Mrs. Spillman - Reading: Announcements http://up.up140.org/class/1st/spillman/Lists/Announcements/AllItems.aspx RSS feed for the Announcements list. Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:01:34 GMT Windows SharePoint Services V3 RSS Generator 60 Mrs. Spillman - Reading: Announcements /class/1st/spillman/_layouts/images/homepage.gif http://up.up140.org/class/1st/spillman/Lists/Announcements/AllItems.aspx How Can I Help My Child? 7 Ways to Build a Better Reader for Grades 1-2 Try these easy steps to bolster your child's reading skills. http://up.up140.org/class/1st/spillman/Lists/Announcements/DispForm.aspx?ID=15 Body:
1.) Make reading part of your child's world. Read books with her and to her, aiming for a total of 30 minutes of book-sharing time each day. Also incorporate reading into everyday activities. Post a chore list on the refrigerator, ask her to read signs as you drive, and play board games like Scrabble Junior. 2.) Take turns. When he is ready to read to you, start by taking turns. You read one page, he reads the next, and so on. 3.) Ask deeper questions. Help her build comprehension skills by asking questions about the story, such as why she thinks a character did something and what may come next. Talk to her about which books are her favorites and have her try to explain why. 4.) Be patient. Wait quietly as your child tries to sound out a word he's unfamiliar with. 5.) HELP HER WHEN SHE NEEDS IT! If she makes a mistake but is close, quickly repeat the word correctly and let her continue without interrupting the flow. If she guesses wildly on a word, help her get the right meaning from the context of the sentence. 6.) Answer questions about the meaning of words, but don't drill her on vocabulary words as you read. Read different-level books. It's okay if he chooses an "easy" book to read. Reading a familiar favorite is a good confidence booster. Read more advanced books to him to introduce new words and challenging stories. 7.) Praise her. Learning to read smoothly is hard work and might frustrate her at times. Encourage her by praising her efforts, paying attention when she wants to read, and making your reading time together fun.
]]> Mrs. Spillman Tue, 25 Jul 2017 21:08:26 GMT http://up.up140.org/class/1st/spillman/Lists/Announcements/DispForm.aspx?ID=15 How Do We Work Our 1st Grade Reading Intervention Groups? http://up.up140.org/class/1st/spillman/Lists/Announcements/DispForm.aspx?ID=20 Body:
Language Arts Methods of Instruction Our language arts program includes the integration of reading and writing. Each child begins at his/her own level and builds upon it. Our District curriculum is based on a balanced literacy framework both in content and process. Content areas of phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension are addressed through the processes of read alouds, shared reading, guided reading, and independent practice. A rich variety of children’s literature expands students’ vocabulary and understanding and hopefully builds a love of reading. I instruct small groups for reading intervention. Researched Based Programs • My Sidewalks Intensive Reading Intervention by Pearson (Phonemic Awareness, Letter Names, Consonants, Vowels, Blending Words and fluent word reading, High-Frequency Words, Oral vocabulary and concept development, Building Fluency, and Passage Reading and retelling) • Michael Heggerty (Phonemic Awareness) • Phonics Dance (Phonics instruction) What is phonics? Is it not sounding out words? How does this differ from phonological awareness? I get this question frequently. First, let me define phonics: Phonics is the method of teaching beginning readers to connect the sounds of spoken language with letters or a group of letters and yes, part of phonics instruction involves the teaching of children to blend the sounds of letters together to form words (technically referred to as decoding skills). Phonics instruction typically starts with letters first and children are taught the sounds that those letters "stand for" or "make". It is NOT the same thing as phonological awareness. The terms are not interchangeable. Phonological Awareness is the awareness of sounds only! It is void of print. No letters are introduced, no sound to symbol correspondence is taught. I like to use the following example. Phonics involves the eyes AND ears. Phonological awareness involves just the ears. You can have phonological awareness without phonics but you cannot have phonics without phonological awareness. Phonological awareness skills are prerequisite skills for phonics!
]]> Mrs. Spillman Thu, 15 Feb 2018 14:48:23 GMT http://up.up140.org/class/1st/spillman/Lists/Announcements/DispForm.aspx?ID=20 Reading for Meaning with Your Child By: Reading Rockets http://up.up140.org/class/1st/spillman/Lists/Announcements/DispForm.aspx?ID=21 Body:
What does this mean? Reading with comprehension means understanding what's been read. It takes practice, time, and patience to develop reading comprehension skills. Families can play an important role in helping a child learn to read for understanding. First, make sure your child is reading books appropriate for their reading level. If a book is too hard, all your child's energy will be put into decoding and reading word for word, with less energy available to figure out what the book means. Books that your child can read with 98-100% accuracy are good choices for comprehension building. Reading comprehension skills can be developed using a before-during-after approach. Below are a few suggestions that will help build comprehension skills. Before Your goal is to help your child build an understanding of and purpose for what they're about to read. Look at the book's cover. Ask, "What do you think this book might be about? Why? Can you make some predictions?" Guide your child through the pages, discuss the pictures, and brainstorm what might happen in the story. Talk about any personal experiences your child may have that relate to the story. During Your goal is to help your child be an active reader. Read together and talk about what's happening as they're reading. Stop and discuss any interesting or tricky vocabulary words. Talk about any surprising or sad passages, and help them visualize parts of the story. Ask your child, "Do you understand what's happening here? What do you think will happen next?" If your child seems unsure, stop, go back and reread if necessary. Discuss any confusing parts. After Your goal is to help your child reflect on what they've read. Summarize and share your favorite part of the book. Have your child rate the book on a scale from 1 to 10 and say why. Have your child reread their favorite part or act it out. Take the extra time before and during reading to read with your child this way. You'll soon find yourself reading with a child who is motivated to comprehend and learn from everything they read.
]]> Mrs. Spillman Thu, 15 Feb 2018 15:09:09 GMT http://up.up140.org/class/1st/spillman/Lists/Announcements/DispForm.aspx?ID=21 Welcome to 1st Grade! I am the Reading Teacher for 1st Grade/Multiage http://up.up140.org/class/1st/spillman/Lists/Announcements/DispForm.aspx?ID=12 Body:
Please ask me about any questions you may have as this school year begins. My email is: lspillman@up140.org and my phone is: 618-529-4151 x168
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