SPELLING AND WRITING
Parents/Guardians, please read the 'Good Fit' book with your child. Send everything back when you feel your child has enjoyed the book.
Our Spelling Program
One of the components of our reading program is called “word wall”. This is where our students learn to read and spell high frequency sight words. These words come up frequently in reading and writing tasks and if students are able to quickly both identify and spell them, their journey towards becoming confident and independent readers and writers will be more easily facilitated.
Each week, your child will receive a list of words to practice a few minutes every day. We will work on the words in class each day.
The list will be posted on Mondays.
Practicing at Home Suggestions:
1. Make an extra set of cards and play Memory.
2. Go on a Sight Word Scavenger Hunt by hiding the flashcards around the house.
3. Make an extra set of cards and play Go Fish.
4. Play Guess My Word-Give your child clues to a word you are thinking of. It rhymes with...It starts/ends with...It has a 'short "e" vowel' sound.
5. Use magnetic letters.
6. Keep a big chart called 'Words I know' or a mini word wall for quick reference.
7. Print words in simple sentences, together. Cut individual words and have your child rebuild the sentence.
Ensure that you use their sight words in context by saying the word in a sentence as well!
Writing at Home
Encouraging children to write at home can make a big difference in the development of their writing skills. Writing should be fun. Allow your child to be creative and take risks. Try to focus more on the process and less on the product of your child's writing. Try to start the sentence with a capital and end it with punctuation (., ?, !) and leave finger spaces between words. If your child is struggling with writing a word, draw a line and have them sound out how it starts, how it finishes and anything in between. More advance writers may want to use, First, Next, Then to tell their story.
Create a writing space: paper, pencils, crayons, envelopes, etc.
Easy and fun writing ideas include: a dinner menu, postcards, write a song, travel brochure.
*Please note-the children are not expected to write unknown words but we do encourage them to try. Remind them to use their spelling words they have learned so far. These are their Word Wall Words/Snap Words-words they should know in a snap!
What is the vowel in the word?” We are encouraging Consonant,Vowel,Consonant word writing. Vowels can be tricky. Especially short e and i.