Archives For preschool

Reading Focus

Julie Haden —  : Oct 28, 2014 — Leave a comment

Often times my parents will tell me that their children are having a hard time focusing when reading – especially the parents of kids just beginning to read independently. Here are a few techniques to try with your child to help increase their reading focus, fluency and comprehension.2014 10 28 focus

First, when your child is reading aloud, track each word for her with your finger as she reads. If she misreads a word or makes a mistake, keep your finger on that word so she is aware of her mistake until you teach her the correct word or help her focus on the skipped words.

Another way to increase focus while your child is reading aloud is to ask questions periodically about the context of the text or story to insure she understands what she is reading. Help bring her focus to the main idea and specific details about the story.

Finally, bring your child’s attention to words that she misreads aloud. As you track the words while she reads, highlight words that she misreads. So you can review these words with her, copy a chapter at a time as she progresses in the book or text. Then after each chapter, review missed words with your child. This technique also teaches your child to be aware of how many words she skips, since skipping too many words might affect her comprehension of what she reads.

By practicing these three techniques, you are teaching your child how to have greater focus as she begins to read independently.

What helps your child learn to have focus while reading?

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Fast, Fun Vocabulary for Your Young Child

Julie Haden —  : Oct 14, 2014 — Leave a comment

Want a fast, fun way to expand your preschooler’s vocabulary and understanding? I found one while working with a student who is an English Language Learner. English Language Learners often have limited exposure to English vocabulary at home. Vocabulary is important to building reading skills and listening comprehension as well as increasing conversational speech.

zoo toobMy new student and I started playing what I call “prop” stories. Prop stories start with small three-dimensional toy figures, or pictures on felt or magnets, that depict animals, people or other realistic or fanciful objects. A blank background can work or you can use a specific background like a zoo theme for example. The key is to focus on your child’s specific interests.

To introduce these prop stories, I model the story first using specific sentences, which I ask my student to repeat. For example in my zoo prop story I might say, “A mother takes her son to the zoo. They see the penguins swimming in the water. They see the elephants swinging their trunks.”

As your child gets more comfortable with vocabulary and sentence structuring, he can begin to create his own stories without your prompting and labeling of words.

zoo feltProp stories are great for children as young as 18 months – 2 years and for older children too. You can find materials for your child’s prop story around your home or can purchase magnetic and felt story sets at teacher school supply stores.

Prop stories are fun. Your child will see them as play and will be motivated by the imaginative interactions with you. As your child plays with you, she expands her vocabulary and language skills as you label the words and create a better grasp on sentence structuring. Your child’s creativity grows too as your child creates and tells stories.

How do you help build your child’s vocabulary through play?

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Your Child: Letter Writing Master

Julie Haden —  : Sep 16, 2014 — 1 Comment

This time of year, my parents ask for ideas to help their children make letter formations.

wilson pageStart your child working on lower case letters before capitals. I can’t emphasize that enough! Your child will see and use mostly lower case letters when she is reading or writing. A question I often get from parents is, “Which letters should we work on together?” The Wilson Reading System provides a fantastic chart that shows which letter formations to teach together.

Tactile tools are great ways for getting letter formations instruction to “stick”. Tools include placing paper over a plastic grid and then having your child use a crayon to make a letter. You can use “house paper”  to help your child place the specific letter in the right space. After your child writes a letter, have her use her finger to feel the bumps impressed in the paper from the crayon going in the direction of the letter formation. The tactile perception will help your child remember how she formed the letter.letter in the house

letter in the house detail

Another tactile teaching tool is to have your child write letters in chalk on fine-grade sandpaper. Have your child trace the chalk letter with her finger. Alternatively use shaving cream. It is messy, but your child will both feel and see in contrast letters as she forms them.

Tracing letters in letter formation workbooks is a good way to reinforce making individual letters. A way to make doing this even more fun is to use colored pieces of acetate. Cut sheets, found in an art store, to the size of your workbook pages. Use dry erase markers and let your child trace and erase each letter. Another tool, a small tablet like a dry erase board can help your child focus on the space and help create a boundary for writing. (I use a 7” x 4 ½” board.)

