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Our Mission The Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) is a statewide K-3 initiative committed to supporting the development of high-quality...

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My family has a few long road trips planned this summer and let's face it... the kids get bored! Although we allow the luxury of some electronics during long car rides, I also try to come prepared with a few fun learning activities to keep them entertained.

This Word Building Activity Travel Kit is one of my favorite ways to incorporate learning into travel with young children.

The best part is you can customize it with sight words, color words, word families, or whatever your child is currently learning!

Making the Word Building Activity Travel Kit
This post contains affiliate links to the products mentioned. Read our disclosure policy for more information.
Supplies Needed for this Kit:

Instructions for Word Building Travel Activity:

1. Start by gathering all of your supplies. We found our metal pencil box at Walmart. I've included a link above where you can buy them on Amazon, but a metal lunch box will work as well.
Feel like something different? Learn how to draw a heart!
2. Use permanent markers to write words on the jumbo craft sticks. I made a few different sets of words for this word building activity. I started with basic sight words and CVC words, as well as word families for -at, -ig and og, but you can literally customize it however you like... number words, animals, days of the week, etc. This is a great way for early readers to build vocabulary and improve spelling.

3. Use a hot glue gun to attach a small piece of magnetic tape to the back of each stick. Even though the magnetic tape has adhesion on the back, I recommend using a hot glue gun as an extra precaution. Magnets are extremely dangerous for children if swallowed, so using the hot glue will help reduce the risk of them falling off.

4. Place the finished words in the metal pencil box, along with a set of lowercase magnetic alphabet letters. Now the Word Building Activity Travel Kit is all ready for play!

Playing with the Word Building Activity Travel Kit:

There are lots of different variations of this word building activity. The simplest way is to choose a word out of the pile that you want to build. Place the craft stick onto the top section of the metal pencil box. Then build the word by finding each of the corresponding magnetic letters and place them in order above the word.

Spend some time saying each letter sound and blending them together to sound out the word if you are able. If not, simply name the letters and any corresponding alphabet sounds you do know! Continue working your way through the craft sticks, building all of the words.

This travel kit can also be used with a pair of children as a Reading Guessing Game. One person holds the craft stick covering up the letters and reads the word aloud. The other person spells the word secretly inside the metal box. When they finish, each person reveals their word to see if they match!

Another alternative word building activity is to have one person read the letters slowly, one at a time, off of a craft stick. The other person builds the word in the metal box, letter by letter. As soon as they think they know what word they are spelling, they can shout it out. The person with the word stick should show them if they guessed correctly.

The great thing about this Word Building Activity Travel Kit is that it can be used in so many ways, with a variety of ages and stages, in pairs or independently!

It's a great way to get in some hands-on word work and it isn't even limited to road trips! Try bringing it along to a doctor's appointment or a restaurant to keep the children entertained and learning while you wait!

A quick organization tip- if you make multiple sets of words, try keeping all of the different word types in different sandwich baggy. Label them clearly and then each time you pull out this travel kit, your child can choose a different bag to work with for a little variety!
What fun activities do your children love during long road trips? Looking for more fun summer crafts and activities to make with your children this year? You might enjoy this list of over 50 zoo animal crafts for kids.

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Word Building Activity Travel Kit - I Heart Crafty Things

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My family has a few long road trips planned this summer and let's face it... the kids get bored! Although we allow the luxury of some electronics during long car rides, I also try to come prepared with a few fun learning activities to keep them entertained.

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Fun Ways to Practice Sight Words and Spelling Words

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Fun Ways to Practice Sight Words and Spelling Words

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In this post, you’ll find a quick and easy solution to making the practice of sight words and spelling words a breeze.  It’s a great tip for busy parents.

Pick up kids from school. Check. Run to the grocery store to buy the hamburger for tacos tonight.  Check.  Throw soccer uniform in the washer for the game tomorrow.  Check.  Start dinner. Check.  Time to help the kids with homework.   Ugh…

We wish the kids didn’t have homework.  But, most do.   How can we check off the homework box without stress and enjoy it?  Enter the busy parent homework cart.

Homework Cart

Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

The ideas I’m sharing all center around literacy homework specifically studying sight words and spelling words. But, you can easily adapt to work on math facts, science vocabulary, or dates in history.

Once you set your homework cart up, you can use it over and over and over again.  The only thing you will tweak each week are the words the kids are studying.  Sounds good, right?

SETTING UP THE HOMEWORK CART

I’ve found that a rolling six-drawer cart is the key to the success of this busy parent homework cart.  First, it keeps everything organized.  Second, the cart can be rolled around to wherever you want to work.  If you are making dinner in the kitchen, roll it to the kitchen table.  Folding clothes in the bedroom, roll it right in there.

I’ve included labels so that you can even number your drawers for more organization.  See below to download them.

Now, it’s time to fill the drawers with supplies we need for six activities to practice sight words, spelling words, math facts, and more.

Drawer 1:  pencil box filled with a thin layer of salt

Drawer 2:  rainbow colored markers and plain copy paper

Drawer 3:  letter tiles or letter beads

Drawer 4:  dry erase board, eraser, and dry erase marker

Drawer: 5:  tic-tac-toe board, plastic sleeve, and two dry erase markers

Drawer 6:  3x3 sticky notes and a black marker

Here’s the supply list all in one place.  Just click each one, add to your Amazon cart, and in a few days, all the supplies will be on your doorstep.  I told you this was EASY.

rolling cart with drawers

pencil box

salt

rainbow colored markers

copy paper

letter tiles or letter beads

dry erase board

eraser

dry erase markers

plastic sleeve

sticky notes

USING THE HOMEWORK CART

The first three drawers are activities that your kids can use independently.  Drawers 4-6 are perfect for when you can spare a few minutes to work with your child.

