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.
