Become a Become a Reading Reading

Advocate Advocate for your Childfor your Child

Spring 2012Y. Fisher

CHS

Today’s WorkshopToday’s Workshop The abilities to listen, speak, read The abilities to listen, speak, read and write emerge and write emerge interdependently…interdependently…

Language DevelopmentPhonological AwarenessPrint Awareness and ConceptsEarly WritingAlphabet Knowledge

In his book, In his book, The Educated ChildThe Educated Child, Bill , Bill Bennett says,Bennett says,

“If you are worried about your child’s reading skills, it’s better to be safe than sorry….. Learning to read has to be at the top of your child’s educational priority list. Nothing is more important to later academic success, so don’t hesitate to secure all the help you think he needs.”

There are Many Players Involved There are Many Players Involved in Helping Students Learn to in Helping Students Learn to ReadRead

…the likelihood that a child will succeed in the first grade depends most of all on how much she or he has already learned about reading before getting there…

Dr. Marilyn Adams, from Beginning to Read

What isWhat isEARLY LITERACY?EARLY LITERACY?

Early literacy is what children know about reading before they can actually read.

Early literacy is pre-reading skills.Early literacy is “reading readiness”.

Why Start Early?Why Start Early?

Learning to read is essential for school success

Children should get ready to read long before they start to school

Research shows that children who are read to from an early age have a larger vocabulary and better language skills when they start school

Children who struggle with “Phonological Awareness”—a pre-reading skill—often struggle learning to read.

What Do Children Need to Know to Be What Do Children Need to Know to Be Ready to Read?Ready to Read?

1. Language/Vocabulary Development

2. Print Awareness

3. Knowledge of the Alphabet

4. Phonological Awareness

L a n g u a g eand

V o c a b u l a r y D e v e l o p m e n t

The Importance of the Early YearsThe Importance of the Early Years

How early does a child begin to learn language?

•From the day of birth, a child’s brain is receptive to learning language.

•Children learn to speak by being surrounded by speech

•The size of a toddler’s vocabulary is strongly correlated with how much a mother talks to the child.

•Your habits of talking and listening will make a difference of in your child’s language development

Receptive LanguageReceptive Language

Follow DirectionsListen Attentively

Expressive LanguageExpressive Language

Expresses wants and needsResponds to questionsNames pictures/objectsInitiates conversationsSpeaks in sentencesImitates songs/rhymes/finger

playsRetells simple stories

Phonological AwarenessPhonological Awareness

Discriminate and identify sounds in spoken language

Identify rhyming wordsRecognize common sounds at

the beginning of a series of wordsIdentify syllables in words

Our Our children children begin the begin the process process of of reading reading EARLY…EARLY…

Substitution

Deletion

Addition

Segmentation

Blending

Isolation

Categorization

Identification

Onset/Rime

Syllables in a word

Words in a sentence

by by climbing climbing the ladder the ladder of of Phonemic Phonemic Awareness Awareness skills.skills.

Phonemic Awareness

P h o n e m i c P h o n e m i c

A w a r e n e s sA w a r e n e s s

Activities

How to help your child with How to help your child with Phonemic Awareness…Phonemic Awareness…

Direct teaching of specific sounds

Clapping gamesRhyming games“What do you hear?”

gamesStretching and shrinking“Bumpy” and “smooth”

blending

What you needObjects that make interesting, distinctive sounds.Examples:

Banging on wall/table/lap Snapping fingersBlowing a whistle Crumbling paperBlowing nose Drumming with fingersClapping Eating an appleClicking with tongue Noisy chewing

Pouring liquid Tearing paperRubbing hands together Stirring with a

teaspoonSlamming a book HammeringSharpening a pencil CoughingCutting with scissors Writing on

blackboard

Listening to Sequences of Listening to Sequences of SoundsSounds

Listening to Sequences of Listening to Sequences of SoundsSounds

What do your do?◦Ask children to cover their eyes and listen to and

identify the sound they hear◦Once the children have caught on to the game,

make two noises, one after the other. ◦Without peeking, the children are to guess the

two sounds in sequence saying, “There are two sounds. First we heard a _______, and then we heard a _______.”

◦After the children can identify a sequence of two sounds, increase the number of sounds in sequence.

““Un-Compound” That WordUn-Compound” That WordWhat You Do You say a compound word. Ask your child to repeat it. Then ask your child to say what word remind if you omit

one portion. You child pronounces the word that is left.