How your child grasps her pencil is important to mastering letter formation. Try golf pencils, short sticks of chalk or short dry erase markers to encourage your child to practice the three-finger pincer grasp. Your older child will enjoy having many choices of pencil grippers as she masters the three-finger pincer grasp. These are just a few tools and ideas to help your child enjoy and master letter formation. For a link to ideas that will help your young child start strengthening their pincer grip, check out: therapystreetforkids.comgrippersWhat are some tools you use with your child to help with making letters?

For more, see my blog: Reading and Writing Go Hand In Hand!

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Your Early Reader with 5 Easy Ideas

Julie Haden —  : Sep 7, 2014 — Leave a comment
  1.  Touch each word as you read to your child to emphasize that each is separate and unique. Emphasize that you are reading from left to right to teach directionality.
  2. Put objects that all begin with the same letter sound in a bag or box. Have your child pull them out. Say each object’s name emphasizing its beginning sound.  For example, cat begins with the |c| sound just like cow.  Then let them pull out more objects that make the same sound.
  3. Frequent the library. Help your child pick out books that they are interested in and age appropriate.  This shows them how much you value reading.  Let them see you reading your favorite books too.
  4. Play rhyming games.  This can be great fun on road trips or walking outings together.  For example, you might say, “I saw a cat on a mat with a _____. ” Let them fill in the blank.  There are no wrong answers in this game, except the sillier the better including nonsense words!
  5. When you teach letter names, use letters that are lowercase because this is what they will see in books.  Save capital letters until after they’ve mastered the lowercase.  You can find a set of lowercase letters at a teacher’s supply store.

Use these 5 ideas to start having fun cultivating an early reader!

What are some ideas you’ve used with your child to promote early reading?

Bella and Julie

First published October 3, 2013.

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Make Your Early Reader’s World Better!

Julie Haden —  : Aug 16, 2014

With the school year starting, has early reading made your child’s world a better place? Research shows that if your child is an early reader, he or she is likely to be better prepared for the Common Core State Standards adopted by 45 States, which expect kindergarteners to:

  1. take in information faster through listening comprehension and independent reading
  2. have more vocabulary and strong verbal skills
  3. have a strong reading foundation

These skills will prepare your child to demonstrate knowledge through standardized tests, public schools’ measure of student knowledge today.

slide 24Research supports that your child will benefit from early reading enrichment. The best research on the benefits of early enrichment comes from Dr. James Heckman – winner of the Noble Prize in economics in 2000 and professor of economics at University of Chicago. The world knows him best for his paper, “Schools, Skills and Synapses”, which concluded that early reading and other enrichment for preschoolers yield the greatest return.

Sadly, his research supports that children who are not reading on level by third grade generally do not even graduate high school. There is just too much “catch up” time. Once behind, these children cannot keep up with the academic rigors as they progress. What happens to these kids? Many go to prison, become pregnant as teenagers, or at best are unemployed.

My own experience supports the research. Over the years, I have volunteered regularly in public schools to help at-risk, early elementary students who were reading way below grade level. Even at third grade, most were motivated, but were very aware of how far behind they were in reading. By third grade, some had been suspended already for fighting and other acts of frustration. All of my at-risk, public school students would have performed better in school with reading enrichment experiences as preschoolers.

If your children are successful in school, they will go on to be successful in life! My experiences as an educator and parent – and data – support this conclusion. When we emphasize early reading, we can make our children’s world a better place – a place where they are successful and happy!

What skills have helped your children succeed in school?

Updated from an article first published on October 14, 2013.

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Bonding Time with Books Read Aloud

Julie Haden —  : Aug 7, 2014 — Leave a comment

My daughter was sick for the past two days. As we were snuggled in bed, my eight-year old who has been reading independently since age two, asked, “Will you read to me, Mommy?”

Her request immediately brought back memories of her younger days sitting on my lap as I read favorite stories to her. In part through those experiences, we developed a close bond as I helped cultivate my early reader.

