Skip to main content

Supporting Literacy Over the Summer Part 1: Pre-Readers

Summer is the best time for family fun and relaxation!  Lots of time out of school means more down time.....and everyone needs some form of a break.  That being said, we know as educators that students benefit from some skill practice over long breaks.  I said SOME skill practice.  Let me be clear, students do not need hours every day over the summer to prevent learning loss.  However, they do need some kind of activities that will flex their "learning muscles".  So let's talk about how we can strike that balance!


Supporting Reading Over the Summer Part 1: Pre-Readers

Pre-Readers benefit from a number of ways to practice skills.  When you are planning activities for pre-reader ask yourself three simple questions...

Is it meaningful?

Is it memorable?

Is it fun?

Any activities should keep these three questions in mind, but especially when we are talking about summer.  Let's be honest, do you want to do anything during your free time that isn't meaningful, memorable, or fun?  I don't!  So let's extend the same courtesy to our children.


Pre-Readers will benefit from two main kinds of activities:

1. Short engaging activities where they have to interact and practice skills they already have in place. ("we do", "you do")

2. Modeling activities where they get to more passively participate and gain experience. ("I do", "we do")

Here are some examples of activities that can answer "Yes" to those three main questions for each type of activity.

1. "We do" and "You do" Activities to Try:

  • rhyming games- Name a word that rhymes with ____
  • sound play games- The word is "cat", change the /t/ to /p/ and what is the new word?
  • first sound game- What is the first sound in ____?
  • middle sound game- What is the middle sound in ____?
  • end sound game- What is the end sound in ____?
  • letter matching games- 
    • show capital and lowercase letters and have students match each pair
    • show a card with a letter and have your kiddo find that letter in their environment or in books
    • find the letter ___ in abc pasta
  • making letters- (all of these are free or can be done with items found at the dollar store)
    • sidewalk chalk writing (the bigger the better)
    • shaving cream (works well in the bathtub or on the shower door)
    • tracing in rice or sand on a tray
    • making letters with found items around the house or outside
    • make letters with playdough
    • make letters with pool noodles
    • sky write letters with bubble wands

2. "I do" and "We do" Activities to Try:

  • Family story time
    • read books from your home library or the local library and just have FUN
    • play audio books in the car
    • play books being read aloud on youtube 
    • join Epic books for FREE and listen to books together
    • start a simple chapter book together (Mercy Watson, Charlotte's Web, Magic Treehouse, etc.)
    • plan a project and use books or periodicals to make plans, write a "to do" list, and carry out the project (make literacy functional)
    • write a story together and then reread it to a family member
    • write a shopping list
    • make a packing list for a trip (even just a road trip)
    • write a summer bucket list
*Important considerations for #2.....this is about being the example reader/writer and demonstrating the flexibility of literacy.  This is the perfect place to indulge interests and shine a light on how many ways we use reading and writing!

What will you be trying this summer?  Do you have any good ideas?  Share them here!  Send this post to a teacher friend or a parent looking for some support this summer.  Let's help each other support our kiddos!

Thank You!
Kristin

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Use the IMSE Reading Strategies Posters

  Have you downloaded the new and free IMSE Reading Strategies Poster Set and now are looking for suggestions on how to use them?  Let's talk! First, I want to be clear that I am not associated with IMSE and the following are my own recommendations based on my experience, IMSE training(s), and reading specialist certifications. With that being said, let's begin! When I was teaching 1st grade I, like many other teachers, was using the "animal reading strategies" approach.  You know..."lips the fish", "chunky monkey", "stretchy snake", "tryin lion", "eagle eye", "flippy dolphin", and "skippy frog".  You may have seen other ones, but you get the idea.  These were not evil or meant to harm students in reading, but they did significantly fall short of giving students REAL reading strategies.  I'm sharing that I was falling short of helping those students in my class, but at the time I thought I was d...
Post a Comment
Read more

Blending Board Tips and Tricks

  If you've been wanting to start using a blending board or need some help with your current situation...I've got you covered! The blending board is an integral part of the 3 Part Drill.  It transitions students from seeing singular sounds to blending sounds together to form words.  Early readers and students that struggle with reading benefit from direct instruction on how to blend sounds properly.  This method supports the use of sound/symbol relationships to decode effectively.   The system is based on previously taught skills that are woven together week after week.  Every time a new skill is taught it enters the card deck and becomes part of the blending board.  As skills are mastered, you can start exciting cards from the deck.  Just keep enough to make words and boost confidence. Here are some simply laid out tips and tricks that you can start today! **Keep in mind that the blending board can be used for the most basic patterns, b...
Post a Comment
Read more

My Alphabet Book, A Quick and Simple Early Reading Activity

Working with early readers can be so rewarding.  They are so proud when they are able to recognize letters or produce correct sounds.  Some students need a little more practice and time working with letters and letter sounds before they develop a solid understanding.  I have read, during my time researching best guided reading practices, that consistently rehearsing the alphabet with early readers can produce meaningful results.  With that in mind I developed a resource for my Kindergarten intervention students this year.   You can find it in my TPT store here:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Simply-Primary Let's talk a little about how I use this simple and effective resource with my students. I use this book for choral reading (everyone reads aloud together).  It is helpful because the students don't know all of the letters, sounds or pictures BUT I do.  They can hear me and hear each other.  This strengthens their un...
Post a Comment
Read more