LET'S READ

Mrs. Smith’s kindergarten students in Lester Prairie are Ready, Enthusiastic, Anxious, and Determined to learn to READ! However, that means learning many skills using developmentally appropriate techniques when children have background skills and are ready to learn. Throughout the process, the children are actively involved and wholeheartedly participate in their learning in order to develop a deep understanding.

Already this year the children have learned about concepts of print – and can distinguish a letter from a number or word. The boys and girls also know that you start at the top of the page and go downwards reading from left to right and page-by-page.  Kindergarteners need to realize words must be separated by spaces and that sentences start with capital letters and end with some sort of punctuation mark – which they also have learned about and use in their writing.

Currently the children are focusing on several reading components. First of all they are becoming aware of the full value of the alphabet and what it does. It is actually the code for much of the communicating and comprehending they will do for the rest of their lives. They are also learning the letter sounds and using them to decode words and to write their own. Literacy lessons and centers always include alphabet and letter sound activities.

Phonological awareness is also a very important area in preparing kindergarten children to read and it includes identifying and manipulating units of oral language. Earlier in the year the children spent time learning these skills and are able to identify and make oral rhymes, clap out the number of syllables in a word and can recognize words with the same beginning sounds. Now the children are practicing phonemic awareness skills where they focus on and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in words.

Vocabulary development is at the heart of every story, folk tale, fable, poem, or non-fiction piece of literature studied. Favorite ways to enhance this learning is to try to use the new vocabulary in our daily oral exchanges, to illustrate the meaning of the word on posters around the room, and to use the words when playing in developmental centers, as well as literacy centers.

Comprehension is another component of learning to read in kindergarten. Currently in the theme The Neighborhood the children are developing an understanding of sequence words, are working on summarizing skills and are practicing how to retell a story. These are only a sample of the many comprehension skills they are developing.

Throughout the year high frequency words are introduced to the children. These are the most common words the child will need to be familiar with when reading common texts. Words like the, are, you, see and look are examples of these words. Becoming familiar with these words helps the children in their reading fluency and comprehension.

This is only a brief synopsis of what happens as children begin to learn the reading process. There are many factors to consider and to address and each child is different and goes through developmental stages at different rates. However, one of the best ways to help all children develop reading skills is for teachers, parents, relatives, and community members to read to children!  Even when the children are starting to read by themselves, they still need to be read to.

Finally, oral language development is vital for children to learn to read. Having two way conversations with children about the world around them, about their interests, and about new and exciting ideas is another way that whole communities can help support the children in their lives, with the process of learning to read.

“There are many little ways to enlarge your world.  Love of books is the best of all.” – Jacqueline Kennedy

Listening Center: Mariana Ixtlilco and Keaton Mathews listen to stories on the iPod at the listening center. They talk about the story they heard and draw their favorite part. They also find high frequency words they recognize.

Phonemic Awareness: Abigail Mathwig and Cooper Mattson listen for the number of sounds in words and either park a car in the parking lot for each sound or move a block for each sound they hear.

Fishing for High Frequency Words and playing Pop for Letters are reading games where Mariana Ixtlilco and Daniela Lopez fish for sight words and try to identify them. While playing “Pop for Letters” Cooper Mattson and Eathan-Ryan Simrell name letters and letter sounds with encouragement from their classmates.

Writing Center: (Front to back) Cooper Mattson, Eathan-Ryan Simrell, and Aurora Blasen use their letter writing and letter sound knowledge to write letters to special people in their families.

Reading to Children: One of the most important gifts any parent, teacher, grandparent, or community member can give a child is the time to read to him/her and to talk about the events of the story or the events in the world around them. Here Mrs. Smith shares a book about an American President while her students listen with eagerness and anticipation.