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    • beginning sounds
    • phonics
    • phonological awareness
    • read-aloud learning
    • rhyming
    • sight words
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    • books
    • comprehension
      • activating schema
      • connecting
      • inferring
      • predicting
      • questioning
      • retelling / summarizing
      • visualizing
    • concepts of print
    • environmental print
    • fluency
    • non-fiction
    • spelling
    • word building
    • word consciousness
    • vocabulary
  • writing
    • creative writing
    • grammar
    • informative writing
    • tripod grip
  • math
    • computation
    • counting
    • numbers
  • science
    • animals
    • plants
    • science experiments for kids
  • Activities
    • birthdays
    • cooking
      • new for us foods
    • crafts
    • foundations
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      • critical thinking
      • fine arts
      • listening
      • pretend play
      • sorting
      • speaking
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      • new year’s
      • valentine’s day
      • president’s day
      • st. patrick’s day
      • april fool’s day
      • easter
      • mother’s day
      • teacher appreciation
      • father’s day
      • july 4th
      • halloween
      • thanksgiving
      • christmas
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we’re reading. . .

home / early literacy / we’re reading. . .
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Holy moly, we’re on the road to reading–and it’s nuts. I’ve been working with all levels of readers for so many years now, and finally I’ve got some emerging readers under my own roof. I love it. I’ve died and gone to heaven.

A few weeks ago–yikes, months ago now–I brought out some of the reading a-z books for Maddy and Owen to look through and read. I use these books for tutoring with my beginning readers, and I know that many schools belong to this site since it’s literally an online book room.

Some of the reading a-z books we’re using. . .

I was more bringing the books out because I was planning a session with a student, when–like the cobbler’s son who runs shoeless–I realized that I should probably introduce some of these texts to Maddy at some point. And so I did:

  • Leveled Readers: I introduced the books to her not in the way you’d want to if you were teaching a Guided Reading lesson; that’s a whole other post, and my goal with my kids is not to overwhelm them, bore them, or cram learning down their throats.

I try to be sneaky about their everyday learning because I know they’re kids and they’ll have the next 13 years of their lives to be in school. . . but I do know that they’re sponges right now, so I do try to capitalize on those few minutes each day when I can (okay. . . ) secretly cram them full of important stuff.

So, when I brought them up to her room one afternoon, I brought them up to read with her–not to use to teach her. She was, however, excited and giddy because she knew I used them for tutoring.

I took out a few aa – B levels (early emergent reading levels are readinga-z levels aa-C/ Fountas & Pinnell A-C/ Reading Recovery 1-4), and I did the same thing I do with any book I read with my kiddos: I looked at the picture on the cover, read the title, and talked about what I thought the book may be about.

Then I read the book. I pointed to the words as I read them, and by the time I was finished, Maddy grabbed the book from me and wanted to do it herself. (Hooray!)
Just like with the picture-word cards, I encouraged her to use the pictures on the page to help her figure out the words when she got stuck. She went crazy. I should have done this earlier, I realize now; she had a hold on so many books, I think that she surprised herself. (I know she surprised me!).

She read them over and over all day long to Owen and Cora, and that’s what I hoped she’d do. In order to increase fluency and improve reading, teachers encourage students to read the same early reader books over and over and over. It’s not a bad thing, really!

Early emergent books all have the same characteristics. At this level, look for books that have:

  • strong picture support (big, easy, clear pictures)
  • carefully controlled text (see below)
  • repetitive patterns (I pick up my room. / I pick up my book. / I pick up my teddy bear. )
  • controlled, repeated vocabulary (see above)
  • natural language (sounds familiar to students)
  • large print (helps keep focus on words)
  • wide letter spacing (again, easier to decode)
  • familiar concepts (high interest helps, too, like ‘the zoo’/ ‘school’ / ‘family’ etc)
  • limited text on a page (one line maximum at this point)

If you need them, check out these sites for some free, downloadable, leveled early readers:
– readinga-z : Free 30-day trial. Do it. You’ll LOVE it.
– Mrs. Jones : Free printable books.
– Ebooks : Great one! Free printable books, levels 1-10. Recognized by the IRA, International Reading Association
– Hubbards Cupboard: Awesome site. Free word family books and so many other great resources.

