Vocabulary Words to Practice

This is a list of words we have used on our CircleTime Chart throughout the “K” school year. For a fun & challenging activity, make flash cards & practice these words with your child, but please don't add these words to the word card rings. Keep practicing them as well as the flash cards in your child's folder throughout the school year (and Summer), so your child will remember these words when they pop up next year in 1st Grade! :)

WORDS WE’VE "LEARNED" IN K1

a - and - Art - August - Boys - cloudy - cold - Computer - days - December -

foggy - Friday - go - good - Girls - Gym - Hello - Helper - Hi - hot - is - it - kids - Library

- listen - look - Monday - Morning - Mrs. Finotti - Music - November - October - Our - rainy - September - Special - sunny - the - Thursday - to - today - Tuesday - we - weather - Wednesday - windy - 2009 & 2010

Hans Wilhelm's Holiday Books

Three years ago I went to the PA Kindergarten Conference in Harrisburg & was priviledged to attend a session with author Hans Wilhelm, one of America's foremost author/illustrator of children's books.
Recently, I received an email from Hans announcing he has added some new Holiday Books to his website. The books are totally free and can be enjoyed on your computer, powerpoint, smart board, or can even be printed out for your children.
Go to http://www.childrensbooksforever.com/ and click on "Holiday Books". Click on the book's image and it will open up the story. Hans has a super collection of free books for children of all ages on his website. To learn about this author of more than 200 children's books, go to: http://www.hanswilhelm.com/hans-pages/about-home.html

Reading Take-Home Books & Sight Words

Your child is bringing home a take-home book (The Gift) Thursday in their folder. The children & I have read this book several times together at school. Last week's book was ....... The House.
For homework, each week the children are to read their book to 3 people. The can read to mom, dad, older brothers & sisters, babysitters, or grandparents. As your child reads their book, please make sure they use their pointer finger to "track" each & every word.
When they finish reading, please sign your name on the front cover & return the book to school the next day. If you don't have 3 people at home to read to, your child may read the book to someone twice & that person can place a #2 after their signature.
When the take-home book returns to school, your child earns a sticker. The take-home book will then be sent back home again. Once he/she accumulates 5 stickers, a small prize will be earned. I hope you'll save these small books & read them frequently for review & practice; by year's end, your child will have a collection of about 25 small books.
Also, you'll notice a ring attached to your child's folder. These cards are the sight words we are learning in school. The cards will stay attached to the folder for you to practice at home. As I introduce new words, additional cards will be added to the ring.
If you have questions about these assignments, feel free to call or email. Thank you for all your help & support at home with these two new important assignments.

Reading Tips

Easy Things To Do At Home To Raise Readers......

When you snuggle with your child & read books or stories, you stimulate all the senses at once & make the reading experience pleasurable. This creates a positive association with reading. Start with short reading sessions and increase the length as your child's attention span grows. As you are reading, point to words in the text with your finger. By doing this, you are helping to train your child's eyes to automatically follow words & symbols in a left to right progression. Also, encourage your child to predict what might happen next as the story begins to develop.(Scholastic Parent & Child April/May 2001)

Tips from the Office of Commonwealth Libraries - PA Dept. of Ed
Read to your child every day. Make it a special time when you both can relax, snuggle and enjoy books.
Build a home library and fill it with your child's favorite titles.
Sing nursery rhymes and finger plays to introduce an awareness of speech sounds and patterns.
Visit your local library on a regular basis and borrow a wide range of books and audio materials. Take part in activities the library provides for young children.
Use words to describe aloud what you are doing or what you see around your house and community.
Learning depends on repetition. It is good when children ask for favorites to be read again and again.
Encourage your child to "read" picture books to you.
Be a good role model by reading for enjoyment and information yourself.
When reading aloud, use lots of expression, different voices and sound effects when appropriate. Make sure your child can see the pictures easily.
Read books that play with language such as poetry, tongue twisters, rhymes, and riddles.