Reading Page
A parent is a child's best first teacher.
Kindergarten is the new first grade
"No Child Left Behind" has very high expectations for passing to first grade. This has required school districts to change their Kindergarten academic standards.
Sight vocabulary 40 to 80 words depending on the school district
Letter names and sounds Knowledge of upper and lower case names and the most common sound
Phonemic awareness Ability to rhyme, blend and segment sounds, count syllables
Punctuation marks Name and meaning of a period, comma, question mark, quotation marks and exclamation point.
Concepts about Print Parts of the book: front, back, author, illustrator, upper and lower case letters, which direction do we read, where do we begin reading, etc.
Not all children learn to read at the same age or with the same method. Ideally a child is taught to read with phonics and sight vocabulary. It isn't a matter of only one way.
Children need to know phonetic sounds and rules and use those skills whenever possible, but our language is not 100% phonetic. A beginning reader must learn irregular sight words. They are also referred to as high frequency words. When sight words are taught in the context of a meaningful sentence, only then is there comprehension and a key for remembering that word. Children build confidence when they succeed. This program is a good foundation on which to build. It is especially successful for home schoolers. Iris
Down below are my favorite links to help your child expand their required Kindergarten Reading academics.
http://www.lee.k12.fl.us/dept/curr/words/Letters/letters.htm
On-line Stories and More
- Alphabet Action - learn the very basics
- Help Alpha Find His Alphabet - Can you find them all?
- Alphabet Themes and Activities for Kids - There are many for each letter.
- Alphabet Buddies - pictures to glue and paste for each letter.
- ABC Tracing Pages - helps to learn the letters
- Seussville University -beginning reading games
- Jan Brett Traditional Manuscript Page - beautifully illustrated letters of the alphabet
- The Alphabet - learn the letters and words too
- Alphabet Game - learn words that start with each letter
- A to Z - letters and pictures of simple objects
- A is for Angelfish - great pictures
- Alphabet Buddies - pictures to glue and paste for each letter.
- Fuzzy Lion Ears - Choose the missing letter using the picture and the sounds you hear.
- Alphabetical Order - Drag the words to the proper position.
- Little Explorers Dictionary - look, listen, and learn
- Words and Pictures - great games and activities from the BBC
- Rats - There are three games which use the arrow keys to catch the proper item.
- Language Arts - interactive phonics activities
- Phonics Cards to Print - great for practice
- First Grade Activities Manay worksheets from which an adult can choose in many skill areas
- Phonics lots of different matching activities
- What's the Word? - Match the word with the picture.
- Fun Flash Cards - Can you read these?
- Let's Learn to Read - listen and learn with this strong phonics approach
- Compound Words - learn about them
- iKnowthat: Reading - Three learning games based on phonics. Be sure to try "word builder."
- Shockwave Poem Pack - read and listen to great poems introducing some vowel blends
- Rhyming Words - four games from which to choose
- Rhyming Words - four more to try
- Coloring Book Index - coloring pages for lots of favorite nursery rhymes
- Dolch Word Lists - can be used for practice
- Dolch Word Lists - arranged by level
- Vowel Take Home Cards Arranged by type - Print and practice.
- Little Explorers Dictionary - lots of pictures and information
- Building Language for Literacyfind matching letters, words or rhymes
- Chicken StackerSelect the words with the correct vowel sound.
- The Hungry thingSelect pictures of things that rhyme.
- Silly Sentences - print and arrange and color too....
Learn to Read at Starfall - many great interactive learn to read experiences with downloadable free related practice pages - Busy Bee - a story and coloring pictures too
- Honey Bees and Bears - easy to read with good pictures too
- Ants - an animated rhyming story
- Picture Books - links to many
- Lil"Fingers Storybooks - for beginning readers
- Rhymes So many beginning reader choices here
- Mother Goose Rebus Rhymes - fun and easy
- The Land of Rainbow Colors - a fun place to visit
- Nickjr - Click on the Nickjr playtime button on the upper left and read along with the story tellers from Nickjr.
- Trip to Fox Mountain - Vowels and blends are highlighted in color.
- Stop that Bus - a Tampa Reads selection that should be mastered by the fifth month of the year.
- Tales of Edgeriver Wood - many tales and activities from which to choose
- Busy Bee - beginning reader story
- AntBee well illustrated stories are updated monthly
- Clifford's Interactive Storybooks - read or listen to stories or play reading related activities
- Story Brook Lane - Stories about Christopher who is just like us.
- Five Speckled Frogs - a rhyming counting story
- Tampa Reads Part of the Tampa testing preparation series with three levels
- Cbeebies Listen and read along stories from the BBC - Try the Lion and the Mouse!
- What's in the Small Green Box? - Watch, listen and read along.
- Mighty Book - Click on you age group, then click on a book with a star on it. Then listen, and read along.
- Fimbles - animated stories from the BBC
- Oliver's High Five - Watch, listen and read along.
