Homework
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Tutorial for Elkonin Boxes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIhurqhIk0c
Help your child recognize shapes and size relationships: At the grocery store, ask your child to find items that are triangles, circles, rectangles, and other shapes. Ask your child to recognize or stack the groceries you bought by container shape or organize by size. Organize a scavenger hunt where your child has to find objects of different shapes Make snowflakes using symmetry. Fold a square piece of paper in half diagonally to make a triangle, then fold in half 2 more times. Cut out small diamond or circular shapes from the edges, and then unfold it. Experiment with different numbers of folds and shapes.
Sometimes the best learning activities are the simplest, low-tech
ones. With an ordinary bag of mixed beans, you can strengthen your child's
ability to sort, categorize, see patterns, add, and count — essential for
developing early math skills.
What you'll need: One bag of dried mixed beans. Graph paper with one-inch squares. Pencil or crayon
How to do it:
Place the graph paper on a table or flat surface, and give your child
a small container of beans. Have her sort them by color, shape, or size and
place the groups of beans onto the paper — one bean per square. Ask her which group has the most. As your child progresses, ask her to add two groups together and write down the total number. Or you can have her arrange the colored beans in a repeating pattern.
Counting Ideas:
Help your child learn his numbers by using food items to show him/her math. Kids love using cereal such as Fruit Loops, Cheerios, and Cookie Crisp to learn how to count numbers. You can even teach children how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide using food items. If you want to teach your child math using healthier foods, try math with fruit snacks, pieces of apples, grapes, blueberries, or even carrot sticks. Have your child solve math problems by counting food items or adding and taking away food items for addition and subtraction.
Give your child plenty of opportunities to count.
Play number games during everyday activities, such as counting the number of steps, the number of trucks you see while driving, or counting the number of items going in the laundry.
Young children can count the number of items that you bought at the store. If you buy multiples of 1 item (such as 10 cans of catfood), practice counting by 2’s, 5’s, and 10's
Have your child count the change needed to pay for an item.
Watch your child count to understand his/her mathematical knowledge.
When your child counts, does he/she touch each object once? Is his/her voice in sync with his/her touch to the object?
Have your child distribute cookies or toys to family members, with each person getting an equal number.
Practice counting common items in the home such as buttons, beans, crayons, paper clips, etc. make sure your child points and touches each one as he/she says the number.
Practice writing numbers 1-10 when these numbers are legible and fluent practice 10-20.
Practice making sets from small items. After counting the items to make the sets, have your child practice writing the number in the set.
LITERACY
Children can be taught to match the sounds with letters in an orderly and direct way. For example, the letter n matches the /n/ sound in nurse).
Here are some activities to try:
Write the high frequency words from the Weekly Newsletter on index cards. Show your child each word one at a time. If he/she can tell you the word quickly, then he/she gets the card. If they can't tell you the word quickly, then you get the card. After the last card, let your child count his/her cards and your cards to see who has the most and the least. (This step incorporates math skills as well).
Engage the entire family in this fun word-building activity. Your
child's successes will encourage him to play on his own and challenge himself. This fun, interactive or independent game challenges your child to build as many words as he can. It allows your child to recognize word patterns, gain strategies and experience successes as well as observing great spelling strategies modeled by family members.
What You'll Need
Magnetic, paper or tile letters
A white board, paper or laminated paper
Markers
Timer (optional)
Here's How To Do It
Pick a word family (at, ab, ag, an, am, ap, ar, ed, en, et, id, ig,
in, ip, it, ob, og, op, ot, ub, ug, un, ut, um). Each person has his own
paper, marker and individual letters (consonants). Set the timer for one minute (optional). Each player then builds as many words as he can using the letters (consonants) and the word family (for example: c + at = cat) and writes the list of words on his paper. When the timer goes off, each player then reads all the words he has built. Make sure they are real words and not nonsense words. To extend this activity, write sentences using the words that were built!
Make a poster
From robots and snakes to zombies and airplanes, help your child
make a simple poster about whatever she's interested in.
What you’ll need:
•Large paper or poster board
•Markers
•Old magazines for clipping pictures
Help your child choose a subject she’s passionate about. Go to the library and find books on the subject, and have your child find out five interesting facts about it (for example, "Scientists believe that birds are descended from dinosaurs."). She can include these facts on the poster, along with illustrations and pictures you find online or in magazines.
