Room 1 - At Home Learning

Kia Ora parents,
In the junior end of the school learning is very hands-on and practical in the classroom. For that reason this page is a collection of ideas, teaching tips, games and activities that I hope you will find useful to support your child's learning at home.
If you have any questions feel free to email me at m.coe@acs.school.nz and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Thanks, Melissa Coe.

Room 1 Blog Updates:
  1. Holidays - Easter Activities and Art Ideas for at Home
  2. Week 1 (14-17 April) - link coming
  3. Sleepy Sloth's Blog - Sleepy Sloth is at Home with Mrs Coe and sharing some of the things he is learning at home (updated Monday-Friday).

Literacy

Literacy Skills at Home:

​Reading:

I have sent 20 books home with each child. These are at the level they are reading at school (and some slightly easier). I have also added some online/digital reading and listening options below.
The PDF to the right are the steps we follow is class during reading groups. When using readers from school try to follow these steps to keep routine going.
Reading tips:
  • Give your child plenty of encouragement. We want our kids to love reading.
  • If they make an error, try not to jump in straight away and supply the correct word. Instead, wait and give your child time to work it out.This will help them to not feel rushed or pressured. (If they miss the error you can say things like "does that make sense?", or "try that again".)
  • Try not to make reading feel like a chore or a pressured experience.
  • Don't be afraid to ready the same book again. This can help to build confidence and develop fluency and expression.
Click here for a guide with tips (and a video) from TeachStarter which has helpful ideas for reading at home with your child.
Finding more readers online:
  • Digital 'Ready to Read' books
    On Apple devices you can download readers by searching 'Read to Read' each book is a seperate app. These are at different reading levels from year 1-3, however the app can read aloud to your child as they read along. They can also click on different words and be told what it is if they are reading independently and get stuck.
  • Levelled audio books
    Click on the link below, under each of the book titles listed there is a play button that you can click on and let your child listen to the story. They could just listen to these stories for enjoyment. They could also follow up the story with one of many follow up activities, I have given one idea with each level below, but feel free to get creative with other ideas too. If possible, you could even do the activity talked about in the story!
    • Magenta  - Aria, Evie, Giovanna, Janke, Daniel, Noah
      Write a sentence* using the same sentence structure used throughout the story and draw a picture to match.
      Eg. I Can Read - "I can read to my brother on the couch." (*parents you can write the sentence for your child to copy or trace over). Activity: practice writing with chalk or salt trays. 
    • Red - Luke, Boetie, Meridah, Eden
      Draw a picture of someting from the story and 'write a sentence' based on what happened or re-tell part of the story. 
      Eg.At the Pool - "James was scared to get in the pool but he was brave." Activity: Pretend to go 'swimming' in the bath.
    • Yellow - Archie, Priscilla, Vienna, Gabriella
      Split a page into 4 parts, sequence the story (draw a picture of what happen at the start, 2 for the middle and one more for the end.) They could also write or even just retell you what is happening in each picture and you can write it for them.
      Eg. Going Camping - 1. Putting up a tent. 2. Playing in the tent. 3. Eating tea. 4. Sleeping in the tent.  Activity: put up a tent or make a hut!
    • Green - Limba   /   Orange - Peter
      Write or draw about the problem in the story and how they fixed it.
      Eg. I want to be the Fox - 1. Josh wanted to be the fox but he was going to be the rabbit. 2. Josh was the best rabbit. Activity: Make animal masks for a play, use these for imaginative play.
  • Epic! App or Online
    getepic.com or download the 'Epic!' app from your app store.
    Login as a parent using your email addres and password you've set up. (These emails were sent on Friday 27th March) 
    ​    I have assigned some basic readers to the children on colours and numbers following simple sentence structures but they can also listen to (and read along with) picture books and other stories they/you choose.
  • Other Audio Books

Phonics / Spelling

Phonics
(Aria, Daniel, Evie, Giovanna, Janke, Noah, Olivia)
  • Focus on one new sound a day
    - My name is ... (letter name)
    - My sound is ... (letter sound)
  • Come up with words starting with that sound
  • Practice writing the letter correctly
  • Extra: make a collage/picture page about that sound
The letter-sound card (PDF in the writing section below) can also help the children to associate the letter with a picture representing the sound. See if they can aso tell you the action that goes with the sound.

