Reading Activities
SORTING AND STACKING - Teach classification skills with dinnerware. Ask your child to match and stack dishes of similar sizes and shapes. Also have your child sort flatware -forks with forks, spoons with spoons. This is like recognizing the shapes of letters and numbers. Ask them to set the table and have them count out what they need .
TELEPHONE- Give your child practice in reading numbers left to right by dialing a telephone. Make a list of telephone numbers your child can read - for relatives and friends, have your child dial the number.
EAT SHAPES -- Cut bread into different shapes -- rectangles, triangles, squares, circles. Make at least two of each shape. Ask your youngster to choose a pair of similar shapes, then to put jam on the first piece, and to place the second piece on top to make a sandwich. This is a snack plus a game to match shapes.
HIDDEN LETTERS -- Build reading observation skills with this activity. Ask your child to look for letters of the alphabet on boxes and cans of food and household supplies. For example, find five A's or three C's, or any number of letters or combinations on cereal boxes, soup cans, bars of soap. Start with easy-to-find letters and build up to harder-to-find ones. Then have your children write the letters on paper or point out the letters on the boxes and cans.
Read Chapter books together (see additional sheet on suggestions)
Go to the Library
Read books together
Have them look for words they know
Take turns reading pages
Ask them to retell the story after you read
Encourage predictions about what might happen next and at the end of the book.
Ask reading comprehension questions like;
Setting, characters, what was the problem, how was the problem solved.
Writing Activities
DISAPPEARING LETTERS - Promote creativity and build muscle control with a pail of water and a brush. On a warm day, take your children outside to the driveway or sidewalk and encourage them to write anything they wish. Talk about what they've written. Have them “paint” a picture and write a sentence or words to describe it.
· Have your child help to make the grocery list, and/or ask them to read it to help with shopping.
· See the additional sheet on developing fine motor skills.
· Practice writing and verbally answering address and phone number.
What We Can Do To Help Our Children Learn
- Listen to them and pay attention to their problems. Read with them.
- Tell family stories.
- Limit their television watching.
- Have books and other reading materials in the house.
- Look up words in the dictionary with them.
- Encourage them to use an encyclopedia.
- Share favorite poems and songs with them.
- Take them to the library--get them their own library cards.
- Take them to museums and historical sites, when possible.
- Discuss the daily news with them.
- Go exploring with them and learn about plants, animals, and geography.
- Find a quiet place for them to study
- Review their homework.
- Meet with their teachers.
Three of the important messages our children need about success in school can be sent by:
1. Sharing our own experiences and goals with our children, because children tend to adopt our ideals. They need to know how we feel about making an effort, working hard, and planning ahead.
2. Establishing realistic, consistent family rules for work around the house so our children can develop schedules and stable routines. Children need limits set even though they will test these limits over and over again. Children need to know what they can depend on--and they need to be able to depend on the rules we make.
3. Encouraging our children to think about the future. Our children need realistic, reasonable expectations, and they need the satisfaction of having some of these expectations met. They need to take part in making decisions (and to learn that sometimes this means sacrificing fun now for benefits later) and they need to find out what happens as a result of decisions they have made.
Read a chapter book to your child. Read a bit each day it helps them to heighten their listening skills and comprehension without pictures. We have read the first Harry Potter book in the series as a class this year. It can be read a chapter at a time or a couple pages, whenever you have some spare time or are in the car going somewhere.
Here is a list of some excellent chapter book ranging in length:
Charlottes web
Harry Potter (Series)
Indian in the Cupboard (and sequels)
James and the Giant Peach
The BFG
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Giver
Bannicula
These are just a few suggestions but it is also fun to read the book and then watch the movie and let your child discover what is different from the book.
An old Chinese proverb says, "A book is like a garden in the pocket." Many of us who have valued reading in our early years derive enjoyment from reading to our children, and now, as I do, to our grandchildren. Books are voyages of discovery and transforming instruments to all of us.
Kindergarten Fluency Words
I, can, we, the, like, a, see, go
to, have, is, play, are, for, you, this
do, and, what, little, said here, was
she, he, has, look, with, my, me, where
First Grade Fluency Words
(arranged by week from the beginning of the year)
a, can, go, have, I, like, see, the to, we
and, are, do, he, is, play, said, she, this, you
for, has, here, look, little, me, my, was, what, where, with
down, jump, not, up
it, over, too, yes
be, ride, run
come, good, on, that
help, now, use, very
does, her, one, they, two
eat, no, of, some, who
into, live, many, out
make, put, show, three, under, want
away, late, school, today, way, why
all, could, hello, oh, pull, walk
boy, care, girl, people, otgether, water, when
again, light, our would, your
call, funny, how, more, so, there
about, give, read, say, says, were
any, every, opened, saw, soon
after, done, find, new old, work
cold, great, know, sound, their, warm
by, far, friends, house, kind, knew
before, began, falls, happen, heard, told
always, father, love, mother, try
ball, head, never, should, shout
better, children, or, round
along, early, nothing, thought
animals, beautiful, from, ground, places
been, gone, other
bear, birds, earth, table
ever, goes, laugh, only
across, air, enough, eyes, learn
circle, grew, leave, toward
Visit from the med-vac helicopter & ambulances
Spring Vanderveer Trip!
Star Helper Biographies!
Hi, my name is Dakota.
I am 6.
I like to go to the zoo.
My name is Taylor.
I love pigs.
My favorite food is chocolate.
I have a dog.
Hi my name is Bailey.
My age is 6. I eat donuts.
My favorite place is home.
My name is Kent. I am 6.
My favorite food is pizza.
I have lots of stuffed animals.
I like gym.
Hi my name is Sam.
I like corn dogs. I like soccer!
I like holidays. I want my teeth!
I am Maverick.
I am 6 years old.
I like to play outside.
I like pizza.
Fun World is my favorite place.
My name is Kaleb.
I am 6 years old.
My name is Sarah. I am 6 years old.
I like cinnimon rolls. I play soccer.
I live in Blue Grass, Iowa.
My favorite color is red. I like school and my friends.
I have two pets in my room.
My name is Anna. I am 6.
I like spagetti.
I like the IMAX.
I like to take piano lessons.
My name is Noah.
My favorite color is blue.
I am six years old.
I like baseball
My name is Kaylee.
I am 6 years old and live on a farm.
I have ahorse and 3 dogs.
I ride in horse shows.
I am Grace.
I like pepperoni pizza.
My favorite color is green.
I am 6.
I have two dogs elvis and Priscilla.
My name is India.
I am 5.
I like Broccoli.
I like to go to Fun City.
I have 2 dogs, gracie and Little Lady.
I am Sidney.
I am 5 years old.
I have two sisters Annie and Emily.
I have a dog named sophie and a cat Cali.
I like to go to Fun City.
I like to eat apples.
I am going to Disneyworld in February with my family.
My name is Connor.
I am 5.
My dogs name is Brandy.
I like to play with cars and dinosaurs.
I am Zac S.
I like Sam.
I like mac and cheese and football.
I like Jungle Bungle.
I am 5.
I am Rachel.
I am 5 1/2.
I like unicorns.
I have a cat named Rosie.
I love to eat apples.
Fall Vanderveer Trip
Halloween Party
Valentines Day Party
Rocco
We adopted Rocco from the Scott County Humane Society. He is 3 years old and an Abyssian guinea pig (swirly hair). He is quickly filling the void left by crunch :)
Rocco is spending his summer vacation with Anna and family!
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