Adventures in Reading

Reading Tips for Readin Success Pegi mg Edition Calvin A. Hunsinger School

Adventures in reading The New Sm ll Person (Lauren Child) What s between the pages life as an only child is going well for of a book? An adventure Elmore, until a new little person co es that your youngster could along to interrupt go on without leaving g his TV shows home! These ideas will and knock show him all that he can leam on his nonfiction over his toys. But as his brot er gets older, Elmore reading expeditions. realizes that a sibling can become a Take an animal safari friend maybe even enough of one to Together, look for animals • share his prized jelly beans with. outside, and help your child The Word Collector (Sonja Wmmer) make a list of the ones you see. Luna loves to collect magnificent Then, read books or look online to leam facts about each one. What does it words, but one day she notices words disappearing from her collection. eat? What are its babies called? Does it or pretend) to the person that includes Soon she discovers that they re miss¬ sleep at night or during the day? Encour¬ age your youngster to write each fact questions he has. ing because people are too busy to (or dictate it to you) in a notebook to remember them. Can Luna bring Visit new places carry on future walks. How many new love, friendship, and fun back into Let your child plan an imaginary trip animals can he meet ? their lives through the power of to a book s setting. After a story about a words? (Also available in Spanish.) Meet people rain forest, read a nonfiction book on jungles. He can use facts he leams to Even Superheroes Have B d Days Scientists, artists, civil rights leaders ... (Shelly Becker) biographies are full of fascinating peo¬ make a packing fist for his jou ey. He’ll have to think about the climate (hot, Superheroes could use their ple. Suggest that your youngster make rainy) to decide what he needs (wide- powers to do naughty things, a trading card for each person he reads like change the weather or about. He could write facts like the per¬ brimmed hat, lots of water, umbrella). cause chaos when they are son’s name, birthplace, and accomplish¬ He could also write a pretend postcard sad or mad but do they? ments. Or he might write a letter (real from his destination. V Readers will find out how even the mightiest superhe¬ Fine-motor fun roes work through their emotions to make a difference in the world. Playing with tiny objects strengthens little hands build¬ ing the fine-motor skills your child needs for handwriting, How Did That Get in My drawing, and more. Try these activities. Lunchbox? The Story of Food (Chris Butterworth) • Cotton-ball race. Give each player an empty bowl and a Where do common foods like bread, bowl containing 12 cotton balls or other small, soft items. cheese, and carrots come from? This Using tweezers or your thumb and forefinger, race each nonfiction book describes their jour¬ other to transfer them one at a time to the empty bowl. Who will win the race? neys from farm to lunchbox. Your child will discover • Yarn wrapping. Let your youngster use safety scissors to cut long pieces of col¬ orful yam. Then, have her tape one end of each to the outside of a cup, wrap the that it takes a lot of yam around and around, and tape down the opposite end. Idea: She could use work to grow and pro¬ her creation as a pencil or crayon holder.V duce yummy foods.

story: Who is in your drawing? Ready, set, write! What are their names?” Tip: As your Drawing is the first way children youngster learns to write her name express their thoughts on paper. You in school, have her start printing it may also have noticed or will on pictures she draws at home. soon notice your youngster Scribbles. Is your child adding writing scribbles, letters, or words scribbles or letter-like shapes to on her pictures. Use these strate¬ her pictures? Combining drawing gies to support your little writer and writing is a big step toward at every stage. learning to write. Acknowledge her Drawings. Invite your child to tell efforts by asking, “Can you read you all about pictures she draws. Ask that to me? questions that encourage her to tell a riting. When your youngster begins writing actual letters or words, help her list words she uses frequently. Ex mples: the, like, Mommy, Daddy. She can label her list Words I Know and ISiQ Reading refer to it to help her write captions for her pictures. aloud together (j) My son loves when I read to him. Any tips for using story time to hel him learn Plant an alphabet tree to read himself? __ Read an alphabet book with your child © Sure! Start by asking your child to then encourage hi to build his own alphabet tree to join in when you read. Try reading a identify and remember letters. book with a refrain, perhaps The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle) or If You 1. Let your youngster plant a tree trunk” (an Give a Mouse a Cookie (Laura Numer- empty cardboard paper-towel tube) in a cup filled off). fter a few pages, pause before the with dirt or sand. Then, help him cut small slits repeating part your son will feel into the trunk and insert craft stick “branches. proud to finish the page himself ( But 2. Have your child draw 26 alphabet leaves” on ,, he was still hungry! ). green paper, cut them out, and write a letter on each leaf Ti : He could flip through the alphabet book to remind himself what each letter looks like. 3. Together, recite the alphabet (or sing the alphabet song) while he tapes eac leaf to any branch. 4. Read the book again can your child find each letter on his tree.

