Learning to Read
Model Reading Fluency: Use the following tips for Reading With Expression
- Read expressively: talk the way the story’s characters would talk; make sound effects and funny faces; and vary the pitch of your voice throughout the story to make it more interesting.
- Expressively reread when you notice words like “shouted”, “cried” or “laughed”.
- Expressively reread when you notice punctuation such as ! and ?.
- Enjoy the time reading together! Do not rush.
- Watch Reading Fluency
ABC Books: Read ABC books to the child. Take time to name and point to each letter. Have the child repeat the name of letters. Read the books several times and notice the number of letters the child can identify increase!
ABC Cookie Cutters: Use letter shaped cookie cutters with play dough and/or cookie dough. Take time to name and point to each letter. Have the child repeat the name of letters.
Letters Everywhere: Name letters on signs, license plates, and more when you are riding in the car or taking a walk! Watch Letters Everywhere!
Be a Role Model: Don’t forget to be a reader and writer yourself. One of the most effective ways to help children become readers and writers is to show them through your own example that you value literacy – and that reading and writing have useful purposes. Keep books and writing materials in the home, and talk about what you are doing when you read and write.
Letter Sorting: Sort letters using magazines, empty boxes, junk mail, and more. This activity is written for teachers, but can be easily adapted for use at home.
Pick and Write: Pick, name, and write letters with the Letter Tree activity. This activity is written for teachers, but can be easily adapted for use at home.
Naming Letters While Moving: This capital letters video and this lowercase letters video make learning fun by activating the child’s brain through song and movement.
Vocabulary Skills
Spatial Language: Help the child by using spatial language to describe daily activities (e.g., “I see some round grapes that fell under the table. Let’s put them in this bowl.”). At the store, ask the child to give you the cereal box that is next to, under, above, or between other items on the shelf. You can also use words to describe something’s size, such as biggest, smallest, shortest and tallest. Spatial language includes references to shapes (triangle, square), sizes (tall, wide), features of shapes (corner, edge) and orientation (above, below, near, between).
More at the Store: Talk about each item as you put them in the cart. Name food you pass in the aisle and use new/less familiar words to describe the items (e.g., “These bananas are so yellow and ripe. We can have them for lunch. Let’s put those ripe bananas down gently so they don’t get bruised.”).
Spotlight the Word: Anticipate unfamiliar words to spotlight during a read aloud. Intentionally provide child-friendly definitions when reading unfamiliar words, remembering that some words are abstract and may have more than one meaning. Also, remember to spotlight familiar words and ask the child to explain the meaning.
Play Categories:
- Choose a category (e.g., fruit, kitchen, the zoo, music, clothes).
- Make a string of words that belong in the category by taking turns adding a word each (e.g., fruit- banana, apple, blueberry, mango).
- Each word may only be said once.
- If you repeat a word, choose a word that doesn’t belong, or simply run out of ideas, choose a new category and start again.
- Stay motivated by writing down the record of how many words in a category, and try to beat it.
What Am I?: Find the words to describe an object. It will expand the child’s vocabulary of adjectives and verbs.
- The child closes their eyes and you find any object in the room and hide it behind your back.
- You describe the object while the child guesses what it is.
- Use riddle phrases such as I am long, I am shiny, I am used to eat with, I hold liquids, What am I? (a spoon).
- Give as many clues as you need to until the child guesses the object.
- When the child guesses correctly, let them have a turn to hide an object behind their back and describe it.
Words are here, there, and everywhere This activity allows you to choose a “way to play” the Sesame Street Reading Adventure in English or Spanish. Discover Words includes words that are most likely less familiar to children with an illustration. Explore More uses the less familiar words in sentences. Story Time shares a more detailed story using the less familiar words. While playing, click on the words in bold print for a child friendly definition.
Talk about new words This activity introduces words that may be less familiar to the child. Click on the words in bold print for a child friendly definition. Discover Words includes words that are most likely less familiar to children with an illustration. Story Time shares a more detailed story using the less familiar words.
Vocabulary adventure cards This activity provides words that are used less frequently in daily conversation and a child-friendly definition. After reading the definition and looking at an illustration, complete a story by filling the blanks. This context reinforces the meanings of words.
Is it a baby animal? This Classroom Connection lesson will help the child practice print concepts and build vocabulary by sorting.
Language Skills
Nursery Rhymes: Sing a nursery rhyme each week with the child. Talk about words that rhyme, describing them as words that sound the same at the end. As the child becomes more familiar with the rhyme, have them complete phrases by saying the rhyming word. Nursery Rhyme Sheet
Rhyme Time: Come up with simple riddles or poems and go over them with the child. Next, let the child fill in the rhyming word after you start the riddles or poem (e.g. “The black cat is very ____ (fat)” or “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a big ____ (fall)”. ) Remember, rhyming words sound the same at the end.
Odd Word Out with Rhyming: Let the child know they will be listening for the “odd word out” in groups of words that rhyme (e.g. man, can, book). Remember, rhyming words sound the same at the end.
Alliteration Awareness: While talking, point out words that have the same beginning sound (e.g., I saw the bird catch a bug. Bird and bug start with the same sound., At the store, we need to buy corn and ketchup. Corn and ketchup start with the same sound.).
Odd Word Out with Alliteration: Let the child know they will be listening for the “odd word out” in groups of words that have the same beginning sound (e.g. man, tree, monkey). Remember, words with the same beginning sound are examples of alliteration.
How many words do you hear?: Say a short sentence. Repeat the sentence with the child. Jump/clap/tap for each word while saying the sentence again. Say how many words are in the sentence. Repeat several times.
Syllable Sorting: Find objects, toys, trinkets in the home and ask the child to sort them by number of syllables in the word. Sorting mats can be made by writing the numerals 1-3 on pieces of paper. Place the objects on the appropriate number. What is a Syllable?
Rhyming Cards: Use printable rhyming cards for many activities. Rhyming Cards
Syllable Cards: Use printable picture cards to sort according to the number of syllables in words.Syllable Cards
Grover’s Rhyme Time Game This interactive game engages children in rhyming practice.
Syllables This interactive video demonstrates syllable segmentation. Repeat the activity with other words.