Examples:Cowboy Say it again without the boy cowOutside Say it again without the out. sideGrasshopper Say it again without the grass. hopperJellyfish Say it again without the fish jellyZookeeper Say it again without the zoo. keeperRattlesnake Say it again without the snake rattleCupcake Say it again without the cake. cupDishwasher Say it again without the dish washerHorsefly Say it again without the horse flyBaseball Say it again without the base ballCampground Say it again without the ground camp

Hearing Rhyming Words

go/topgo/top tip/liptip/lip nose/rosenose/rose

in/lapin/lap lamp/camplamp/camp sock/soupsock/soup

yes/myyes/my rest/testrest/test tie/bytie/by

mad/sadmad/sad fox/boxfox/box spoon/spoon/moonmoon

cat/ratcat/rat shoe/sitshoe/sit man/mopman/mop

rip/bagrip/bag red/ranred/ran dress/messdress/mess

out/pigout/pig my/bymy/by round/round/poundpound

hit/sithit/sit fix/mixfix/mix rain/trainrain/train

him/buthim/but now/napnow/nap like/’licklike/’lick

hop/mophop/mop sad/sheepsad/sheep inch/itchinch/itch

What You Do

•Say each pair or words below and ask your child to repeat them and tell you if the words rhyme. They rhyme if all the sounds are the same except the beginning sound.

•Start down the first column for the easiest pairs, followed by the middle, and then the right column

•Do a few at a time - not all at once.

Whew! Now the Phonics Ladder of Skills!

Phonics Skills

Prefixes & Suffixes

Multi-syllabic Words

Complex Consonants

Vowel +r

Vowel Diphthongs

Vowel Teams

Silent -e

Consonant Digraphs

Consonant Blends

Short vowels (VC & CVC)

Letters and Sounds

Print Awareness & ConceptsPrint Awareness & Concepts

Explore the use of print and to construct meaning

Understand that writing is a form of communication for a variety of purposes

Orient picture book correctly and turn pages one by one

What is Print Awareness?What is Print Awareness?

Knowledge that people read the text, not just look at the pictures

Awareness of how to read a book-right side up, starting with the first page and continuing to the end; the left page is read first, and the text is read from left to right

Understanding that words are units separated by white spaces

Ways to Help Your Child/Student Develop Ways to Help Your Child/Student Develop Print AwarenessPrint Awareness

What Your Child Needs to Know What You Can Do to HelpWhat Your Child Needs to Know What You Can Do to Help

Words are read, not the picturesWords are read, not the pictures Point to the printed words as you read aloudPoint to the printed words as you read aloud

Words are read across the page from Words are read across the page from left to right.left to right.

Follow along with your finger as you readFollow along with your finger as you read

A book is read turned “right side up,” A book is read turned “right side up,” and pages are turned from right to and pages are turned from right to left.left.

Ask your child to open the book to the first Ask your child to open the book to the first page for you. Ask her to turn the pagespage for you. Ask her to turn the pages

Words are composed of letters.Words are composed of letters. Make a sign for your child’s door with her Make a sign for your child’s door with her name. Show your child the letters in her name. Show your child the letters in her name. In books show your child that the name. In books show your child that the white space separates the word.white space separates the word.

Each letter has a capital and small letter Each letter has a capital and small letter form and be written in many fontsform and be written in many fonts

Although children are generally taught the capital Although children are generally taught the capital letters first, it helps if they have an awareness that letters first, it helps if they have an awareness that there are two forms for each letter. Take one there are two forms for each letter. Take one letter (for example, an A) and pint out all the letter (for example, an A) and pint out all the different sizes and shapes of A’s.different sizes and shapes of A’s.

Early WritingEarly Writing

Experiment with a variety of writing tools and materials

Write some recognizable letters, especially those in own name

Alphabet KnowledgeAlphabet KnowledgeDemonstrate awareness of letters in printRelate at least 10 letters to the specific

sounds they represent

What Does My Child/Student Need to Know to Be What Does My Child/Student Need to Know to Be Ready to Read?Ready to Read?

Knowledgeof the

AA PPLL AAHH BBEE TT

What is Knowledge of the What is Knowledge of the Alphabet?Alphabet?

Being able to recognize and name all the letters of the alphabet

How Important is It for Me to Teach My How Important is It for Me to Teach My Child/Student the Alphabet?Child/Student the Alphabet?

The importance of being able to name and recognize the letters has long been misunderstood by parents.

For many years parents have believed that thy had to do two things to prepare their child for school:

Teach their child the alphabet Read, read, read to their child

Knowing the alphabet is necessary, but not sufficient to learning to read.