Your child will also leam from listen¬ Parent Family show-and-tell ing to you read rhyming books. Stop to arent before you say each rhyming word to let When my daugh¬ ask questions, such as, “What do you your youngster fill it in. ter Erica began kindergarten, she was like best about it? or “Where did you Finally, develop his reading compre¬ hesitant to speak up during show-and- get it?” We ve shared books, drawings, hension by talking about stories. Share tell. Her teacher suggested that we prac souvenirs, and more. your reactions (“That part really tice at home, so we decided to hold a What began as a way to help Erica cracked me up!”), and listen while he weekly family show-and-tell night. practice speaking has turned out to be a tells you his response.¥ Every Friday, we gather great family conversation OUR PURPOSE in the living room and starter. Now Erica is take turns sharing To provide busy parents with practical ways in second grade to promote their children s reading, writing, something that s she’s speaking up and language skills. important to us. more in class, and Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated Each person we still look for¬ 128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630 explains why her ward to family 800-394-5052 • rfecustomer<®wolterskluwer.com www.rfeonhne.com show-and-tell item show-and-tell ISSN 1540-5648 is special. Then we each week.V

Read-aloud favorites Make time for reading Doggy Defenders: Willow the Any time is a great time for Therapy Dog (Lisa M. Ge ry) your child to read! Here’s Some dogs have incredible jobs help¬ how to fit more reading ing people, and into busy days. Willow is one of them. This Check the weather nonfiction Invite your youngster book follows a therapy dog named to be the family weather Willow through her day at work. She reporter. Each evening, spreads cheer in a hospital and a she can read tomorrow’s retired veterans home, and she even forecast in the newspa¬ reads with children at a library. Part per or on your phone’s of the Doggy Defenders series. weather app. Encourage her to use weather sym¬ Hair Like Mine bols, such as raindrops or (LaTashia M. Perry) suns, if she needs a little help A little girl thinks her hair is too curly figuring out the words. Soon she’ll and frizzy, and she struggles to find recognize words like rainy and sunny math practice, she could read the num¬ someone with hair like hers. With right away. bers and fractions in the recipe, too. guidance from her mother, who Listen to audiobooks insists that no two people have the Explore recipes While you’re working from home or same hair, face, or toes, the girl learns When you cook, let your child read running errands, your youngster can about the value of differences. the recipe with you. Make it easier by having her get out the ingredients. Hear¬ enjoy books independendy. Download The One D y House ing you say potatoes or cheese, finding audiobooks and check out print ver¬ (Julia Durango) the item, and maybe seeing the word on sions of the same books from the This is the heart¬ the package will help her as she sounds library. She can follow along with the warming story of a out the words in the recipe. Tip: For story as she turns the pages and perhaps young boy named Wilson and his leam to recognize new words. V older neighbor, Gigi. When Gigi s house desperately needs repairs, Wil¬ Write to keep in touch son wants to make it nicer for her. Thanks to caring friends and neigh¬ Will you be my pen pal? With this bors, he gets his wish faster than he idea, your youngster can write friendly imagined. (Also available in Spanish.) letters and stay close to loved ones. Together, ask a relative to be your Ronan the Librarian child’s pen pal. Explain that your (Tara Luebbe and Becky Cattle) youngster is learning to write and No legendary barbarian wants to read they can help! Then, let your child pick a book ... right? That’s what Ronan out stationery or search online for “free : the Barbarian thinks until he finds a tionery printables kids. book in his raided treasure. He loves Now help your youngster write a greeting ( Dear Aunt Lori ). Underneath, the book so much that he could write about or draw pictures of activities he’s been doing, like roller he teaches his fellow skating or caring for his new kitten. He should also ask his pen pal questions. barbarians to enjoy (“How is your job? ) When your relative writes back, you and your child can reading, too. read the le ter and write a reply. V

