Reading and Spelling Instructions

 

 Spelling and Reading vocabulary words will come home on Mondays (or Friday--I may begin this on a regular basis).  Your child will be tested on all words on Fridays unless otherwise designated due to holidays.  Please refer to the following tips to help your child to be successful with both spelling and reading.

 

Spelling Words

1.  Spelling words will come home on Mondays (or Fridays), or the first day of the school week.  You will find the word list and homework board in your child's BEE in the spelling side of the homework folder.  With the help of an adult, your child should choose at least 3 assignments from the homework board.

 

2.  Your child is responsible for completing the homework assignments GRADUALLY throughout the entire week.   Please DO NOT allow your child to complete all of the assignments in one night.  Your child will NOT learn to spell the words if all of the homework and practice is completed in one night.

 

3.  If your child is having difficulty mastering the spelling words, additional practice will be necessary.  If the assigned spelling homework does not seem to be enough practice, please have your child write the spelling words extra times.  Writing the words repeatedly is the best way to practice.  Remember to use creative materials such as shaving cream, fun paper, or gel pens to make the spelling practice time exciting for your child.

 

4.  All homework must be completed neatly in pencil on clean paper.  I will do my best to supply your child with necessary paper at the beginning of each week.  If you find that you are in need of paper, please send a note to school with your child and I will be happy to supply paper.  If an artistic spelling project is assigned, your child's work should include good detail and color.

 

5.  All spelling homework should come back to school in your child's BEE on Friday.

 

6.  Spelling tests will always be administered on Fridays, unless otherwise noted due to holidays.  Your child WILL be required to take the spelling test as long as he/she received the words on a Monday or Tuesday.

 

High Frequency (HF) / Word Wall Words

1.  HF words will also be listed on your child's weekly word list, which will come home on Mondays(Fridays) in your child's BEE.

 

2.  These words are sight words, which means that most of them cannot be "sounded out" as they contain irregular phonics sounds.  Therefore, the only way for your child to learn them is to read them enough times to memorize them.

 

3.  Your child should practice reading the words as much as possible throughout the entire week.  It is extremely important that your child spend several minutes reviewing the words EVERY DAY!!!

 

4.  Your child will read the words aloud to a teacher or classroom aide on Fridays.  In order to receive credit for each word, your child will need to recognize the word automatically without hesitation.

 

5.  As your child completes each week, please save the word lists as we will have periodic unit tests.  At that time, your child will be required to read all of the words from the most recent 4-6 weeks.  Notes will come home in advance to let you know when you should start thinking about upcoming unit tests.

 

6.  Your child will also receive credit for time spent reading.  After reading with your child for at least 15 minutes each night, please sign the bottom of your child's spelling homework board.  Your child will receive credit for each reading signature when the homework board returns to school on Friday.  Remember that it is important  for your child to practice both reading and listening.  Take turns reading to each other!

 

7.  Decodable readers, or short stories appropriate for your child's reading level, will come home periodically throughout the week.  You will find these copied stories or small books in your child's BEE.  Your child should practice reading these stories aloud to as many people as possible.  Any time spent reading decodable readers may be counted towards daily reading signatures on your child's homework board.

8.  Skill Words are located in the 3rd folder in the BEE.  This folder contains a list for each week of reading containing a list of words that contain the phonics skills learned and practiced that week.  If you use this list to practice reading, your child will have greater success when reading assessment sentences in school.  It may look like a big list, but you will notice that it is repeated patterns and should not pose much difficulty.  The words in this folder are the words that your child will read in sentences on Fridays to the teachers.

 

I know that this seems like a lot at first!  Please know that these are all necessary steps in helping your child to be a more advanced and successful reader!  Feel free to send me a note or e-mail with any questions.  Happy practicing