Drawer 1:  SALT TRAY WRITING

The child looks at one of their sight or spelling words and uses his finger to write the word in the salt tray.  Gently shake the tray to smooth the salt and repeat with the next word.

Drawer 2:  RAINBOW WRITING

Start with the first word to practice.  The child writes the word six times using the rainbow colored markers.  Continue with remaining words.

Drawer 3:  WORD BUILDING

Look at a word and then use letter tiles or letter beads to build the word.

Drawer 4:  LISTEN AND WRITE

The adult calls out a word or sentence.  The child writes the word or sentence on the dry erase board.  Erase and repeat.

Drawer: 5:  WORD TIC-TAC-TOE

In this two player game, each person selects a sight word or spelling word.  Take turns placing words on the board.  The first person with three in a row wins.

Drawer 6:  HIDE AND SEEK WORD

Write a sight or spelling word on each sticky note.  Hide the notes throughout the room or house.  Have the child find, read, collect, and then reread each sticky note.

DOWNLOAD THE RESOURCES

Download your FREE drawer labels and tic-tac-toe board below.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE RESOURCES

SPICING UP THE HOMEWORK CART

As I said above, you can keep using your homework cart each week and just change out the words being practiced.  However, you will eventually want to spice up your materials a bit.  Here are some ideas to use when things get stale.

Drawer 1:  Dye the salt to match a holiday (red for Valentine’s Day or green for St. Patrick’s Day.) Use cornmeal, coffee grounds, or sand

Drawer 2:  Instead of markers, try colored pencils or felt pens.

Drawer 3:  If you have been using the word beads, try threading them.  It’s also good for building fine motor skills.  Magnetic letters are also an alternative.

Drawer 4:  Write on a mirror or window instead of the dry erase board.

Drawer: 5:  Add a layer of difficulty.  As you place your word, name the spot you are placing each word.  For example, top left, top middle, or top right.

Drawer 6:  Take the hiding spots outside.  Or, give clues to where to find a word in the house.

There you go.  An easy way to practice those word the kids need to learn.  One time set-up and months of practice.

For more easy playful literacy ideas check out these posts.

Print and Play Phonics Games

Muffin Tin Reading Games

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Busy Parents Solution to Helping Kids With Their Sight Words and Spelling Words

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Make a quick and easy homework cart to help kids practice sight words and spelling words. It’s the perfect solution for busy parents.

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At Growing Book by Book, we focus on developing book lists and literacy activities that will help our youngest readers grow into proficient and independent readers. There are so many simple, easy, and fun reading to your child ideas and tips that you can be doing to help nurture that growth. Here are "just" 100 Ways to Grow a Reader!
Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
100 Ways to Grow a Reader

1. Read, read and read some more! The number one way to grow a reader is to read to them every day.

2. Fill your house or classroom with reading material. Here are some ideas for building a library on a budget.

3. Send notes in your child's lunchbox or bookbag for them to read. Here are some fun printable ideas from Teach Mama called A Little More Lunchbox Love.

4. Talk with kids. Talking with kids builds language and vocabulary development.

5. Give a magazine or book box subscription. Kids love to get mail!

6. Go on a letter dig.

7. Have kids create lists. Reading and writing go hand in hand.

8. Use sensory play to extend stories.

9. Visit the library often.

10. Develop family reading rituals.

11. Find books on topics that your kids are interested in at any given time.

12. Don't get frustrated if your child doesn't love to read. Try some of the ideas on this list for help!

13. Story magnets are a fun way to encourage storytelling. I love the Upcycled Story Magnets from Sun Hats & Wellie Boots.

14. Label things with beginning readers. Use sticky notes or index cards to create labels for just about anything in your house or classroom.

15. Incorporate gross motor activities into learning your letters. Check out J is for Jump from Teach Preschool.

16. Let kids read to their pet, a sibling or a neighbor to practice their reading fluency.

17. Be a reader. Model reading. Kids need to see us read!

18. Use reading pointers for young readers who need help tracking print.

19. Attend story time at local libraries or bookstores.

20. Help young readers learn about word families. Check out this fun Lego Word Families from Playdough to Plato.

21. Let kids pick out books for other kids to give as birthday presents.

22. Encourage kids to find their just right reading spots.

23. Start a Family Dinner Book Club.

24. Share books with out of town relatives or friends through Skype or Face Time.

25. Go on a picture walk with kids before reading the text. This is a great way to "plant" new vocabulary, work on predictions and build background knowledge before reading.

26. Read chapter books to children. This helps expose them to new vocabulary and develop visualization skills.

27. Draw attention to print everywhere (billboards, stores, playgrounds, etc.)

28. Create some easy literacy games with muffin tins.

29. Read the same books over and over again! Repetition helps with comprehension, fluency and developing a love of reading.

30. Let kids choose books they want to read.

31. Make reading homework time stress-free with these Reading Homework Tips for a Stress-Free School Year.

32. Expose children to lots of different reading genres.

33. Music and literacy are great partners. Incorporate musical experiences into your child's life.

34. Set reading goals with your children.

35. Let babies and toddlers handle books (hold them, turn pages, point to pictures, etc.). This is a great way to help them learn about concepts of print.