What sounds do you hear? Blend the consonants. Have your youngster put these letter tiles or Sounds and syllables are like the nuts and magnetic letters into a bag: B, C, f; bolts of words. Call your youngster s G, H, L, P, R, S, T, and W He can attention to word parts with these activi¬ pull out two letters (perhaps S and ties that will help him grow into a P), then help him try to blend strong reader. them and say a word that includes Swap the sound. With your youngster, the blended sound (spider). If the think of a word family, or a group of sounds can’t be blended, like B words with the same last name (for and T, he should put them back example, -all). Now take turns saying and pull out new letters. a word with that ending (fall, wall). If Subtract a syllable. Say a familiar you say a nonsense word (z ll), ask your word that has more than one syl¬ child to make up a silly definition. Zall: A black- lable, such as pumpkin or tel vision. Now encourage your and-white striped ball that zebras play with! youngster to take away one or more of the syllables: If you take pump out of pumpkin, what do you have left? (Answer: kin.) What happens if he “subtracts vision from television? Sensational (He’ll have tele.)V writing tools Put down your pencils! mi Don t forget the spaces! Your child can practice forming letters and words with these fun-to-touch materi ls. © When my daughter writes, a whole sentence sometimes looks like one long word. How Sugar can I get her to put spaces between words? Let your youngster spread a thin layer of sugar on a baking sheet. Then, ©Ask her to read her writing out she could write each letter of the alpha¬ loud so she can “hear the spaces. As bet with her finger. she reads, have her draw a vertical line where she thinks each space should be. You can also show her spaces in books. Pick a sentence, and ask her to count the words. She’ll need to pay attention to the spaces to figure out how many words there are. Finally, encourage her to use her finger as a space bar by laying it on her paper after she writes each word. It will show her how much space to leave before she begins the next word. Or let her decorate a craft stick with stickers and use that as a space bar.V Have your child dip her finger in paint and write on construction paper. She might write the color word that matches Parent each color of paint she uses, like yellow Play library at home for yellow paint. to rent My son Elijah and books for me, scans them at the Soil I missed our weekly visits when the checkout, and leads story hour. Other Your youngster will get fresh air and pandemic closed down our library. So times, we trade roles. After we finish enjoy nature by writing outside. Help her he came up with the idea to play playing, we put the books back find a stick and a patch of soil. She could library at home, which has on the shelf in alphabetical etch words in the dirt, perhaps to list given us a nice way to talk order, just like real librari¬ things she sees outdoors (birds, clouds).V about books. ans do. OUR PU POSE First, Elijah made library We re enjoying library To provide busy parents with practical ways cards for all of us. To play, time even when we’re to promote their children s reading, writing, we place books around not at the actual library, and language skills. Resources for Educators, our living room and use and Elijah is lea ing to a division of CCH Incorporated m the coffee table as the .r think critically about 128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630 checkout counter. Some¬ -l books to give good 800-394-5052 • rfecustomei<§Hvolterskluwer.com \ www.rfeonline.com times Elijah is the librar¬ =<% recommendations. Y ISSN 1540-5648 ian. He recommends

Read-aloud favorites A growing vocabulary Big Red Lollipop (Rukhsana Khan) Rubina is excited about going to a Hearing, lea ing, and using new birthday party But then her words can make them a perma¬ mother insists that her litde nent part of your youngster s sister Sana tag along, and vocabular Try these strategies to increase the number of Sana eats Rubin s party favor! Later, when San is words he knows. invited to a part she makes Weave in words it up to Rubina. Based on a true story When you talk with your from the author s chil hood. child, try using a few words The Secret Ex lorers and the Lost he may not know. If you’re gar¬ Whales (SJ King) dening together, you could say, A diverse group These beets are a nice color. ofyoung Can you think of anything else adventurers that’s magenta?. or “The sky is o ercast must rescue a today. Look at all those clouds. Hearing pod of humpback whales in this first new words on a regular basis will natu¬ together to make his own vocabulary booklet. book of the Secret Explorers series. rally expand his vocabulary. Your child will leam facts about whales Draw pictures Multiple meanings as marine-life expert Connor and his Illustrating new words will make it Pick an everyday word that has two fellow explorers try to successfully easier for your youngster to remember totally different meanings, such as pen complete their mission. them. When he hears one (say, parched), (a writing tool or a place for pigs). Say How to Read a Book tell him what it means (very thirsty), or one definition, and sk your child to (Kwame Alexander) look it up in a dictionary together. come up with the other. Additio al This vivid picture book presents read¬ Then, help him write the word on a ideas: ball (a round toy or a big dance), ing as an experience to savor. It begins sheet of paper and suggest that he draw star (a shining object in the sky or a with suggestions for finding a great a picture. For arched, he might draw celebrity),/oot (a unit of measurement spot to read, compares opening a book himself reaching for a big glass of water. and a body part). How many can your to peeling a juicy clementine, and Idea: Suggest that he staple his drawings youngster think of?Y encourages readers to take their time and enjoy every word. Good Night, Mr. Pa da/Buenos Your child can show gratitude during the Noches, Sr. Pand (Steve Antony) Thanksgiving season and enjoy writing Mr. Panda is ready for bed, but each of poetry at the same time with this activity. his friends has forgotten to complete Explain that an ode is a poem that a task in their nighttime routine. As expresses emotion toward a person, place, or he reminds them what to do, he real¬ thing. Ask who or what she’s thankful for. She izes that he can make an occasional might choose a grandparent or a teacher, or per¬ mistake, too. This haps your home or dog. Have her think of what she bilingual English- appreciates about the person or object. Spanish book is Now help your youngster write the ode as if she s addressing the person or part of the Mr. object and include specific details she’s grateful for. Example: Oh, Grandma / Panda series. How I love your silly jokes! / Your smile is always bright / Playing games with J you makes my night. ¥ © 2020 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated RCftdillQ Pegiw iiig Editio Page 2

