Ms. Baldwin's Ocean Explorers 2009-2010

Learning to read is an important goal for our kindergarten students!  

Read to and with your child on a daily basis for 10-15 minutes to support comprehension and to show your child the importance of reading.

Also review letters and sounds to establish a strong foundation and understanding of reading. Our goal at Pleasanton Primary is to have all kindergarten students identify their letters and sounds independently by the end of the first semester. If your child is able to identify their letters and sounds, begin blending sounds to make words. Once your child begins reading, continue to encourage their accomplishment through different kinds of texts. Our goal for the second semester is to have all kindergarten students reading level A-C books. Please continue to reinforce reading strategies and read books that are sent home. Reading is essential to a successful education. Readers are leaders!   

First Semester Kindergarten Goals      

Recognize all letters and sounds independently, recognize high frequency words: is, the, like, to, put, we, my, can, I, am, it do, see; count to 50 independently, recognize numbers 0-10, count objects to 10

End of the Year Kindergarten Goals

Read level A-C books independently, recognize high frequency words: have, here, you, look, and, could, not, said, come, me, was, what, because; count to 100 independenlty, recognize numbers 0-20, count objects to 20

~ Book Bags ~

* If you need to print an additional reading log. Please click the link. *

Book Bags 

 Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

 In Kindergarten we want to encourage reading and stress its importance! Strong reading skills are essential to successful and positive school experiences. In your child’s backpack you will find their individual Book Bag. This is sent home with your child to practice their reading skills. Enclosed in the bag are books, a reading log and pen, and copies of the Reading and Comprehension Strategies we use in class. 

Please listen to and help your child practice reading the enclosed books for 10-15 minutes daily. Be sure to talk about the story during reading and ask them questions after.  When you are finished write the date that you read, the amount of time that you read for, and then initial the log. (Please only sign for one night at a time.) Make sure to then return log into the Book Bag and put the Book Bag back into your child’s backpack. We utilize Book Bags in class as well, so returning the Book Bag to your child’s backpack is critical.

We add books to the Book Bags weekly. Sometimes they will be books that your child has practiced with me, but other times they will be new books that will be a “cold read” for your child. Please leave all books in the Book Bag, so that your child’s “bag library” will grow. Even though the books do not change often, it is important to practice re-reading the same books to work on reading skills and fluency. Please feel free to let your child choose the books they would like to read each night. However, make sure that they are changing often and not avoiding the more challenging books.   

As an incentive for the students, I will be keeping track of how often they are reading at home. Each night that they read they will receive a small treat. For reading five nights in a row, they will receive a larger treat. When they fill up a whole reading log we will be celebrating their success in class. Thank you for your help and cooperation in this important part of your child’s learning!

Happy reading!

Ms. Baldwin