Create a family scrapbook

A family scrapbook is a great way to save memories and jump-start your child’s writing. Use an inexpensive photo album to keep souvenirs of things you do together. This can include photos, ticket stubs, and found objects, like pretty leaves.

Your child can begin by writing the date and a line about where you were and what you did. Then, you can work together to write a more detailed summary. Don’t forget to include funny or even annoying moments!

Make a journal jar

A journal doesn’t have to be a diary. It can also be a book where your child writes about ideas or answers questions, like “If you could do anything next summer, what would you choose?” A journal jar is a place to keep all those ideas and questions.

Wash and decorate a wide-mouthed jar, like one that used to contain peanut butter. Then, write or print out journal prompts on slips of paper. Ask your child to pull out one prompt each day and write about it in her journal.

Here are some journal prompt ideas:

• I get excited when………
• My favorite birthday present was……….
• If I could be a superhero I would be………
• My idea of fun is……..
• If I lived in a jungle I would....
• My favorite season is…….
• On my first day of school I………
• If I could be an animal I would be……
• My favorite kind of weather is……
• What I know most about is……..
• People think that I'm……..
• I'm a good friend because.....
• My favorite out-of-school activity is.....
• If I was president I would.....
• I'm best at.....
• I wish people knew that.....
• If trees could talk they would say....
• If I was invisible I would....
• The last time I laughed really hard was when.....
• My favorite food/color/sport/sibling/teacher/subject/animal/season is.....

Play “Fortunately/Unfortunately”

This turn-taking writing game is based on a classic kids’ book by Remy Charlip called Fortunately. In it, something lucky happens and then something unlucky happens. Each event is introduced by either the word “fortunately” or the word “unfortunately.”

To play, take a piece of paper and write a sentence beginning with “Fortunately,” such as “Fortunately it was a sunny day. I wanted to play outside.” Pass the paper to the next player, who will add an “unfortunately” sentence, such as “Unfortunately, I had to clean my room.” Keep going until the story is too silly to continue.

 Make an “I Can” book

As your child learns to write, she’ll also be learning other new skills. Making an “I Can” book will let her practice writing skills and keep track of her other accomplishments. Staple together a bunch of blank sheets of paper to make a book. As your child reaches a new milestone, such as learning to tie her shoes or hit a baseball, she can draw a picture on a new page of the book. Younger kids can then write, “I can tie my shoes.” Older kids can write a few sentences about what they’ve accomplished.

Play “Tell Me How”

In this activity your child pretends she’s writing to a space alien who doesn’t know anything about our culture. This alien does everything exactly as it’s said or written.

Your child’s job is to choose an everyday task, like brushing her teeth or making a sandwich. Then, she needs to write step-by-step directions about how to do the task for the alien. When she’s done, you get to be the alien and try to follow the steps exactly as she wrote them. She may be surprised at what she left out!

 Play a game with pictures

Photos and images are great story sparkers. Do a web search and find a few interesting images. Or cut out pictures from magazines. The pictures can be realistic, such as a photo of students on a playground. Or they can be fantastical images, such as a superhero flying in space.

Glue a couple images into a notebook. Then ask your child to write about one of them. You can prompt her, asking her to include what she sees, what the people are thinking, what will happen next—or just let her imagination run free.

Let's Talk About Writing

Writing is a terrific way for children to express their thoughts, creativity, and uniqueness. It is also a fundamental way in which children learn to organize ideas and helps them to be better readers.

Here are some ideas to practice writing skills.

Write a “Convince Me!” letter

Writing isn’t just about telling stories or reporting on books. There are many ways your child can use words, including trying to convince others to agree with her. You can help her practice this type of writing by letting her argue with you—in writing!

Choose a topic you don’t agree on, such as allowance or bedtime. Have your child write you a letter trying to convince you to change your mind. The catch? She has to use facts, quotes and logic to back up her argument.

Talk About Books

Conversations about books you and your child are reading can help develop vocabulary and comprehension skills. You can ask leading questions that allow your child to think more deeply about the story, develop meanings and lessons in the story and relate concepts from the story to experiences or feelings your child has had.

Here are some open ended questions to help start your conversations.