Explore plot patterns the refrain Sometimes it looked like and point to each cloud. Predictable books follow a pattern- Also try: Goodnight Moon (Marga¬ and noticing patterns can help your ret Wise Brown), The Little Red child follow the stor . Here are popular Hen, and The Gingerbread Man. patterns along with craft projects that will boost your youngster s Circular plot. These stories end the comprehension. same way they began. Read If You Give a Moose a Muffin (Laura Repetitive story. Read a book Numeroff), and help your child with repeated refrain, such as make a paper chain. On separate It Looked Like Spilt Milk (Charles strips of paper, she can draw and G. Shaw). Afterward, your youngster label something the moose was could glue cotton balls on blue paper given. Have her tape the ends of each to show each cloud in the book. Have her repeat strip together, linking all the loops in a cir¬ cle. Now she can use the chain to tell the story. Also try: The Mitten (Jan Brett), The Relatives Came (Cynthia Rylant), and fsvffl Lowercase Stephanie s Ponytail (Robert Munsch).Y first? (•) When I was in school, we learned to rint capital lett rs first. Why is my son Parent starting with low rcase letters? to re t Reading diverse books My daughter Andrea recently o Lowercase letters appear more fre¬ found a library book about a little girl whose fam¬ quently in books than capital letters. ily came from Guatemala just like ours. Andrea And since learning to write letters also seemed proud and excited to recognize Spanish teaches your child to recognize them, words sprinkled throughout the book and to knowing the more common ones first see pupusas on the family’s dinner table. will make reading easier. I asked the librarian for more books with Spanish-speaking characters. She was happy to help, and said children feel comforted and valued when characters remind them of themselves. The librarian also explained that kids leam to appreciate diver¬ sity when they read about characters whose lives are different from their own. Thanks to this advice, Andrea and I have also read books about families from Mexico, Peru, Nigeria, and Japan. My daughter is discovering that she has a lot in common with children who speak or eat differently than she does from the The trickiest part of writing lower¬ games they play to the way their parents tuck them in at night. Y case letters is remembering where to write different parts of each letter. Try this: Draw a road (with dot¬ ted line between two solid lines) and Terrific tongue twisters add a line below it for the road s “shoul¬ der. Now your son can write letters BilLil Tongue twisters are 2. Together, brainstorm a list of words with each part in its own “lane. For d, tricky-talking-tremendous teachers! They that start with the same sound, like en¬ he would put the circle under the dot¬ help your child hear sounds in words guin, park, and purple. ted line and the stick e tending to the and pronounce words more clearly. Here’s 3. Now your child can use the words to top solid line. And for p, the stick how he can say and create his own make up a tongue twister. ( The playful would go down to the shoulder. Y tongue twisters. OU PU POSE penguin went to the park to 1. Recite familiar tongue twist play on the purple play¬ To provide busy parents with practical ways ers such as “How much to promote their children s reading, writing, ground. ) Have a silly and language skills. wood would a woodchuck time together saying his Resources for Educators, chuck if a woodchuck tongue twisters. What a division of CCH Incorporated 128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630 could chuck wood? Ask a fun way for him to 800-394-5052 • rfecustomer wolterskluwer.com your youngster to tell you hear and say the www.rfeonline.com what sounds are repeated ISSN 1540-5648 sounds !Y (w and ch). © 2020 Resources (or Educators, a ivision of CCH Incorporated Reading Tips for Readin Success Pegi i g Editio Calvin A. Hunsinger School

