Reading Strategies

As our students are beginning to comprehend books better and understand the story elements, we are moving into traditional reading with them. We have to start very basic, then build and build and build, so that they get the time to practice a new strategy and master it before moving on to a new one. So what are reading strategies? Reading strategies are like tools in a tool box. Each one is made to help with a particular job or skill. Reading strategies are the "tools" our friends pull out of their "tool box" when they get stuck reading. These are the reading strategies we've taught so far:

1. Look at the picture
2. Get your mouth ready
3. Ask yourself, does that make sense?
4. Point to the words

Looking at the picture is a strategy that we started the first week of school. The students have been telling or "reading" books by looking at the pictures and telling what is happening in the pictures. When we move into traditional reading, that strategy stays the same. They still will need to look at the picture before reading to get an idea of what words they might see on that page. From their, we teach them to get their mouth ready. When they use this strategy, their mouth is forming the sound the first letter in a word will make. They wait for a second before saying the sound, then look at the picture to guess what the word might be. This is where the third strategy comes in, does it make sense. If the first letter in a word they see is S, they might start thinking of words that begin with S. They then need to go back and look at the picture since they know the beginning sound, and think about what word matches the picture and makes sense. Pointing to the right word is very important. They need to use all the above strategies to be able to point to the correct word.

Ask your student to show you their reading strategies from their "tool box"! This is a GREAT thing to do with their leveled book in their book-in-a-bag every night.

Helpful Homework

Kindergarten Homework is a great time for parents to get a glimpse into their child's classwork. Skills that are included in your child's homework have been covered and practiced daily in class. For example, each day in Skills Block, we practice counting the number of syllables in the Star Student's name.



Homework is not meant to overload your child with work. They spend all day exercising their brains, so we do not want homework to be overwhelming. Homework is meant to be a fun time for you to share with your child. If the activities are challenging for your child, only select one other activity to do each night along with reading their Book-in-a-Bag. Homework should not take more than 20 minutes each night.



If you are finding that the homework is not challenging enough for your child, feel free to add other enrichment activities. Doing a page or two from a Kindergarten workbook would be great practice if your child is willing and able. However, also we encourage you to try to add academic practice into your everyday routines. If you are cooking, ask your child to help you think of the steps to making the recipe. If you are riding to soccer practice, ask your child to look for a certain letter or snap word as you drive. Every day moments can easily be turned into teaching moments for you and you child.

Kindergarten Kids