36. Create puppets and have lots and lots of puppet shows.

37. When teaching letters of the alphabet, start with the letters in your child's name.

38. Incorporate experiences into your reading life. If you are reading about the park, take a field trip to the park.

39. Have your child's vision evaluated. It's hard to learn if you can't see the words.

40. Go on a listening walk.

41. Never leave home without something to read! Take reading material in the car, to the doctor's office or a restaurant.

42. Encourage relatives and friends to give books as gifts for holidays and birthdays.

43. Limit television and video game time so there is more time for reading.

44. Play the game Runaway Letter.

45. Beginning readers need "just right" books to practice their reading. These are books at their independent level.

46. Tell stories.

47. Help beginning readers decode words.

48. Collect words. Place a jar in a prominent location. As you discover new words together, collect them in the jar.

49. Develop a vivacious vocabulary.

50. Start reading from day one with babies.

51. Ask questions about what your child is reading and how they are enjoying what they are reading.

52. Play with play dough to work on letter recognition.

53. Get your child their own library card.

54. Play the alphabet game in the car. Who can find an "a" as we are traveling? Keep going until you get to "z".

55. Have reading celebrations.

56. Play Superhero Inferring.

57. Increase the amount of non-fiction reading.

58. Graphic novels really help motivate reluctant readers. Pragmatic Mom has a great series called ABCs of Graphic Novels.

59. Praise your child's effort in becoming a reader.

60. Don't stop reading aloud to a child once they can read on their own.

61. Model comprehension strategies.

62. All reading doesn't have to be from books. Cereal boxes, magazines, flyers, billboard signs, street signs, etc. are all opportunities waiting to be read.

63. Select holiday gifts that promote literacy.

64. Check on your child's progress. If they are in school, talk to their teachers. If you homeschool, do some diagnostic and performance assessments.

65. Once in a while, let kids stay up late to read a good book!

66. Seek out good quality literature. The The Jim Trealese Read-Aloud Handbook is just one resource for finding great books. Of course, following Growing Book by Book is one of the best ways to stay up to date.

67. Read a book under a shady tree.

68. Let beginning readers reread familiar text over and over again.

69. As a family or class, design and record commercials about books and reading.

70. "Read" wordless books.

71. Keep a list of books that you enjoy each year. It's always fun to revisit old favorites from when the kids were younger. I kept track of the first 100 books we read to each of our kids. I figured it would be a fun list someday for the 100th day of school!

72. Create a list of literacy activities that you are interested in from Pinterest. Check out my literacy activities Pinterest board.

73. Let your child help someone else read. They say you don't truly understand something until you can teach it!

74. Allow lots of time for kids to read independently.

75. Have kids research things that interest them. For example, if they want a new electronic device, have them read reviews about different options. A great way to show that reading is important!

76. Start a shared journal with your child. You each take turns writing back and forth to each other. Not only are you working on reading skills, but writing too.

77. Develop recognizing letter sounds. Try this Beginning and Ending Sounds Listening Activities from This Reading Mama.

78. Watch a movie based on a book. Build up a to the movie night by reading the book before watching the movie. Then, compare the two versions.

79. Encourage kids to write their own books.

80. Play pattern games with babies and toddlers. Recognizing patterns will help when they become readers and writers.

81. Share conversation at the dinner table. Here are 365 table topics to get the conversation rolling! Or, try a Family Dinner Book Club.

82. Let your kids meet authors. You can attend bookstore or library signings. If a live visit isn't possible, Youtube has lots of videos of authors and illustrators talking about their work.

83. Don't pressure your child. Every child develops and meets milestones at their own pace. Be patient!

84. Teach kids how to treat books. This book ambulance might come in handy!

85. Celebrate the holidays with books. Incorporate reading theme-related books into your holiday traditions.

86. Is your child a sports fanatic? Let them keep up with statistics and stories in the newspaper during the season their favorite sport is played.

87. Celebrate author's birthdays. It's a great way to showcase different author's work. Happy Birthday Author blog is a fun one to follow to gather ideas.

88. Have your kids join a book club. If you can't find one, start your own!

89. Reluctant and/or older readers may prefer reading on an electronic device such as a Nook or Kindle.

90. Don't take a vacation from reading during the summer. Check out the summer literacy fun we had last year. We called it Alphabet Summer Fun. We even made a book of all our fun to remember the good times all year long.

91. Speaking of summer, plan a literacy vacation!

92. Incorporate books and writing activities into pretend play. For example, have menus and bills in a restaurant dramatic play area.

93. Cooking with kids provides lots of literacy opportunities. Here are some of our favorite cookbooks for kids.

94. When reading a chapter book, have kids draw a picture after each chapter in a mini-book about what they read (or heard if it's a read-aloud). It's a great comprehension tool.

95. Talk about how words are alike and how they are different.

96. Create a word wall in your home or classroom. There are lots of different kinds of word walls (high-frequency words, vocabulary, math, etc.) Add just a few words a week.

97. Make "story of my day" placemats for your dining table. A great way to practice sequencing and build language skills. I like the Dinnertime Doodle Mats from Positively Splendid.