Reading for Meaning
In kindergarten, kids start to learn how to make meaning of what they hear read aloud to them and what they read themselves. You can expect them to recognize the sequence of events in a story, their cause and effect, and their possible outcomes. Students will learn to retell familiar stories, summarizing their main ideas and plots. Kindergartners should be able to identify characters, settings, and important events, and classes might act out a story using props to demonstrate students' understanding.
Young children love to hear stories about when you were growing up.
Telling them about your childhood gives them the opportunity to understand how experiences change over time. This activity reinforces an understanding of family and how things are similar or different from generation to
generation.
Here's How to Do It:
Take the opportunity to tell one short story each evening, letting
your child ask questions as needed. Then your child could tell you a story she remembers from her earlier years. If grandparents or other relatives are
available, let them tell stories about their childhoods and let your child make comparisons about the changes that have occurred. If you wish, you can write these stories down in a family journal.
Help your child listen for the first sounds in words.
Instructions: Your child guesses a secret word from the clues that you give
him/her.
For example, say: “I’m thinking of a word that starts with /mmmm/. We see this animal at the zoo.” (The child says monkey.)
Continue with other words. For example, “I’m thinking of a word that begins with /mmmm/. You wear them on your hands in winter.” (The child says
mittens.)
•Play the game as described above, but place a picture of the secret word face down on the table before you give the clue. The child can confirm his/her response by picking up the picture. Parent asks, “Were you right?!”
•Play an “I Spy” version of the game described above. Say, I spy something in the room that begins with /mmmm/.” (The child states something in the
room such as milk, mirror, mat, etc.) The child can also take the lead with the game by telling the parent tha he/she spies something in the room that begins with /mmm/ and the parent must guess the item.
Reading Aloud
According to the National Commission on Reading, reading aloud
to kids is the single most important thing you can do in terms of making sure they develop literacy. Research shows that reading aloud to children promotes their development of language, vocabulary, even motor skills (as they learn to turn pages). Kids who are read to consistently from an early age don't only learn to read more easily, but they also show better language scores long after kindergarten is a distant memory—years later in upper elementary school.
In fact, the research on reading aloud is so strong, that the
American Academy of Pediatrics recently began advising members to
prescribe daily reading to young children. Reading aloud fosters social
and emotional development, and it's a great time to bond with your child. Also, reading to children brings them an awareness of worlds beyond their own, a sense of imagination, an increase in vocabulary, and helps them make solid links between literature and things in their own life.
Reading aloud is all about building a foundation, by showing kids that words hold meaning. Another way to plant that reading seed, children like to do what they see their parents do, so modeling an interest in reading is important. Whether you are reading to your child or showing your excitement to her about something you are reading on your own, immersing your child in a world where reading is important, is key. Studies show that as little as fifteen minutes a day of reading together can make a huge difference in a child's ability to learn to read on their own.
Practice making the sound for each letter in the alphabet.
Practice writing the lowercase letters.
Practice saying words slowly and writing the sounds that can be heard
(example: bus--all three sounds can be heard so the child writes b u s
apple--only the a p l can be heard so that is what the child writes).
Later we will work on how words sound and look.
Practice writing we, to, you, and. Always have your child to run his/her finger under the word after he/she writes it and read it back to you.
What’s the story? (COMPREHENSION)
Understanding key story-telling components – characters, setting, plot, and
language – is an important part of becoming a strong reader.
What you’ll need: A book that your child enjoys.
What to do:
Ask your child about a favorite book and why she likes it. Is it because of
the plot – the story is funny, surprising, or exciting? Or is it because the
characters are really interesting? Is the setting in which the book takes place
is especially cool? Or does your child love how the writer chooses words? If
your child chooses a book that is really about playing with language – like Dr. Seuss – then think of another kind of book that is especially strong in another realm For instance, Arthur books hook readers with their quirky, engaging characters, and Where the Wild Things Are can’t be beat when it comes to a wonderful setting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIhurqhIk0c
Help your child recognize shapes and size relationships: At the grocery store, ask your child to find items that are triangles, circles, rectangles, and other shapes. Ask your child to recognize or stack the groceries you bought by container shape or organize by size. Organize a scavenger hunt where your child has to find objects of different shapes Make snowflakes using symmetry. Fold a square piece of paper in half diagonally to make a triangle, then fold in half 2 more times. Cut out small diamond or circular shapes from the edges, and then unfold it. Experiment with different numbers of folds and shapes.
