BOOK TALK INSTRUCTIONS
Each Monday your child will bring home 2 new books. Please help your child keep these in a responsible place. Each night you and your child should read at least one of the books. Your job is to read the story to your child several times. Once your child has heard you read it several times, they will then feel the urge to “read” it to you. This is what we want! Encourage your child to read it to you, but only after you have read it to your child several times. As your child “reads” to you, or as we call it “memory reading” their eyes will begin to transition into “REAL” reading. Often your child may only do a story retell, which is okay; remembering key parts of a story is a great comprehension builder. Sometimes your child may just tell a story about the pictures, which is okay too. Formulating a story from pictures helps your student organize ideas and practice speaking and language skills. Remember this activity helps your child develop from a memory reader to a conventional reader. We want reading to be enjoyable.
HERE IS HOW IT WORKS:
Each Monday your child will bring home 2 new books. Over the course of the week, read and reread them. Have your child choose his or her favorite one and fill out an entry sheet in the Book Talk Journal. When your child comes to school on the following Monday they will then be prepared to “read” their favorite book and discuss it with their book talk group as well as play a literacy game. Once their book talk group has completed their time together, the children will all choose 2 new books to enjoy. It is very important to return the books on Monday.
What if:
We finish the books before Monday?
If you finish the books before Monday, keep them and continue reading them. I will send them back home; we do not want them until Monday!
We don’t have school on Monday?
Keep the same books for another week.
My child forgets them at home?
Keep the same books for another week.
As you read together look for words that begin with various letters of the alphabet. As the year goes on and your child seems ready you can begin looking for these words; a list of some simple sight words.
be am I see you and but come have not in no did will
do yes said where is the my your what who it go to I
like we can red blue green black yellow brown purple orange
ACTIVITIES TO DO TOGETHER
Please choose activities from the list below that best compliment the book that your child brings home. The following activities are designed to enhance reading readiness while providing an enjoyable literature experience for all!
· Read the book with your child many times
· Enjoy the book again with your child
· Read the book and discuss the pictures
· Read the book and talk about the words
· Ask your child to “read” the book to you
· Be sure to study the pictures and refer to them to give us a clue as to what the text below the picture might say. Using pictures clues as
a decoding strategy.
· Enjoy the book again and discuss the main idea, setting and characters.
· Ask your child to locate various letters of the alphabet both capitals and lower case. Example: Can you find the letter b, how many can
we find?
· Locate various words or pictures that begin with a specific letter.
Example: Can you find a word that begins with a b? What other letters make up that word? What letter do you hear at the
beginning of “boat”? Do you hear and ending sound? What do you hear in the middle? Can you point to the word “boat” on
the page?
· Select a sight word and locate it on the page. Tally how many times it appears in the book.
· Read the book, locate and discuss punctuation marks. Discuss their purpose and how your voice changes to convey meaning.
· Target a word in the text and brainstorm many different words that rhyme.
· Target a word in the text and clap how many syllables make up the word.
Example: cat = 1 clap/ Mon day = 2 claps
· Assist your child in making their own version of the story by making their own book. Encourage them to write their own words or take
dictation.
· Compare and contract two books for similarities and differences
· Create a story map by listing characters, plot setting, problem, solution, title, and author
· Work on fluency and expression; let your child read to an audience.
· Talk about the direction of the text (Left to Right)
· Talk and discuss the author and the illustrator, who they are and what their job is.
· Fun Idea: record your child reading so that they can watch and or hear themselves read!
Remember that this is a fun program that is set up to jump start your child’s reading skills.
We hope you enjoy it!
HERE IS HOW IT WORKS:
Each Monday your child will bring home 2 new books. Over the course of the week, read and reread them. Have your child choose his or her favorite one and fill out an entry sheet in the Book Talk Journal. When your child comes to school on the following Monday they will then be prepared to “read” their favorite book and discuss it with their book talk group as well as play a literacy game. Once their book talk group has completed their time together, the children will all choose 2 new books to enjoy. It is very important to return the books on Monday.
What if:
We finish the books before Monday?
If you finish the books before Monday, keep them and continue reading them. I will send them back home; we do not want them until Monday!
We don’t have school on Monday?
Keep the same books for another week.
My child forgets them at home?
Keep the same books for another week.
As you read together look for words that begin with various letters of the alphabet. As the year goes on and your child seems ready you can begin looking for these words; a list of some simple sight words.
be am I see you and but come have not in no did will
do yes said where is the my your what who it go to I
like we can red blue green black yellow brown purple orange
ACTIVITIES TO DO TOGETHER
Please choose activities from the list below that best compliment the book that your child brings home. The following activities are designed to enhance reading readiness while providing an enjoyable literature experience for all!
· Read the book with your child many times
· Enjoy the book again with your child
· Read the book and discuss the pictures
· Read the book and talk about the words
· Ask your child to “read” the book to you
· Be sure to study the pictures and refer to them to give us a clue as to what the text below the picture might say. Using pictures clues as
a decoding strategy.
· Enjoy the book again and discuss the main idea, setting and characters.
· Ask your child to locate various letters of the alphabet both capitals and lower case. Example: Can you find the letter b, how many can
we find?
· Locate various words or pictures that begin with a specific letter.
Example: Can you find a word that begins with a b? What other letters make up that word? What letter do you hear at the
beginning of “boat”? Do you hear and ending sound? What do you hear in the middle? Can you point to the word “boat” on
the page?
· Select a sight word and locate it on the page. Tally how many times it appears in the book.
· Read the book, locate and discuss punctuation marks. Discuss their purpose and how your voice changes to convey meaning.
· Target a word in the text and brainstorm many different words that rhyme.
· Target a word in the text and clap how many syllables make up the word.
Example: cat = 1 clap/ Mon day = 2 claps
· Assist your child in making their own version of the story by making their own book. Encourage them to write their own words or take
dictation.
· Compare and contract two books for similarities and differences
· Create a story map by listing characters, plot setting, problem, solution, title, and author
· Work on fluency and expression; let your child read to an audience.
· Talk about the direction of the text (Left to Right)
· Talk and discuss the author and the illustrator, who they are and what their job is.
· Fun Idea: record your child reading so that they can watch and or hear themselves read!
Remember that this is a fun program that is set up to jump start your child’s reading skills.
We hope you enjoy it!