1. The Connection between Kindergarten Reading and Writing
By: Brittany Jacobs

2. Reading Expectations
1st nine weeks - learning some letters and letters sounds; able to listen to a story and remember important details; no grade is assigned.
2nd nine weeks - learning upper and lowercase letters; concepts of print; clap syllables in words; put some beginning sounds in writing.
3rd nine weeks - more than 10 upper and lowercase letters (know more than 2nd nine weeks); more than 10 letter sounds; continue concepts of print (know more than last nine weeks); can use strategies to help with beginning reading skills.
4th nine weeks - all letter names and sounds; beginning to read books; concepts of print in writing; begin to demonstrate comprehension through use of strategies (picture walk and making predictions).
Link to Florida’s Sunshine State Standards for Kindergarten

3. Reader’s Workshop A daily block of instructional time including:
Read Alouds (teacher directed)
Shared Reading (teacher & student)
Reading Groups & Literacy Centers
Independent Reading
The Scholastic Website has book lists for each grade level and also has books you can purchase to expand your home library.

4. Reading Strategies Look at Picture Skip and then go back and read
Get your mouth ready
Reread-go back and read again
Chunk it
Think- Does it look right?
Does it sound right?
Does it make sense?

5. Reading Sight Words
Sight words are words that are most commonly used in a wide variety of texts. These words do not follow conventional rules and must be learned to help with reading fluency.
(i.e., know, the, they, is, was, do, of, from, what, said, my, could)
Sight words are practiced in the classroom, in reading groups, for homework, and in writing workshop.
Sight Word List
Sight Word Flash Cards

6. Learning Letters & Words at Home
Here are some creative ways to engage your child in practicing letters, letters sounds, and sight words:
Write in sand, shaving cream, paint, Magna-Doodle, etc.
Circle or cut out words in newspaper or magazines
Make words with Play-Doh
Use magnetic letters (match, sort, and search for letters, and make words)
Go Fish with letters and words
Memory Game (letters and words)
Bingo
Scrabble
Rainbow Write
Letter Assessment Checklist
is a great website for children to learn letter and sounds as well as practice reading online books.

7. Use this template to make an I Can Read book at home.
Reading Help At Home
Read nightly with your child
Become a reader yourself
Practice letter and letter sounds
Post and practice sight words in a visible location
Sing familiar rhymes and songs
Go to the public library
Play word games (orally and written)
Create an I CAN READ book of Environmental Print
Use this template to make an I Can Read book at home.

8. How Are Reading & Writing Connected?
The areas of reading and writing both involve the knowledge of letter recognition, letter sounds, letter formation, and the ability to hear sounds in a word. Without one, the other is not possible. Inventive spelling is a necessary step to having a successful writer. Students that can identify letters and their corresponding sounds then have the beginning tools to write.

9. A Note To Parents
Dear Parents,
Sumtimz the way werds sound iz not the way thay luk. Yung readers and writers need tim to focus on the mesaj and wil spel werds using the soundz thay hear. Az thay becum awair of convintinal speling u wil begn to see the chanj.
So plez don’t spel werds for thim and let thim do the best thay kan!
If you have any questions about working with your child in writing, please contact your child’s teacher for specific information.
Sincerely,
The Kindergarten Team

10. Writing with Inventive Spelling
Students use their phonemic awareness to put together words using their own skills. (i.e., their writing will improve throughout the year).
Students find patterns in words that they write.
Students learn sight words and how to put those words into their writing.
Students must go through this stage of writing in order to understand exceptions to the rules of language.

11. Journals
Journal writing is a daily activity where students can create their own stories (here is where they use their knowledge of language and use inventive spelling).
Journals are a creative outlet for students to use personal experiences as a story starter.
A journal should be kept at home as well as school so students can practice skills during weekends, holidays, etc. AND to encourage writing in a variety of settings and situations.
Use this template for journal pages at home.

12. Writer’s Workshop A daily block of instruction time including:
Modeled Writing
Shared & Interactive Writing
Independent Writing
Conferencing
Teacher Share

13. Writing Expectations Communicates through drawings
Scribbles (randomly or from left to right)
Makes mock letters, numbers, or symbols
Writes random strings of letters
Writes mock words (wkak, sken, itsar)
Uses 1st letter sound of a word to represent the word ( I W F W M D )
Writes some familiar words correctly (mom, dad, cat, dog, fish)
Approximates words with beginning, medial and ending letters
Uses spelling approximations to write phrases
Writes whole sentence using spelling approximations
Link to Florida’s Sunshine State Standards for Kindergarten

14. Writing Help At Home
Have plenty of writing materials available (different kinds of paper, pencils, markers, crayons, word cards, pictures, etc.).
Encourage your child to make books, write, and draw about their interests or something that they enjoy doing.
Be a writer yourself (let your child see you writing).
Keep a list of words that your student may need to use (family names, places, toys that are part of their routines).

15. Please see us if you have any questions.
Thank you for coming and learning about your child’s connection to reading and writing!
Please see us if you have any questions.