CVC Words for Phonics & Spellers to practice sounding out words:
Spelling
(Archie, Boetie, Limba, Luke, Peter, Priscilla, Vienna)
When learning a new word (please note some words will be known already):
  • Sound out the word (example below of how we do this in class)
  • Say the word in a sentence
  • Practice writing the word

Sight Words

​I've included each set of coloured words that your child brings home with their reading each night. It is important your child continues to practice words they have learnt previously as well as continuing to learn new words when they are ready.
You could make the words they are practicing into flash cards, or with any of the different hands-on activities listed below.
Select 6 sight words your child is working on, write them next to the pictures of the dice. Your child then rolls a die and practices writing the word in the box beside it.

​Writing

Encourage your child to write a sentence (or more) each day, sounding out what they know and finding words from the word card. Below is a picture of what their sentences may look like and how to 'mark' them. Depending what stage of writing they are at all options are okay!
  • First ask your child to tell you the sentence they want to write. (You could give them a sentence starter, an idea or topic to write about or let them choose)
  • Point them in the right direction of first sounds or words on the word card they would use.
  • Check your child's writing when they have finished, encourage and praise them for the words and sounds they have found and used rather that focusing on mistakes.
  • Get them to draw a picture that goes with their story.
You could use the 'Sentence of the Day' PDF, a piece of paper or a writing book.
Sentence starter ideas below. Other topics could be something you have done at home, a trip, a 'like', a book you've read, an animal clip on youtube etc
Letter-sound and word cards to help with writing

Handwriting

​Below is the correct formation for how to write letters and numbers, as well as some handy hints and fine motor skill ideas.
Talk about where letter starts on the line and practice in fun and interesting ways (not just on paper).
  • chalk
  • window pens
  • paint brush and water on concrete
  • using fingers to write in a tray of salt or sugar
  • with lots of different coloured pens or pencils (making rainbow words)
Click here for a link to a playlist on YouTube with a NZ teacher showing the correct formation of each letter (example to the right --> ) 

Maths and Number Skills at Home:

Here are some counting songs that can also support your child's learning.
Numicon Shapes
File Size: 112 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Numicon Shapes to print and cut out to support maths learning (if you have lost or no longer have laminated shapes from your strong start meeting).

Developmental Activities
On top of literacy and numeracy skills it is really important for your children to be doing other activities that are at their developmental level. Below is a list of ideas that may also spark even more of your own ideas to do and try at home.

  • Imaginative play / dress ups / dolls / shops
  • Building blocks / Lego / Duplo
  • Make Playdough
  • Complete a puzzle
  • Build a hut / blanket fort
  • Sing action songs
  • Bake or cook following a recipe
  • Draw or colour in
  • Cut, colour and paste
  • Teach your child to tie their shoelaces
  • Find an art or craft activity online (or in a book) to follow
  • Find a science experiment you can try at home
  • Construction (build something out of boxes, recycled items etc)
  • Outside activities - ball games, jump rope, throw/catch, scooters/bikes, hopscotch, gross motor skills (jump, hop, skip etc)

Choice Boards (and other activities)

Here are some choice boards and activities you could get your children to do with their older siblings or together as a family. You may choose to do one of these boards a week or have a challenge to do 2-3 things a day (whatever works best for you).

Devotions
In addition to your own home family devotions, here are some bible verses you could learn with your children as well as some songs they know from in class.
Term 1 Memory Verses:
Weeks 1-4: You are good to everyone, and you take care of all your creation - Psalm 145:9
Weeks 5-7: Trust the Lord and His mighty power - Psalm 105:4  
Weeks 8-10: Jesus said… "I am the Son of God" - John 10:36a 
Additional verses that could be helpful to talk about and learn as a family during this time:
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a self-discipline. - 2 Timothy 1:7
'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, '...plans to give you hope and a future'. - Jeremiah 29:11
We love because he first loved us. - 1 John 4:19
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:13
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love ensures forever. - Psalm 107:1

The Beginners Bible

We read through the Beginners Bible in class, and hopefully you each have a copy of this with your family. Continue to read through stories and talk about what the stories mean for us today. They also have a YouTube account with video versions of the stories ​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiM9mWNxTWpKY-V9Eb9TfkA

Bible App for Kids

The Bible for Kids app is interactive and can be downloaded to your device. Easily used by children and can be done as family devotionals by using the online resources. The videos are also all online, with adventure books that go alongside each story, including memory verses, questions and colouring activities and parent guides https://bibleappforkids.com/parents/videos

The Big Little Bible App

The Big Little Bible is an app that goes through 30 bible stories and is designed to be read as a family.
https://biblesociety.org.nz/our-bible-projects/new-zealand-projects/big-little-bible/
119 Albert Street, Ashburton 7700   -   Phone (03) 3076340
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