Introducing Letters

Chicka Chicka ABC (Chicka Chicka Book, A)

Good book to read before talking about letters!
A told B
and B told C,
“I’ll meet you at the top
of the coconut tree.”
  When all the letters of the alphabet race one another up the coconut tree, will there be enough room?
Of course there is always enough room for this rollicking alphabet chant that has been a children’s favorite for more than twenty years! Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault’s rhythmic text keeps the beat with Caldecott Honor illustrator Lois Ehlert’s bold, cheerful art. This winning combination has created a series of enduring Chicka Chicka favorites, and now, for the first time ever, the complete edition of the original Chicka Chicka Boom Boom story is available as a Classic Board Book. With sturdy pages and rounded corners, this portable edition of an irresistible alphabet romp will delight a new generation of young readers.

Wheels on the Bus (Raffi Songs to Read)

A familiar tune, this book will give the students confidence that they can read!  It is fun to read and sing along together

The Book with No Pictures

You might think a book with no pictures seems boring and serious. Except . . . here’s how books work. Everything written on the page has to be said by the person reading it aloud. Even if the words say . . .

You might think a book with no pictures seems boring and serious. Except . . . here’s how books work. Everything written on the page has to be said by the person reading it aloud. Even if the words say . . .
BLORK. Or BLUURF.

The Alphabet Tree (Dragonfly Books)

The Alphabet Tree – A great way to introduce standard:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.1.B
Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters.
Letters become words, and then words become sentences and sentences have meaning!
When a fierce wind threatens to blow all the little letters out of the alphabet tree, they must band together in words—and then sentences—to create a message that’s even stronger than the wind: peace on earth. With their newfound knowledge, there’s nothing the letters can’t do in this gentle parable about the power of the written word.

halkThis book has no pictures but it is great for teaching the children that pictures have meaning and that their pictures have meaning and that their pictures are a way to start the writing process!     Student can make up the story of what the children draw with chalk.

This book has no pictures but it is great for teaching the children that pictures have meaning and that their pictures have meaning and that their pictures are a way to start the writing process!     Student can make up the story of what the children draw with chalk. Other Activities Included for Week 2:

• Test the Students on the letters and sounds that they know. You may do DIBELS testing, or other Phonics testing.  I have included a Reading Readiness Test in the material that I always use as a baseline.
• Things to do during literacy centers:
  • Playdough – free play, or make your name on playdough mats
  • Lacing Cards
  • Legos
  • Write name on dry erase boards with markers
  • Write your name on mini chalk boards with chalk
  • Write your name in shaving cream on the desks!
  • Pre-handwriting worksheets (included)
  • Cutting Skills Worksheets (included)
  • Play Alphabet Football (included)
  • Play Letter Bingo
• Writing Time
  • Draw details in your pictures
  • Listen to a story and draw details from the story – be very detailed! Talk together over some things that can be added to their pictures.    Retell the story together and make note of details that would be good to add to a picture.
  • Use shapes to help you draw pictures (a circle for a face, or a sun), etc. Talk about how you can use shapes to help you.
• How to Teach the Alphabet – (Our Alphabet Teacher’s Manual and Carousel Posters Included)
• At Story Time
  • Talk about characters in the stories that you are reading.

Madreen Karle and Meeghan Karle Mousaw

Madreen Karle is a master first grade reading teacher with over 30 years of classroom experience. She taught reading in a special needs and English as a Second Language classroom. After retiring she wrote a reading program to help others learn how to teach reading. She is a trusted educator and author of 5 books to help teach children to read and write. In addition to her books, she is a mentor for 3 websites that give reading teacher tips (Mrs. Karle's Sight and Sound Reading, Mrs. Karle's Reading Patch, and Mrs. Karle's Handwriting Patch). Through her teaching she learned that confidence was the key to learning to read. A child who is not confident at reading does not like to read and struggles to read. Mrs. Karle created "sunshine moments" to help teach children how to grow their confidence and learn to read.

Meeghan Karle Mousaw (Madreen’s daughter) has her Master’s in Special Education. She has 7 years experience teaching children to read online. In addition, she developed a curriculum to teach children handwriting called The Handwriting Patch. With the Handwriting Patch learning is fun because children learn to draw and learn handwriting at the same time. In 2019 The Handwriting Patch curriculum became an amazon best seller the first year it was released, helping thousands of kids learn handwriting with a unique, fun method. She is mom to 6 kids, each with differently learning abilities and struggles.

The Reading Patch was established by the creators of Mrs. Karle’s Sight and Sound Reading. Together they have been featured on the NBC media outlets. Over the last 7 years in their online platform, Madreen and Meeghan have worked tirelessly with teachers, homeschoolers and parents looking to help children learn to read to become a trusted authority in teaching children to read and advocating early literacy skills. They often partner with other educational experts to deliver the most current information to the Reading Patch community.