WHAT IS FAMILY LITERACY?

Family literacy is how a family interacts with literacy materials

(text, words, illustrations, etc.). Family literacy can be practiced
by reading books before bedtime, writing each other letters,
playing word games, singing songs or cooking together while
following a recipe. Below are ten ways to improve family
literacy.

1. 6.
Read, read, read! Read
books, magazines, Tell family jokes.
newspapers and digital print!

2.
Ask your child about what
they’re reading. Ask
questions before, during and
after reading.
7.
Play board games and word games
together. Have a family game night.

3. 8.
Write notes, e-mails, texts Keep a family calendar. Make family
or letters to each other to-do lists, and grocery lists. Write
each day. down wishes/goals for each season.

4.
Sing songs together. Make
up new songs too! The sillier
the better!
Created By: Deana Kahlenberg
9.
Visit the library or bookstore together.
Check your local library for weekly
read aloud classes.

5. 10.
Cook together. Teach your Create art projects together. Display
child how to follow a recipe. family artwork.
Reference: http://www.tvoparents.org
WHY CAN’T WE SKIP READING TONIGHT?
Student A reads 20 Student B reads 5 Student C reads 1 minute
minutes each day. This minutes each day. This each day. This equals
equals 3600 minutes a equals 900 minutes in a 180 minutes a school
school year. Student A school year. Student B year. Student C will read
will read approximately will read approximately approximately 8,000
1,800,000 words. 282,000 words. words.

By the end of the school year, Student A will have read the equivalent of 60 school days.
Student B will have read only 12 school days. Which student do you expect to be the
Created By: Deana Kahlenberg better reader? (Nagy & Herman, 1987)
 DIFFERENT WAYS TO READ WITH YOUR CHILD
READ ALOUD ECHO READ CHORAL READ FOLLOW ME
•  Complete a •  Complete a •  Complete a •  Complete a
picture walk picture walk picture walk picture walk
before before before before
reading. reading. reading. reading.
•  Discuss/Predict •  Discuss/ •  Discuss/ •  Discuss/Predict
what will Predict what Predict what what will
happen. will happen. will happen. happen.
•  Track print as •  Track print •  Track print •  Track print as
you read. as you read. as you read. you read.
•  Ask questions •  Read a •  Read the •  Begin by
before, during sentence or story out reading aloud.
and after page. Have loud Stop in the
reading. your children together at middle of a
•  Point out details echo the the same sentence.
in the sentence or time. •  Have your
illustrations. page back to •  Your child child read the
•  Use different you. will use your next word.
voices for the •  Ask questions guide if they •  Continue
characters. as you read. are stuck on reading aloud.
Created By: Deana Kahlenberg a word.
 NON-FICTION VS. FICTION TEXT
When we are teaching children to read it’s important that they are
exposed to both fiction and non-fiction text. What differences should we
teach or point out for each text? Use this chart to help you!
NON-FICTION TEXT FICTION TEXT
-  Teach the non-fiction -  Teach the structure of
text features while the story. Discuss the
reading. Point them out setting, characters,
and discuss what problem, solution, plot
information they provide and events of the story.
to help us better -  Make connections!
understand the text and Discuss what the story
information. reminds you of or what
-  Non-Fiction Text it makes you think about.
Features: Table of -  Visualize! Picture the
Contents, Glossary, story in your mind, draw
Caption, Bold Print, what you see.
Headings, Diagrams, -  Discuss why the author
Charts, Graphs, Labels, wrote the story? Was it
Created By: Deana Kahlenberg

Photographs, written to entertain, to

Illustrations, Text Box, inform or to persuade?
Title Page
 PARTS OF A TEXT
Pointing out the parts of a text and the information they give us help to
build better understanding of the story as a whole. Every time you read
ask your child if they can show you the parts of a text!

CAN YOU FIND...

q The front of the book
q The back of the book
q The title
q The author’s name
q The illustrator’s name
q The spine
q The title page
q A page in the book
q A word on a page
q Where to start reading
q Where to stop reading
Created By: Deana Kahlenberg

