Compare:Contrast Venn Diagram

During our reading and writing centers this week we will be exploring Venn Diagrams.  Venn Diagrams are a great way for students to compare and contrast characters in a story.  

Students will use new vocabulary words such as similarly, likewise, as, nevertheless, and instead of to show similarities and differences.

More Online Resources for Parents:

http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/grade/kindergarten/

Kindergarteners have just started down the exciting road to reading and writing. These materials are designed by experts to help them on the journey outside of school.  FREE activities & projects, games & tools, printouts, podcasts and more!



http://www.jumpstart.com/parents/resources/grade-based-resources/kindergarten-resources

JumpStart is home to a large collection of free, printable kindergarten resources. Both parents and teachers can find plenty of fun activities, worksheets and lesson plans for math, reading, writing, science and arts. Work with JumpStart to ensure that your child is well prepared to begin school next year.


http://www.readingrockets.org/article/7834/

Reading Rockets offers a wealth of reading strategies, lessons, and activities designed to help young children learn how to read and read better. Our reading resources assist parents, teachers, and other educators in helping struggling readers build fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.

 In Kindergarten this week we are focusing on "building words."  I have included the following worksheets that you can print to work on at home with your child.

The students are learning that "onsets" + "rimes" build words.

Onsets are the beginning sound of a word that could be a consonant, a consonant blend, consonant digraph or a vowel.

Rimes are a group of letters that form word endings.

Game-like activities such as these, use onsets and rimes to sort words, make words, classify words, find little words in big words, blend, segment, and substitute letters to make words.

In these activities, children are learning letter patterns in words.  As they make a word
ask them to write it out on a
blank sheet of paper to practice
their writing skills.

Spelling

The children are working on drawing pictures and explaining what is going on.  When you child brings home their work, please ask them to read it to you.  Remember that they are working on spelling the words themselves.  The spelling may not be correct but it is grade level appropriate.  

Right now, most of the students are at the following appropriate levels:

SEMIPHONETIC SPELLING:

• Constants begin to represent words and are related to the sounds of the words
• TIMGTAK -- Today I am going to the park
• Beginning and ending consonant sounds may be included
• bg -- bug,   bd -- bed
• One or two sounds may be correct in a word.

PHONETIC SPELLING:

• Children spell words as they sound
• sokar -- soccer

Example of children's writings:

COMPREHENSION

Comprehension is the active process in which the reader or listener interprets and constructs meaning about what he or she reads or listens to based on prior knowledge about the topic, thereby making connections between the old and the new. (Applegate, Applegate, & Modla, 2009; Pressley & Hilden, 2002).   In other words, the ability to understand.  Comprehension is necessary for a child to be a successful reader.

Ways you can help your child build their comprehension at home

1. Read with your child for twenty minutes a day.
2. Re-read favorite books often.
3. Ask questions throughout the story.
4. Ask your child to retell you the story after you have finished reading.
5. Ask your child to tell you about their favorite part of the book.
6. Have them sequence the story:
1. What happened first?
2. Who was there?
3. Where did it take place?
4. What happened next?
5. What happened last?
6. What was the problem in the story?
7. How did the characters solve the problem?

Why should you read to your child for twenty minutes EVERY day?

This week in class we are discussing rhyming words and feelings.  We are reading Llama Llama Mad at Mama and Llama Llama Red Pajama.   You can read these books, plus more, for free on wegivebooks.org.   You can register for free if you like or you can use our classroom login   USERNAME:  kdgroom23   PASSWORD:  23orange  

*Remember to read to your child for twenty minutes EVERY day*

Reading to your child improves literacy comprehension

and helps build a better reader.