Bring School to Home
Why?
Your children are now accustom to the activities we do on the carpet at school. As you can see in the picture above, two students have independently decided in class to imitate our message writing. The repetition of this activity in class has encouraged these two students to enjoy practicing to read and write!
What to do:
1. Explain to your child that you're going to do morning message time with them at home just like they do at school.
2. With a sheet of paper, chalk board, or dry erase board begin to write "Dear Class," Then write your child a message about the day--make sure they watch as you write. Talk about what your writing as you write--the letters, the sounds, the time you take to be thorough.
3. Then ask your child to circle any letter or word that they think they know (let them choose). Talk to them about what they think that letter or word is. Ask them why they think what they do. Help make the sounds and talk about when you hear those same sounds in other words (like in family members names).
4. Let them write their own message. It may not look like yours, but remember, that's okay! Don't force them to write every letter correctly. "I like how you wrote the word 'Dear', now watch me write it." Teaching is MODELING, not correcting
Preschool standards addressed through this activity:
15c. Notices and Discriminates Smaller and Smaller Units of Sound
16a: Identifies and Names Letters
16b. Uses letter-Sound Knowledge
17b. Uses print concepts
19b. Writes to convey meaning
Your children are now accustom to the activities we do on the carpet at school. As you can see in the picture above, two students have independently decided in class to imitate our message writing. The repetition of this activity in class has encouraged these two students to enjoy practicing to read and write!
What to do:
1. Explain to your child that you're going to do morning message time with them at home just like they do at school.
2. With a sheet of paper, chalk board, or dry erase board begin to write "Dear Class," Then write your child a message about the day--make sure they watch as you write. Talk about what your writing as you write--the letters, the sounds, the time you take to be thorough.
3. Then ask your child to circle any letter or word that they think they know (let them choose). Talk to them about what they think that letter or word is. Ask them why they think what they do. Help make the sounds and talk about when you hear those same sounds in other words (like in family members names).
4. Let them write their own message. It may not look like yours, but remember, that's okay! Don't force them to write every letter correctly. "I like how you wrote the word 'Dear', now watch me write it." Teaching is MODELING, not correcting
Preschool standards addressed through this activity:
15c. Notices and Discriminates Smaller and Smaller Units of Sound
16a: Identifies and Names Letters
16b. Uses letter-Sound Knowledge
17b. Uses print concepts
19b. Writes to convey meaning