Sometimes the best learning activities are the simplest, low-tech
ones. With an ordinary bag of mixed beans, you can strengthen your child's
ability to sort, categorize, see patterns, add, and count — essential for
developing early math skills.
What you'll need: One bag of dried mixed beans. Graph paper with one-inch squares. Pencil or crayon
How to do it:
Place the graph paper on a table or flat surface, and give your child
a small container of beans. Have her sort them by color, shape, or size and
place the groups of beans onto the paper — one bean per square. Ask her which group has the most. As your child progresses, ask her to add two groups together and write down the total number. Or you can have her arrange the colored beans in a repeating pattern.
Counting Ideas:
Help your child learn his numbers by using food items to show him/her math. Kids love using cereal such as Fruit Loops, Cheerios, and Cookie Crisp to learn how to count numbers. You can even teach children how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide using food items. If you want to teach your child math using healthier foods, try math with fruit snacks, pieces of apples, grapes, blueberries, or even carrot sticks. Have your child solve math problems by counting food items or adding and taking away food items for addition and subtraction.
Give your child plenty of opportunities to count.
Play number games during everyday activities, such as counting the number of steps, the number of trucks you see while driving, or counting the number of items going in the laundry.
Young children can count the number of items that you bought at the store. If you buy multiples of 1 item (such as 10 cans of catfood), practice counting by 2’s, 5’s, and 10's
Have your child count the change needed to pay for an item.
Watch your child count to understand his/her mathematical knowledge.
When your child counts, does he/she touch each object once? Is his/her voice in sync with his/her touch to the object?
Have your child distribute cookies or toys to family members, with each person getting an equal number.
Practice counting common items in the home such as buttons, beans, crayons, paper clips, etc. make sure your child points and touches each one as he/she says the number.
Practice writing numbers 1-10 when these numbers are legible and fluent practice 10-20.
Practice making sets from small items. After counting the items to make the sets, have your child practice writing the number in the set.
LITERACY
Children can be taught to match the sounds with letters in an orderly and direct way. For example, the letter n matches the /n/ sound in nurse).
Here are some activities to try:
- Make letter-sounds and have your children write the letter or letters that match the sounds.
- Play word games that connect sounds with syllables and words (for example, if the letters "p-e-n" spell pen, how do you spell hen?).
- Write letters on cards. Hold up the cards one at a time and have your children say the sounds (for example, the /d/ sound for the letter d).
- Teach your children to match the letters in their names with the sounds in their names.
- Point out words that begin with the same letter as your children's names (for example, John and jump). Talk about how the beginning sounds of the words are alike.
- Use alphabet books and guessing games to give your children practice in matching letters and sounds. A good example is the game, "I am thinking of something that starts with /t/."
- Write letters on pieces of paper and put them in a paper bag. Let your children reach into the bag and take out letters. Have them say the sounds that match the letters.
- Take a letter and hide it in your hand. Let your children guess in which hand is the letter. Then show the letter and have your children say the letter name and make the sound (for example, the letter m matches the /m/ sound as in man).
- Make letter-sounds and ask your children to draw the matching letters in cornmeal or sand.
- Take egg cartons and put a paper letter in each slot until you have all the letters of the alphabet in order. Say letter-sounds and ask your children to pick out the letters that match those sounds
Write the high frequency words from the Weekly Newsletter on index cards. Show your child each word one at a time. If he/she can tell you the word quickly, then he/she gets the card. If they can't tell you the word quickly, then you get the card. After the last card, let your child count his/her cards and your cards to see who has the most and the least. (This step incorporates math skills as well).
Engage the entire family in this fun word-building activity. Your
child's successes will encourage him to play on his own and challenge himself. This fun, interactive or independent game challenges your child to build as many words as he can. It allows your child to recognize word patterns, gain strategies and experience successes as well as observing great spelling strategies modeled by family members.
What You'll Need
Magnetic, paper or tile letters
A white board, paper or laminated paper
Markers
Timer (optional)
Here's How To Do It
Pick a word family (at, ab, ag, an, am, ap, ar, ed, en, et, id, ig,
in, ip, it, ob, og, op, ot, ub, ug, un, ut, um). Each person has his own
paper, marker and individual letters (consonants). Set the timer for one minute (optional). Each player then builds as many words as he can using the letters (consonants) and the word family (for example: c + at = cat) and writes the list of words on his paper. When the timer goes off, each player then reads all the words he has built. Make sure they are real words and not nonsense words. To extend this activity, write sentences using the words that were built!