98. Go on a reading picnic. Bring a basket full of books and spread out the blanket in the grass and read!

99. Participate in Virtual Book Club for Kids . Virtual Book Club for Kids features books by a certain author each month.

100. Read with your child 15-20 minutes each day. This truly is the best gift you can give to a reader!

What other tips do you have for growing a reader?
RELATED POSTS Creating Baby's First Library Tips for Reading with Newborns to Age 5 Tips for Reading Chapter Books to Preschoolers
P.S. Have you signed up for our FREE newsletter? Each week you get lots of literacy goodies delivered to your inbox. Take a second and sign-up HERE.

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At Growing Book by Book, we focus on developing book lists and literacy activities that will help our youngest readers grow into proficient and independent readers. There are so many simple, easy, and fun reading to your child ideas and tips that you can be doing to help nurture that growth.

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HOW TO SAY LETTER SOUNDS CORRECTLY | Set Your Child Up for Success in Reading

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Interactive Alphabet Arc
The Interactive Alphabet Arc is a digital version of our Rainbow Alphabet Mat. These arcs are available in both uppercase and lowercase and have been provided in both English and Spanish. The Interactive Alphabet Arcs can be used for timed and untimed alphabet activities.

Follow the links below to see the Alphabet Arcs in action!
Early Literacy Resources available from Region 4 Literacy and Language
Questions about our resources? E-mail reading@esc4.net.

This resource serves as a tool for teaching letter names and sounds to support students on their journey in becoming successful readers and writers. This set can be used for whole-group, small-group, and individual literacy instruction. $30 each. Order online: ALPHABET POSTER AND CHARTS SET
Tool for supporting letter names and sounds.
English| Spanish

LETTER KNOWLEDGE MANIPULATIVE KIT - NEW!
Tools to deepen emergent readers' letter knowledge
This supplemental resource can be used for teaching letter knowledge in small groups. This kit is appropriate for use with emergent readers of any age who need additional support in letter identification, letter-sound correspondences, and letter formation. $100.ORDER ONLINE

READING BY DESIGN
Systematic, Explicit, and Intensive Reading Intervention
Reading by Design: An Individualized Literacy Intervention is a systematic, multisensory approach aligned with research-based practices for developing literacy. This intervention follows an intensive, explicit, and cumulative design for remediation of reading and writing skills at all grade levels. This comprehensive program addresses the following components: phonological awareness, sound-symbol association, six syllable types, written spelling patterns, morphology, syntax, reading fluency, and comprehension. Progress monitoring and review lessons are embedded throughout the program to inform student progress and promote reading and writing automaticity. Reading by Design may be used with students in kindergarten through grade 12 in a small, homogeneous group setting. (Teacher training required.)

For more information about Reading by Design, visit our web page, or e-mail dyslexia@esc4.net.

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Interactive Alphabet Arc The Interactive Alphabet Arc is a digital version of our Rainbow Alphabet Mat. These arcs are available in both uppercase and lowercase and have been provided in both English and Spanish. The Interactive Alphabet Arcs can be used for timed and untimed alphabet activities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Interactive Alphabet Arc
The Interactive Alphabet Arc is a digital version of our Rainbow Alphabet Mat. These arcs are available in both uppercase and lowercase and have been provided in both English and Spanish. The Interactive Alphabet Arcs can be used for timed and untimed alphabet activities.

Follow the links below to see the Alphabet Arcs in action!
Early Literacy Resources available from Region 4 Literacy and Language
Questions about our resources? E-mail reading@esc4.net.

This resource serves as a tool for teaching letter names and sounds to support students on their journey in becoming successful readers and writers. This set can be used for whole-group, small-group, and individual literacy instruction. $30 each. Order online: ALPHABET POSTER AND CHARTS SET
Tool for supporting letter names and sounds.
English| Spanish

LETTER KNOWLEDGE MANIPULATIVE KIT - NEW!
Tools to deepen emergent readers' letter knowledge
This supplemental resource can be used for teaching letter knowledge in small groups. This kit is appropriate for use with emergent readers of any age who need additional support in letter identification, letter-sound correspondences, and letter formation. $100.ORDER ONLINE

READING BY DESIGN
Systematic, Explicit, and Intensive Reading Intervention
Reading by Design: An Individualized Literacy Intervention is a systematic, multisensory approach aligned with research-based practices for developing literacy. This intervention follows an intensive, explicit, and cumulative design for remediation of reading and writing skills at all grade levels. This comprehensive program addresses the following components: phonological awareness, sound-symbol association, six syllable types, written spelling patterns, morphology, syntax, reading fluency, and comprehension. Progress monitoring and review lessons are embedded throughout the program to inform student progress and promote reading and writing automaticity. Reading by Design may be used with students in kindergarten through grade 12 in a small, homogeneous group setting. (Teacher training required.)

For more information about Reading by Design, visit our web page, or e-mail dyslexia@esc4.net.

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Interactive Alphabet Arc The Interactive Alphabet Arc is a digital version of our Rainbow Alphabet Mat. These arcs are available in both uppercase and lowercase and have been provided in both English and Spanish. The Interactive Alphabet Arcs can be used for timed and untimed alphabet activities.

