Reading Resources: Day 3

Reading Strategy: Predicting 

Predicting is a great strategy to help your child read. If you are anything like me, you skim through a book you are about to read to see what is coming. This is what we want our kids to practice! We call this a picture walk in our reading group. We look at all of the pictures in the story and then make predictions about what the story will be about.

                      

Big 5 Reading Components Resource

Click here for a wonderful resource about the big five areas of reading that we will focus on this year. This gives a quick definition of each area and explains why they are so important. 

Websites for Reading

We have access to some wonderful reading websites. Here are 2:

• RAZ Kids is one I have talked to you about before. We use it every week at school, and you have access at home! Click here and then type our username: corvalliskb. Find your child's name and begin reading!

• ABC Mouse is a program that our class has access to for free. Check your email and child's backpack because I will be sending your username and password. Check it our here.

       

Reading Resources: Day 2

Reading Strategy: Questioning

One of the best things you can do with your child as you read together is to ask questions about the story. It will be extremely hard, but it is very important that you give your child wait time after you ask a question. We may feel awkward, but giving 30 seconds to 2 minutes of wait time is recommended. This gives your child time to figure out the answer. Give it a try and see what your child is capable of!

Another questioning strategy is asking a variety of questions. Here are some example questions for, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. We want kids to be able to answer more than just the remembering questions!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Remembering:

1. What did the caterpillar eat?
2. What does a caterpillar turn into?
3. What happened to the caterpillar at the end of the story?

Understand:

1. Identify the steps that take place between the egg of a caterpillar hatching and the end result of a butterfly.
2. What was the problem in the book?
3. Tell in your own words the beginning of the book.
4. What did the title have to do with the book?

Apply:

1. Why did the caterpillar have a stomachache?
2. Name something else the caterpillar could have eaten?
3. Which does not belong caterpillar, butterfly, monkey?

Analyze:

1. Contrast a caterpillar with a butterfly.
2. Why do you think the caterpillar ate so much?
3. Do you think the caterpillar was beautiful at the end?

Evaluation:

1. What if the caterpillar did not wrap himself in a cocoon for protection while he transformed into a butterfly, what is a different way the caterpillar could be protected?
2. Which would you prefer to be a caterpillar or a butterfly?
3. Do you like to eat the foods the caterpillar ate?

Create:

1. Do you agree with the caterpillar eating so much food?

2. Is the title a good one or a poor one and why?

3. Did you like the way the story ended? Why or why not?

4. Tell about the most exciting part of the book.

Kindergarten Artists

We had a day filled with art today! I had to share some of the great work we did.

We started our morning with our PTA sponsored Artist in Residence with Mrs. King. We learned about Frida Kahlo and did art in her style. We got to draw a still life of a watermelon, orange, and bird. We then used oil pastels to add color.

This afternoon, we painted turkeys on paper plates with water colors. We got to experiment with lots of art mediums today! 

Reading Resources: Day 1

This week I will be focusing our blog posts around reading. With such a huge topic, we will start with: What is reading? How can we make our kids better at it? My belief is that reading is a meaning making process where we take the words on a page (a code) and make meaning from it (break the code).

Each day this week, I will highlight a new reading strategy. These are things that we do as good readers, and are things we are working on in class to help your children become better readers. I will also add resources for you to help your child at home.

Reading Strategy: Comprehension

Comprehension is knowing what you read. It is important to be able to read what is on the page (decoding), but it means nothing if we don't understand what it is we read.

To help us with comprehension, we can activate prior knowledge on the topic of our book. Simply, that means that if you were to read, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, before you read you would talk about what you already know about caterpillars. This helps prepare our brains for the story and helps us remember what we read.

This is a visual from our classroom to remind us about prior knowledge. When we read a book about sharks, we think about what we already know. They have sharp teeth, we know what they look like, etc. 

Community Resources

There are 2 wonderful resources in our community that promote reading and are free!

• Storytime at the Corvallis Public Library. Every Monday night at 7pm, there is half hour of stories, songs, and fingerplays for kids. Click here for more information.

• R.E.A.D. Dogs at the Corvallis Pubic Library. The fourth Wednesday of every month, from 3:30 to 5pm, your child can practice reading to a dog. This is one of my favorite programs! Children ages 4-10 get the opportunity to read in a non-threatening environment and even the most reluctant readers can't help but want to participate. Click here for more information. 
  

Hat Day

Happy hat day! We had such creative hats today! We had colorful hats, handmade hats, baseball hats, beanies, and cowboy hats! It was so fun! 

Here is our nice class picture this morning.

And of course a silly one.

Phonics Phones

We introduced a new tool today during reading groups: phonics phones! These allow the kids to read to themselves and hear what they sound like. They get to hear if they are reading smoothly or kind of choppy. 

Accurate Counting

We have been working on counting accurately. We have learned the strategies: count and scoot, count and touch, count and check, and use a ten frame. Look at us as we used the ten frame to help us count!

Luke and Thea count accurately, thanks to their ten frame.

Hannah and Kaden finish up counting.

David watches Darach to make sure he counts all the bears.

Sofia watches Brooks count accurately.

Brynne and Lydia work hard.

Emmanuel and Audrey count together with great team work.

Stay tuned...next week I will feature a series of blog posts around reading strategies and resources!