- Alexander, and the No good, terrible, Horrible, and No good Day - from the Kennedy Center and requires Real Audio
- Billy Bear Story book - use the mouse to move
- Story Box - 2 bear stories
- Fablevision - read, listen or download stories
- The Pine Cone Problem - This rabbit is having trouble.
- Infant Explorer - Choose one of the five stories.
- Small Stories for Little People - enjoyable stories by celebrities
- Poem Pack_ ten great poems with animation and sound
- Sniffy & Fluffy Have an Adventure Find out what happens to this frog and fish.
- Rhyme a Week - great rhymes in PFD format
- Traditional Stories- many great choices with fun illustrations
- The Day Dizzy Duckling Got Lost - How could this happen?
- Best Friends - a fun story poem
- Sand Castles by the Sea - Watch, listen and read along.
- When I Grow Up What will you be?
- "Kat's Biggest and Best Idea" - Find out what it is.
- Blue Bear - a good story for Spring
- The Elementary Library - read and listen - Try the preschool library too.
- Uncle Scoots Big Discovery - Follow the wise owl on his adventure
- Pup's Supper -Read or listen to this Otter story from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
- A Bird with No Song - What will he do for talent night?
- Geronimo's Adventures - Rhyming stories about the adventures of a teddy bear
- Crabby Kathy - a story about the environment
- Rebeccah Rabbit's Runaway Pie - Where did it go?
- The North Star - Choose your character and enjoy the story.
- Sam's Rainy Day Boots - Puddles are fun!
- BBC Education - Little Activity Center - three super animated stories for your listening and reading fun
- Landie and the Loose Tooth - They can be a problem.
- JJ and the Pesky Fly - How can you make it go away?
- It's So Cold!! - Can he ever get warm?
- What Happened to All the Dinosaurs and What if They Would Come Back? - Read to find out.
- Cheese Cookies - Should you eat all of them?
- Big Books - read many well illustrated stories about nature
- The Many Sisters of Molly Brown - What would happen if they all went away?
- Out of the Nest It is spring time, and the birds are out on their first adventure.
- Aesop's Fables - easy-to-read
- Aesop's Fables - 82 choices
- The Adventures of Sticky Burr - a story told in cartoon format
- What Did Toby See? - an easy to read story
- Native American Bedtime Stories - great stories to tell children
- Tiger Aki - easy to read stories
- But that Wasn't the Best Part - about a parade
- AuntBee's Children's Books - well illustrated tales using animals as the central character
- Sam's Rainy Day Boots - Puddles are fun!
- The Yellow Gorilla">The Yellow gorilla - read along as you turn the pages
- Happy Hippo - It is up to you to finish this story about the environment.
- CBeeies Stories - Read, listen and watch, if you like.
- Cheese Cookies - Should you eat all of them?
- The Many Sisters of Molly Brown - What would happen if they all went away?
- Out of the Nest It is spring time, and the birds are out on their first adventure.
- Bantam Stories - choose one or all
- Pecos Bill Cleans Up the West - a PBS recounting of the tale in poetry
- Farm House Stories - tales about little creatures who might live in the meadow.
- Farm House Fables - try the concise versions of these delightful for younger children
- The Lonely Star Fish - What to do?
- Stories from Poets - a Google Book
- The Pine Cone Problem nicely illustrated
- Geronimo's Stores many from which to choose
- Turtle Tale - read the story and learn to make one too
- Turtle and the Sky bowl - a Pueblo Indian tale retold
- Fimbles Listen and read along stories from the BBC
- Pup's SupperRead or Listen to the Otter story from the Monterey Aquarium
- The Land of Rainbow Colors a rhyming story
- Children's Story Books - books, riddles, and more
- Toad Hall Library - Take your pick.
- Why the Bear's Tail is Short - an adapted Indian story
- American Native Bedtime Stories - great stories from Indian lore
- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, NO Good, Very Bad Day Listen and read the story from the Kennedy Center
- One Hundred & Twenty Loose Teeth - an animated story
- The Snake Man - a boy who loved snakes becomes a hero
- Bedtime Stories - many great ones here for adults and children to read together
- The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin full text of this Beatrix Potter tale complete with pictures
- Old Time Fairy Tales - many excellent choices
- A Pocket Full of Rhymes - try Wickywoks World and the Poetry Corner
- Reggie the Rhyming Rino - Click on the rhyming word.
- Rhymes - All of the popular ones are here.
- Old Tyme Children's Poetry - many good choices
- The Piggery - Choose from three stories to listen to someone read to you.
- Alien letter bugs Catch the letters to spell the word.
- Leo Learns to Spell - drag the proper letters
- Spelling - Check out some activities from Harcourt Brace.
- Rebus Rhymes - fun way to learn
- Scrambled Nursery Rhymes - Use your mouse to dray the words into the proper order.
- Comfy corner - stoies that can be read closer to the end of the school year for many
- Beatrix Potter Stories Beautifully illustates Stories to read to a child
- Stories to Tell Children - This is definitely for an adult to share with kids.