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https://www.thecurriculumcorner.com/thecurriculumcorner123/wp-content/pdf/fry/firsthundredsentences.pdf

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https://www.thecurriculumcorner.com/thecurriculumcorner123/wp-content/pdf/fry/superhero%20sentences.pdf

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https://www.readingrockets.org/reading-101-guide-parents/first-grade/phonics-and-decoding-activities-your-first-grader

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A child with strong decoding skills uses this knowledge of sound-letter correspondence to read familiar and unfamiliar words, and begin to read with ease. Decoding relies on the rules of phonics, so first graders need to memorize words that don't follow those rules.

In first grade, your child becomes a more skillful decoder and can do these things:

Blend or break apart the individual sounds (phonemes) of most one-syllable words, like sip and bat

Read words with long vowel sounds (see, say, so)

Begin to sound out more complex words, including words with silent "e" at the end.

Decoding takes a lot of practice! You can help your child build phonics skills with some of the activities described here - and by offering lots of encouragement as your child gains confidence with this big step into becoming a reader.

Here are some basic tips on how to help your child build phonics skills:

Help your child learn the names of the letters and the sounds the letters make. Turn it into a game! "I'm thinking of a letter and it makes the sound mmmmmm."

That means to follow the words with your finger from left to right as you read them. Your beginning reader will do the same thing for awhile.

Beginning readers may read slowly. Give your child time to decode the words, and avoid jumping in too quickly.

If your child is stuck on a word, prompt them to look at the first letter of the word and make the letter's sound. Of course, only do this for words that can be sounded out! If the word can't be sounded out, just supply the word for them.

Try these phonics activities at home

Fridge fun

Magnetic letters can provide lots of easy phonics practice right in your kitchen. For an alphabet refresher, ask your child to arrange the letters in alphabetical order. Next, ask her to pick out a letter, think of a simple three- or four-letter word that starts with that letter, and spell it out on the refrigerator. Can your child think of more words to spell with that first letter? Finally, see if she can change one letter in the word to make a new word.

Scrambled words

Draw three boxes side by side on a piece of paper. Using magnetic letters or letters written on paper, scramble the letters of a simple three-letter word (big, bug, top, ran) under the boxes. Have your child unscramble the letters and place them into the correct box.

Extra, extra!

Ask your child to find and cut out all the words in a newspaper or magazine that she can read. Glue or tape them onto a piece of paper and practice reading them together.

The "H Brothers"

Explain to your child that sometimes two letters will stand together to create one new sound. The "H Brothers" join with other letters to make the sounds: sh, ch, th, wh and ph. Write down some example words and use multisensory props and gestures to help your child remember the new letter combination. Here's a fun idea for telling the story of the H Brothers to reinforce the concept.

Spelling lightning round

Talk or play games about letter sounds for a few minutes each day. While driving or cooking dinner, give your child a simple two-letter word and a three-letter word to spell. Choose words that are spelled like they sound (at, hot, pet, sip). Give a rousing cheer or high-five for words spelled correctly

Cereal box read aloud

Your breakfast table can offer some easy practice in sounding out words. Together look at the words on your child's cereal box, choose a simple word, and see if your child can sound out the letters as you point to each. Practice blending the sounds to make the word.

Grocery store literacy

Lots of grocery items come in different flavors. Ask your child to help you find a particular flavor by reading the labels. For example, can she find the low fat milk? The tuna fish packed in water? She'll be using her reading skills to find the right item. Put your child in charge of the grocery list. As you put items into the cart, say the word and ask your child to cross it off the list.

Blend it!

First graders will learn how to sound out the letter blends, such as tr, sw, st, sm, sl, pl, gr, fl, dr, cr, cl, br, and bl. This quick game gives your child a chance to practice those blends. Write out a single letter blend on index cards or the backs of used envelopes. Have your child say the sound of the blend and then ask her to name a common object that starts with that sound (you might have to help with this part). Repeat with a few more blends - it's a good idea to keep games like these short and fun. You can also turn this game into a scavenger hunt by asking your child to find the object in the house or outside.

Words in the wild

Words are everywhere! When you're out for a walk or shopping together, point out some simple signage, such as a STOP sign or a store sign that says "Pet Shop." Ask your child if they can sound out the words. Start with easy consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words like pet and then try words with letter blends, like stop and shop.

Listen, listen

Decoding is hard work! Try setting aside time each day to listen to your child read to you, and let him know how much you enjoy hearing him read and how proud you are. If your first grader has a preschool sibling, encourage him to read to his sister or brother (guaranteed to make you smile!).

Dig into decodable books

Through read alouds, kindergarteners should be exposed to a wide range of books that introduce them to rich vocabulary and story structure. But there is also a role for decodable books to help your child practice beginning phonics skills. Decodable books contain a high percentage of words with predictable letter-sound relationships. You'll find a comprehensive list of K-2 books here: Decodable Text Sources.

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Phonics and Decoding: Activities for Your First Grader

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A child with strong decoding skills uses this knowledge of sound-letter correspondence to read familiar and unfamiliar words, and begin to read with ease. Decoding relies on the rules of phonics, so first graders need to memorize words that don't follow those rules.

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https://www.readingrockets.org/reading-101-guide-parents/kindergarten/phonics-and-decoding-activities-your-kindergartner

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Phonics and Decoding: Activities for Your Kindergartener

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Once children have a solid grounding in the sounds of speech (phonemic awareness) they are ready to learn how these speech sounds are connected with the letters of the alphabet. And they begin to learn that there are predicable patterns in sound–letter relationships. They will take their first steps…

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Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten? Prepare Them With These 20 Skills

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The 12 books in My First BOB Books: Alphabet are a wonderful primer for learning the ABCs in a fun and easy-to-understand way. 2. Grip a pencil, crayon, or marker correctly. Smith recommends the "Pinch and Flip" method: "Lay the pencil flat in front of the child with the lead pointing at the child," he says.

