The Reading Railroad is a free newsletter for parents, caregiver's and teachers.
Fun reading ideas & activities for preshool and primary grade children
Learn to Ride a Bike How to teach your child to ride a bike in less then two hours
without getting hurt!
1. A Poem For Parents
2. 5 Reading Tips for Parents
3. 'Tis the Season
4. September, October, November Winners of the Car Train Drawing
5. Backissues of the Reading Railroad
A Poem for Parents
My granddaughter entered 1st grade this year and her teacher handed out this poem to all the parents. Thought you would be interested in reading what children think, but find it difficult to communicate.
HELP! I'm trying hard to learn to read
But what's a kid to do
When there's a NO and a GO and a SO and a HO
And then there's a word like TO?
Reading BONE and CONE and LONE and TONE
Can almost be kind of fun,
But I get upset when I have to believe
That D-O-N-E spells DONE!
It's plain to see a kid like me
Sure needs a helping hand.
No matter how much I really try
I just don't understand.
I'm trying hard to learn to read.
Somehow that's what I'll do,
But for now if you'll just read to me
Someday I'll read to you.
5 Reading Tips for Parents
When you are reading to your children, here are some tips
Touch the words as you read to your child because when they follow your words and see them at the same time they will start developing a site vocabulary. It also helps them to realize that words that they speak are associated with the print on the page. Starts to take the mystery out learning to read.
When you read outloud to your child, DROP YOUR VOICE when you come to a word that is very predictable. Take a quiet breath. This will give your child time to say the word. Example:
I went to the zoo to see the___________.
My favorite animal was the z_________.
Children can figure out the words by paying attention to the meaning of the sentence and noticing picture clues. They can often fill in a word by just predciting what makes sense. Reading teachers call this, "reading from context clues".
Read books that are ABOVE your child's reading level. This gives your child the opportunity to develop a LISTENING VOCABULARY (words and ideas that s/he understands because s/he has heard them). Your child's listening vocabulary preceeds his / her reading vocabulary.
Read aloud to your child. This is the best way to help your child to want to learn to read. Have you ever heard of a soccer player who has never heard or seen the game of soccer?
When your child comes to a word that s/he does not know, give him / her a couple of seconds to see what s/he may come up with. Help your children by reminding them to skip the unknown word, read the rest of the sentence, and then think of a word that makes sense in the sentence and begins with the letter of the unknown word in print.
By thinking of the meaning of the sentence, looking at the pciture, and at the beginning sound of the word, children can often figure out the unknown words. Try this:
I saw a st_ _ in the sky.
If your child cannot figure out the word then just tell him / her the word in a gentle, loving tone.
'TIS THE SEASON
I don't know about you, but I have started my holiday shopping. Because our family member's are of different faiths, there is a lot of celebration. To keep everything straight, my daugher and I make a chart of what we are giving to each person and where we will give the gift. It makes fun out of the chaos. So here are some favorites:
If you child is 6 years or older and want to give a give that is fun and at the same time will teach your child something, then look at these Educational Science Gifts.
The following books are the ones that we recommend this year. If you want to see storybook suggestions that look at our backissues of the Reading Railroad.
The Brain Quest Workbooks are listed according to grade level. These are fun workbooks, each with over 150 stickers, mini-card deck, and a fold-out poster that your child will love to decorate a wall of their room. These books go thru 8th grade.
SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER WINNERS OF THE CAR TRAIN DRAWING
There wasn't a newsletter in the past couple of months, so we are catching up. Looks like letter "J"
is a lucky letter this month!
September's winner: Jeanne = signed up 07/08/05 11:05am = Lucky # 42
October's winner: Joy = signed up 04/13/08 9:12pm = Lucky # 146
November's winner: Jeuri = signed up 03/16/08 12:30am = Lucky # 411
It pays to confirm and keep your subscription.
Congratulations!
is the most wide ranging, visually appealing, entertaining, gigantic collection of brain-treasers imaginable! For 9+ years old
