CDSD Kindergarten Family Letter
Reading, Writing, Listening, & Speaking
Unit 1: Welcome to Kindergarten
Key Learning:
SPEAKING AND LISTENING:
- listen when someone is speaking.
- speak clearly and loudly enough to be understood.
- express her thoughts, ideas, and feelings clearly
- engage in turn-taking in conversations.
HOW YOU CAN HELP AT HOME:
- Give your child simple one to two step directions to follow.
- Play listening games such as, Simon Says.
- Engage your child in conversations about topics she is interested in.
- Provide times when you and your child can share stories.
- Encourage the use of appropriate volume and pacing.
UNDERSTANDING HOW BOOKS WORK:
- distinguish between the print (words) and pictures in a book.
HOW YOU CAN HELP AT HOME:
- When reading a book to your child, point out the print/words and point out the pictures.
- When reading a book to your child, use phrase like, "What do you see in the picture?" when pointing to the picture.
- When reading a book to your child, use phrases like. "I'll read these words," when pointing to the words.
HEARING SOUNDS IN WORDS:
- identify when two words rhyme.
- say two words that rhyme.
- identify the first sound (not the letter name) in a spoken word.
- after hearing two words, put them together to say a compound word (sail + boat = sailboat).
- after hearing a compound word, break it apart to say two separate words. (sailboat = sail & boat).
- after hearing a 3 - 5 word sentence, count the number of words heard.
HOW YOU CAN HELP AT HOME:
- While driving in the car, making dinner, or sorting laundry, say two words to your child and ask her if they rhyme.
- Say a word to your child and ask her to say a real word or pretend word that rhymes. (Dad: "dog"; Child: "log" or Dad: "bug"; Child: "zug")
- Have your child match pictures of rhyming words.
- Read books that have many rhyming words in them. Ask your child to repeat the words that rhyme.
- Say a sentence and have your child drop a coin into a cup for every word she hears. Then have her count the coins to see how many words are in the sentence.
LETTER KNOWLEDGE:
- recognize and name the following letters: M, m, S, s, A, a, T, t, C, c, P, p, N, n, F, f, B, b, I, i.
- when shown one of the consonants listed above, make its most common sound.
- when shown 'A' or 'a', make the short a sound.
- write his first name.
HOW YOU CAN HELP AT HOME:
- Place magnetic letters on the refrigerator. Ask your child to name the letters or make the sounds of the letters.
- Have your child sort and name magnetic letters or letters you have written on small pieces of paper.
- Use a computer to print out letters written in different fonts. Have your child sort the letters.
- Write each letter on a different sticky note. Stick the letters on the walls in your child's bedroom. Give your child a flashlight and turn off the lights. Name a letter or make the sound of a letter and have your child shine the light on the letter.
- Put some sugar, sand, shaving cream on a cookie sheet or plate. Have your child use his finger to "write" letters. Have him name the letter or sound while he "writes" it.
- Write your child's name in front of him. Saying each letter as you write it. Have him trace over each letter saying the name of each letter with you as he writes it.
AUTHORS, ILLUSTRATORS, AND BOOKS:
- identify the beginning and end of a book.
- identify the parts of a book: front cover, title page, first page, back cover.
- locate the title, illustration, author's name, and illustrator's name on the cover of a book.
- explain what an author does. (The author writes the words in a book.)
- explain what an illustrator does. (The illustrator makes the pictures in a book.)
- make connections between the illustrations and the words in a story read aloud.
- answer 'who' and 'what' questions asked about a story (fiction).
- with help from an adult, use illustrations and words to answer questions about a story.
HOW YOU CAN HELP AT HOME:
- Read to your child daily!
- When reading to your child, identify and discuss the parts of the book.
- When reading to your child, name a part of a book and have your child point to it.
- Use the words 'author' and 'illustrator' when getting ready to read a book to your child.
- Before reading a book to your child, tell her the name of the author and illustrator. Point to their names on the front cover or title page.
- Discuss what authors and illustrators do.
- Ask "who' and 'what' questions about the story.
- Point to clues in the pictures that will help your child answer questions about the story.
WRITING PERSONAL NARRATIVES (True Stories about Me):
- tell about a true event in her life by drawing it or telling an adult what words to write. (e.g., a birthday party, going on a trip, soccer game, or first day of school)
- make a drawing of who the story is about and where it happens.
- make drawings to show three events in order (first, next, last).
HOW YOU CAN HELP AT HOME:
- Tell stories to your child about events that happened to you when you were her age.
- Encourage your child to tell stories to you.
- Show your child how you can tell a story by drawing pictures.
- Encourage your child to take risks when drawing. (Child: "I don't know how to draw an elephant." Mom: "Do your best. You can do it!")
- Have your child label herself in the stories by writing her name next to her picture.
- Encourage your child to write/draw stories often.
- Ask your child questions that will bring out more details in the story. Encourage her to add these details to her drawings.
- Provide your child with different materials (crayons, markers, paint, etc.) to create her stories.
WORDS TO KNOW
- author: the person who writes the words in a book
- back cover: the back of a book
- blend: to mix together
- conversation: a talk between two or more people
- cover: the front of a book
- detail: a small bit of information that tells or shows more about something
- first page: the page where the story starts
- illustration: a picture in a book that is drawn by an illustrator
- illustrator: the person (illustrator) who makes the pictures in a book
- listen: to hear and understand what someone says
- page: a piece of page in a book
- question: a sentence that asks a question
- rhyme: words with the same ending sounds
- sketch: a quick drawing
- sound: something you hear
- title: the name of a book, a story, or a text
- title page: the page in a book that tells the author, illustrator, and title
MORE WAYS TO HELP AT HOME
ONLINE RESOURCES
THE BEST APPS FOR IPHONE, IPADS, AND ANDROID DEVICES
Alphabetic
Skill: Print Awareness
Device: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch
Price: $1.99
Alphabetic makes identifying letters a game for your child as she has to search for letters A through Z as she spins around on the screen and before time runs out.
Alphabetical Order
Device: iPad
Price. $0.99
Alphabetical Order challenges children to put the letters in order as well as match upper and lower case letters, and to match the letters to their sounds.
Intro to Letters
Devices: iPad, iPhone, i Pod Touch
Price: $4.99
Intro to Letters helps children read and write letters A - Z in both capital and lowercase letters through flashcards, while soundcards let your child record and listen to himself as he practices saying each letter.
Kindy Language
Devices: iPad, iPhone, i Pod Touch
Price: $3.99
Alphabet activities and games that build visual and sound discrimination, capital and lower case letter recognition and alphabetical order knowledge.
iWriteWords
Devices: iPad, iPhone, i Pod Touch
Price: $2.99
Letter and number tracing for beginners with a numbered connect-the-dots method.
Superhero Comic Book Maker
Devices: iPad, iPhone, i Pod Touch
Price: FREE
Create personalized animated comic books featuring monsters and superheroes, narrating the story using the self-record feature. Helps kids practice storytelling and learn to make digital creations.
Writing Wizard
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, i Pod Touch
Price: $4.99
Customizable app that helps kids practice tracing letters, numbers, and words while learning letter names and phonetic sounds.