • Stop and watch the activity at an ant hill.

24. Make the Big Day a Happy One • Focus on the positive. • Tell your child how big he/she is to be going to school. Let him/ her know that you are proud of them. • Discuss your child’s concerns about school. • You may want to read a book about starting school (suggestions on next slide). Then ask, “Is that something you’re feeling?” • Make sure your child knows that you, his room, his favorite toys and his friends will be waiting for him at the end of the school day. • Visit the classroom before school starts. • There will be a scheduled preschool move-up day in the spring. This is a great opportunity for your child to tour the campus. • Children sometimes worry about using the bathroom at school. • Let your child know that there will be a bathroom in their classroom and he/she can use it when needed. • For a week before school, practice getting up at the new time. • Take a few walks to the bus stop or ride by the school.

25. Great Books to Help Kids Ease Their Way Into the First Day of School • Do You Want to Be My Friend? by Eric Carle • A Little Mouse seeks and eventually finds a friend. • Will I Have A Friend? by Miriam Cohen • During Jim’s first day at school, nearly everyone seems to find a friend. In the end, so does Jim. • Ruby the Copy Cat, by Peggy Rathman • Ruby doesn’t know how to make friends, so she mimics what others do. She finally finds her own way to be friendly. • Welcome Roberto! by Mary Sefozo (written in English and Spanish) • Story of Roberto’s first day at school. • Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner, by Amy Schwartz • Annabelle is getting ready to start kindergarten, so her older sister gives her some advice. • Willy Bear, by Mildred Kantrowitz • A child prepares for the first day of school with his stuffed animal. When school time comes, he leaves the animal behind. • Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henks • Chrysanthemum is a mouse who loves her name. She learns to ignore the other mice who think her name is silly. • Berenstain Bears Go to School, by Jay Berenstain • The Berenstain Bears are off to school and have many fun adventures.

26. Be Ready to Register Your Child for School with the following information: • Birth Certificate • Social Security Card • Immunization Card (Blue Card) • 2 Proofs of Residency

27. Let’s Stay in Touch • Once your child is enrolled in school, our partnership becomes even more important! • If you have questions, comments, or concerns about how your child is doing, please let us know right away! • By working together, we’ll be sure your child gets off to a good start now… and has a successful school experience every year!

28. Parents should always follow the Motto, “BE HERE NOW” when you are with your child. Don’t worry about the bills that have to be paid. If the dirty dishes in the sink bother you, look the other way. Give your child the same undivided attention you would give your boss or a co-worker! Your job as a parent is the most important job you will ever have in this lifetime!

29. Resources • The Parent Institute