Reading
Many tools are used to help guide students in the process of developing literacy in Kindergarten.
The Zoo-phonics Language Arts Program is a concrete way for children to begin learning and using the alphabet to read and write. Each letter has a character and hand signal attached to it to make the letters more engaging for the students.
Our reading series is the Houghton Mifflin A Legacy of Literacy program. The series has ten themed units, and all units include big books for shared reading as well phonics readers for independent reading.
Literacy centers: The children rotate through reading centers every day. Guided reading is taught in small groups and the focus depends on the needs of the student. One group may be working on letters and sounds, another working on blending sounds, another working on fluency, or comprehension skills. Students also work on comprehension activities at literacy centers, such as making puppets for a story we have been reading to retell the story. We also play many reading games to practice fluency of sight words.
Leveled readers: These are books that have been leveled by the Fountas and Pinnell leveling system. Books begin at a basic reading level that follow a simple text pattern and grow progressively more difficult. Each child can read at his/her developmental level.
We use word families to help increase our word vocabulary, for example if I can read sit, then I can read pit, hit, lit, bit, fit, etc. All these words are added to our word wall, which includes sight words or words that cannot be sounded out.
The Zoo-phonics Language Arts Program is a concrete way for children to begin learning and using the alphabet to read and write. Each letter has a character and hand signal attached to it to make the letters more engaging for the students.
Our reading series is the Houghton Mifflin A Legacy of Literacy program. The series has ten themed units, and all units include big books for shared reading as well phonics readers for independent reading.
Literacy centers: The children rotate through reading centers every day. Guided reading is taught in small groups and the focus depends on the needs of the student. One group may be working on letters and sounds, another working on blending sounds, another working on fluency, or comprehension skills. Students also work on comprehension activities at literacy centers, such as making puppets for a story we have been reading to retell the story. We also play many reading games to practice fluency of sight words.
Leveled readers: These are books that have been leveled by the Fountas and Pinnell leveling system. Books begin at a basic reading level that follow a simple text pattern and grow progressively more difficult. Each child can read at his/her developmental level.
We use word families to help increase our word vocabulary, for example if I can read sit, then I can read pit, hit, lit, bit, fit, etc. All these words are added to our word wall, which includes sight words or words that cannot be sounded out.
Here we are in our magic sunglasses after reading Pete the Cat and his Magic Sunglasses!