Parent Academy South Plainfield Elementary Schools Mrs. Mary Rodger Literacy Coach June 4, 2013

Parent Roadmap Reading/writing skills development across grade levels Suggestions and resources to support your child’s learning at home

Important Writing Skills Across Grade Levels Writing Standard 2 KindergartenGrade OneGrade two Using a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing, students name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic. Students name a topic and supply some facts about the topic. Students introduce a topic and use facts and definitions to develop points. Students provide some sense of closure. Students provide a concluding statement or section.

Important Reading Skills Across Grade Levels Reading Literature Standard 2 KindergartenGrade OneGrade Two With help from the teacher, students retell stories, including key details. Students retell stories, including key details, and show that they understand the lesson or moral of a story. Students retell stories and determine their central message, lesson, or moral. With help from the teacher, students name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story. Students identify who is telling the story at various points in a text. Students acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.

Important Reading Skills Across Grade Levels Reading for Information Standard 1 KindergartenGrade OneGrade Two With help from the teacher, students ask and answer questions about key details in a text. Students ask and answer questions about key details in a text. Students ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. With help from the teacher, students identify what person, place, thing, or idea a picture shows. Students use the illustrations and details in a text to describe key ideas. Students explain how specific images or illustrations (such as a diagram of how a machine works) are useful.

Classroom Structures The look and sound of the classroom may be different The ELA CCSS require that reading, writing, speaking and listening will be addressed in the literacy block. Scaffolding

Literacy Classroom Resources Reading Wonders Words Their Way Independent reading materials Reading and writing journals Portfolios

Working Classroom

Central Meeting Area Shared Reading

Guided Reading

Literacy Centers

Buddy Reading

Independent Reading

Partnering with your child’s teacher Don’t be afraid to reach out to your child’s teacher Ask to see a sample of your child’s work or bring a sample with you Ask the teacher questions like:  Is my child at the level where he/she should be at this point of the school year?  What do you think is giving my child the most trouble?  Where is my child excelling?  What can I do at home to make sure my child is successful?

Helping Your Child Learn Outside of School  Read to your child as often as you can.  Encourage your child to join in and “read”. Point to the words as you read.  Provide time and space for your child to read and write independently free from distractions.  Draw attention to print that is in the environment. (labels, signs, etc.)  Read and write birthday cards, messages, grocery lists and letters together.  Use “Magic Lines” to help your child write stories  Ask questions before, during and after reading. (eg. “What do you think will happen next?”) Occasionally ask some “why” questions about the story. Ask them to show you what happened in the book.  When reading aloud, if your child makes a mistake, allow time for self- correction. If the mistake makes sense, ignore it.

Helping Your Child Learn Outside of School (cont’d.)  Ask your child what word would make sense when she/he becomes “stuck” on a word.  Encourage your child to “have-a-go”, to use the pictures, to re- read, or to sound it out. More fluent readers can “read-on”, to get the overall meaning.  Ask your child what topics, events, or activities he/she likes; then look for books, magazines, etc. about those topics that would motivate your child to read and write.  Model reading at home, using newspapers, novels, manuals, etc.  Subscribe to children’s magazines.  Be sure your child has a library card.  Provide your child with a journal or notebook for writing about things that matter to them.  Use technology to help build your child’s interest in reading and  writing.

Let’s Try It Together Magic Lines

Helpful Online Resources category/category_cd_11_1_26.htmlhttp:// category/category_cd_11_1_26.html

“You may have tangible wealth untold; Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. Richer than I you can never be -- I had a mother who read to me.” ~Strickland Gillilan ~ “The Reading Mother”