Tag Archives: Me and Thee Studios readers

Writing Really Does Matter

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In a previous blog I discussed 3 kinds of reading children need to participate in as they’re learning to read;  1) beautiful, language rich Read-Alouds, 2) challenging Read Togethers, and 3) easy Read Alones.

See the entire blog post here…  http://www.meandtheestudios.com/meblog/right-book-really-matter/

In the same way, there are several kinds of writing that help young children build confidence in their early compositions.  For all of the following ideas you can certainly use paper of any kind but I would encourage using old file folders, trimmed and cut in half, to produce “books” with your child.  The production of “books” solidifies the idea that each of us is an “author” when we write down the stories from our life.  My friend, Writing Really Does Matter!

Writing for your child – Your youngest writers will learn much about “concepts about print” from you as you write for them.  Concepts about print include basic concepts like a letter verses a word, upper verses lower case letters, left to right directionality, the return sweep, top to bottom layout for text, punctuation, etc.  When you write for your child, recording an activity from her life or some of her favorite things, you 1) validate her life as being important, 2) create readable text for her earliest reading attempts, and 3) have a valuable opportunity to talk through early print concepts.  These are certainly necessary for both her reading and her writing development.

Book collage 3

Writing with your child – When your child has many sounds and the corresponding letters fairly well mastered and is beginning to learn a handful of sight words (you might call them high frequency or high utility words), they are ready to “share the pen”.  When you share the pen with your child, you write a good bit of the text  yourself and encourage your child to add the parts they know.  I’ve listed two examples below, but this activity can be used flexibly along the entire early reading and writing skill progression.

Book collaaage 2  book collage 1

Your child might know the majority of consonant sounds and the corresponding letters.  You might have him add the first letter for many of the words on the page.  You might be writing about your pet and your child wants to add, “Oscar is big and fat.”  You’ll mention that Oscar’s name starts with a capital letter, like all names, and then you’ll say “Oscar” aloud, stretching out the sounds as you write the letters.  You’ll add the word “is”, stretching the sounds, and stop for the word “big”.  You’ll say something like, “The next word is big (and make the b sound again).  What do you hear at the beginning of “big”?  Yes, the sound “b” and what letter makes that sound?  Yes!  The letter, “b”.  I want you to add a “b” at the beginning of our next word “big”.”  Let your child add the letter then take the pencil back from your child and you’ll add (while stretching to hear independent sounds) the “i” and “g” to finish “big”.  You can write “and” (stretching [always stretching] the sounds) and follow the same process for “fat” that you worked through for “big”.

Your child might know the word “I” and almost know the word “like”.  Create a book about some of his favorites and encourage him to write the words “I like” on every page.  He can also probably add the period at the end of every sentence to help solidify the use of an end mark.

We certainly all have something to say, and early writing instruction helps a child see that his “voice” matters.  In general, use your child’s choice of words to help him record his message.  You’ll be tempted to edit his word choice, but he will likely remember (he has to remember to construct) his own structure and will struggle to remember yours.

Independent writing – When your child is writing most 2 consonant words independently you become the writing mentor.  Your child will still enjoy writing her own books about her activities but she will be doing the planning, layout, and writing for herself.  You are there as a mentor to offer suggestions and prompt when you notice a problem (CAUTION – Do not nit-pick.  You want her to 1) feel confident and 2) have a product she will treasure.  If you nit-pick she will not want to write with you acting as “mentor” and will likely never want to look at her creation again.)

Book collage 4

The early writing activities go hand in hand with teaching a child to read.  In fact, whatever new skill your child is working on in reading can be solidified in writing.  Yes, you’ll have the opportunity to be creative in finding a book idea that incorporates the new skill.  The dual approach makes the new reading skills and “concepts about print” come alive for young children who will all benefit from this hands-on approach to learning early literacy skills.

Happy writing!

Before you leave the site, follow my blog (top, right of this post).  It’s quick and easy! 

For more from Marea, check out Me and Thee Studios’ faith based leveled readers for 1st-2nd graders at http://www.meandtheestudios.com/early-reader-collection.html

Zone of Proximal Development Really Does Matter

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In 1932 Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky introduced a theory of developmental readiness he called Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).  You might be wondering, “What in the world does ZPD have to do with parenting?”  Well, I’m glad you asked.

From teaching a two year old to eat at the table with the family to helping your child ride a bike, parents naturally employ an understanding of ZPD.  We intuitively know that our children must first master finger foods before handling glassware and steak knives.  We also know that learning to ride a bike will require countless trips up and down the block, jogging beside our child, holding onto the seat and handlebars as they learn to balance, pedal, and brake with confidence.  Those incremental steps in mastering new skills, with the support of a more proficient mentor, are a picture of ZPD.  Regardless of what we’re learning, Zone of Proximal Development Really Does Matter.

 ZPD

The graphic above helps us understand the concept of Zone of Proximal Development more fully.  Consider the 5 year old who is learning to ride his two-wheeled bike.  He can ride his bike with training wheels (what the learner can do unaided) but he cannot ride without his training wheels yet.  He needs the support of a more proficient mentor.  With a little bit of assistance (but not yet independently), the learner is successful with the new task.

Zone of Proximal Development is critically important when teaching children to read and write.  As a classroom teacher, I met many parents who assumed that any book from the children’s section of the library would be beneficial in teaching their child to read.

Do you remember Little Golden Books from your childhood?    Let’s take a look at the first page of text from The Lone Ranger.  While the publisher’s information recommends this book for children 2-5 years of age, the text is actually written at a 2nd grade reading level.  This book may be suitable for a 2-5 year old as a Read Aloud but asking a child in kindergarten or first grade (who is just learning to read) to read this book independently would cause undue stress.  This book is not within a very young reader’s ZPD.

Golden Book

You might have heard the term leveled readers.  Leveled readers refer to books that are written with a child’s Zone of Proximal Development in mind.  Leveled readers are meant to introduce children incrementally to new challenges in their reading.  With a little bit of support, the child can successfully read a leveled text.  When books are chosen based on a child’s ZPD, reading becomes an opportunity for a little bit of teaching and a whole lot of praise.  We want to avoid stressful sessions that highlight what a child can’t yet do.

Below is a snapshot of the text from Me and Thee Studios’ “The Writing on the Wall”.  The high frequency words and new spellings in leveled readers are specifically controlled to support young readers as they progress through the intricacies of reading development.

Leveled Book

By the way – if you haven’t checked out Me and Thee Studios’ Early Reader Collection, you’ll want to!  Our leveled readers are perfect for home discipleship, whether you home school your children or not.

In writing, try “sharing the pen” with your child.  In short, hold your child responsible for everything you know they can do independently.  If your child has mastered all short vowel and consonant sounds, help him “stretch” the sounds orally and write the letters for CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words like hot, run, cap, and him.  Also, hold your child accountable, with support, for the new things they have been introduced to.  However, if you know your child hasn’t yet learned the ee ( as in the word see) or the ea (as in the word eat), add those letters for your child in their writing.  “Share the pen” to support their progress in a non-threatening experience.

As you consider your child’s ZPD, are there changes you need to make that will make your reading and writing time together more pleasurable for both of you?  Join the conversation by replying at the top of this post.

Before you leave the site, why not follow my blog (top, right of this post)?  It’s quick and easy 

For more from Marea, check out Me and Thee Studios’ faith based leveled readers for 1st-2nd graders at http://www.meandtheestudios.com/early-reader-collection.html.