Letter Sounds
This has been great for my 5 and 3 year old. The Letter People is one of the resources / assignments that E's teacher sent home and it has quickly become the way we begin our "school" with (as my three-year-old calls me) "Teacher Mommy". Last week we focused on the letter E. Ms. E had a fun song that had movements because she is the queen of exercise. This week we have two letters: H and K. While we play the song, the kids listen for words that begin with the letter. Throughout the day, we are on a hunt for more words with the letters and add to our list! Here are the other links to Mr. H and Ms. K.
Rhyming
Rhyming is an important skill for early readers. An easy way to practice is by writing a word part (-ing, -an,-et) on scratch paper and switching the first letter (onset). For example: __at (replace __ with c, m, b, p, h...). If manipulating letters is too tricky to start, begin first using pictures (K-5 Learning Site: Matching Pictures that Rhyme). This will support your child hearing the sounds before manipulating letters. If printing isn't an option, you can simply have your child view the image on your device and say each word aloud and verbally match the pictures that rhyme.
Book Shopping & Lots of READING
I had stocked up on many leveled books over the year, so E has options to choose from. However, had I not, there are many free leveled books for beginning readers to choose from digitally (or can be printed). Each of my kids has a zip-lock bag and they put 3-5 books in each week. A few times per day, we read the books in the book bag. E has sight word cards and L has letter cards, as well. After reading and re-reading many times, the kids may switch out their books. Parents, the power of re-reading familiar texts is very important in building fluency, word recognition, and confidence. Don't be discouraged if you find your child has "memorized" the familiar book. Encourage your child to use their "pointer power" and point to each word as s/he reads. On pages with tricky words, ask your child, "how do you know that word is butterfly?" your child likely referred to the picture and the pattern (meaning) in the book (PERFECT!). By asking the "how did you know the word was..." or "which word on this page is butterfly?" you are calling attention to the words and letters in the word.
Resources for leveled texts (some may require a subscription, but many have a free trial period):
If you are in need for more leveled books, reach out to your child's teacher. Schools may have subscriptions and may have access to some of these.
EPIC (we love this one... see below)
Scholastic Magazine: Learn at Home
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Writing Letters
My daughter has been writing letters to her friends at school. I help by providing "sentence starters" and help her stretch out words to spell. The letters have gone like this:
Dear ________,
How are you? I have been _______________. What have you been doing? Today, I have ________________________. I cannot wait to see you again so we can ________________.
My daughter fills in the blanks with her writing and I provide what is typed above. She signs her name and draws a picture of her and her friend playing. We then take it to the mailbox!
I hope you find something easy and fun for you and your little to do at home!
Until next time!
😊 Sarah
