Summer 2009

In this issue you will find:

• Summer Fun
• 6 Essential Pre-Reading Skills
• Recommended Read-Alouds
• Fingerplays and Songs

Summer Fun

Here are some great ideas for building Early Literacy skills throughout the summer:

Cookie Sheet Alphabet
This is great for road trips or for using at home!  Purchase some inexpensive alphabet letter magnets and attach them to a cookie sheet.  They letters stay put and it is easily portable from car to home to hotel, etc!

I Spy
Play "I Spy" games while out exploring to work on vocabulary and letter/sound skills.  For example, at the zoo you can say, "I spy with my little eye something that starts with the sound 'mmmm'"  Monkey!

Clap, Tap, or Snap
Point out objects while riding in the car or exploring new environments.  You can clap (tap or snap) out the name of the object, such as "tur-tle" or "side-walk."  This is great for building vocabulary skills and for working on Phonological Awareness.

The Six Essential Pre-Reading Skills

Research has shown us that there are six early literacy skills that are essential for young children to become familiar with in order to be successful readers.  These skills are:

1.  Vocabulary
Knowledge of the names of things.
Most children enter school knowing between 3,000 and 5,000 words.

2.  Print Motivation
Interest in and enjoyment of books.
A child with print motivation enjoys being read to, plays with books and pretends to write.

3.  Print Awareness
Knowledge of how to handle a book and how to follow words on a page.
A child will point to the words on the page of a book.

4.  Letter Knowledge
Awareness that letters are different from each other.
A child will know the names of letter and their sounds.

5.  Narrative Skills
Ability to create stories and to describe things.
A child's ability to relay what happens at a birthday party or on a trip to the zoo.

6.  Phonological Awareness
Ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words.
A child will hear and create rhymes, say words with sounds or chunks left out and be able to put two word chunks together to make a word.

You can learn more about these six pre-reading skills by attending one of our Every Child Ready to Read Workshops!  Follow this link to register now!

Recommended Read-Alouds

Here are some great stories to read together.  Don't forget to mark them down for the summer reading program!

 I Stink! / by Kate McMullan.  A big city garbage truck makes its rounds, consuming everything from apple cores and banana peels to leftover ziti with zucchini. 

My Friend Rabbit / by Eric Rohmann.  Something always seems to go wrong when Rabbit is around, but Mouse lets him play with his toy plane anyway because he is his good friend.

Fingerplays and Songs

"The Aeroplane"
See the aeroplane up in the sky flying around and ever so high.
Wiggle fingers in the air.
Now it's circling round and round.
Move fingers in a circular motion.
Now it's coming down to the ground.
Bring hands down to the ground.
Whrr.  Whrr.  Whrr.  Whrr...
Move hands back and forth.
-Barbara Cass-Beggs

"I'm Driving in My Car"
I'm driving in my car, I'm driving in my car,
Beep beep, toot toot, I'm driving in my car.
Hold onto a pretend steering wheel with both hands and turn slightly from side to side.
I'm driving very fast, etc.
quick movements-
I'm driving very slowly, etc.
slow movements-
The lights are turning red and I must stop my car, etc.
Put out a hand to signal stop.
The lights are turning green and I can go again, etc.
Drive car again
-Traditional English melody; words and music adapted by Barbara Cass-Beggs