Tips for parents at home!

Here are a few things you can do at home to help your kindergartener with reading and writing:

• READ, READ, READ to your child!

• Give your child time to enjoy books by themselves.  Allow them to explore the books, even if they are only looking at the pictures.

• Create a "Home Journal" where your child can write on Saturdays and Sundays about the events of their weekend.

• Keep a list on the refrigerator of foods that need to be bought at the grocery store.  Allow your child to add to the list, and when you go shopping have your child read the list to you.

• Visit your local library with your child and allow them to pick out books he or she finds interesting.

• Once your child can read, have him or her read aloud to you every day.  You can take turns – you read one page and your child reads the next.  This is just another way to enjoy reading together. Give your child time to enjoy books by themselves.  Allow them to explore the books, even if they are only looking at the pictures.

• Play word games with your child!  Use alphabet cards or magnet letters to play word games.  First write out a word like mat.  Then change the initial sound (for example: fat, sat, hat, rat, pat).  Have the child sound out the new word.  Next change the final sound, so the word changes from sat to sap.  Then change the middle sound, so the word changes from sap to sip.  Make a game of it!