While you are waiting, please “read” the confusabet story on your chair. Think about the strategies that you use to read the story… Happy reading!

Reading and Writing with your First Grader Kristin Bobowicz Reading Specialist x 358

Fluent Reading Readers link words into phrases so that their reading sounds like talking. Step #1: Link “the,” “a,” and “said” with the next word Ex. “I see a red car in the road,” said my brother. Step #2: Add the word near “the,” “a,” and “said” to make a three word phrase. Ex. “I see a red car in the road,” said my brother. Step #3: Longer phrases start to come naturally/ Model longer phrases to show how reading should “sound like talking.” Ex. “Cam put rubber bands over the cuffs of her pants to keep them from getting caught in the bicycle as she rode.”

Meaning Deals with the meaning of the story Children should use this cueing system first Most consistent and quickest way to problem solve an unknown word

Structure Deals with the structure of the English language- how does English sound and what would make sense in English? Child should use this cueing system second Most consistent and quickest way to problem solve an unknown sight word (along with basic sight recognition)

Visual Information Deals with how the word looks (phonetic piece) Child should use this cueing system last, and not a great deal until levels G/H Should be used when reading more complex words only Your child should look for… “chunks” in words ex. Sud-den-ly Known words within words ex. Car-t Word analogies ex. Garden (car-gar, ten-den)

Self-monitoring and Self-correcting There are 3 main steps that children progress through as they learn to fix up their mistakes. First step: self-correcting known words (ex. is, my, like, the, see…) Second step: self-correcting unknown words using beginning sounds (ex. van/car) Third step: self-correcting in the head before the word is said

What you can say to help your child … If he gets stuck: 1.Wait and see if he works it out. 2.Say, “Try that again.” 3.Say, “Look at the picture.” 4.Say, “Think about what would make sense.” 5.Say, “Read the sentence again and start the tricky word.” 6.Tell the word. If she makes a mistake : 1.If the mistake makes sense, don’t worry about it. 2.If the mistake doesn’t make sense, wait to see if the reader will fix it. 3.Say, “Try that again.” 4.Say, “Did that make sense?” 5.Say “Did what you read look right and sound right?” 6.Tell the correct response.

How to help your child read at home Remind him to point and jump under the first letter of the word (only until level C) Remind him to read with his eyes only (Level C and on) Encourage text phrasing (the, and, a, said) Remind your child to read known words quickly (sight words: like, said, me, etc…) Prompt your child to take action on his own Prompt for the three cueing systems… What would make sense in the story (Meaning) What would sound right in English? (Structure) What would look right? (Visual Information) Encourage your child to make the beginning sound of an unknown word to get a clue as to what it might be. If your child has difficulty problem solving through a word still, then just give it to him. Praise him for all the great behaviors you see him take on his own. Always hold your child accountable for these actions! Be consistent!

The Stages of Writing

How to help your child write at home: Display a “word wall” on the refrigerator that your child can refer to when writing basic sight words Encourage your child to write beginning sounds of words quickly Help your child to “say it slowly” and write down the sounds she hears Use a “spacer” (ex. a popsicle stick) to keep spaces between words “Share the pen” and write the letters that are tricky, silent or unknown for your child Hold her responsible for learned skills Talk about what will be written before beginning to write – have a conversation and encourage the use of interesting language Have your child share her sentence with you before she begins to write Hold her accountable for proper letter formation – top to bottom Remind of end punctuation and capital letters Help her use word analogies to spell unknown words more accurately (ex. like-bike) Praise all of the great behaviors that you see

Activities to promote Reading and Writing Magnadoodle – write sight words in the car, practice letter formation, sound/letter correspondence, write word analogies, etc… Magnetic letters on the refrigerator or a cookie sheet Write words/letters in the sand, snow, with chalk on the driveway, in shaving cream, etc… In the bathtub/shower – tub crayons, paint, sticky letters FridgePhonics – LeapFrog – letters/sounds/ 3 word spelling Books on tape – before going to sleep, listen to in the car, cooking dinner, etc.. family members Write post cards and grocery lists Write in a family journal Notes on napkins in lunchbox – keep it simple, use words that are known, make games (ex. Can you read these words? What rhymes with … (use stickers,) If you can read like, then you can read…, read the sentences Notes around the house Scavenger hunt for prizes Hidden words (both you and your child can write and hide them)