In our classroom this year, the children will participate in many different kinds of reading and writing for a variety of purposes daily.  Within these experiences, teaching and learning about phonics and spelling will be an important goal.

          This letter is to describe the word study system in which your child will participate and to suggest some ways you can help your child learn about letters, sounds, and words.

          I will teach one or more weekly lessons or important spelling strategies and patterns that will be reinforced and applied each day.  Each week the children will be given 5 words and select 5 words themselves to learn and will write then on a spelling index card.  They keep these in their “word study” notebook and can take them home each night to study.  They will use study methods to learn these words, engage in activities such as buddy check and word linking, or give each other a buddy test on the last day of a five day cycle.

 

          At home you can help your child learn by doing the following:

 

·       Read books to your child, including rhyming books, song books, and alphabet books.

·       Enjoy rhymes with your child.

·       Show interest in your child’s word study activities by asking to see your child’s weekly spelling words.

·       Dictate the weekly words for your child to write (tell your child to try the word again if it’s not written correctly the first time)

·       Help your child notice the tricky parts of words.

·       Help your child notice letter patterns, or how words are the same or different.

·       Show pride in your child’s attempts by noticing what is right about words, not what is wrong.

·       Show interest in words as your child reads and writes, as you read aloud to your child, and as you notice words together in daily living activities.

You are an important partner in your child’s learning.  Please know that what you do to support your child’s interest in and success with words will make an important difference in school.  Please let me know if you have any questions.