Here are a couple favorites that your infant, toddler or preschooler might enjoy hearing you read as you snuggle:

black on whiteFor your infant up to age 6 months. As an infant, my daughter loved to have me read and act out Peek-a Book by Janet Ahlberg. This story takes your infant from breakfast to bedtime with opportunities to play peek-a-boo in each of the book’s scenes. Another great book for this age is Black on White by Tana Hoban. Using this book, you can share familiar shapes with your baby, talk about each picture to expand vocabulary and have fun together.

For your infant at age 6 to 12 months. I Can by Helen Oxenbury focuses on body awareness. Have fun with your infant as you explore her world as the baby in the story jumps, stretches and dances throughout this book. Where’s Baby by Tom Paxton is a great book for your little animal lover. In this book, a kitten searches for its friend the baby. The fun rhyming text provides a playful twist on hide-and-seek as you enjoy the book’s beautiful artwork together.

(For more suggestions to cultivate your early reader as an infant, please see my First Year blog series that starts with Month 1: Your Child’s Journey to Early Reading)

699px-GoodnightmoonFor your toddler to age two. Ingrained in my memory is Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon. My husband and I must have read this all time favorite a 1000 times at our daughter’s request for a bedtime story. In this classic, mother bunny takes baby bunny through all the rituals of getting ready for bed. This incredible book will help encourage your child’s bedtime rituals. Next, The Itsy Bitsy spider by Lorianne Siomades beautifully illustrates this classic rhyme in a way that your active toddler can act out. Your child will practice motor control with her fingers as she follows the rhyme with you and sings the lyrics.

(For more toddler book recommendations, please see my article Top five board books! The most chewed list for your early readers!)

For your preschooler. The Story of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff is a favorite from my childhood, and for my preschool students. In this classic story, a brave little elephant, Babar, escapes the capture of hunters who kill his mother. Alone, Babar heads to the city where a kind old lady educates him. Wiser, Babar returns to the great forest where he is crowned king of the elephants. Another favorite is The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone, Caldecott-honored artist. Paul Goldone’s illustrations make this book amazing. When I read this aloud, my preschoolers love this story because it invites the reader to use dramatic expression and tone-of-voice. My preschoolers beg me to read the story again and again.

(For more preschooler book recommendations, please see my article Julie’s Recommends New Books for your Preschool Reader.)

These are a few of my favorite books that your infant, toddler or preschooler might enjoy hearing you read aloud.

What are some books your child enjoys hearing read aloud?

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Read Aloud: Keep “Oldies” Fresh for Your Child!

Julie Haden —  : Jul 2, 2014 — Leave a comment

I was reading aloud with one of my students the other day and thought, “I need to write about this.” Even my elementary age students and daughter have books that they love to hear read aloud. Here are my top-five picks that your elementary-age child will love to hear:

2014 07 01 Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryFirst, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl is a favorite for its imaginative nature and elements of surprise. Dahl’s characters are funny and of course what child does not want to imagine sampling tasty treats in a chocolate factory. Even if your kiddos have seen the movie, all of you will enjoy the innuendos missing from the movie when you read aloud the book.

2014 07 01 Charlottes WebMy kids love hearing Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White for many reasons. First, it is about animals – a relationship between a pig and a spider. But what intrigues them most is the friendship between these two unlikely creatures and how their friendship helps them to both grow on the inside and outside.

2014 07 01 Grimms Fairy TalesThe stories in Grimm’s Fairy Tales have a bit of a dark side to them but that is what the kids enjoy most. For example, “the ash maiden” – essentially what the modern day Cinderella story is based on- has a darker ending than Disney portrays. For example in this story, the birds poke out the eyes of the stepsisters for their cruel and evil ways. A great set of tales that teach moral lessons.

For more about reading fairy tales aloud, read Einstein on Fairy Tales and Education by Maria Popova.

2014 07 01 The Giving TreeThe Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is short but great to read aloud. The book is poetic. So when you read it aloud, you and your child will feel the words. In the story, a tree loves a boy and gives to him until there is nothing physically left to give. It is a story of how love grows and evolves over time.

