Reading Rockets Newsletter September 2010

If you are having problems viewing images in this e-mail, click here to view it in your Web browser. September 2010 Newsletter In Focus: Phonemic awareness | IEPs Books & Authors: Interview with Laura Vaccaro Seeger | Back to school kids' books Ideas for Educators: WatchKnow classroom video | Hispanic Heritage Month | Rethinking assessment Ideas for Parents: Back to school, for parents | The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That | What not to do during read alouds Research & News: Oral language and reading comprehension | Special education teachers In Focus: Phonemic Awareness Sounds and Symbols  Word play and rhyming games can prepare children to become readers by developing their ear for language. Hosted by Annette Bening, our PBS show Sounds and Symbols focuses on how children learn the relationship between sounds, letters, and words — the first step before being able to decode the printed word. Watch program online > See also: Milestones for developing phonological skills > Target the Problem: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Phonemic awareness is one of the best predictors of how well children will learn to read during the first two years of school instruction. Identifying words that rhyme, breaking words into syllables, and separating out individual sounds within words are all skills that indicate a level of phonological awareness. Find out how parents and teachers can help children develop this critical skill. Go to Target the Problem > Featured Strategy: Blending and Segmenting Games Children who can segment and blend sounds easily use this knowledge when reading and spelling. Start with syllables and then introduce individual sounds. Games to try with your students include guess-the-word, robot talk, blending slide, the segmentation cheer, and penny push. See strategy > For parents: Playing with word sounds: stretch and shorten (in English and Spanish) > Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) The IEP Team To write an effective IEP for a child with a disability, parents, teachers, other school staff — and sometimes the child — must come together around the table to look closely at the child's unique needs. So, who's on the IEP team? Read article > Emilann's IEP Team  It takes seven people to carry out the "game plan" that meets all of Emilann Simpson's special education needs — her mom, Jennifer, her parent advocate, Emilann's homeroom teacher, her speech/language pathologist, and her special ed teacher. The assistant principal coordinates the team, and the head coach overseeing all the players, is the principal. [from our PBS Launching Young Readers show Empowering Parents.] Watch video > Back to School Tips for Parents of Kids with Special Needs Our Top 8 back-to-school tips for parents emphasize communication, organization, and staying up-to-date on special education news. Read article > Books & Authors Lemons Are Not Red: Our Interview with Laura Vaccaro Seeger Award-winning writer and illustrator Laura Vaccaro Seeger creates children's books that look disarmingly simple at first but reveal complex, conceptual ideas with every reading. She tackles big themes like friendship (Dog and Bear), transformation (First the Egg), and creativity (One Boy), and uses her design and animation background to bring visual freshness to her books. Watch interview > Planning an author study unit in your class this year? Our Author Study Toolkit gives you the step-by-step. Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? Old friends, new friends, and first day jitters! In these warm, funny stories for the new school year, you'll meet a very individualistic buffalo, join a "salty crew of swabbies" in a pirate's guide to first grade, and experience the pure pleasure of Jack Prelutsky's poetry (here's a sample menu from the school cafeteria: Grasshopper gumbo/Iguana tail tarts/Toad a la mode/Pickled pelican parts). See booklist > Ideas for Educators WatchKnow Classroom Video Library This wiki, guided by teachers, makes educational video available to any classroom free-of-charge. So far, WatchKnow has published and categorized more than 15,000 videos including offerings in literature (fables, fairy tales, mythology) and language arts (ABCs, vocabulary, writing). WatchKnow is a great kid-safe alternative to YouTube. And, you can add your classroom video to the ever-expanding library. Go to website > ¡Celebre! Hispanic Heritage Month Hispanic culture revolves around the family, with a rich tradition of music, dance, and storytelling. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 with these games, activities, and book lists from our bilingual sister site, Colorín Colorado. Go to Hispanic Heritage Month resources > Find masks, cowboys, family stories, música del pueblo, and many more resources: Go to Smithsonian Education Center > Rethinking Beginning Assessment: How Soon Is Too Soon? "In many ways I miss the earlier days of my teaching. I miss the first few weeks of school when we could get to know our students and build our community of learners. We can still do that, but there is now this pressing need to assess our learners early. We are in the first days of school and students are leaving my room to be assessed by intervention teams." Read full post > Ideas for Parents Back to School, for Parents When the back-to-school bell starts ringing, parents often hear and read school-related jargon that is unfamiliar to them. Learn about screening, differentiated instruction, and leveled text and what they mean for your young learner. Read article (in English and Spanish) > The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! Join a community of science explorers in this new PBS animated television series developed specially for preschoolers. In each program, the Cat in the Hat and his friends Sally and Nick go on a science adventure: shrink to bee-size to explore a hive and discover how honey is made; fly with birds to discover how and why they migrate; or dive inside flowers to find out more about the animals that depend on them to live. Learn more about the program > What Not to Do During Read Alouds In an excerpt from his best-selling The Read-Aloud Handbook, Jim Trelease shares the "dont's" of reading aloud to children. His kid-proven list begins with this: Don't read stories that you don't enjoy yourself. Go to website > Research & News A Key to Reading Comprehension: Oral Language A typical third grader may be able to decode words and even read with fluency. But does he understand what he has read? If not, what can teachers and parents do to help build comprehension skills? A recent study published in Psychological Science provides a clear answer: Focus on vocabulary development and listening comprehension, both components of oral language skills. This study reinforces what other literacy experts have said for years: Immerse children in language-rich environments where they continually hear and learn new words, and engage in active conversation about what those words mean. Read article > What Makes Special Education Teachers Special? This working paper looks at the training of special education teachers and how it translates into classroom practice and student achievement. The authors examine the impact of pre-service preparation and in-service formal and informal training on the ability of teachers to promote academic achievement among students with disabilities. Read article > "Words," he said, "is oh such a twitch-tickling problem to me all my life." —from The BFG by Roald Dahl All the best from Reading Rockets Noel Gunther Executive Director Christian Lindstrom Director, Learning Media Shalini Anand Technical Web Manager Tina Chovanec Director, Reading Rockets Kelly Deckert Associate Manager, Online Media Ashley Gilleland Producer Joanne Meier, Ph.D. Research Consultant Laura Schreiber Project Associate Rachael Walker Outreach Consultant Newsletter editor: Tina Chovanec About Reading Rockets Reading Rockets is a national educational service of WETA, the flagship public television and radio station in the nation's capital. The goal of the project is to provide information on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help. Learn about easy ways you can link to us to let others know about the many free resources available from Reading Rockets. Reading Rockets is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Send your questions, comments, or suggestions to readingrockets@weta.org. Our mailing address is WETA/Reading Rockets, 2775 S. Quincy St., Arlington, VA 22206. We look forward to hearing from you! Tell a friend about Reading Rockets News. If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up here to receive Reading Rockets News. This message was sent to aliatasbpp.disorder@blogger.com. Visit your User Login page to modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile. 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