Make a poster
From robots and snakes to zombies and airplanes, help your child
make a simple poster about whatever she's interested in.
What you’ll need:
•Large paper or poster board
•Markers
•Old magazines for clipping pictures
Help your child choose a subject she’s passionate about. Go to the library and find books on the subject, and have your child find out five interesting facts about it (for example, "Scientists believe that birds are descended from dinosaurs."). She can include these facts on the poster, along with illustrations and pictures you find online or in magazines.
Reading for Meaning
In kindergarten, kids start to learn how to make meaning of what they hear read aloud to them and what they read themselves. You can expect them to recognize the sequence of events in a story, their cause and effect, and their possible outcomes. Students will learn to retell familiar stories, summarizing their main ideas and plots. Kindergartners should be able to identify characters, settings, and important events, and classes might act out a story using props to demonstrate students' understanding.
Young children love to hear stories about when you were growing up.
Telling them about your childhood gives them the opportunity to understand how experiences change over time. This activity reinforces an understanding of family and how things are similar or different from generation to
generation.
Here's How to Do It:
Take the opportunity to tell one short story each evening, letting
your child ask questions as needed. Then your child could tell you a story she remembers from her earlier years. If grandparents or other relatives are
available, let them tell stories about their childhoods and let your child make comparisons about the changes that have occurred. If you wish, you can write these stories down in a family journal.
Help your child listen for the first sounds in words.
Instructions: Your child guesses a secret word from the clues that you give
him/her.
For example, say: “I’m thinking of a word that starts with /mmmm/. We see this animal at the zoo.” (The child says monkey.)
Continue with other words. For example, “I’m thinking of a word that begins with /mmmm/. You wear them on your hands in winter.” (The child says
mittens.)
•Play the game as described above, but place a picture of the secret word face down on the table before you give the clue. The child can confirm his/her response by picking up the picture. Parent asks, “Were you right?!”
•Play an “I Spy” version of the game described above. Say, I spy something in the room that begins with /mmmm/.” (The child states something in the
room such as milk, mirror, mat, etc.) The child can also take the lead with the game by telling the parent tha he/she spies something in the room that begins with /mmm/ and the parent must guess the item.
Reading Aloud
According to the National Commission on Reading, reading aloud
to kids is the single most important thing you can do in terms of making sure they develop literacy. Research shows that reading aloud to children promotes their development of language, vocabulary, even motor skills (as they learn to turn pages). Kids who are read to consistently from an early age don't only learn to read more easily, but they also show better language scores long after kindergarten is a distant memory—years later in upper elementary school.
In fact, the research on reading aloud is so strong, that the
American Academy of Pediatrics recently began advising members to
prescribe daily reading to young children. Reading aloud fosters social
and emotional development, and it's a great time to bond with your child. Also, reading to children brings them an awareness of worlds beyond their own, a sense of imagination, an increase in vocabulary, and helps them make solid links between literature and things in their own life.
Reading aloud is all about building a foundation, by showing kids that words hold meaning. Another way to plant that reading seed, children like to do what they see their parents do, so modeling an interest in reading is important. Whether you are reading to your child or showing your excitement to her about something you are reading on your own, immersing your child in a world where reading is important, is key. Studies show that as little as fifteen minutes a day of reading together can make a huge difference in a child's ability to learn to read on their own.
Practice making the sound for each letter in the alphabet.
Practice writing the lowercase letters.
Practice saying words slowly and writing the sounds that can be heard
(example: bus--all three sounds can be heard so the child writes b u s
apple--only the a p l can be heard so that is what the child writes).
Later we will work on how words sound and look.
Practice writing we, to, you, and. Always have your child to run his/her finger under the word after he/she writes it and read it back to you.
What’s the story? (COMPREHENSION)
Understanding key story-telling components – characters, setting, plot, and
language – is an important part of becoming a strong reader.
What you’ll need: A book that your child enjoys.
What to do:
Ask your child about a favorite book and why she likes it. Is it because of
the plot – the story is funny, surprising, or exciting? Or is it because the
characters are really interesting? Is the setting in which the book takes place
is especially cool? Or does your child love how the writer chooses words? If
your child chooses a book that is really about playing with language – like Dr. Seuss – then think of another kind of book that is especially strong in another realm For instance, Arthur books hook readers with their quirky, engaging characters, and Where the Wild Things Are can’t be beat when it comes to a wonderful setting.