Back in the Classroom – Reading to Children

2013-09-07 | puppy1952

“Whose mommies and daddies read to you, everynight before bed?” I asked my girls . A sprinkling of hands went up. “Whose mommies and daddies read to you before you started Grade 1.'” Just a few more hands went up. I noticed that most of the girls who were still being read to, were good readers themselves. Those who never had stories read to them were making slower progress.

The mistake that many parents make is – Now that my child is reading – I needn’t read to her any more. She must read on her own – she needs to practise.

We talk to our babies before they can understand the words we say – and very soon they’re talking too. It’s the same with reading – first we read because they can’t read themselves but we must continue. Read books to your children that have a more advanced vocabulary and watch how their use of language improves. There are many advantages of reading to your child.

It’s a wonderful way to get your child into bed and settled for the night.
It’s a special togetherness time – sit close to your child and let her see the words and pictures as you read.
Your child will be hearing well-written English which will contribute to her gaining good language skills.
You can use the story for life lessons and discussions.
Books, both fiction and nonfiction, teach general knowledge.
New worlds are opened for you both to share.

Let reading to your child become part of her bedtime routine. Make sure radios and television are off when you read to your child and make it a special time – do not let any digital devices interfere with this time. Put your phone on silent!

What should we be reading to our children? Take them to the library and show them the array of books in the children’s section and let them choose! Some children really love nonfiction so don’t neglect that. Let them browse through a nonfiction book and let it be more of a question and answer session rather than reading it from cover to cover.

There are many modern children’s authors writing wonderful stories with fantastic illustrations but don’t forget the old fashioned fairy tales. The girls in my class love The Three Little Pigs and Cinderella as much as the children who I taught from past generations did. Alice in Wonderland, Peter Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh – just never go out of style.

Here is my very short suggestion list – there are so many books out there but in my book these are compulsory reading.

AA Milne –Winnie the Pooh

Beatrix Potter – Peter Rabbit + all her other books

Kenneth Graham – The Wind in the Willow

The Brothers Grimm – All their fairy tales

Lewis Carroll – Through the Looking Glass

Ludwig Bemelmans – Madeline

Rudyard Kipling – The Just So Stories

Enid Blyton – The Wishing Chair and The Faraway Tree

I read to my girls at school as often as possible. I read stories that we as Grade One teachers have decided on together as well as books the girls bring that they want to share. We all enjoy the stories. But this is not a substitute for Mom and Dad reading to a child. There is not the same intimacy, bonding and sharing. Start the habit now. If time runs out – leave the homework – Read to your child!

Back in the Classroom – Work, puppies and party time

2013-06-09 | puppy1952

Love is a warm puppy! Two of the little girls in my class have recently each acquired a dachshund puppy. These little cuties co-incidentally came from the same litter. I was delighted to be introduced to the two cuddly bundles last week.

Two cuddly bundles with their proud owners

The most important thing we learn in Grade 1 is Reading. If we don’t grasp this skill all other learning will be seriously compromised. Everything possible is done to improve our reading and writing vocabulary. A good way to revise our reading words is to work on cards based on our Reading Scheme.

Here are the girls busily working at their tasks.

We seem to have lots of May and June birthdays and we had another birthday girl on Friday! And wow were we spoilt – a party pack each and the most beautiful cup cakes! Luckily it was Friday and P.E. for the last part of the day so the sugar high was worked off before home time!

The birthday girl handing out the treats

Things are as busy as ever at school. The older children are busy rehearsing for their Pantomime – Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. As I am the prompt I know its going to be good – so if you haven’t got your tickets – don’t delay and don’t miss out on this hilarious take on an old favourite.

Back in the Classroom – Learning to Read

2013-02-02 | puppy1952

What I just love about Grade 1 is the way they learn to read. How do they learn to read? Each child has a different way – for some it’s visual – for others auditory then again it may be a combination of both – tactile comes into it too. They use picture cues, contextual cues and a dozen other cues. Some children learn easily for others it takes longer and some might even need specialised help. The good news is that almost every child does learn in the end. I try to make each reading lesson fun and so far the girls seem to be enjoying it.