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When we are young, we learn sounds and words in various ways. Usually, we hear a word and register it to the meaning of an action or object. Phonemic awareness is the understanding of how words/sounds can break down and build-up, and is very important when it comes to learning how to read.

Toddlers can benefit from different exercises and activities that break down words into segments, syllables, and sounds. From there they can learn each part's meaning and grow in their understanding of language. Here are 20 of our favorite games and activities to improve foundational literacy skills as well as critical pre-reading skills in toddlers.

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20 Fun Phonemic Awareness Activities for Preschoolers - Teaching Expertise

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When we are young, we learn sounds and words in various ways. Usually, we hear a word and register it to the meaning of an action or object. Phonemic

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Add variety to your alphabet instruction with these 9 fun alphabet activities for preschoolers. You can even download a sampler of letter A printables to try them out today.

Are you looking for some fun ways to teach the alphabet to your kids?

During the summer I avoided the steamy 100+ temperature by sitting inside reading No More Teaching a Letter a Week by Rebecca McKay and William H. Teale. Under the cool vent of the AC, I was struck by how many times the authors mentioned that kids benefit from varied and repeated exposure and practice with the alphabet.

I know that I like a little variety when I learn. How about you?

There is no need for you to search all over Pinterest for a bunch of activities that will interest your kids as they learn the alphabet.

Today, I'm excited to tell you about the 9 different letter activitie s that are included in my Super Alphabet Bundle. The wide variety of activities are great for in the classroom or for parents to do at home.

They will give you the opportunity to work on alphabet knowledge in many different ways with your kids.

Plus, you can even sample the printable activities.

How to teach the alphabet

Learning the alphabet involves much more than reciting the ABC song. Kids learn the alphabet when they

learn letter recognition

learn letter sounds

learn to form letters

Kids can learn the alphabet through name activities, by reading books, through playful multi-sensory alphabet activities.

There are MANY ways to help kids learn letters, and it's best to provide a variety of activities.

Let me show you 9 printables to help kids learn the alphabet.

1. Dot Alphabet Activities

The first activity that I want to share is alphabet dot pages. These printable alphabet dot letters can be used to work on letter recognition, letter formation, and letter-sound knowledge.

Kids can trace the letters with their fingers to learn to recognize the unique features of each individual letter. I love that this activity can also be a great fine motor exercise. Kids enjoy placing stickers, loose parts, or sticky fingerprints in each circle of the letters.

To get tons of ideas for using the pages, check out this article about alphabet dot letters

2. An Alphabet Word Wall

Next, you can create a print-rich environment in your classroom with word wall cards. The alphabet header cards in this word wall set are large, square cards with a simple border and large letters so that kids can focus on what is important...the letters. Each word card contains a word in a large, clear, simple font along with a simple illustration.....again clear and simple.

You can also create name cards or custom cards for your word wall. Kids love seeing some environmental print cards up there too.

Because of the trademarked logos, I can't add environmental print card s to the printable set.
But....let me share a secret.....
You can make them by using a logo image in place of a child's photograph. Have fun creating them. Teachers proudly displayed the Ohio State logo on our word walls when we lived in Columbus, Ohio.

In addition to using the set as a word wall, you can use the resource in pocket charts, on word rings in your writing center. You can also use the word cards and alphabet header cards as a sorting activity, for a word scavenger hunt, or as a matching game

3. Start with a Dot - Letter Formation Activities

Giving kids the opportunity to produce letters will help them learn to recognize the letters. This alphabet tracing activity set includes several different cards to help kids learn to produce letters.

Letter Tracing Cards in a Salt Tray

Finger tracing cards provide a great way to help children learn the differences among the letters. A starting dot serves as a visual reminder on where to start letter formation.

Kids can finger trace directly on the cards or can use the cards as a reference as they reproduce the letters in a salt tray, on a blank wall, or in the air with their magic finger.

Do you want to know how to put together a salt tray? Check out this salt tray post for some great ideas to make an exciting salt tray for your kids.

Create Tactile Letter Cards

You can also use the cards to make tactile letter cards. Kids love feeling the letters and don't even realize that they are learning as they do it. Find direction and LOTS of ideas in my article about tactile letters.

Alphabet Tracing Strips

The set also includes 3 sets of alphabet tracing strips so that kids can also practice letter formation with a real-life writing instrument (not a magic finger).

Each set of tracing strips have a different style of tracing font

Some children may find it easier to see their writing on top of the yellow letters, some children may enjoy the challenge of trying to keep their writing within the lines of the outlined letters. Use the style of tracing stripes that are best for your kids.

These are not like old-school letter tracing activities. You know what I mean...the ones with all the arrows and numbers. I do not like those things!

Don't Distract Me! - Arrows and numbers on tracing letters easily distract me. I prefer to use a simple green starting dot on my tracing activities. The dot provides a visual clue to help kids know where to begin when forming letters.

4. My Favorite - Editable Alphabet Activity Sheets

These editable pages provide endless letter activities for your kids.

Practice letter recognition and phonemic awareness in creative and multi-sensory ways. The full set contains lowercase and uppercase editable letter pages, uppercase and lowercase pages without text, 1 full-color editable cover page, and 1 black and white editable cover page.

