K-3
Reading and
Grammar Helper
Using the California Content Standards Everyday
(C)
CPLC/ Chapin-Pinotti Learning Center 2008
How to Study and Get Results
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Environment that allows the student to focus
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This is individual to each student
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Study should be in regular, doable intervals
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Model: Half hour of work – ten minute break
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Frustration yields no results!
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Avoid emotional conflict – Step away from the work!
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Take a walk
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Have a snack
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Get out and get moving
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Then come back and try a different approach
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Learning is
active!
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Reading – out loud
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Math – work it out on paper and verbally
The Importance of Parent Involvement
What you say matters!
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Parents what you say to your child matters.
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90% of all learning takes place at home
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Comments such as: “I
was never good at math (spelling, reading…etc.)” should be avoided.
Statements like this gives your child permission to fail.
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Positive reinforcement:
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We can work on this for five minutes everyday
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We can learn it together
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We can make it fun and simple
Kindergarten-Third
Parent/Student
Reading
and Grammar Activities
Reading
Reading:
1.0 Word
Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development
1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade:
Students understand the basic
features of reading. They select letter patterns and know how to translate
them into spoken language by using phonics, syllabication, and word parts.
They apply this knowledge to achieve fluent oral and silent reading
Word Family Game
A word family is a group of words that all have the same ending: fall,
ball, call, mall – all belong to the “all” family.
Word families lead to great games.
When you and your child are driving – play the “Word Family Game”.
Choose an ending like –all or –op and take turns naming words that end
with your selected sound…mop…stop…chop…hop…whoever is the last to say a word is
queen or king of the –ops.
Dinner Rhymes
Set the timer for the first six minutes of dinner and make a rule that no one
can speak unless he talks in rhymes.
After the timer rings…try to see who can name all of the word families
that were spoken.
Synonyms and Antonyms
When you or your child makes a statement – choose one word out of it and
ask if there is another word that she could replace it with – this is a synonym.
Or, ask if she can change a specific word to mean the opposite of what it
is – this is an antonym.
Reading:
Decoding, Word Recognition and vocabulary development
Word Fish
Choose a list of words, put them on small pieces of paper and put them in a
pitcher or a bowl. As you play the
card game “Go Fish” – draw a word out of the bowl each time you have to draw a
card. Keep track of how many words
each says correctly.
This game can be used with site words, weekly spelling lists, context words,
abbreviations, simple antonyms and synonyms and prefixes and suffixes.
Bonus points can be awarded for knowing the definition.
Read, Read, Read
Take every opportunity to have your child read to you.
When you clip coupons, read the paper or making lists, have your child
help search for words or phrases within the text.
Have your child read to you when you are in the car or folding laundry or making
dinner…anytime. Reading aloud helps to develop fluency.
Encourage your child to read as if he/she was speaking.
Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development
1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade:
Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material. They draw
upon a variety of comprehension strategies as needed. The selections in
Recommended Literature, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve
illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by
students. In addition to their regular school reading, by grade four,
students read one-half million words annually, including a good
representation of grade-level-appropriate narrative and expository text
(e.g., classic and contemporary literature, magazines, newspapers, online
information). In grade three, students make substantial progress toward this
goal.
Reading Night
Choose one night a month to put on your PJs, pop some pop corn, pull up a
sleeping bag and some fluffy pillows and read together in the living room.
You can each read your own thing silently.
You can have a round-robin and read aloud.
You can silently read the same thing and discuss what you read.
Change the rules each time and rotate through family favorites.
Scrambled Sentences
Make up sentences – break up the sentence by word and write one word each on a
sticky note. Place them around the
bathroom, kitchen, bedroom…any where…and “help” your child unscramble them.
Can new sentences be created out of the same words?
Some silly sentences could create tons of fun.
Literary Response and Analysis
1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade:
Students read and respond to a wide variety of significant works of
children's literature. They distinguish between the structural features of
the text and literary terms or elements (e.g., theme, plot, setting,
characters). The selections in
Recommended Literature, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve
illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by
students.
The Same – But Different
Choose a book that is also a movie.
Read the book together with your child and then watch the movie.
Discuss the differences.
Bonus: Storyboard how you and your
child would turn the same book into your own movie.
Discuss elements you would keep the same and things you would change.
Why?
