Try a few of these very simple activities at home with your child!
**Please note: I refer to high frequency words as "popcorn words" in the classroom. I call them "popcorn words" because they are words that should just "pop" right out of their mouth!**
* Read a book with your child.
* Use our popcorn word list and go on a word hunt. Check cereal boxes, newspapers, magazines, flyers, etc. and see how many times the popcorn words appear!
* Go on a letter hunt. Check the same materials listed above for a specific letter. If you have more than one child who are close in age, see how many they find together within a set time frame.
* Make shopping trips to the grocery store more fun! Go on a letter hunt, number hunt, or popcorn word hunt in the grocery store! To make it more interesting, each time you change isles you can change the letter, number, or word.
* Children love to help! If you are making a grocery list, have your child make one as well.
When you add a word such as milk to your list, tell your child to add it to his/her list. Have your
child try to write the word or draw the word. Depending on how much time you have,
your child can also copy the word after attempting it themselves first.
Good food words include: milk, bread, eggs, cheese, apples, meat, chips, peas, carrots
* Do you have any scrap paper you are going to throw away? Children love writing on different types of paper! Before you throw it away, have them write letters, numbers, or popcorn words. Give them a special pen, crayon, or marker to use. But remember to keep it special they can not use this writing material all the time!
* Keep a special box of crayons, markers, pencils, stickers, stamps, and paper. When your child is looking for something different to do, take out this box and create something together! Write a letter to a friend or family member, draw a picture for the refrigerator, practice writing your name, etc.
* Play "I Spy" with your child. Example: "I spy something brown." Your child needs to look
around the area and find something brown. He/she continues to guess until they
pick the object you were looking at. You can spy things by color, size, or shape!
* Keep a tally. Find a local place in your home, usually the refrigerator works best. Put a piece of paper up and title it. Your title is whatever you are searching for that week. Decide on an item, letter, word, or number together. Everytime someone in the family sees the chosen item, he/she makes a tally mark on the paper. At the end of the week, count the marks together to see how many times you found that object!
* Check out stores like the Dollar Tree and Walmart to find inexpensive items such as crayons, markers, stickers, special paper, etc. to keep in the house for a fun activity.
Most importantly remember: Your child WILL be excited if YOU are excited!
If you make something simple sound and look exciting, your child will want to do it over and over!
Projects, games, and activities remain fun and exciting if they are not overused. Spread out what you choose to do with your child and change your letter, number, or popcorn word frequently, so he/she does not become bored with the task.
This is about spending time with your child, having fun together, and teaching your child that learning is FUN!!! Enjoy!