But before a child learns to read she should have had many many stories read to her. Parents and other adults in the child’s life should not stop reading to the child when she begins to learn to read to herself either. She will be gaining so much from having books with richer vocabulary read to her; books she can not yet read to herself. Hearing language builds language. I cannot emphasise enough how important this is. Then when it comes to helping your child at home the key is – no pressure. Do not ask her to sound out a word – or say things like – you know that word – you’ve just read it. It takes time for the new words to sink in. Make the reading session fun – read with your child – tell her the words she gets stuck on then come back to that word later.

Many parents say to me – my child doesn’t really know the words – she is reading the book off by heart. Or If I cover the pictures she can’t read the story. Please, parents – all of this is part of the learning process. Do not cover the pictures – they give important clues as to what is happening in the story. Learning by heart is also part of learning to read – eventually those words will be recognised. Let her read off by heart and then point to random words and see how many she eventually learns to read! Let her work out the word by its position in the sentence. Referencing is also a way that gets that word embedded into her head.

Over the past few weeks we have had fun doing lots of different activities.

We learned a new word – Symmetry – and filled in details on a face.

Trying to get the symmetry right

Aren’t they lovely – the girls and their work of course

Such creative girls

We know our colours and had fun colouring octopuses orange, cutting them out ( a good fine motor skill) and puffing them out to look 3D on our own.

Orange Ollie Octopus

We are learning positional words (prepositions)

She is standing on the chair.

After our work is done we can do puzzles, play games or read on the mat.

Fun with a puzzle

Enjoying a good read

Back in the Classroom – Plunging into the Fourth Term

2012-10-27 | puppy1952

I can barely believe that the final term of 2012 is already upon us. What a busy year it has been including a fantastic musical under the belt. My little girls excelled themselves at cuteness when they did their “Your feet are too big,”dance in the foundation phase production of Cinderella and Rockefeller. Yes there were some tiny mistakes with the bossy ones instructing the others what to do but oh boy it was adorable with the princesses dressed in their ever so cut blue and white checked parlour maid pinafores over red puff sleeved blouses and bright red ribbons in their hair. The Grade 7 girls expertly did their makeup –their little lips in red heart-shapes, cheeks all rosy and bright eyes shadowed beautifully. While waiting in the classroom I had constantly to reassure them that nothing had smudged and that they all looked gorgeous (which of course they did!)

The show was only over by 10:00 p.m. and each cast had to perform two evening and one matinée show. They were exhausted, and indeed with all the rehearsals and performances I wondered if we would ever get back to normal again – but we did, I was worn out so you can just imagine how they felt!

That all ended on Tuesday 16^th and we have just completed a regular school week! And wow – am I delighted with my girls. Looking back over the year I am freshly amazed at how much they have grown from that first, fresh new day of Blasting Off to Big School. Thirty-two nervous, excited, brand new learners unable to read, write or do arithmetic have become competent, confident readers, writers and calculators and I swear I don’t know how! Did I really teach them so much in such a short time? I asked them, “”How did you learn to read all these words?” These are some of the replies – “I just know them!“ “I taught myself” “I’m clever!”

I cannot explain how rewarding it is to teach the first year of school to fresh, eager young children so ready to absorb whatever you throw at them. It is a challenge, a responsibility, a privilege to be entrusted with these young minds. I don’t have to fill them – I have to create an environment in which they discover for themselves – and when I hear their answers to how they got there I know I have succeeded. Nobody responded with “You taught me Ma’m” And that makes me proud – they have learnt simply by being in my class and they’re as mystified as me as to how it all just happened,

I am excited and thrilled that my girls are doing what they’re doing. It blows my mind and I am humbled. No two have the same learning style – each has her own individual way of getting there Each has her own individual problem, talent and drive and I am proud that each one is making progress at her own pace – in spite of me.

If I have provided a learning environment in which they feel confident enough to strive for their own perfection then I have succeeded as a teacher and that is what it is all about – that is the reward and right now I am feeling so fulfilled.