Cashman Elementary Home/School Connection PARTNERS IN LITERACY Cashman Elementary Home/School Connection

YOU are an extremely important part in helping your child be a confident reader. Consider these quotes: Books, to the reading child, are so much more than books -- they are dreams and knowledge, they are a future, and a past.(1940)  ~ Esther Meynell ~ Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.(1994)  ~ Emilie Buchwald ~ We shouldn't teach great books; we should teach a love of reading. ~ B. F. Skinner ~ “Oh please, oh please, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in it’s place you can install A lovely bookshelf on the wall.” ~Roald Dahl in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory~

TITLE ONE A federally funded program that allow school systems to hire personnel and programs to help students boost skills in reading. How was my child selected to participate? How will my child benefit from this program?

ASSESSMENTS DIBELS - Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills ■ ISF : Initial Sound Fluency (K) ■ LNF: Letter Naming Fluency (K-1) ■ PSF: Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (K-1) ■ NWF: Nonsense Word Fluency (1-2) ■ ORF: Oral Reading Fluency (2-4) ● DRA - Developmental Reading Assessment (1-3) ● F&P - Fountas and Pinnell (4) ● MCAS - MA Comprehensive Assessment System (4) ● Reading Street Benchmark Test (3-4) ● Teacher Recommendation (K-4)

KINDERGARTEN: Levels A-2 READING LEVELS Developmental Reading Assessment KINDERGARTEN: Levels A-2 GRADE ONE: Levels 3-16 GRADE TWO: Levels 18-28 GRADE THREE: Levels 28-38

Five Critical Components of Reading Phonemic Awareness Phonics Fluency Vocabulary Comprehension Cracks in the foundation. These are the building blocks of reading. They create the foundation that will allow your child to access information.

It’s all about the sounds! Phonemic Awareness It’s all about the sounds! “What sounds do you hear in the word dog?” “Say race. Now say it without /r/.” “Which two words end the same – run, rat, man?” “Listen to the sounds -f – r – o – g. What’s the word?”

Phonics The system in which sounds are represented by symbols. Beginning readers need to be able to identify words automatically and have an effective strategy to decode unknown words using different phonetic patterns. th ar m oa ee

Vocabulary Research has shown that children acquire most new words indirectly. You can give your child a strong foundation in oral language skills by: Engaging in Conversation Providing Experiences (Museums, Parks, Library, etc) Reading to Them – Early and Often (including nursery rhymes, fairy tales, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction books) Limiting TV and Video Games and designating a ‘Drop Everything and Read’ time for all family members

Fluency Fluency is the process of reading automatically so the brain can attend to the meaning of the text. Children must become fluent in: Letter Naming Letter Sounds Blending Sounds High Frequency Words Oral Reading Time child for 60 seconds in area of need. Use flashcards to increase fluency. Phrasing of sentences, plays, reader’s theater

Comprehension Show your child the importance and joy of reading. Snuggle up with a good book and have a discussion. Before Reading: *Discuss the Title *Preview the Book *Make a Prediction based upon the title and pictures During Reading: *Stop every so often and discuss what’s happening. *Does the prediction need to be revised? *Talk about characters, setting, problem, and events. After Reading: *Were there any surprises? *What did you like best? *Did the book remind you of anything? Choose a time that will not be rushed. This will be a time to treasure always.

Fun Reading Activities There are so many resources available to help strengthen your child’s reading skills. The internet sites listed below are only a few examples where your family can have fun with online games or provide easy ideas when working with sounds and words. There are also numerous books available with ready-made activities. The greatest gift that you can give is that of yourself and time. Demonstrate the value of a good education by connecting your home with school! It speaks volumes that you are here tonight. Index cards a great tool. Car rides, shopping trips. Literacy is all around us. http://www.internet4classooms.com/parents.htm http://www.starfall.com/ http://www.ed.gov/Family/RWN/Activ97/begin.html

Please keep the lines of communication open Please keep the lines of communication open. Together, we can make a difference. Make reading a lifelong passion for your child. Please contact me at either 388-4009 or frencha@amesburyma.gov if you have any questions.