q A period or question mark

q A capital letter
q A lowercase letter
 THE IMPORTANCE OF PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS
What is phonological
awareness?
Phonological awareness is the
ability to recognize that
words are made up of
sounds. Under the term
phonological awareness,
students are expected to
develop phonemic awareness
skills. Phonemic awareness is
more specific in that it
focuses on the just the sound
of the phonemes. Phonemic
awareness tasks should
include pictures or auditory
tasks, not letters.
Why is phonemic
awareness important?
Children with good phonemic
awareness skills are better
at spelling, decoding and
writing.
When should my child
master these skills?
The chart to the right
outlines the development of
phonological awareness skills
children ages 5-7 and typically
when they are mastered.
Created By: Deana Kahlenberg
Age Skill Example
-  Identifying Rhyme - Which two words rhyme? “ cat, mit,
5 -  Clapping/Counting
Syllables
sat” (cat/sat)
- cat (1 syllable), turtle (2 syllables)
-  Blending onset/rime -  “What is the word” c-at, d-og, b-ig
-  Producing a rhyme -  “Tell me a word that rhymes with
5 -  Matching initial sounds
- 
hug” (bug, mug, etc.)
“Say the first sound in sock” (/s/)
-  Compound word -  “Say birdhouse, Say it again without
bird.” (house).
deletion
-  /b/ /i/ (bye), /sh/ /i/ /p/ (ship)
-  Blending 2-3 phonemes
-  “Say the word as you move a chip
6 -  Phoneme for each sound”
segmentation of 2-3 (m-a-n)
phonemes
- Phoneme segmentation -  “Say the word as you move a chip
of 3-4 phonemes for each sound”
(s-t-o-p)
6 - Phoneme substitution
-  “Change /d/ in dig to /b/. What is the
new word?” (big)
- Sound deletion (initial/ -  “Say seat. Say it again without
7
final) the /s/”. (eat)
-  Say bite. Say it again without the /
t/. (bye)
Reference: The Development of Phonological Skills. (2009, December 3). Retrieved April 12, 2015, from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/development-phonological-skills
 THE POWER OF SIGHT WORDS
Why are sight words so important? Sight words are words that
don’t typically follow a phonics pattern therefore; they can’t be
“sounded out”. Sight words are words we must know from
memory. If your child has a large repertoire of sight word
knowledge their overall reading fluency will improve, which will in
turn improve overall comprehension. There are many different
ways to learn sight words, here are a few ideas! If you’d like a
list of appropriate sight words for your child don’t hesitate to
ask your child’s teacher.
•  Fridge Flash: Tape sight words to •  Snowball Fight: Crumple
the refrigerator, read them every sight word cards into a
time you are in the kitchen. ball. Have a snowball
•  Stamp Them: Use alphabet stamps fight! Pick up snowballs
to stamp out sight words, then and see how many you
read them. can read!
•  Magnetic Letters: Use magnetic •  Chalk Words: Write sight
letters to spell sight words on the words with chalk on the
refrigerator or any magnetic driveway. Have your
surface, then read them. student hop from word
•  Popsicle Words: Write sight words to word, reading them
on popsicle sticks. Pull sticks out of aloud.
a can, see how many you can read. •  Word Swat: Put sight
•  Finger paint: Pour some finger word cards on a table, call
Created By: Deana Kahlenberg

paint on a plate. Use your finger out a word and have your
(or have your child use theirs) to student swat it with a fly
write the sight word and have your swatter or slap it with
child read it. their hand.
 READING, WRITING & STORY TELLING
Picture it! Great readers are able to make a movie in their mind of the story. This
visualization is what makes reading enjoyable (and often why we are disappointed when our
favorite books are turned into movies!). Encourage your child to visualize by working on
their own writing and story telling, great writers become great readers!

Ways to Encourage Writing & Story Telling:

•  Model It: Show your child how •  Write Letters: Write your
important writing is by writing! child a letter. Put it in an
Keep a journal, make lists, leave envelope and leave it
notes around the house. somewhere for them to
•  Journals and Diaries: Get find it. Give them some
your child a journal or diary paper and an envelope so
for them to write and draw in. they can write back.
Remember drawing is just as •  Ghost Stories: Create a
important as writing. fort, hide under the
•  Comic Strips: Give your child a covers with a flashlight, or
blank piece of paper and show sit in the closet and tell a
them how to make a comic spooky story. If your
strip. Let them do the work, child doesn’t like scary
Created By: Deana Kahlenberg

just create a few empty boxes stories, make it a

for them to use as a mystery! Then have them
template. make one up too!
 READING ALOUD: WHY SO IMPORTANT?
When your child becomes a more independent
reader, we often let him or her read on their own
and stop reading aloud as often. Its
understandable since we want them to practice
reading aloud and independently but it’s important
to remember that reading aloud is important for
children of all ages. Even adults enjoy listening to
books read aloud on tape. Take turns each night
deciding who will read. When you read aloud to your
child you are giving them time to sit and think
about what they are listening to without the
pressure of sounding out words or making sure
they are reading smoothly. Listening to books
read aloud also allows children to hear new words
they may have difficulty reading on their own. If
you want your child involved while you read aloud,
be sure to track print and tell them you want to
Created By: Deana Kahlenberg

see them watching while you read. Don’t forget to

ask questions before, during and after reading too!