Learning Letters and Passwords

Since beginning our study of letters and passwords each week, you may be hearing about the activities students are engaged in at school to support their growth in this important area literacy.  Below, I've included some visuals and helpful links to keep families informed and share some ideas for practice at home.  Please know that this is not a part of kindergarten homework (althought that IS something that I frequently hear young kinders ask for because homework is for the "big kids"), but merely an opportunity for you to have a glimpse into our learning and also some ideas to try out if you happen to be looking for them. :)

Echo the Owl - You've probably heard about our friend Echo the Owl.  You've also probably asked yourself who on earth that is?  Echo is our feathered friend who helps us to learn letter sounds because she is so good at echoing whatever she hears (in her true owl nature).  We have to be very careful when we wake Echo up to practice letters with us because, as you know, owls are nocturnal and waking early in the morning just isn't commonplace for them.  But Echo is our friend and she loves watching our kinders rock their letter sounds.  

Upcoming Sequence for Learning Letters - The FUNdations literacy program follows a systematic plan for introducing letters.  This chart outlines the letters we will learn in the weeks ahead. 

Letter Cards - When we introduce new letters, we use keyword picture cards to help students remember the sound each letter makes.  The visual association of the word starting with that letter helps kinders build automaticity in knowing letter sounds.

Handwriting Lines for Letter Formation - When we give verbal and visual directions to instruct students in writing letters, we use this writing grid to help them understand the movement and placement involved.  

Language of FUNdations - This link features a comprehensive youtube video modeling the language and teaching we use during this area of instruction.  This video features all the letters the children will learn this year, but we still will be learning 2 per week as it is an appropriate pace for kinders to learn and retain this information.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApE3axgV3SA#action=share

Passwords - We will continue to send home two new passwords a week in red folders for you to add to the existing key ring that you have at home.  Taking the time to practice reading and spelling these passwords just a couple of minutes a day will help your child in their reading and writing growth throughout this year.  If you are looking for some fun ways to practice passwords at home, please visit this link with lots of ideas! 

http://www.thejennyevolution.com/fun-ways-practice-sight-words/

If your child's key ring and passwords have been misplaced, please let me know and I will send another home.