Read-aloud favorites Let s tell stories Earmujfs for Everyone! How Chester Greenwood Became K own Add excitement to story time s the Inventor of Earmuffs by making up your very own (Meghan McCarthy) stories. Not sure where to start? Chester Greenwood is cred¬ These activities will turn any¬ ited with inventing earmuffs. one into a storyteller and But he wasn t the first person build your child’s speaking who designed a product to skills and creativity. keep our ears warm. This Read and tell book shows how inventors often What would happen if stand on the shoulders of those who Wilbur the pig from Char¬ came before them. lotte s Web met the Three Smashy Town (Andrea Zimmerman Litde Pigs? Read two famil¬ and David Clemesha) iar books with your young¬ Follow Mr. Gilly on an eventful day ster, and together, make up a of work at a construction site as his story that combines elements of the first time when she was five years machines crush build¬ each. Maybe the litde pigs will live on old. Now take turns adding details. ings to make room for Wilbur’s far , safe from the Big Bad (“She built a big sandcasde. ) Wolf. Your child will stretch her reading new ones. Colorful Make story dice comprehension as she thinks of ways to illustrations and ono¬ Let your child make three giant dice connect the two plots. matopoeias (words like out of empty cardboard boxes. Help her vroom and hiss that sound like what Share family tales write nouns cereal, house) on one die, they describe) make this an exciting Children love to hear stories about verbs (fly, dance) on another, and adjec¬ story for budding readers. when they were litde and these tales tives (tasty, striped) on the third. Take Outside In (Deborah Underwood) of her past are nice examples of nonfic¬ turns rolling the dice and telling a Nature isn t just something that’s only tion. Ask your youngster to pick a mem¬ short story using all three words you roll. outside. From houseplants to sunlight ory (say, her first trip to the beach), and (“Once upon a time, I got to fly over my streaming through windows, nature is begin a story: Stella saw the ocean for house in a striped hot-air balloon. ) V indoors, too. This inspiring story describes how nature can be a friend to How to build a sno man people and encourages readers to appreciate it wherever it’s found. Whether it snows where you live or not, your youngster can build a snowman with Thank You, Omu! this idea for writing instructions. (Oge Mora) First, have your child cut snowman Omu means queen in parts out of construction paper: three Igbo, the language of circles for the body and head, plus the author’s parents, and eyes, nose, mouth, buttons, and hat. it’s the name she called her own Now he can build his snowman by gluing grandmother. In this story, Omu the parts on a big sheet of paper. As he adds can’t wait to eat her delicious stew. each one, help him write an instruction beside But when visitors follow their noses it for building a real snowman. ( Step 1: Roll up a big snowball. Step 2: Put a to her door, Omu shares every drop. smaller snowball on top. “Step 3: Add an even smaller snowball for a head. ) A final knock brings a special sur¬ Then, if it snows, he could use his instructions to make a snowman outside!V prise. (Also available in Spanish.)

