Word awareness is the ability to distinguish the individual word in a spoken sentence. You can help your child do this by playing the following games.
Count Words
You say a sentence and your child repeats as you put up a finger for each word, then your child counts your fingers. Example: " It is cold."(3) " I like to paint." (4)
Increase the words as your child becomes good at this.
Fill in Words
You can also do the following activity to count words. Say a sentence and draw a line for each word you say in the sentence. Ask what word goes on each line and fill it in as your child tells you.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Phonemic Awareness Activities to try at home
*Play "I spy" with your child, using beginning letter sounds. "I spy something that starts with /s/" (snow). Have your child do the same.
*Play a game in which you say a word and your child has to segment all the sounds. You ask your child to stretch out a word like cat and he can pretend to stretch out the word with a rubber band..../c/ /a/ /t/.
*Play the "Silly Name Game". Replace the first letter of each family member's name with a different letter.
*Say a sentence out loud and ask your child to determine how many words were in the sentence.
*Demonstrate clapping a word into syllables. Ask your child to clap words into syllables. Make tally marks for the number of syllables of names in your family, favorite foods, etc.
*Explain that rhymes are words that sound the same at the end. Make up silly rhymes.
*Read books over and over again that contain rhymes.
*As you read, have your child complete the rhyming word at the end of each line.
*Prompt your child to produce rhymes.
*Sing rhyming songs like "Row Row Row Your Boat" or "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and say nursery rhymes together like "Jack and Jill" or "Humpty Dumpty"
*And remember.....make it fun!
*Play a game in which you say a word and your child has to segment all the sounds. You ask your child to stretch out a word like cat and he can pretend to stretch out the word with a rubber band..../c/ /a/ /t/.
*Play the "Silly Name Game". Replace the first letter of each family member's name with a different letter.
*Say a sentence out loud and ask your child to determine how many words were in the sentence.
*Demonstrate clapping a word into syllables. Ask your child to clap words into syllables. Make tally marks for the number of syllables of names in your family, favorite foods, etc.
*Explain that rhymes are words that sound the same at the end. Make up silly rhymes.
*Read books over and over again that contain rhymes.
*As you read, have your child complete the rhyming word at the end of each line.
*Prompt your child to produce rhymes.
*Sing rhyming songs like "Row Row Row Your Boat" or "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and say nursery rhymes together like "Jack and Jill" or "Humpty Dumpty"
*And remember.....make it fun!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Phonics... activities to try at home
* Sing the ABC song.
* Read alphabet books to your child and ask him or her to name the items on the page.
* Have your child practice naming the letters in his or her name, try mixing the letters up.
* Use magnetic letters to spell names of family members and friends.
* Discuss how names are similar and different. Sort letters by stick, curved and both. Recognizing shapes is the beginning of recognizing the features of letters and objects.
*Use stores as an opportunity for learning. Ask questions like, "can you find something that has a letter c? can you find a word that begins with an m? praise all efforts and remember to keep it like a game.
* Make alphabet letters out of playdough.
* Write letters with your finger on your child's back. Have your child do the same to you.
* Play memory or go fish with alphabet cards.
* Make an alphabet book together about a topic of your child's choice.
* Play alphabet hopscotch using sidewalk chalk.
* Read alphabet books to your child and ask him or her to name the items on the page.
* Have your child practice naming the letters in his or her name, try mixing the letters up.
* Use magnetic letters to spell names of family members and friends.
* Discuss how names are similar and different. Sort letters by stick, curved and both. Recognizing shapes is the beginning of recognizing the features of letters and objects.
*Use stores as an opportunity for learning. Ask questions like, "can you find something that has a letter c? can you find a word that begins with an m? praise all efforts and remember to keep it like a game.
* Make alphabet letters out of playdough.
* Write letters with your finger on your child's back. Have your child do the same to you.
* Play memory or go fish with alphabet cards.