1. What is the most interesting thing you know about the main character of your book?
2. Think about a setting in your book. If you were in the setting, what are some things you might see?
3. Describe an important event from your book and tell why it is important.
4. Who is your favorite character in your book? Why is this character your favorite?
5. What do you think happened just before your story started?
6. If you could give the main character in your book some advice, what would you tell him or her?
7. Is your book more funny or more serious? Why do you think so?
8. What point of view is your book written in? How do you know?
9. Do you like the main character of your book? Why or why not?
10. Think of an important event in your book. How would the story have changed if this event had not happened?
11. If you were in the story, what would your relationship be to the main character?
12. List three facts about this book. Then, list three opinions about it.
13. If you could ask the main character of this book three questions, what would you ask?
14. Think about your book. Then finish this sentence in 3 different ways: I wonder….
15. Thinks of a new title for you your book. Why do you think this is a good title?
16. Do you think this book was well written? Why or why  not?
17. In what ways would this book be different if it were set 100 years in the past?
18. What is the main conflict that the main character in your book must face?
19. What are some important relationships in your book?
20. Think about a supporting character in your book. How would the book be different if that character did not exist?

Sight Word Practice

Sight words are words, like come, does, or who, that don’t follow the rules of spelling or the six syllable types. These words have to be memorized because decoding them is really difficult. Students are taught to memorize sight words as a whole, by sight, so that they can recognize them immediately (within three seconds) and read them without having to use decoding skills.

Put simply, sight words are words that we teach our young readers to know by heart. That way, they don’t have to spend valuable time decoding them.  

Below are lists of sight words beginning with pre-k and ending with second grade (for those that may want a challenge). 

Not only is it beneficial to read these words, but also to be able to write them.

Dolch Sight Words Pre-Kindergarten (40 words)a and away big blue can come down find for funny go help here I in is it jump little look make me my not one play red run said see the three to two up we where yellow you


Dolch Sight Words Kindergarten (52 words)
all am are at ate be black brown but came did do eat four get good have he into like must new no now on our out please pretty ran ride saw say she so soon that there they this too under want was well went what white who will with yes


Dolch Sight Words First Grade (41 words)
after again an any as ask by could every fly from give going had has her him his how just know let  live may of old once open over put round some stop take thank them then think walk were when


Dolch Sight Words Second Grade (46 words) always around because been before best both buy call cold does don’t fast first five found gave goes green its made many off or pull read right sing sit sleep tell their these those upon us use very wash which why wish work would write your

Ideas For Practicing Sight Words

-Write the words on sticky notes. Then have your child write them in sand or rice on a tray.

-Write the words on sticky notes. Then have your child swat each sight word  with a fly swatter as you name it!

-Write sight words on a piece of paper and have your child stamp them with alphabet stamps.

 -Build the word with play dough and write it on the lines below.

-Make a sight word parking lot. Draw tiny parking spots on a piece of poster board, and

 -Practice writing sight words using a dry erase marker on a dry erase board.

 -Where’s the bear? Write the words on paper cups and hide a small bear or other tiny object. Your child guesses where the bear is hiding by naming the word on the cup.

-Word of the Day: tape one or two words written on an index card next to the front door, as EVERYONE in the family leaves or enters the house…..ask them to touch the word and yell it out.

-Jump to Read: write the words your child is practicing in chalk outside, spend five to ten minutes a day jumping from word to word and calling them out.

-Eat the Words: write this weeks' sight words in whipped cream or frosting, eat one word treat a day (after reading it of course).

-Spell Them Out: Use alphabet pasta (dry) to spell out each word (glue them onto a piece of cardstock for future practicing).

-Concentration: Play concentration with matching sets of sight word cards.

-Bath Time: Write words in the bathtub with bath crayons.

-Shaving Cream: Spread shaving cream onto a plastic tray and write the words with your finger

-Tic Tac Toe: Play tic tac toe (using two sight words instead of x and o).

-Magnets: Build sight words each day with letter magnets on the fridge.

-Sight Word Search: Hide two or three sight words around the house (written on a post it).  Have your child find them (each day hide them in a new place).

-Note of the Day: Each day write your child a short note (1-3 sentences).  Include the words they are practicing.   

-Catch: Use a sharpie to write each word from your child's current set on different parts of a beach ball.  Toss the ball back and forth, yelling out the words that face up each time.

-Roll the Die: Create a set of die (large size) with a word on each face.  Roll and read.

-Memory: create pairs of sight words and play memory.

-Sight Word Detective: look for focus words in your favorite story each night.

Hello!

Hi CES Friends.

I miss you and miss school. I hope you are all doing well and staying busy.  Now that your teachers have posted their learning suggestions and ideas, I will begin adding literacy ideas here.  Much of the focus so far has been on online learning, so I will try to add literacy games and practice that is more traditional and hands on.

I would love to hear from you and promise to write back to you if you send me a note or letter. 

My address is:
Mrs. Kirouac
17 West Millbury Rd.
Sutton, MA 01590

Please take care of yourselves and your parent and pets!
Love,
Mrs.Kirouac