Going Beyond "Sound It OUT!" - Reading Strategies #2 & #3

The month of February has been all about sharing some Reading Strategies for you to try with your little readers.  I've done a series of scopes on this topic...so be sure and catch up on those, if you missed them.

My Periscope reply collection

Now for a recap - just in case you need a refresher!

READING STRATEGY #1 - LOOK AT THE PICTURES

If your young reader gets stuck on a tricky word, the first strategy you should suggest is "look at the pictures".  If they read "bug" but the word is "beetle" in the text, then allow them to study the pictures and use their background knowledge on what they already know about beetles.  If looking at the pictures just doesn't work, then try...

READING STRATEGY #2 - Get your Mouth Ready

...which might not work well if the tricky word is "beetle" and your reader reads "bug".  When you ask your reader to use the "get your mouth ready" strategy, you want them to say the beginning sound of that tricky word.

For example, if the text says, "She skipped down the sidewalk" and your reader says "She ran down the sidewalk"."

You might simply point to the word "skipped" and say "can you get your mouth ready and let's also look at the picture."  Fingers crossed that using just these 2 strategies, your little reader will be able to decode the word, "skipped", and move on.

Make sense?

READING STRATEGY #3 - Does that Make Sense?

This is a powerful strategy!  And if your little readers can start using this during their decoding struggles, they are well on their way to becoming star readers.  

It's simple - if the word they read simply doesn't make sense...ask them!  "Did that word make sense?" Sometimes I even repeat what they read so they can hear it again!

For example, if the text says "The rocket boosters are carrying the shuttle into space."  and your reader says, "The rocket boosters are crying the shuttle into space." - STOP, check the pictures (no rocket boosters crying in this picture), and ask them..."did that make sense?"

Once this strategy becomes automatic, you'll start seeing some amazing things happen in your child's reading ability.  

Making meaning or "sense" of the text is the ultimate goal for any reader.  Now do you see the power behind Reading Strategy #3!?

Practice really does make perfect in the world of reading!  Having your child read out loud to you while you coach them on these first 3 strategies can really make a big difference.  Once you've noticed they are comfortable and automatically use Reading Strategy #1, then introduce Reading Strategy #2 to them.

Keep in mind that your job is to be their "Reading Coach"!  Use positive words, cheer them on and don't drag out reading instruction until it becomes frustrating and unenjoyable for you and your little reader!  If they are struggling with word after word, that book is TOO HARD!  Put it away, take a break and pick a different book that is "just right" for your little reader.

Hope this inspires and helps YOU gain some confidence to teach your child to read!

BONUS: Here's the last scope, that goes more in depth with this strategy!

JOIN ME ON PERISCOPE EVERY TUESDAY FOR LIVE BROADCASTS OF THIS READING STRATEGY SERIES!  

Sharing the Lego Love - how it all got started!

Wednesday morning of this week, we loaded up Legos, Day & Nana and drove off to experience the most amazing day yet!  Our month Lego Club was meeting at an assistant living home.  And boy were we ALL in for a treat!  And I really never new about the impact it would have on my family.

This sweet lady was blind in one eye and couldn't see the smaller Legos...so we found her the sweetest 2 year old with those BIG legos!  They build refrigerator and pretended to add all kinds of food.. 

N put on a show for this table!  They just watched and smiled as he built a rocket, some satellites and stuff from the future.

And then there was this guy!  He stood up and explain, suggested and taught this table.
These residence were so proud of their creations that J let them take them "home".

After posting these pictures on our FB Page, I received emails and messages from moms about how they could get their own club started.  BLOG POST MUST!!!  So I thought I would share how our club started and how we do it!  It was all kid-inspired and purposefully driven.

My kids love Legos and in the summer of 2013, we need to connect with others that loved Legos just as much.  We had met some great friends in our new town and we were hoping this club would help us meet more!

My teacher instincts jumped in when I started planning the way our club would be ran.  I knew there needed to be a focus/theme and that we needed a fun way to stimulate those lil builder brains.  So I decided on launching each meeting with literacy (book) and/or a brainstorming activity.

Each kid "BYOLegos" and something to build on like a cookie sheet or a blanket.  This has helped define each builders space so that legos don't get lost.

I also encourage for them to borrow from others, if they need a specific brick, as long as they promise to give it back (and say "thank you") once Lego Club is over.

 

After building, we all come back together for group share.  One kid shares, everyone listens then we applaud and give out compliments.  I love seeing kids that are quiet and shy, come to life and discuss their creations!  Great way to prepare them for public speaking.

These days, a few years later...we have packed houses full of laughter and Lego love!

And we've taken that Lego love to the road!

We built with the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House.  And the kids donated Lego Kits!

We've built at the mall, outside the Lego Store.