Toy Prompts
Put some of your child’s favorite toys in a box.
Have him or her close his or her eyes, pick out an object and write a
sentence about it. Post the
sentence on the refrigerator and read them over at a different time. For older
children: Use the sentences as
prompts to write stories or poems.
CD Library
Let your child make his or her own books on CD (or tape).
Turn on the computer (or tape recorder), settle down with a favorite book
and tape away. Have your child
listen as he or she follows along and re-record if necessary.
Reading
and Writing
1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade:
Literary Response and Analysis
1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade:
Writing Strategies
Storyboarding a PowerPoint
Take pictures, load them on the computer and put them onto PowerPoint.
Have your child write a sentence for each.
Type them in and show the family.
You can even record a narration of your child reading his captions or he
can read them aloud.
Alternative: Attach pictures to
paper and have your child write a story or captions under each…assemble them in
a book.
Famous
Publisher
Have your child publish her own television and movie magazine.
While you are doing your chores, have your child list all of her favorite
shows and write a sentence about each.
Talk about the most recent episodes she has watched and have her write a
sentence about each. Draw a picture
to go with each sentence (for older kids – paragraphs).
Have your child cut them out and assemble them into a “magazine” to share
with the whole family.
Who,
What, When, Where
When you are in the car, pick a person you see or a place you travel through or
a building along the way and describe it…add funny pieces…make up stories…be
creative. Pay careful attention to
sensory detail.
Reading
and Writing
1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade:
Literary Response and Analysis
1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade:
Writing Strategies
1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade:
Reading Comprehension
1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade:
Writing Applications
Compare and Contrast
Find out your child’s favorite book and research the author on the internet.
If you don’t have the internet…use the library.
Find other books written by the same author and read those too.
Discuss the similarities and differences.
If they are picture books, check out the artists.
Was the same person used to illustrate each one?
What style of art was used?
Driving Stories
While driving, ask your child to tell you about a movie, book or television show
he has watched/read. Ask specific
questions after he is done. Discuss
what happened at the beginning of the story, middle and at the end.
Have him organize and sequence it out.
Story of the Day
Keep track of what your child is learning in social studies and science.
Use these topics to give your child a “prompt” (a prompt is the first few
words of a story…for example: “In
my neighborhood there are…” Let
him/her finish the story.
Notes, Notes, Notes
Put notes all over the house for your child to find…in the toothpaste drawer,
under her dinner plate, in her shoes…reading is reading.
Be funny or give plant scavenger hunt notes where your child finds a
little treat…or a funny joke after he follows your trail.
Chain of Events
Have your child write a story about a trip to the store, the bus ride home or a
sports practice…anything. Ask her
to be specific and move through the logical sequence of events, describe
settings and detail characters.
Talking about it first may help your child organize his or her thoughts.
Letter Writing
Have your child write to friends, cousins, grandparents and ask them to write
back…reading and writing all rolled up into one.
Choose a character he is studying in social studies or any other subject.
Talk about the person. Ask
your child what he’d ask if he could talk to that person.
Have your child write a letter to that person.
Bonus:
Do a little research and write back – as
that person.
Reading
and Writing
1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade:
Literary Response and Analysis
1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade:
Writing Strategies
1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade:
Reading Comprehension
1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade:
Writing Applications
Going to
the Movies
Look at the movie section of the paper.
Discuss movies from the pictures and descriptions.
Choose one together.
After the movie discuss how closely your ideas of what the movie was about match
the actual movie.
Television Writing
Turn off the television before the last segment of your child’s favorite show
and have your child make up his or her own ending.
Or…at each commercial break…discuss what happened and what he thinks might be
coming up.
Directions and Instructions
Choose a game that looks fun, but is new to your child.
Have her read the game directions and explain play to you and/or other
players. This works for card games
as well. Print the directions of
new games off of the internet or check out a book at the library…again… have
your child read and then explain play.
Let your child help make dinner.
Give him simple directions to follow or have him follow a recipe.
At dinner, have him recap their hard work.
Have your child write a letter to grandma, grandpa, a friend or relative
describing a game in detail.
More
Directions and Instructions
Have your child give you directions.
A fun one is brushing your teeth.
Follow his or her directions explicitly and see how fast your child
realized the steps he may have missed.
Notes