All kinds of lists Screen-time alternatives. Show your youngster that lists are practical. List making lets your yo ngster prac¬ Listing screen-free activities he tice writing and recording his thoughts. likes can help him cut down on Here are different types of lists he using electronics. He might might create. include Collect acorns and Favorites journal. Have your child fill a pinecones, Make a maze in the notebook with lists of his favorite hallway with streamers, and things. He could write a different topic Read a book to the dog. (books, foods, animals, toys) at the top Questions collection. Encourage of each page, then add items as he your child to keep a list of ques¬ thinks of them. Idea: Suggest that he tions he has, like “Why are clouds invite a friend or relative to do the same, and they different shapes? or “Why do our eyes close when we sneeze? can compare lists to see what they have in co mon. He could use his list to pick out library books that might have the answers or post his list by the computer so you can research his questions together online. V Virtual read- alouds (*) My daughther s favorite paid of school is when her teacher reads boohs in class or Alphabetical order on video chat. Now s e wants to watch more online read-alouds. Any suggestions? Send your child on these missions that will encourage her to read words around the o Consider setting up virtual stor house and arrange them in ABC order. Bonus: times for her with grandparents, aunts, She’ll help to keep things organized! and uncles. She ll get to hear different Organize the pantry reading voices, and everyone will dis¬ Let your youngster sort foods in the kitchen by cover it s a great way to stay in touch! type of container (boxes, cans, bags, jars), and arrange each section in alphabetical order. When you need an item, ask her to use her ABCs to find it: 1 need a can of beans where would it be? She might say the beans are between the artichoke hearts and the cairots. Arrange colors Ask your child to put crayons or markers in ABC order. She’ll need to look beyond the first letter of each color word (black, blue, brown). As she puts each crayon in its spot, she can say the first letter and read the color word. ( G is for green. )Y Also, the internet is full of high-qual¬ ity read-alouds these days. Your local library may offer online story hours call or visit the website to find out. Parent Your child might also watch authors Neighborhood book exchange read aloud online. So e children’s writ¬ to arent ers, like Dav Pilkey, Mo Willems, and One day my son were willing to share for children and Susan B. Katz, provide free virtual read¬ Aiden and I found a book on our adults and I helped my son type titles ings on their websites or social media porch. A note from our neighbor was we could lend. Now anyone can request pages. Help your youngster search for attached: My son just read this and a book from someone else and have it specific book titles or authors followed thought Aiden would love it! And delivered to their porch. by read-aloud. Y with that, our neighborhood Aiden and I enjoy reading OUR PURPOSE book exchange was bom. new-to-us books, and it feels To provide busy parents with practical ways Aiden and I emailed good to share with neighbors. to promote their children s reading, writing, neighbors to see who Sometimes, before we retu and language skills. would be interested a book, my son writes a Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated in lending and bor¬ note to tuck inside. He’ll 128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630 rowing books. Sev¬ thank the person for the 800-394-5052 • rfecustomer<®wolterskluwer.com www.rfeonhne.com eral people replied share and tell what he ISSN 1540-5648 with book titles they liked about the story. Y

Read-aloud favorites Flex reading muscles Flashlight (Lizi Boyd) Just like muscles get stronger If you went outdoors at night, what with regular exercise, your would you see with your trusty flash¬ child will become a stron¬ light? That s what the boy in this word¬ ger reader with regular less picture book ants to find out. reading practice. Help Your child can him work out his reading explore the woods muscles all year long as the boy meets with these ideas. ch rming charac¬ ters and discovers the not-so-scary Read the rainbow secrets the night holds. Encourage your young¬ ster to draw an outline of a I M risol McDonald Doesn t Match rainbow with six stripes and / Marisol McDon ld o combina label them red, orange, yellow, (Monica Brown) green, blue, and purple. Now help Marisol adores her world him find a library book for every ? full of colorful clothing color, perhaps Green Eggs and Ham (Dr. and creative games. The Seuss) or Harold and the Purple Crayon other kids think she’s too (Crockett Johnson). After reading each bring at least one interesting discussion mismatched. In this bilingual Eng- book, he can write the title on the question to the meeting. lish-Spanish story, Marisol decides to matching stripe and color it in. be more like her friends. But it doesn’t Read something new take her long to realize she’s wonderful Read with others Becoming familiar with different just the way she is. Let your child start his own book book genres prepares your youngster to club! He could invite a few friends or read all kinds of books in school. Have The Black Booh of Color family members to help choose a book him pick a topic (say, irplanes) and (Menena Cottin) to read. Then, suggest that they set a read books from various sections of the What does red taste like? How does date to meet (in person or online) to library. He might check out a story green smell? This black-and-white discuss the book and pick their next about a child’s first airplane ride, a biog¬ book gives readers insight into what one. Idea: He can ask each member to raphy of Amelia Earhart, and a how-to it’s like for visually impaired people book on paper airplanes. V to see with their other senses. The words in the book are also printed Write me a riddle in Braille a writing system of Q: What building has the most stories? raised dots. A: The library! The Opposite Zoo (II Sung Na) Give your youngster practice writing questions Explore a zoo full of opposites, where and answers as she creates her very own riddles. animals of all types shy and bold, Let her think of an answer for a riddle, per¬ slow and fast, and hairy and bald haps a favorite animal, food, or sport. She can live together. Your youngster can fol¬ use facts about the answer to write her riddle low an adventurous monkey through on one side of an index card. If she picks pizza, enchanting exhibits to learn about she might write, “I am round, cheesy, and can be opposites before the delivered to your front door. What am I? Then, have her write and illustrate the zoo opens again answer on the back. for a new day. Suggest that she read her riddles to friends and family. Can she stump them?Y

