Thankfully my children aren't in school yet so COVID hasn't really impacted their schooling per say. However, that doesn't mean that I don't stress about creating learning opportunities at home now that we are not going out and participating in various play groups and social interactions. I think all parents worry that they are not doing enough for their children's education because it is such an important part of their lives. But we are only human and have so much on our plate already it can be difficult to plan and come up with ideas.
That's why I've teamed up with Teachers to Go and they've shared some age appropriate activities to help you with your children's literacy skills!
Fun Literacy Activities to Teach Your K-6 Child By Julie Diamond, OCT who is a certified teacher in Canada. She is also the CEO & founder of Teachers to Go which is an online tutoring company that matches students with teachers looking for support with all grades and subjects across Canada. For more information, please visit www.teacherstogo.ca
It’s important to build a positive relationship with literacy at home with your child. Start when they are young, be consistent, and have fun with it. Learning to read and write involves a few stages so here are some activities for wherever your child is at with their literacy skills:
Before Your Child Begins to Read & Write (preschool to kindergarten)
Your child likes to be read to and is beginning to act like a reader or writer by holding books or pencils. They are curious and asking a lot of questions.
Discuss with your child about daily problems and solutions such as the plan for the day or how to find time to make dinner. Go beyond telling them something and instead ask for their input and listen. Their ideas may not make complete sense but these discussions will help build their capacity for understanding new
things.
Read nursery rhymes. Children at this age love repetition! Nursery rhymes are short and easy to learn. Click here for some popular ones.
Sing songs. Play music or make up your own songs. It’s a great way for your child to learn rhythm and rhyme.
Use your hands. Have your child play with sand, playdough or slime. This will build their fine motor skills to hold a pencil and write.
When Your Child is First Learning to Read & Write (grades 1-2)
Your child is beginning to see the relationships between sounds and letters. They are experimenting with saying words out loud and writing symbols for letters.
Rhyming Toss: At this age, it’s easier for kids to recognize rhyming words than it is to come up with them. Sit facing each other and toss your child a ball while saying two words. If your child thinks the words rhyme, they should toss the ball back to you. If they don’t, they should keep the ball until you name two words that do. Make sure to pause and give them time to think before they decide.
Letter Bag: Start with the letters of your child’s name and write them out on a piece of paper. Give your child a bag and one of the letters. They need to grab things in your home that start with that letter and put it in the bag. Have them show you what they found. Continue with the other letters or expand and use other letters in the alphabet for a challenge. If your child speaks another language, integrate those letter of the alphabet too!
I Spy Revised: In this game tell your child “I spy something in this room that starts with the sound mmmm…” They may need your prompting to think of what letter that sound makes before guessing the object. But again, give them time to think before offering this support
Build Vocabulary with Categories: One family member starts by naming a category then everyone takes turns naming things in that category. Start with your child’s interests. Some examples include: Animals, Colours, Marvel villains, video games, etc. If someone can’t come up with an item in that category, then they are ‘out’ that round.
Storytelling Bag: This is a great activity to do as a family. Using a pillowcase, fill it with different small items like toys, knickknacks, etc. The first person picks an item and starts to tell a story using that item as a guide. The next person picks a second item and continues the same story the first person was telling adding the item into it. Continue until the last item is chosen with that person in charge of ending the story. Have fun and be silly! This game gives your child opportunities to be imaginative and put their ideas into complete sentences. I have used this storytelling bag idea as a creative way to tell my students a story about me on the first day of school. They were eager to fill a bag and tell a story about themselves.
When Your Child Becomes a More Fluent Reader and Clearer Writer (grades 3-6)
You child thinks about what they are reading and able to connect it to ideas and personal experiences. They are able to extend their writing skills using a variety of sentences and begin to spell words correctly.
Illustrate: After you read a story together, have your child illustrate a part of the story or a character that they liked. They can write a few sentences to explain their artwork.
Shopping List: Dictate items on your grocery list and have them write it down for you. If they ask for spelling help, write the words correctly for them to copy. As an extension, ask your child to go through coupons to look for the items you need.
Write a Letter or Journal: Encourage your child to write and mail a letter to a family member or friend they are missing. Or they could write a daily journal or create a time capsule about their experiences at home during COVID-19.
These are only a few examples to spark your child’s curiosity. If you can’t seem to find the time for much lately (like me!), scrap these ideas above and just read with your child and nurture your bond together.
for 10-20 minutes a day. Reading will continue to foster their interest in literacy and