Comprehension Review
Week 10
It is important to take the time to check in with your child to ensure they understand what is being read. If you are reading to them, pause a few times to check in with them and then chat about it after the book is done. If your child is doing the reading, ask them a few questions about the story after they finish. If your child is listening to a read aloud that I have read, talk to them afterwards and ask them questions about the story. If your child needs to go back in the story/video to answer the questions, that is perfectly acceptable! Here is a picture from a few weeks ago that gives some more information about comprehension.
Slow and Steady
Week 9
When you are reading a story, you might want to race through it to find out how it ends, however that is not always the best thing to do. This week, I would like you to go slow and steady when reading a book. The reason we read is to learn something new or to enjoy a story. If you race through a book like you are a race car trying to be the first one to cross the finish line, it makes it hard to really appreciate and understand the story you have read. This is why we must slow down when we read, especially when we get to tricky words that you don’t know …yet. Watch the video below for tips on slowing down when reading and writing.
Digraphs
Week 8
This week we are looking at digraphs. Digraphs are two consonants combined that only produce one sound. The most common ones are “sh”, “ch”, “th”, and “wh”. We have learned a little about these before, but we didn’t use the word “digraph” to describe them. Digraphs help with reading and writing, but this week we are focusing on reading them. Below is a video of me doing a review on digraphs and below that is a little worksheet that you can download to work on with your child.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KVTvIv9UpvKvQJt8UVF3GgaGG36rNn1Z/view?usp=sharing
Blends
Week 7
This week we are looking at blends, which are two(or three) letters together that combine together to make a distinct sound. In a blend, you can hear a bit of the 2 or 3 letters that are combined. Some common blends are “st”, “tr”, “spr”, which can be seen in “stop”, “truck”, “spring” respectively. Below is a video of me doing a review on blends.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yY_KGDvbOngmNzL52-jailPSKSMz3A4r/view?usp=sharing
Here is a blend chart from “Whimsy Workshop Teaching”:
Word Families
Week 6
This week we are focusing on word families. Word families are words that end with the same ending sound/letters. A few common word families are the -at family, the -in family, and the -it family. Words in a word family rhyme and they are a great building block for learning to read. I have included a video about word families and an optional word families activity.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ysGbVdWHTO9UojXGRH0q9cgV8LxmeuMm
Understanding What We Read
Week 5
“Reading is thinking.” There is a sticker on the whiteboard in 1B that says this and it is true. If a child is not thinking about and understanding the words and the pictures in a story, the story is lost and it makes it hard to enjoy. One goal we have in grade one is for the students to understand what they are reading. After reading a book with your child, ask them about what they had just read. Below is a chart that can help you come up with some questions.
Tricky Words
Week 4
Every reader is bound to find a word tricky from time to time. The main thing is that we do not give up when we get to a hard word. You can do hard things, 1B! Use the strategies below to help you when you get to a tricky word. Try it 3 times then ask a grownup if you are still stuck. Once the tricky word is figured out, re-read the whole sentence. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, grade one, because that is how we learn best!
 | Eagle Eye– Use the picture for clues to help with the words. Lips the Fish– Get your lips ready to say the word. Stretchy Snake– Slowly sound out the word. Tryin’ Lion– Try a word that would make sense. If it doesn’t work, try it again. Chunky monkey– Break the words into parts. Are there some sounds you know?Flippy Dolphin– Sound out the word using the long vowel sound, if that doesn’t work try the short vowel sound. *This one can be tricky. Skippy Frog– Skip the tricky word then go back and read the whole sentence and see if you can figure it out. |
Reading is Thinking
Please do about 20 minutes of reading each day. Each day should include a Read Aloud, Independent Reading, and Reading to Someone. Below is the plan for Week 3- Reading is Thinking.
| Week 3 |
| Before reading a story, have your child take a sneak peek through the book to look at the pictures. Ask your child about the pictures they see. Ask them what they think the story will be about. |
| During the reading, if your child makes a mistake or stops, ask them: -Does that make sense? -Does that sound right? -Does that look right? Or you can ask them to try using one of our strategies: Eagle Eye– Use the picture for clues to help with the words. Lips the Fish– Get your lips ready to say the word. Stretchy Snake– Slowly sound out the word. Tryin’ Lion– Try a word that would make sense. If it doesn’t work, try it again. Chunky monkey– Break the words into parts. Are there some sounds you know?Flippy Dolphin– Sound out the word using the long vowel sound, if that doesn’t work try the short vowel sound. *This one can be tricky. Skippy Frog– Skip the tricky word then go back and read the whole sentence and see if you can figure it out. After about 3 attempts, you can tell your child the word and have them repeat the sentence using the correct word. |
| After you have read a book with your child, ask them the questions below. They can answer orally, on paper, or they can draw a picture. -What is the title of the story? Who is the author? -What is the story about? -Who is the main character? -What happened in the story?(Beginning Middle Ending) -What was your favourite part? -Does this story make you think of anything else?(Another story you have read? Something in your life? A movie you have seen?) Click below to download a version of a little comprehension question game that you can use after each story. |
Week 2
During week 2 we are focusing on FL RS 3 I can read…
- Word wall words
- Words that are important to me
Can your child recognize sight words in their reading this week? This is a great way to help build your child’s confidence. Before reading a story together, you can go through it and do a scavenger hunt to see what sight words you can find. For those students who need extra support, the grown ups can read the words that are not sight words at the beginning and your child can read the sight words. *Note: Continue to work on the skills we discussed in week 1. See the diagram below.*
Week 1
Find a perfect spot to read- What is a perfect spot? Think about lighting, noise, how easy it is to focus, and how comfortable it is.
Take a sneak peek- Take a peek at all the pictures in your book before reading it. What do you think the story will be about? Afterwards, check to see if your predictions were right.
Do something at the end- Finished a book? Well don’t just throw it away and forget about it. Good readers always do something at the end. You can reread the story, retell it to a loved one, or you can think about your favourite part(s).
Read more and more and keep track!- If you read 2 books yesterday, try to read 3 today! Keep reading more and more each day to help become the best reader you can be! You can also use tallies to keep track so you can tell your grownups at the end of the day how may books you have read!
Week 1 Chart
Learning at Home with Ms. Abbott 
