Created By Aashima Seoni

Introduction | Content | Assignments | Resources | Assessment

Introduction

   Hello, my name is Aashima Seoni and I will be your instructor for this module.  I am a first grade teacher in the Montgomery County Public School system.  I received my teaching degree from the University of Maryland and am currently working towards my Masters in Technology in Education at Johns Hopkins 
University. Teaching young students to read was what drew me to teaching first grade.

This module was created for parents to guide their young children through the pre-reading phase.  By the end of this module, you will learn how to help your child develop the important skills needed to start their journeys as skilled readers.  As a result of participation in this course, you will be able to assist your child in developing the pre-reading skills of directionality, return sweep, and one to one correspondence.  You will also learn the most effective methods of reading to/with your child. 

Remember . . . children who are exposed to books and prints at home starting at an early age, tend to pick up on pre-reading skills quicker.  Also, developing strong reading skills at a young age helps lead to 
future academic success.

I hope that this website will be an insightful resource as you are teaching your child to read. 

Introductory Activity:
In order to become familiar with the other parents that are using the resources on this website, please go to the Discussion Board (found on the main Blackboard site) and post a message telling us what your favorite book is and what your child's favorite book is.  Also, please explain why these books are your favorites.

Introduction | Content | Assignments | Resources | Assessment

Content

In my class, there are always those children who I can tell have been read to at home and been exposed to books before coming to school. These children seem to pick up on pre-reading skills quicker, such as following print, pointing to words, and just understanding the concept that print has meaning.  Below you will find a Power Point presentation that will teach you how to get your child ready to be a reader.

Book Introductions

Reading with your child everyday is imperative in helping your child develop the skills needed to become a good reader.  Reading to or with your child does not mean just handing your child a book and saying "GO!"  There are several steps to take before handing a new book to a young reader in order for the first reading to be successful.  Teachers conduct reading groups daily to teach children new reading strategies.  Below you will find a handout, that can be printed out for your convenience, which describes the steps that teachers take before, reading, and after a reading to ensure that students have a successful experience.

Introduction | Content | Assignments | Resources | Assessment

Assignments

Introduction | Content | Assignments | Resources | Assessment

Resources

The following websites are wonderful resources for parents and children.   

• http://www.readingrockets.org (A WETA website that provides 
  information about teaching kids to read and helping those who struggle)

• http://www.starfall.com (interactive reading website)

• http://pbskids.org/ (This PBS website gives children an opportunity to
  play educational reading games with their favorite characters such as
  Arthur, Clifford, and the characters from Between the Lions. It also offers parents printable worksheets and games.)

• http://www.readingrockets.org (parental resource for young readers)

• http://www.literacyconnections.com (literacy tips and articles for parents)

• http://www.child-reading-tips.com (literacy tips and articles for parents)

Introduction | Content | Assignments | Resources | Assessment

Assessment

Assessment is an essential tool in recording your child's progress in reading.  Below you will find links to two different Concepts of Print assessments that you can administer on your child to see how they have progressed in this area of reading.

Assessment One (no Quick Time version)

Assessment Two (Quick Time version, includes a video clip of the assessment in progress)

Introduction | Content | Assignments | Resources | Assessment