And that’s our bit of learning for the day.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! I love you!! Happy Mother’s Day, Jenny! Love you, too!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and grandmas reading this!
Thanks for subscribing to teachmama! Have a good one!

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About amy mascott

teacher, mother, dreamer. lover of literacy, fun learning, good food, and three crazy-cool kids. finder of four-leaf clovers | dc metro ยท http://about.me/amymascott
tweet with me: @teachmama

Previous Post:sneaky way to get kids to eat veggies | teachmama.comsneaky way to get kids to eat veggies: frozen peas
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The National Civics Bee is an initiative aimed at encouraging more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. 

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Find it at your favorite bookstore or order here: https://amzn.to/3Pu3tWs

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Click the link in my bio to learn more and to grab a TON of free resources for families and educators. 

This yearโ€™s registration deadline is approaching, but you still have time! 

What better way to get students to engage in civics and contribute to their communities? 

https://teachmama.com/bring-the-national-civics-bee-to-your-community/

#CivicsBuzz #strongcommunities #middleschool #civicsbee #teachersofIG
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Have you heard of The National Civics Bee? #ad 

The National Civics Bee is an initiative aimed at encouraging more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. 

Organized in partnership with The Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the competition in your community will inspire middle schoolers to become better informed about American democracy, to engage respectfully and constructively in the community, and to build greater trust in others and institutions. 

Learn how to bring The National Civics Bee to YOUR community now: https://teachmama.com/bring-the-national-civics-bee-to-your-community/

Iโ€™m thrilled to have partnered with @mom_select and @civicsbuzz for this exciting campaign! โ™ฅ๏ธ๐Ÿค๐Ÿ’™

#CivicsBuzz #middleschoolers #teachersofIG #communitypartners
View
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Oh HEEEEEYYY, @luvvie โ€” did you see that @littletroublemaker made our hallway bulletin board? ๐Ÿ˜‰โ™ฅ๏ธ

(Itโ€™s what Rusty the ๐ŸฆŠ is currently reading.) 

Find it at your favorite bookstore or order here: https://amzn.to/3Pu3tWs

(This is my affiliate link, so when you use it, I will earn a small percentage of the sale, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for using my link and supporting my small business!)

#readingteacher #raiseareader #kidlit #bestbooks #linkinbio
View
Open
How can people with dyslexia learn to read? ๐Ÿค”

Here are the 3๏ธโƒฃ elements that reading instruction should contain in order to be most effective for students with dyslexiaโ€”

#demystifyingdyslexia #raiseareader #readingteacher #teachreading #dyslexiaawareness
View
Open
Lately when I find four leaf clovers, Iโ€™ve been leaving them. ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿคท๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ

So if youโ€™re in Maryland, and you happen upon a lonely, little 4-leafer with very little grass, weeds, or leaves around it, I donโ€™t know WHO tried to set you up for success.

#yougotthis #keepyoureyesopen #itsthelittlethings #kilpattyluck
View
Open
Okayโ€”how do we know if someone has dyslexia? 

Which professionas are able to make that important determination? 

โ–ถ๏ธ Watch to find out. 

Hit me with the questions you still have about dyslexiaโ€”and know we have a few more posts to go!

#demystifyingdyslexia #raiseareader #teachreading #readingteachersofig
View
Open
What are some of the common signs of dyslexia?

Watch to learn and find out!

#demystifyingdyslexia #readingteacher #raiseareader #teachreading #dyslexia
View
Open
True โœ… or false โŒ?

#demystifyingdyslexia #dyslexiaeducation #readingteacher #raiseareader #teachreading
View
Open
What do you know about dyslexia? 

What questions do you have about dyslexia? 

For the next few weeks leading up to my own start to the school year I am sharing a new series called โ€œDe-Mystifying Dyslexiaโ€ and I would love for you to join me! 

Follow in my stories or on the highlight above!

#dyslexia #teading  #readingteacher #raiseareader #demystifyingdyslexia

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