One of the most important things your child needs to accomplish during kindergarten is to learn the sounds associated with letters. Knowing the alphabet can make learning the sounds easier.

Should I Teach My Child/Should I Teach My Child/Student the Letter Names or Shapes Student the Letter Names or Shapes

First?First? Most educators recommend teaching

the skills in the following order:

1. NAMES Recite/Sing the ABCs

2. SHAPES This is a B

3. SOUNDS This is a B and it says /b/

Should I Teach My Child to Write Should I Teach My Child to Write Letters?Letters?

YesIf you teach correct letter formation

If your child has good control of their finger muscles

NoIf your teach them incorrectly and they develop

bad habits

If they have not developed finger strength and dexterity

Alphabet Alphabet

KnowledgeKnowledgeWhen Should I Begin

Teaching My Child/Student the

Alphabet?

Ways to Help Your Child Develop Alphabet Ways to Help Your Child Develop Alphabet SkillsSkills

AGE SKILL AGE SKILL ACTIVITYACTIVITY

2-42-4 Letter namingLetter naming •Sing ABC songsSing ABC songs•Read ABC booksRead ABC books

4-54-5 Letter recognitionLetter recognition •Use plastic lettersUse plastic letters•Read ABC booksRead ABC books•Form letters in clay, paper-Form letters in clay, paper-mache, bubbles, sand, etc.mache, bubbles, sand, etc.

5-65-6 Letter soundsLetter sounds •Read rhyming booksRead rhyming books•Do word activities involving Do word activities involving recognition of beginning, ending, recognition of beginning, ending, and rhyming sounds.and rhyming sounds.•Match pictures of objects to Match pictures of objects to lettersletters

Counting, Matching, and Naming LettersCounting, Matching, and Naming Letters

FFGGWhat You Need

•Set of plastic alphabet letters-preferable capital letters

•Mat that you make on an 11” x 17” piece of firm paper. Trace the plastic letters and fill them in, in an arc shape, so that the plastic letters will fit over the letters written on the arc. The arc should extend from the lower left to the lower right corner.

•What You Do

•Ask you child to count how many letters there are.

•Then ask your child to place the plastic letters on the matching letters on the arc of the mat.

•Teach her the name of each letter, introducing about four new letters per day. For example, “This is the letter A.”

•After she can differentiate the letter shapes and has been taught the names of each letter, ask her to say the name of the letter as she places it in the position on the arc.

•Repeat often, until your child can recognize each letter, place it over the corresponding symbol on the arc on the mat, and say the name of each letter. Generally, it takes several weeks for a child to master all the letters.

Learning The Sequence of the AlphabetLearning The Sequence of the Alphabet

What You Need Set of plastic alphabet letters A slightly different mat made on an 11” x 17” piece of firm paper. List the letters in order in a straight

line across the top to provide a reference for the child. This time, instead of the letters composing the arc, draw a line to form the arc. Then provide three “anchors” by writing the letter A at the lower left corner of the arc, the letter Z at the lower right, and M and N at the midway point at the top of the arc.

What You Do Ask your child to take the plastic letters out of the container and place them right side up in the center

of the arc. Then ask her to find the A and place it. Next find the Z and place it, followed by the M and N. The child then begins with B, Then C, and so on, placing all the letters in order along the arc. When your child has finished sequencing the letters, ask her to check it by touching and naming each

letter, starting with A and moving to Z. The alphabet across the top of the mat can serve as an additional reminder.

Repeat this activity frequently until the child can place all the letters in the proper order within two minutes. Generally, it takes several weeks for a child to master this task.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZYZ

C

E

A

CX

F

Guess the LetterGuess the Letter

What You Need Two sets of plastic alphabet letters-preferably capital letters Two 11” c 17” mats with or without the letters filled in on the arc Two brown paper bags, or cloth bags, big enough to hold the lettersWhat You Do This is a game that two children can play together or you can play with your child. The object

is to try to correctly identify and name the letters based on felling them without looking. The winner is the first player to fill in all the letters on her arc.

The first player reaches into a brown paper bag and feels a plastic letter without looking at it. If she can correctly name it, then she gets to place it on the arc on her mat and choose another letter. She continues choosing letters until she makes a mistake.

Once a mistake is made, the turn rotates to the next player The player who successfully identifies and places all the letters on her arc is the winner.

Snaky LettersSnaky Letters

What You Need Modeling clay or cookie doughWhat You Do Roll the pieces of clay or dough into

snake-shaped pieces for your child to use. Help your child form the pieces into the shapes of

letters. If you cookie dough, make sure the letters with

enclosed circles (i.e., o, b, d, q) have plenty of space inside the circle before baking. This will assure that the circles will not close up when baked.

