Reading

Reading at Home

I have been asked about covering up pictures when a book seems to easy for a student.  I understand the urge to cover up pictures.  However, there are many ways to read a book and using the pictures is one of them.  The first time a student reads a book with me the student is encountering many unfamiliar words.  This is when students must use strategies to decode words, for example, getting your mouth ready for the first sound, chunking, or using pictures.  Students may still be struggling with a few words when they read the book again at home.  However, the book should not be causing the student frustration.  If this is happening, please, let me know!  If the book seems easy for your student that is okay!  There are many benefits of rereading books without covering the pictures.   Rereading gives students a chance to practice fluency(reading smoothly) and comprehension(understanding the story).  When reading for fluency encourage your student to glide his/her finger along the bottom of the words instead of picking his/her finger up and putting it back down for each word.  Another option when the book is easy is to ask comprehension questions during and after reading.  There is always one comprehension question on the back cover of each book.  Sometimes there is a wealth of knowledge about the story just in the pictures.  This is often not noticed by a student until decoding of new words is more automatic.  It is important for students to pick up on those story clues from the pictures to better understand the story!  Looking at the pictures helps students better visualize the full story.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to your student read.  I hope you continue to enjoy the wonderful world of literacy together!

Kindergarten Sight Words

This is a list of our sight words that we need to be able to read by the end of the school year.  Please help your child read and use in writing the following list of sight words.  If your child is already reading these words, practice spelling them! 

yellow                     pink                          
good                         a

has                           and                          
the                          he

red                          home                        
for                          is

are                           do                           
orange                     be

green                      there                        
you                          want

was                          here                        
said                          like

I                              this                          
with                         she

went                        brown                      
to                             put

come                        how                         
go                            have

of                            look                          
then                         me

purple                      my                            
they                         no

out                           see                          
blue                         saw

black                        we                          
cannot                     white