Does Your Kindergartner Struggle with Beginning Reading Skills?
Ball Begins With B!
The Cow That Went OINK
This book about feelings and emotions is filled with beautiful illustrations by Laura Cornell. Feelings such as silly, confused, excited and sad are discussed, along with actions and events that might trigger different emotions. The book discusses everyday events, which makes it very relatable for 4-year-olds.
Oral Language
Make predictions. After introducing the book, ask your child how she is feeling today. Is she feeling sad? Is she feeling silly? Ask her what made her feel that way. Then ask your child to name some other moods that she thinks she might see in the story.
Oral Language
As you read the scenarios in the book, take time to relate them to your child’s life experiences. For example:
"Today my mood’s great, it’s the absolute best.
I rode a two-wheeler and passed my math test.
I played soccer at recess and we won the game.
I sang in the show and my parents both came."
You might say to your child:
“These are some things that put this little girl in a happy mood. Show me your expression when you are in a really good mood? What are some things that put you in a great mood?”
Phonological Awareness
Clap syllables. While going through the story, have your child clap the syllables of the feelings (silly, angry, sad, etc.).
Read the story with a rhythmic tempo placing emphasis on the rhyming words. After you have read the story several times, you might omit a rhyming word and let your child fill in the blank. For example:
"Today I am lonely. I feel so small.
My Auntie’s away. I wish that she’d _____ (call)."
Beginning Writing
Encourage your child to remember a time where she was feeling silly, sad, happy, cranky, etc. Start by writing the name of the feeling at the top of the paper. The only instructions that should be given are to create a picture of a time that she felt that feeling.
Because there is limited instruction, it gives your child the opportunity to be creative and come up with the memory and drawing completely on her own. Discuss the picture once your child is finished and ask her to explain the memory and why it caused those feelings.
Explore more easy at-home activities designed to build pre-reading skills in your 4-year-old, or take the Reading BrightStart! Preschool Reading Screener. The screener can help you determine if your child is on the path to reading readiness and provides a free plan for moving forward.