What does the research tell us that we should do

about language development &

vocabulary?

VocabularyVocabulary What is it?

◦to know the meanings of words read

◦to know the meanings of words heard

◦to use a variety of words in spoken and written language

Research EvidenceResearch Evidence Children enter school with a listening vocabulary ranging

between 2500 to 5000

Vocabulary differences at grade 2 may last throughout elementary school (Biemiller & Slonin, 2001)

Children who enter with limited vocabulary knowledge grow more discrepant over time from their peers who have rich vocabulary knowledge ( Baker, Simmons & Kame’enui 1997)

86-98% of the words recorded in each child’s vocabulary consisted of words also recorded in their parents’ vocabularies ( Hart & Risley, 2000)

Vocabulary GapVocabulary Gap

Per Per hourhour

100-hr 100-hr weekweek

5,200-hr 5,200-hr weekweek

3 years3 years

WELFAREWELFARE 620620 62,00062,000 3 million3 million 10 10 millionmillion

WORKING WORKING CLASSCLASS

1,251,2500

125,000125,000 6 million6 million 20 20 millionmillion

PROFESSIONALPROFESSIONAL 2,152,1500

215,000215,000 11 11 millionmillion

30, 000 30, 000 millionmillion

Average child from a welfare family hears about 3 million words a year vs. 11 million from a professional family (Hart & Risley, 1995)

Use High-Quality Oral LanguageUse High-Quality Oral Language

•Model good language use

•Engage in daily oral language

•Read aloud good literature

•Use less “business” talk at home

•Use descriptive words•Lots of shared reading and conversations about words

Less “Business” Talk—More Less “Business” Talk—More Conversations!Conversations!

Business Talk◦Come here!◦Stop that!◦Be quiet!◦Sit down and eat!◦Go watch TV!◦Clean your room!◦Go to sleep!◦Get in the tub!

Conversations◦Tell me about…◦How was ….?◦What do you think

about…?◦Why is …..?◦Do you think …..?◦Who is …..?◦What do you like?

Other Ways to Help Your Child’s Other Ways to Help Your Child’s Language DevelopmentLanguage Development

Recommended Habit Example

Rephrase & extend your child’s Rephrase & extend your child’s words.words.

Child:Child: That’s a doggie. That’s a doggie.

Parent: Parent: Yes, it’s a Doberman Yes, it’s a Doberman pinscher!pinscher!

Ask a clarifying question.Ask a clarifying question. Child: Child: That’s a man.That’s a man.

Parent: Parent: Tell me more about the Tell me more about the man you saw.man you saw.

Model more complex vocabulary or Model more complex vocabulary or sentence structuresentence structure

Child: Child: See my buildingSee my building

Parent: Parent: Yes, I see the tall Yes, I see the tall skyscraper you built with lots of skyscraper you built with lots of windows so people can see the windows so people can see the view of the city.view of the city.

Ask “open-ended” questionsAsk “open-ended” questions Child:Child: I like that story.I like that story.

Parent: Parent: What was your favorite What was your favorite part of the story?part of the story?

ReadRead

AloudAloudChildreChildrenn

toto

Curious George Gets a Curious George Gets a MedalMedal

Curious shed professor Fountain pen loop signal Funnel

hurled space suit Blotter grunting parachute

Things You Can Do To Create a Things You Can Do To Create a Reading Environment At HomeReading Environment At Home

Fill you house with booksEstablish good reading habitsOffer incentives for readingSet an example for readingHelp your child choose books

What do Kindergarteners have

to learn?

Are we sending them ready for Kindergarten??

DIBELSDynamic Indicators of Basic Early

Literacy SkillsQuick one minute assessments that let us know if

our students are “on track” to be readers. Help schools provide enough instruction to get students back on track as readers.

Helps schools see where they need to focus to help our children learn to read at each grade

Helps us see where we as parents can help at home to help our children learn to read

What “Big Ideas” are Being Assessed?

Big Idea DIBELS Measure

Phonemic Awareness

Phonics

Fluency and Accuracy

Vocabulary

Comprehension

Initial Sounds Fluency (ISF)Phonemic Segmentation Fluency

(PSF)

Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF)

Oral Reading Fluency (ORF)

Word Use Fluency (WUF)

Oral Reading Fluency & Retell Fluency (RTF)

Edward J. Kame’enui, Ph. D. et al

What is Letter Naming Fluency (LNF)?