2014 07 01 The Secret GardenFinally, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is appropriate for your older child (second grade and older) due to its length (331 pages). An orphaned girl is forced to live on her Uncle’s estate where she discovers a secret garden. It is a story of her emotional growth as she transforms the garden into a thing of beauty and discovers some deep hidden secrets along the way. Time will fly as your imagination takes you to the mysterious, magical garden.

These are my top five favorite books to read aloud to elementary-age kids.

What are some of your kid’s favorite books to have read aloud?

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If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be very intelligent, read them more fairy tales.

Albert Einstein

 Posted by Julie Haden  on: Jul 1, 2014 In Blog , , , , ,
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Mr. President, I agree!

Julie Haden —  : Feb 13, 2014 — Leave a comment

Why do I agree? Your child will benefit from President Obama’s vision for making high-quality education available to preschoolers.

HeckmanOften I hear the question, “Why start teaching children to read so early?” Communities that are doing so are reaping the benefits. They find that preschoolers are quite capable of learning to read as well as other academic skills. The proof is in the research that shows that good quality pre-kindergarten programming provides the greatest return on investment and highest likelihood for success later in school and in life.

President  Obama recognized this in his State of the Union address last week when he asked Congress to make high quality pre-kindergarten education available to every four-year-old. His proposal, when it comes to fruition, will be an incredible opportunity to have all four-year-olds well prepared for school.

What would high quality preschool look like? First, teachers would be well qualified and it would show in their teaching. Their children would thrive not just academically but more importantly, emotionally. In my experiences as a classroom teacher with kindergarteners, the children who had good quality preschool experiences were more confident and secure in kindergarten. Learning came easier. Isn’t that the point, our children feeling safe, and achieving more academically and then in life?

State of the Union, 2014

What is most exciting about President Obama’s proposal is that all children would have a high quality preschool experience. Their early learning experience would have a positive effect on classroom learning for the rest of all children’s lives.

At roadmap2reading we recognize and agree with the President’s call to Congress. Our series of reading apps will help prepare your child for future academic challenges and help he or she get ahead of the game in reading skills when they start kindergarten.

What preschool experiences are preparing your child to read and to be ready for kindergarten?

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Julie’s Recommends New Books for your Preschool Reader

Julie Haden —  : Jan 28, 2014 — Leave a comment

  • The Tortoise & the HareTortoise & the Hare is by the renowned children’s illustrator and recipient of five Caldecott medals, Jerry Pinkney. This particular version tells this classic story almost entirely through illustrations. The drawings are exquisite and tell the story on their own. Your child will love to tell you the story as they learn to assign meaning to each page.
  • Thumpy Feet Thumpy Feetby Betsy Lewin is a great book for your cat or animal lovers. Your child will love making the sound affects as you read how the cat “smacks” its mouth while it eats or “lick, licks” as she grooms herself. Great bedtime story as the cat goes to the point of “snoozy, snooze” by the end of the story.
  • The Story of Fish and SnailThe Story of Fish and Snail by Deborah Freedman is a great story your child will adore as Fish tries to convince Snail to have an adventure with him – to have the courage to jump “off the page” of the story into the unknown world of dreams. You and your child will enjoy this story of friendship and bravery made even more compelling by startling illustrations.
  • The Mighty Lalouche by Matthew Olshan and Sophie Blackall is a book your five to eight year old will appreciate. Set in Paris is focuses on a postman who loses his job and decides to take up boxing. An unlikely candidate due to his small stature and personality he challenges larger boxers with his speed and agility. Wonderfully playful drawings help to tell a story of persistence and believing in oneself to solve many problems.  It is a lesson in following what you love.
  • Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller and Anne Wilsdorf is an adorable story about a girl who gets a squash at the farmer’s market. Sophie becomes attached to the squash – to the point of caring for it like a baby doll. The story evolves into a beautiful ending that focuses on the magic of loving and the mysteries that come from letting go.

Your emergent and independent readers are likely to return to these books again and again.

What new books are you reading with your child?

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