These letter sheets are my favorite alphabet activity because there are so many ways to use them.

Create an alphabet book by binding a cover together with ABC pages.

Make a tactile alphabet book and let kids finger trace the letters.

Make alphabet pages featuring your kids' names.

Create a class name book.

Use the sheets, along with small manipulative or toys, as play mats or play dough mats.

Create letter activities or art/craft projects with the letter sheets.

Use the sheets without text as coloring pages or take-home pages.

If you want to use materials that coordinate with each letter of the alphabet, check out this article for a HUGE list of material ideas for your letter activities.

5. The All-in-One ABC Play Dough & Activity Mats

If you are looking for an easy printable that provides multi-sensory opportunities to practice letter recognition, letter formation, and letter-sound association ...all on one page...this alphabet activity mat is it. The full set contains 26 full-color alphabet mats and 26 black and white alphabet mats.

Each alphabet mat contains five sections.

1. Alphabet Square - Children can finger trace the large letters or they can place a coil of play dough, wikki stix, or small objects on top of the letter. They can also color the letters.

2. Uppercase Alphabet Line- Encourage kids to search for and circle the focus letter among the other letters in the alphabet.

3. Beginning Sound Examples- Review the objects pictured with your kids. Name the objects and listen for the beginning sound. Practice the sound associated with the letter. Kids can also search for the letter in each word, and/or circle the letter in each word. Kids can color the pictures on the black and white version.

4. Letter Formation Practice- Here is an opportunity to trace letters and write letters on the lines.

5. Lowercase Alphabet Line- Finally, kids can search for and circle the focus letter among the other lowercase letters in the alphabet.

6. Alphabet Letter Books That Assemble in a Snap

My little alphabet letter books are simple, uncluttered, and are a great way to help kids understand print. The simple, predictable text and pictures are easy for kids to read aloud. Your kids will have the opportunity to practice letter recognition and phonological awareness.

Print the full-page book and use it in the class library and print off the little books for a literacy activity that you can send home with your kids.

Each little book contains a cover, 2-3 picture pages, and a letter tracing page.

Kids can finger trace, color or use rainbow writing on the large letters on the cover of each book.

There is simple predictable text on each picture page.

Kids can read the sentence on the picture pages, circle the letter within the sentence, and color the pictures.

The letter formation page provides young children an opportunity to trace and write both capital and lowercase letters. A simple starting dot is a great way to help kids learn letter formation without other distractions.

Busy teachers appreciate that the little books are easy to assemble. Check out this video to see how easy it is to assemble four books in a snap.

Because so many people started teaching preschool at home during the pandemic, I updated the to include an option where you won't end up with 4 copies of the same book.

7. Learning Letters with Fine Motor Activities

Get out the q-tips and learn letters and work on fine motor control with these fun cards. Your kids will learn to recognize letters and proper letter formation (note that the starting point is highlighted) with this fun activity. Check out this article about learning letters with fine motor activities to get more activity ideas.

8. Sorting Words by Beginning Letter and Sound

This ABC picture sort activity gives children the opportunity to practice phonemic awareness skills. The beginning sound sorting activity includes a complete set of uppercase and lowercase letter boards as well as 52 picture cards (2 for each letter of the alphabet).

You can assemble the cards so that they have the name of the pictured object written on the backside.

Ideas for sorting activities and small group games are included.

9. Alphabet Coloring & Activity Pages with a Secret

Finally, these coloring and activity pages will provide children the opportunity to practice letter recognition, letter-sound association, and letter formation. I designed the pages (like many of the activities) in a simple manner so that young kids will not be overwhelmed. The pages are no-prep....just print, copy, and go!

Flexible Options! These activity pages come in half sheet and full sheet sizes. There are two pages for the letter "X" (one with x as a beginning letter and one with x as an ending letter) There is one page for all other letters. Use the pages individually or bind them into an alphabet activity book. Laminate the pages to use them over and over again in a writing center.

Kids can perform the following activities on each page. Don't forget to find the hidden letters!

Color or finger trace large letters.

Reinforce letter-sound awareness as they "read" and color pictures for each letter.

Trace uppercase and lowercase letters.

Print uppercase and lowercase letters.

PLUS Search for 6 small letters hidden on each page

Sample These 9 Activities Today!

How's that for a variety of alphabet activities for preschoolers?

You can purchase all 9 of the activities described above individually, or you can purchase them together in a money-saving bundle. Do you want to try them out before purchasing? Download the free sample of the letter A printables today. The ABC sampler includes all of the activities above for the letter A. To download the activity sample, click on the link below:
Free Alphabet Activity Sample
Purchase the Alphabet Activity Bundle

Click on the image below to purchase the complete alphabet bundle:

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9 Fun Activities That will Help Your Kids Learn the Alphabet

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Add variety to your alphabet instruction with these 9 fun alphabet activities for preschoolers. You can even download a sampler of letter A printables to try them out today. Are you looking for some fun ways to teach the alphabet to your kids?

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How to HOLD A PENCIL!! - (Easy for Kids!) - with Ally the Alligator

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See It, Say It, Sign It | Letter Sounds | ASL Alphabet | Jack Hartmann

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Make a Rhyme, Make a Move | Rhyming Words | Jack Hartmann

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Do you have a little one headed off to school soon? You'll love this useful collection of tips to help your child get ready for kindergarten!