We've gone to Fire Stations and built with the fire fighters. (one of my favorites)

So if you have Lego Lovers within your own home!  It's easy to get started.  Find some friends, bring some Legos, come up with a theme and get together (we meet once a month).

Here's a list of our past themes that might help you get started:

*transportation

*now and then (at the nursing home)

*Fire Heroes (at the fire station)

*All Things Space

*Lego Movie Maker app

*Build a Shopping Mall

*Boats and things that float

*Nature

*Houses

*Splash Parks and Swimming Pools

Happy Learning and Lego Building with your little ones!

Going Beyond "Sound It OUT!" - 2 simple strategies to start using NOW!

As a First Grade teacher and a Reading Coach, I learned more teaching my students to read than I could have EVER imagined!  They taught me that reading is very strategic, like a game of chess!  You might try this one, seeing if it worked and it it doesn't you have to try another.  And this is all to gain meaning of the text!  That's a lot to ask a young reader.

 Well now, my own homeschooled kiddos are showing me that they learn to read just like my students.  Early Reading takes practice, strategy and commitment!  And reading goes beyond that one strategy parents always fall back on...

"Just Sound It Out!"

If you caught my "Tips from a Teacher" Tuesday Periscope, last week I introduced the first Reading Strategy to start with your little reader.  Maybe you missed it?  Here's the link to get you caught up: 

Take a Picture Walk!

This is one of the BEST ways to warm up your reader's brain!  And it's just like I had mention in the scope, "walk your reader through the pictures in the book" will allow YOU to add a small amount of pre-reading support.  Ask open-ended questions about the pictures.  Point out "tricky words" that YOU see in the text and show your reading in the pictures. This short introduction gives your reader a chance to preview the book and predict (based on pictures) what they are about to read.  Remember to keep your picture walk short and sweet!  Don't wear them out before they start reading!!!

Don't you do the same when you are browsing books at the library?  You don't just start reading the book or magazine, do you?  You pick up your selections, flip through the pages, preview the pictures (if there are any) and/or read the blurb on the back.

We need to give our young readers the chance to do and practice these same reading behaviors.

Reading Strategy #1 - Look at the pictures

If your young reader gets stuck on a tricky word, the first strategy they should suggests is "look at the pictures". 

For example:

"That tricky word starts with a /m/ sound.  Do you see anything in the pictures that has that sound?"

or

"You said ____.  That doesn't match what I see in the picture.  Do you see anything that might make sense in this sentence?"

Young readers NEED good books that provide lots of picture support for this reason!  So make sure that your instructional books have just that, so that they will become confident using this simple strategy.  

To help you along, use this FREE Printable!  Post it in your school area or next to your cozy reading spot as a reminder of what a good reader does!

Look at the Picture Reading Strategy Printable

Join me on Periscope every Tuesday for LIVE broadcasts of this Reading Strategy Series!  And if you miss it - no worries - I will have a new blog post with the replay and another printable,  just for you and your little learners.

Happy Learning (and Reading) with your Little Ones!

Ice Cream in a Can

Ice cream will make anyone feel better, right?!  And after another week of being SICK...we needed some fun!  I was over watching movies, playing the IPad and watching movies again.  We've seen the movie Home at least 25 times in the last 2 weeks.  The cuteness is starting to fade!!!  

So I pulled a recipe, from my Fun with Food file, and we went to making and mixing "Ice Cream in a Can."  We usually cook on Fridays but on this Tuesday,  this is exactly what we needed.

Adding the Ingredients

Taping up our ice cream mix.

Smashing the ice cubes into smaller chunks 

(probably their favorite part)

Packed the ice and salt around the smaller can

Let's Rock and ROLL baby!

And we opened it up to check it out.
No ice cream!
We read the recipe and we needed to pack the ice in again and roll another 15 minutes.

Sick kids and this momma decided on having...
MILK SHAKES!

We got some much needed sunshine and a delicious shake on this Tuesday.  But most importantly, we made a great memory.  

Enjoy this FREE printable of this recipe...go make some yummy memories!  Happy Learning with your Little Ones!

Ice Cream in a Can FREE Printable Recipe

1 Thing I Don't Like about Homeschooling...

01/27/2016 
I wrote this post about 2 week ago when I was sick...and never published it.  My husband ending up getting sick this week which made me start to really see how greatly we work as a team.  He was down and out for the past 2 days and I felt it!  Life has tricky.  My 5pm rescue hero was unable to rescue me when my nerves and patience were wearing thin.

But there are days when he comes home, from a long day at work, and I overlook all that he does and how he helps.  He is a leader when it comes to making us all go for our family walk, dishing out plates at dinner, showering the boys, sweeping after dinner, picking up the living room after I shower, so I walk down to a neat place to spend an evening...I could go on!  

