Partners In Literacy Page

Hi, I'm Tracy Keilty .
Welcome to the "Partners in Literacy" page!

October Fun at Partners In Literacy at Lake Garda School in October

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

SUGGESTED BOOK TYPES

Wordless- books with only bright pictures
Picture Books- books with pictures and some text
Rhyming books- books with words that rhyme
Predictable books- books with repetitive word patterns
Short Novels- books with a few chapters
Concept Books - books with words including opposites, shapes, and other concept words
ABC Books - books about letters in the alphabet

CHILDREN WHO ARE READ TO BECOME BETTER READERS!

PLAY is an important part of your child's development. Knowing your child's learning style can help guide you to choose toys and games that are appropriate for your child's age and interests.

Children usually fall into one of the following three learning styles: auditory, visual or kinesthetic. No one is limited to just one of these learning styles, but understanding your child's predominant style can help you find ways which will enhance his or her play experiences and the learning that results.

Auditory learners understand best by hearing a concept explained, They might have a knack for music, foreign languages and phonics.

Visual learners grasp a concept best by seeing the information or making pictures in their minds. Visual learners enjoy building with construction sets, working puzzles, looking at books, and studying maps.

Kinesthetic learners enjoy hands on activities. They learn best by doing and enjoy activities such as, flying a kite, tracing letters in a book , or pushing a toy car.

To learn more about your child's specific learning styles click here smartkids.com

Choose toys that ...

...allow creativity, ones that are open-ended and powered by your child's

imagination

...span several stages of development -Blocks that may be stacked by a 2 year

old can be made into castles or space stations by a 5 year old

...stimulate more than one of your child's senses of sight , sound, touch, smell, and taste

...challenge your child without frustration

...help your child understand new concepts

...encourage imaginative play, creative expression or role play

...keep your child focused and help develop his or her attention span

...have a high interest level and make your child want to play with it often

...encourage problem solving and strategic thinking

Magnetic letters and alphabet blocks enhance letter knowledge. Begin by pointing out the first letter of your child's name. Expand to beginning letter names for other immediate family members, pets, toys or other things that are meaningful to your child. Say "That's R for your brother Ryan!" or "That's T for turtle". Use letter name not sound. Later match upper and lower case letters. Eventually you can build words: Mom , Dad, Tom, it, I, yes, no etc.

Songs and Tapes develop listening and rhyming. Sing in the car on the way to daycare or to the store. Use nursery rhymes or tapes that are made for children. Some great artists to choose from include Raffi, Joe Scruggs, Hap Palmer, and Sharon, Lois and Bram.

Puzzles develop thinking, fine motor, and spatial concepts. Choose puzzles with small pegs to grab the pieces and ones which have pictures under the piece to be placed into the puzzle for beginners. Eventually move to puzzles that do not have pictures under the pieces and ones in which several pieces form one picture.

Arts and Crafts box will promote creativity. In a large box put items that your child can choose from to make their own "creation". You may want to include some of the following items: crayons, finger paints (pudding works well with very young children) paint and large paintbrushes, play dough, washable markers, yarn colored chalk, glue stick, feathers, and scraps of materials. Use YOUR imagination and your child will too!

Books develop language and concepts about print. DAILY reading periods can be brief but should be frequent for very young readers. Use nursery rhymes, picture books, concept and ABC books with the very young.

Oral Labeling Games enrich language. Verbally label objects and events in your child's world, for example "Chris is in the sandbox." "This is your nose." Encourage your child to label objects and events, helping him or her with the vocabulary and pronunciation.

Summer Fun Activities

Summer is here! Make reading and writing fun and enjoyable.

Read every day

Establish a FAMILY reading time when everyone reads.
Visit your local public library once a week to check out books.
Many libraries offer story hours, arts and crafts sessions, and other child friendly programs.

Provide Language Development

Visit the grocery store and have your child identify the letters in food package names. Read the names to your child, and encourage your child to identify the letters and read the food names to you . Let the child make his/her own shopping list. At the dry cleaners you might say, "Let's count all of daddy's shirts to get cleaned". At the post office let your child sort local and out of town letters to be mailed.
Watch a video presentation of a story you have read. Have your child compare how the book and the video are alike and different.
Play a game where you and your child alternate saying words that rhyme.

Support writing

Keep a summer journal . You can buy a journal or make one at home. Younger children can draw a picture and older children can write a sentence to share what they did during day.
Encourage your child to draw a picture and write a story about it. You can put the pictures and stories together to make a book.
Identify the letters on street signs and store signs. Read the words on the signs to your child, and encourage your child to identify the letters and read the words to you.
Help your child to make letters out of yarn, clay, or cookie dough. You can also write letters and words in sand and shaving cream.

*Magnetic letters and alphabet blocks* enhance letter knowledge. Begin by pointing out the first letter of your child's name. Expand to beginning letter names for other immediate family members, pets, toys or other things that are meaningful to your child. Say "That's R for your brother Ryan!" or "That's T for turtle". Use letter name not sound. Later match upper and lower case letters. Eventually you can build words: Mom , Dad, Tom, it, I, yes, no etc.
	*Songs and Tapes* develop listening and rhyming. Sing in the car on the way to daycare or to the store. Use nursery rhymes or tapes that are made for children. Some great artists to choose from include Raffi, Joe Scruggs, Hap Palmer, and Sharon, Lois and Bram.
*Puzzles* develop thinking, fine motor, and spatial concepts. Choose puzzles with small pegs to grab the pieces and ones which have pictures under the piece to be placed into the puzzle for beginners. Eventually move to puzzles that do not have pictures under the pieces and ones in which several pieces form one picture.
	*Arts and Crafts box* will promote creativity. In a large box put items that your child can choose from to make their own "creation". You may want to include some of the following items: crayons, finger paints (pudding works well with very young children) paint and large paintbrushes, play dough, washable markers, yarn colored chalk, glue stick, feathers, and scraps of materials. Use YOUR imagination and your child will too!
*Books* develop language and concepts about print. DAILY reading periods can be brief but should be frequent for very young readers. Use nursery rhymes, picture books, concept and ABC books with the very young.
*Oral Labeling Games* enrich language. Verbally label objects and events in your child's world, for example "Chris is in the sandbox." "This is your nose." Encourage your child to label objects and events, helping him or her with the vocabulary and pronunciation. *Summer Fun Activities* *Summer is here! Make reading and writing fun and enjoyable.* *Read every day* *Establish a FAMILY reading time when everyone reads.* *Visit your local public library once a week to check out books.* *Many libraries offer story hours, arts and crafts sessions, and other child friendly programs.* *Provide Language Development* Visit the grocery store and have your child identify the letters in food package names. Read the names to your child, and encourage your child to identify the letters and read the food names to you . Let the child make his/her own shopping list. At the dry cleaners you might say, "Let's count all of daddy's shirts to get cleaned". At the post office let your child sort local and out of town letters to be mailed. *Watch a video presentation of a story you have read. Have your child compare how the book and the video are alike and different.* *Play a game where you and your child alternate saying words that rhyme.* *Support writing* *Keep a summer journal . You can buy a journal or make one at home. Younger children can draw a picture and older children can write a sentence to share what they did during day.* *Encourage your child to draw a picture and write a story about it. You can put the pictures and stories together to make a book.* *Identify the letters on street signs and store signs. Read the words on the signs to your child, and encourage your child to identify the letters and read the words to you.* *Help your child to make letters out of yarn, clay, or cookie dough. You can also write letters and words in sand and shaving cream.*