Here are some ideas for things to do at home to build, strengthen, and support you child's early literacy skills!
PHONEMIC AWARENESS ACTIVITIES
Phonemic Awareness is the ability to recognize that a language is made up of separate and distinct sounds. In order for a child to experience success with literacy, she must have these skills in place. This link will take you to samples of activities that can help contribute to your child's phonemic awareness development.
HIGH-FREQUENCY WORDS
High-Frequency Words are the words that are most commonly used in reading. They are also often words considered "sight" words, or words that cannot be sounded out, but have to be remembered based on their visual structure. Students need to be able to recognize these words automatically in order to read fluently. This link will take you to a list that you can use to help your child build his sight vocabulary.
FLUENCY-BUILDING ACTIVITIES
Fluency is the ability to read text accurately and quickly with appropriate expression. A child’s reading should mirror the way he or she talks. The best strategy for improving fluency is to provide opportunities for your child to read the same passage orally several times. Research shows that such repeated readings lead to improved comprehension. This link will take you to a list of easy things you can use to help your child develop reading fluency.
ONLINE FUN!
PBS KIDS
Kids, parents, and teachers can listen to stories, download songs, watch videos, and play games with lovable PBS characters!
READQUARIUM
Tons of fun reading activities for phonemic awareness, phonics, sight words, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. There are also links here to book websites, book talks, and author websites. Great all around help!
KEYBOARDING GAMES
From Readquarium, "The Site that Swims with Learning Fun," free, online games for kids to practice their keyboard skills! Fun and function!!
GAME GOO
Play fun games that help develop important early literacy skills!
KIDS' AUDIO BOOKS
Over 200 audio stories to download and enjoy!!