Parents As Partners in Developing Literacy

Poetry Folder Parents as Partners in Developing Literacy

Dear Parents,

Your child’s personal “I Can Read” Poetry Folder contains familiar words from the poems, songs and rhymes we are learning in our classroom. This collection is a vital part of your child’s literacy program. Each poem, song or rhyme is learned at school. Children who are not quite ready to start reading will learn them orally. Oral language supports successful reading, writing and speaking. “Memory reading” is an important phase that children go through as they construct knowledge of how the written language works. Children who are ready to read or are already reading will pick up words quickly. Each week 1 or more new poems will be added to the folder. At the end of the school year, your child will be able to recite many or all of this wonderful collection. Each child will feel success as he/she reads the poems again and again. The poetry folder will be sent home each Friday. When the folder comes home, your child can practice the language over and over. Your child may enjoy reading the poems to the entire family as well as to friends. I encourage the children to read to mom, dad, siblings, and pets!! You might even call grandma. They should read, read, read!! It is important to celebrate and encourage your child’s delight in these language achievements. Encourage your child to read with expression. It is helpful if you model reading with expression for your child. Children who learn to chant poems with expression become expressive readers. As familiarity with language increases, you will notice that your child is looking and pointing at the printed words. Tracking print allows beginning readers to make the connection between oral language and print.

You can help reinforce problem solving strategies that children can use when they encounter unknown words. Hopefully your child will try one of the following strategies on his/her own, but if not: 1. Ask him/her to say the first sound. I say “get your mouth ready.” 2. Encourage your child to look at the picture for clues. 3. Encourage him/her to “Try the sentence again from the beginning.” 4. Ask “What would make sense?” “Does it look right?” or “Does that sound right?” 5. If those clues don’t work, then give the correct word before frustration sets in, but ask it as a question: For instance, if the tricky word is pool, ask, “Could it be pool?” This gives the child ownership of the reading. As soon as your child says the correct word, have him/her read the whole sentence again reading the new word correctly.

Reading the Poetry Folder counts toward their reading goal, so include the number of minutes spent reading it on the Homework Reading Log.

DO NOT REMOVE any poems from the folder.

When not reading, please keep the folder in a safe, clean place away from younger siblings, pets and food. RETURN the Poetry Folder to SCHOOL on MONDAYS.

Your help is very much appreciated. Working together, you’ll celebrate the joy of seeing your child become a lifelong reader.

Warmly, Mrs. Lamoreaux