We are a team!  He and I work so hard together to make this life (and everyday) work.  And when one of us isn't apart of our routine and schedule, IT-IS-HARD on the other spouse!  I love this man that we call Daddy!  Can't imagine this wild journey without him.
But today, instead of writing a new post, I decided this was the perfect post to publish.  Read, reflect and Enjoy!


Got ya with the title, didn't I?!

This week I discovered 1 thing I really don't like about homeschooling!  Here it is...

Momma, being SICK!  I mean REALLY SICK!

I had sent a good 2 hours on Sunday afternoon planning and preparing for this great, new year (even though we HS year 'round).  I had those butterflies, was full of excitement and everything was ready to go!  

AND THEN...

I came down with a nasty sickness.  Fever, sore throat, aches - just nasty!

I don't have the option to drop them off a daycare and school so that I can sleep this off.  My husband needed to go to work for an important meeting, so him, staying home, wasn't a option.  Grandparents are hours away, so that's not gonna help!

Laundry had been stopped!  Meal planning had been stopped!  Daily life is altered BIG time when any mom is sick, homeschoooling or NOT!

Mommy being SICK is 1 thing I really don't like about homeschooling...

But on the flip-side, I also found out this week how much I LOVE Homeschooling!

Our family had to come together and quickly!  Kids had to grow up, just a smidgen, to help out Daddy.  Daddy had to rely on his awesome-self to come up with a new plan, like ordering pizza, riding bikes to get ice cream near by, warming up pizza for breakfast and tossing it out on the living room floor as he headed out to work.  

(Hey!  They got fed!) 

The boys were asked to leave me alone, watch movies and have fun...and they did just that, until Daddy came home.  (I did help feed them lunch)

My husband called in the troops and they got through it!  

I feel much better today (after sleeping for almost 2 days).  I walked downstairs about 9am this morning to a shiny kitchen (I was expecting dishes everywhere), noticed some folded towels and then walked around the corner to this sweetness...

As I sat, with my delicious coffee in hand, this started to happen.

 Jackson asked to use the USA puzzle which led to...

 ...a great discussion about state capitals, West Coast and East Coast and where we'd like to visit or live next.  And that led to...

 Using the computer as his teacher for the morning to learn about Minecraft Coding using Code.org
And this allowed me to put the little guys in the bath for some painting/shaving cream fun!

Life may have stopped for a few days, but learning seems to keep on going! And my husband and my kids are ok.  They survived!

And because we are a family, we survived it all...together!

Happy Learning with your Little Ones!

A Peek inside our Week!

What a fun week we had!  I was sick last week, so all of last week's lesson plans had to shift forward to this week.  And that's ok...that's homeschooling!

So here's a peek inside our week.  Enjoy:0)

Monday

  

Writer's Club!  You know you are "living the dream" when you can hand pick your own class while teaching your very own!   Every Monday, I teach writing to these amazing kiddos at the library down the street, while N and MiniM stay at home and play with Moms and other littles.  

After class, we all walk back to the house, have some lunch and host a sharing session.  Each kiddo gets to share their writing for that day with their moms and siblings.  So sweet and so perfect!

Quick Subtraction make-up lesson is just what we needed to do Monday afternoon while the little guys napped.

Isn't Math a little more excited when you learn how to subtract with CANDY!  

Tuesday

What a great morning to learn at the bank AND the grocery store!   

N enjoyed watching the suction tubes at the bank drive-thru while J wrote out a list of change he wanted to trade in for his $50 bill.

 

Shopping for fruit is WAY more fun when you get to measure it on the electronic scale, right?  They each get to pick out their own bag of fruit, as long as they weigh it and print off the sticker.

 Tuesday afternoons are special for J.  It's his PE class followed by a few hours at the Skate Park with friends.

Wednesday 

Learning at home was what we did on this morning.  Colored sand is always fun...just add a 2 year old and some construction trucks!

That afternoon, our Cubetto came in the mail! N and I hacked into this mini-coding machine to see how it worked.  (And we will share that with you in a blog and Periscope broadcast REAL soon!)

Thursday - oh! Thursday!

Not - a - good - day!  I packed our learning and we headed to the post office to wait in line for 3 hours (yes! 3 hours) to get my passport!  It was a morning of patience and practice, for sure!

Jackson "writing around the room" at the Post Office

Friday

It was a MUST to make up for a nasty Thursday!  So we made it very memorable!  

We rode the train to downtown Austin, walked to the State Capitol building, had a picnic and rode the train back home.  

Seriously, one of the best days we've had (just us 4) in a LONG time!  The weather was perfect and we had nothing but time to soak up every bit of sunshine.  

Our week...another one down and many more to go. 

Happy Learning with your little ones!