* Make an alphabet book together about a topic of your child's choice.
* Play alphabet hopscotch using sidewalk chalk.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Help Your Child Develop Comprehension Skills
When you read to your child, he or she will develop comprehension and story re-telling skills. Develop comprehension by pausing on some of the pages to talk about the story:
1. Let your child discuss how the characters feel.
2. Let your child predict how the story will end.
3. Let your child discuss what "they" would do.
4. Ask your child,"where is _______?" to develop vocabulary.
Children love to hear the same story read over and over. After your child knows a story well, have them tell you the story, using the pictures as a guide. Encourage them to do this in their own words. You can say, "You know this story so well, tonight you tell me what happens on each page and then I'll read the words to see if you are right." Remember, it should be an enjoyable experience for both you and your child.
1. Let your child discuss how the characters feel.
2. Let your child predict how the story will end.
3. Let your child discuss what "they" would do.
4. Ask your child,"where is _______?" to develop vocabulary.
Children love to hear the same story read over and over. After your child knows a story well, have them tell you the story, using the pictures as a guide. Encourage them to do this in their own words. You can say, "You know this story so well, tonight you tell me what happens on each page and then I'll read the words to see if you are right." Remember, it should be an enjoyable experience for both you and your child.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Help Your Child Develop Print Awareness
Print Awareness means an understanding that spoken words can be transferred to written print. The importance of reading to your child as often as possible cannot be overstated. While you read to him or her, you can do some things to develop an awareness of print.
As you read a story, you can help your child develop print awareness by doing these things:
1. Follow the printed word with your finger.
2. Indicating the left to right progression of words.
3. Noting periods between sentences with pauses.
Rhyming is also an important skill. Help your child do this by letting them fill in the rhyming words in stories that contain rhymes. For example: Is Your Mama a Llama?, The Cat in the Hat, etc.
You may find the suggested book list helpful. Reading with your child is a great "end-of-the-day" activity.
As you read a story, you can help your child develop print awareness by doing these things:
1. Follow the printed word with your finger.
2. Indicating the left to right progression of words.
3. Noting periods between sentences with pauses.
Rhyming is also an important skill. Help your child do this by letting them fill in the rhyming words in stories that contain rhymes. For example: Is Your Mama a Llama?, The Cat in the Hat, etc.
You may find the suggested book list helpful. Reading with your child is a great "end-of-the-day" activity.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Help Develop Oral Expression and Vocabulary
You can help your child develop oral language with the following ideas.
1. Encourage your child to answer "wonder" statements.
Say such things as "I wonder why there are clouds in the sky" or "I wonder why the leaves change color."
2. Help your child expand his or her vocabulary by rephrasing.
When your child points something out such as "There's an airplane", you could say,
"yes, the airplane is flying swiftly across the sky, I wonder where it is going?"
3. Ask open ended questions.
Rather than asking "are you playing with blocks?" (the child would simply answer, "yes") say, "what are you building with the blocks?" The child will answer and then you can rephrase the answer to further develop vocabulary (see #2).
4. Provide household props that encourage pretend play.
Use spoons/pans in the bathtub; cups,teapots/dolls;small rakes/shovels. While playing be sure to talk through your actions.
1. Encourage your child to answer "wonder" statements.
Say such things as "I wonder why there are clouds in the sky" or "I wonder why the leaves change color."
2. Help your child expand his or her vocabulary by rephrasing.
When your child points something out such as "There's an airplane", you could say,
"yes, the airplane is flying swiftly across the sky, I wonder where it is going?"
3. Ask open ended questions.
Rather than asking "are you playing with blocks?" (the child would simply answer, "yes") say, "what are you building with the blocks?" The child will answer and then you can rephrase the answer to further develop vocabulary (see #2).
4. Provide household props that encourage pretend play.
Use spoons/pans in the bathtub; cups,teapots/dolls;small rakes/shovels. While playing be sure to talk through your actions.
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