See the sight words! with dry beans and secured with a rubber band). Take turns picking Instantly recognizable words such a beanbag, reading the word, and as and, the, and play appear in many of the books your youngster tossing the bag onto the matching word. Whoever matches the most reads. Ask her teacher for a list of these sight words or find one words is the winner. online, and try these activities Treasure hunt. Send your child to help your child leam them. on a search for buried sight words. Write 10 words randomly Beanbag toss. Together, write 10 sight words with chalk on a side¬ all over a sheet of paper. Lay the walk or blacktop, and again with paper in a shallow baking dish and let her bury it in dry rice. pencil on separate sticky notes. Tape each word to a beanbag (or a sock filled She can ove the rice around to uncover the words. Have her read each one aloud after uncovering it. Can she use each sight word in a sentence? V Read to understand owel patterns (*) My son will sometimes read every word in a story correctly and still he Encourage your child to unable to tell me about what he just read. explore common vowel patterns that can What should I do? help him sound out words. Here’s how. Q It s great that your youngster knows 1. Write the letters A-Z on separate slips so many words. It’s possible he’s choos¬ of paper, and make an extra set of vowels ing books with plots that are too com¬ (a, e, i, o, u). Put all the vowels on the table or plex for hi . Or he may not be paying ground and the other letters (the consonants) in a paper bag. attention while he reads in this case, 2. Ask your youngster to pull two consonants from the bag and lay them on the suggest that he read in a spot free from table or ground. distractions like TV or people talking. 3. Help him combine those consonants with any two vowels to make as many four- Also, while the teacher will let you letter words as possible. For m and t, he could make team, meet, and moat. Have hi know if she’s concerned about his read each word. He’ll hear that ea in team, for instance, makes a long e sound. progress, you can tell her what you’ve noticed, too. She 4. When you can’t make any more words, return the consonants to the bag. Pick may suggest two new ones, and play again. books he can Note: The letter is sometimes a vowel when it’s used to make vowel pat¬ read (and terns like oy in to .V understand) at home. Finally, try Parent Wa. this strategy: Give your sentence a partner Ask him to pre¬ to rent My daughter Anna up with a logical partner for my sen¬ view a book before he reads it. He can is learning to write stories in school. Up tence, such as “Tomorrow we can go read the title, look at the cover, and flip until this point, she was drawing a pic¬ sledding. Next it’s her turn to think of through the pictures. Knowing what to ture and writing one sentence under¬ a sentence, and I’ll give it a partner. expect will prepare him to understand neath. Now she’s ready to give the book.V Anna seems to be getting her sentence a “partner, the the hang of this the OUR PURPOSE teacher said, meaning to other day when I was To provide busy parents with practical ways write a second sentence to reading to her, she to promote their children s reading, writing, support the first. So I’m and language skills. noticed that a page had Resources for Educators, helping Anna practice at only one sentence. She a division of CCH Incorporated home. said, “The author 128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630 800-394-5052 • rfecustomer wolterskluwer.com Sometimes I’ll say a should have given that ww.rfeonline.com sentence like “It’s snowing sentence a partner! ISSN 1540-5648 a lot. Then Anna comes And I had to agree. V © 2020 Resources for Educators, a ivision of CCH Incorporated Readi g Tips for Reading Success Pegi ing Edition Calvin A. Hunsinger School

Read-aloud favorites Build a story character Amy Wu and the Perfect Baa (Kat Zhang) Who will star in the next story All Amy wants is to your child writes? Share these make a perfect bao ideas for creating fun and interest¬ a steamed Chinese ing characters that will bring her bun just like her family makes. stories to life for her readers. But each bao is either too big or Draw pictures messy until a helpful idea pops into Invite your youngster to her head. Includes a recipe that you draw a picture of a character and your child can use to make bao she’d like to write about, per¬ together. haps a turtle or kangaroo. A Little Calm Spot: A Story About Then, ask questions to help Yoga and Feeling Focused her develop the character. (Diane Alber) Examples: “Where does the turde A cute litde character named Calm live? What does it like to play? Spot explains yoga to Maybe she’ll draw a pond in the back¬ a feel for its personality and ideas for young readers. Your ground of her picture and add a soccer dialogue. Perhaps she’ll imagine a kind, youngster will leam ball for the sports-loving turtle to kick friendly tur e telling a kangaroo, “Con¬ how yoga helps people around. gratulations on winning your game! rela and concentrate. Includes basic Act out scenes Write a story yoga poses, breathing techniques, and positive words. Part of the Spot series. Suggest that your child get to know Now your child is ready to write. her character by stepping into its role Encourage her to include descriptions Press Here (Hervi Tullet) while you play together. She might pre¬ to help her readers picture the charac¬ Find a surprise on every page of this tend to be a turtle and move her game ter. For instance, she might begin, Tay¬ interactive book, starting with a sim¬ token s-l-o-w-l-y around the board. lor the turde was little and green. She ple yellow button to press. Readers Also, carry on a conversation so she gets watched the faster animals play soccer. will follow instructions like Try She wished she had a friend. V shaking the book and “Clap your hands once to discover what their What doesn t t e book say? actions do to the dots on the page. Learning to infer, or read between jVdmonos! Lefs Go! (Ren Colato the lines, is a strategy your youngster Lainez) can use to understand what he reads. There are _ t~ Try this activity to help him make many < (D inferences: noises to • Gather three household items encounter on an adventure through the neighbor¬ related to a specific task. For example, hood, from the bus s screech to a horn s you might choose a hairbrush, toothbrush, and shirt for getting ready in the honk. This ad ptation of “The Wheels morning. Can your child use these “clues" to infer what your task is? on the Bus introduces different vehi¬ • Read a book aloud, without showing your youngster the pictures, and encour¬ cles and sounds in English (choo choo age him to make inferences. If you read As it got dark, the sky turned shades of choo) and Spanish (chucu chucu chu). red, orange, and purple, he might infer there’s a pretty sunset. V