It is a one minute assessment

It is an indicator of risk of reading problems

It is not one of the 5 areas identified by the National Reading Panel and Reading First as one of the critical areas of reading

It is tested in fall, winter, spring of K also fall of first grade

Students should be able to name 25 random letter names in one minute by the end of K

LetterNaming Fluency

Target goal of at least 40 by spring of Kindergarten

Student identifies upper- and lower-case letters for 1 minute

Probe 1

c c N u Q M u h S i

n b e N F f o a K k

g p k p a H C e G D

b w F i h O x j I K

x t Y q L d f T g v

T V Q o w P J t B X

Z v U P R l V C l W

R J m O z D G y U Y

Z y A m X z H S M E

q n j s W r d s B I

r A E L c c N u Q MTotal: ____/110

What is Initial Sound Fluency (ISF)?

One minute assessment given at beginning and middle of K

Outcome goal of identifying 25 first sounds in words in one minute by middle of K.

Example: ◦ Shown four pictures and told the picture names, the student can

point to the one that begins with the correct sound given. Point to the one that begins with mmmm

What is Phoneme Segmentation Fluency

(PSF)?One minute assessment given middle of K, end of K

and in beginning, middle, and end of first grade

Outcome goal is to be able to separate words into individual sounds by the end of K and to be able to do at the rate of 35 sounds per minute

Reaching outcome goal critical skill for becoming a good reader and speller

Continue to test through first grade, goal doesn’t go up

An At Home “Reading Kit”Family/Caregivers are the child’s first and most important teacher in early literacy

Family/Caregivers play an important role in supporting, reinforcing, and help if the child is struggling with reading

Family/Caregivers reinforce and broaden the horizon for those children on track to be readers who need to reach and grow

Family/Caregivers make the difference among, “I can’t”, “I might”, “I will”, and “I did”!

Use our suggestions, read on-line, work with the school, think up your own using ours as a jumping off point

Resources for

Teachers & Parents

Straight Straight TalkTalk About About

ReadingReadingSusan L. Hall Ed.D

Louisa C. Moats, Ed.D

Parenting aStruggling

Reader

Susan L. Hall, Ed.D

Louisa C. Moats, Ed.D

RoadRoad toto

ththeeCodeCode

Benita A. Blachman, Ph.D

Eileen Wynne Ball, Ph.D

Rochella Black, M.S.

Darlene M. Tangel, Ph. D.

P H O N E M I C

A W A R E N E S S

in Young Children

Marilyn Jager Adams

Barbara R. Foorman

Ingvar Lundberg

Terri Beeler

Bringing

WordsTo

Isabel L. Beck

Margaret G. McKeown

Linda KucanLife

OvercomingDYSLEXIA

Sally Shaywitz, M.D.

July 28, 2003

Other Books Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print- A

Summary by Marilyn Jager Adams

Help Me Help My Child: A Sourcebook for Parents of Learning Disabled Children by Jill Bloom

Your Child’s Growing Mind: A Practical Guide to Brain Development and Learning from Birth to Adolescence by

Jane M. Healy, PhD.

About Dyslexia: Unraveling the Myth by Priscilla L. Vail The Educated Child by Bennett, Finn, & Cribb

EAROBICS

WebsitesWebsites www.proactiveparent.com

http://www.ldonline.org

http://www.interdys.org

http://ggg.umn.edu/

http://www.seacparentassistancecenter.com/ www.kpirc.org

www.colorincolorado.com

http://www.readingrockets.org

What if a child is not learning the skills I am

teaching?

New Federal mandates on the horizon…:

Response to Instruction:

(RtI)(RtI)

What is RtI?Re-teaching children the skills they have not learned.

Providing more teaching time on these skills

Providing different learning opportunities from the teaching strategies that did not help them learn

Providing small group intervention (re-teaching)

Providing individual intervention (re-teaching)

Bottom line…If children do not learn with the strategies we have used…◦Work with them using other strategies until they do learn…

◦Work with them until they do learn…

Some people there are who, being grown, forget the horrible task of learning to read. It is perhaps the greatest single effort that the human undertakes, and he must do it as a child.

- John Steinbeck, 1982 Nobel Prize Winner for Literature

What about time?Time to play (games, games, games!)

◦15-20 minutes daily

Time to work (practice, practice, practice!)◦20-30 minutes daily

Time to celebrate (brag, brag, brag!)◦10-15 minutes daily

What We Know Now About Helping All Children Learn to

Read…There are early literacy activities that prepare

children to learn to read

There are things schools can do

There are things parents can do

A parent/school partnership is best!

Become a Reading Advocate for Your

Child