Are you ready for an exciting new series? This Reading Mama and I are teaming up to bring you ten weeks of tips and activities to get your child ready for kindergarten!

But before we begin, let's chat.

What is kindergarten readiness?

It's a hot topic.

You'll find lists of 50 or more things your child should be able to do before kindergarten, from cutting a 3-inch circle to identifying all the letters of the alphabet. On the other end of the spectrum, you'll find early childhood experts who are troubled by such lists. They believe that lists of academic skills detract from the more important social, emotional, and behavioral readiness skills that kids need before starting kindergarten.

It's all about balance.

Even if my preschooler is already reading, he's not ready for kindergarten if he cries at every turn, doesn't know how to play independently, and lacks self control.

On the other hand, academic learning can coexist with social development. Teaching our children the alphabet in creative ways does not mean that they lack time to learn through play. It's even okay to teach our preschoolers to read, if they're ready.

What will you find in this series?

Becky and I will be be sharing practical, meaningful activities that every family can do. Get This Reading Mama's perspective to learn a little more
Click on an image to read the full post!

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10 Ways to help your child get ready for kindergarten

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Do you have a little one headed off to school soon? You'll love this useful collection of tips to help your child get ready for kindergarten! Are you ready for an exciting new series? This Reading Mama and I are teaming up to bring you ten weeks of tips and activities to get your child ready for kindergarten!

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Learning to rhyme is an important literacy skill that helps to improve pre-reading skills, auditory skills, reading, spelling, learning wordplay, and more. Here are 20 charts, activities, and more to help your preschooler improve their rhyming skills.

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20 Great Rhyming Activities for Preschool - Teaching Expertise

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Learning to rhyme is an important literacy skill that helps to improve pre-reading skills, auditory skills, reading, spelling, learning wordplay, and more. Here are 20 charts, activities, and more to help your preschooler improve their rhyming skills.

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Phonics is the science of sounds, a technique used to teach young readers to pronounce words and read by learning the sound of letters, group of letters, and syllables.

Phonics is a foundational reading approach that focuses on the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent. It helps kids decode words by recognizing the sounds of individual letters or groups of letters.

Example: We blend the different sounds in a word together (individual sounds and their corresponding letters), such as 'h', 'a', and 't' to make the word 'hat.'

Phonics aids in reading fluency and spelling accuracy, enabling kids to independently decipher new words by applying their knowledge of letter-sound connections.

Online Phonics Games for Kids

Phonics is taught to preschoolers and kindergarteners at a young age to help them decode sounds from letters. This helps them subsequently to start reading and recognizing unfamiliar words. Somewhere between pre-K and grade 2 are the ages where children pick up phonics. These four years are crucial to draw attention to words and letters and help children pick up the sounds based on which they are formed.

Online phonics games for the classroom help children to learn and practice phonics with ease. Games like letter sequence games, letter sounds games, reading words games, rhyming words games, letter names games, vowel teams games, trigraphs games, diphthongs games, three letter blends games and more can help your little one master the concept of phonics.

Other ELA games you can explore are: reading games, writing games, sight words games, letter tracing games, etc.

How Do We Introduce Phonics to Kids?

Phonics helps children to master the art of identifying alphabets, string alphabets together to form words, and understand sounds in order to make verbal speech. They basically help students to spell, read, and write.

Phonics can be introduced to kids with interactive phonics games online. These games allow children to identify and sequence letters, identify letter sounds, and practice reading and rhyming words. Children also get to work with trigraphs, initial and ending consonant blends, bossy R, soft sounds, three letter blends and much more. They learn how to form words and sentences and learn the meaning as well as the pronunciation of words. These games can be utilized to introduce the concept of phonics to kids to help them develop a long-lasting relationship with language.

How Can We Make Phonics Fun for Kids?

Interactive phonics games online do a great job of combining learning with fun. Parents and teachers often look for exciting and engaging ways to enable kids to learn phonemes to improve their reading and spelling fluency. Since the English language contains 44 phonemes derived out of 26 letters, many letters have different sounds.

The idea behind 'learn phonics games' is to bridge the gap between academic struggle and fun learning. These games are interactive, engaging, and digitally vibrant. They help children easily segment sounds to identify words.

How Can Games Help in Better Understanding of Phonics?

Recognizing sounds and words are essential for children as most of the things they read, even as they grow older, are unfamiliar. Phonics go a long way into building a foundational construct towards a child's reading, writing, and speaking abilities.

While flashcards and books are excellent to help children learn words, incorporating a unique set of educational learning games can be very successful to help kids understand phonics in an engaging and interactive way.

What Are the 5 Best Phonics Games and Activities for Kids?

Here are 5 fun and engaging Phonics games and activities for kids by SplashLearn:

1. Can you Find the Letter B Game

2. Practice A and its Sounds Game

3. Guess the Word: Whiz and Thin Game

4. Explore the Words with the Second Sound of C

5. Listen and Master Rhyming Words Game

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Phonics Games for Kids Online - SplashLearn

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Explore interactive phonics games for kids and help your child enhance their ELA skills with these fun phonics learning games with ease. Get Started for Free!

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Free online games to practice reading skills

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Free online games to practice reading skills

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Free online games to practice reading skills

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Free online games to practice reading skills

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Alabama Literacy Act Read At Home Plan for Gadsden City Schools