Blending fact and fiction the book of facts ( Some people said women shouldn t play baseball ) and Some books are nonfiction, and some are fiction ( Katie Casey is a made-up fiction. Other types of books combine character ). both! Here are two popular examples Science fiction for your child to read and learn from. What it is: A fictional tale that Historical fiction includes futuristic science ideas. What it is: A made-up story based What to do: Read a picture book on historical facts. like Ha ry and Horsie (Katie Van Wh t to do: Help your youngster Camp). Then, encourage your child separate historical fact from fiction. He to draw a picture of his own design could make a chart with two columns, for a bubble machine like Harry s one labeled Fact and the other Fiction. Bubble Blooper. You could also help Read a historical fiction book like Players in Pig¬ him make a bubble solution by exper¬ tails (Shana Corey). Then, he could list examples from imenting with different amounts of water, dish soap, and com syrap. Now suggest that he design a totally different ~ machine that people might use in the future. V

Rhyme time!

Send your youngster Dinnertime chats on these rhyme hunts to help her hear Q How can I liven up our sounds in words: family s dinner conversations and encour¬ • Ask your child to find things in your age my daughter to practice speaking? home that rhyme. Hand her an item that Q Carrying on conversations over has a one-syllable name, such as a sock, family meals can improve your child’s shoe, or book. She can walk around with vocabulary and speaking skills and the object and try to spot rhymes. For a help everyone stay close. Luckily, there are lots of ways to switch things up each sock, she might see a clock and a lock. day to keep your talks exciting. Idea: Try this activity outdoors, too. One idea: Think of witty questions to ask each other! You might ask, Would you rather ... ? questions. Or try superlative questions (ones with words ending in -est), like What is the silliest thing you’ve ever done? or Who is the bravest per¬ son you know? Each person can also bring something to the table to talk about, like a photo or favorite toy. When someone finishes sharing their object, others can ask questions or make comments about it. Try this once or twice each week to spark new conver¬ sations and introduce new vocabulary. V

• Give your youngster old magazines and catalogs. She could make rhyming Write a math book collages by cutting out pictures of things that rhyme and gluing them on “I have 6 colored pencils and 4 regu¬ might say, “I had 17 marbles. I dropped paper. For one collage she might cut out lar pencils. 6 + 4 = 10 pencils. 10 into my marble run. How many mar¬ pictures of a car, a bar of soap, and ajar With these three steps, your child bles were left? 17 - 10 = 7 marbles. of peanut butter. Ask her to say the can work on writing and math as he 2. Now help your child write and illus¬ rhyming words to you.V creates a book of story problems. trate each story problem on a separate OUR PURPOSE 1. Suggest that your young¬ sheet of paper. He can also write To provide busy parents with practical ways ster look for opportu¬ the number sentence that to promo e their children s reading, writing, goes with each problem on and language skills. nities throughout the the facing page. Resources for Educators, day to make up a division of CCH Incorporated 128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630 problems. While 3. Finally, your youngster 800-394-5052 • [email protected] playing with his could st ple the pages www.rfeonline. com marble run, he together into a math book ISSN 1540-5648 and read it aloud to you. V © 2020 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated