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EMERGENT READER EMERGENT READER ACTIVITIES FOR KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS Polar Bears - Children will use their knowledge of Dolch words and basic phonics skills to read about polar bears. Ideas are given for word hunts using word families, vowel sounds, etc. Children can color the polar bear picture after reading. Yaks - Children will use their knowledge of Dolch words and basic phonics skills to read about yaks. Ideas are given for word hunts using word families and vowel sounds. Children can color the yak picture after reading. Penguins - Children will use their knowledge of Dolch words and basic phonics skills to read about penguins. Children will find in family words and make their own in words. Our Helper, the Sun! - Children will read a nonfiction article about the sun. They will illustrate their comprehension by making pictures of how the sun helps us. Suggestions are given for a phonics activity. The Water Cycle -Students will read an article about the components of the water cycle. The article contains Dolch words and age-appropriate phonics-based words. Children will color the diagram and explain each part of this cycle. Animal Helpers Students will read an article about pollinators. Guided reading questions are suggested. Students will color a picture of one animal pollinator helper. Keeping a Top Secret! - Children will read a nonfiction passage (written at the primer level) about the ivory-billed woodpecker. An ecological question is posed. A math story is given and children draw a picture to arrive at answers to this story problem. Hurricanes Are Big! - Emerging readers will use sentence patterns and high frequency words to develop a Concept of Word and add to sight vocabulary. Directions are given for highlighting these Dolch words. The activity correlates with Content Standard D, Earth and Space Science, of the National Science Standards. Clouds – Children will use their emerging sight vocabulary and phonics skills to read about clouds and fog. Ideas for presenting sight vocabulary are included. Teachers are able to use portions of the text to check for Concept of Word. The activity correlates with the IRA/NCTE Standard, “Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).”
Sunlight - Emergent readers will read a nonfiction selection about the ways the sun helps us. The selection uses Dolch words and repeated vocabulary to help with readability. Children follow-up the reading by drawing ways the sun helps the Earth. Ideas for sharing this work are given in the teacher letter. The activity correlates with Content Standard D, Earth and Space Science, of the National Science Standards. Will You See the Winter Games? - High frequency words, repeated vocabulary, and short sentences make this article about the XX Winter Olympics an appropriate read for your kindergarteners and first graders. An illustration of a medal may be colored and suggestions for extensions are provided. The activity correlates with the National Social Studies Strands: Culture and Civic Ideals and Practices. What Can You See in Turin? - Children will read a selection about Turin, Italy. The contrasts of this city are highlighted. Children color pictures showing these contrasts. Ideas for classroom use by various levels of emergent readers are presented. The activity correlates with the National Social Studies Strand, People Places, and Environment.
Count the Medals - Children will gain practice in chart reading and completing a chart by adding 3 numbers. Instructions encourage use of counters, if necessary. Reading is at an appropriate level for emerging readers. Suggestions are given for follow-up classroom activities. The activity correlates with NCTM’s Algebra and Data Analysis and Probability Standards. Emergent
Hot Or Cold? - Children read about how climate affects clothing and housing choices. High frequency words and predictable sentence patterns allow emerging readers to independently read the selection. Children are asked to complete two sentences and draw a picture to illustrate their understanding of the article’s concepts. Other teaching suggestions are given. The activity correlates with the National Geography Strand, Environment and Society: How Physical Systems Affect Human Systems.
Great Big Numbers - Information about big numbers, including the term googol is presented using age-appropriate reading vocabulary. A chart is presented so children can write the number one googol. Follow-up place value activities are suggested. The activity correlates with the National Principles and Standards Number and Operations Strand: Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems.
It Is Hot! - Children will read about heat and personal safety on hot days. High frequency words are used and ideas for the teacher include how to develop a sight vocabulary and ideas for holding a science-based class discussion. The activity correlates with both the Content Standard D, Earth and Space Science, of the National Science Standards and with the IRA/NCTE Standard, “Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).”
Trees Help! - Children will read a short text about trees. Repeated high-frequency vocabulary is used. A drawing of a tree is included to color and room for children to draw themselves helping trees is given. The Dear Colleague letter contains suggestions for differentiating for beginning writing instruction and developing a Concept of Print. The activity correlates with the IRA/NCTE Standard, “Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).” Counting on Castles! - Children will read level-appropriate sentences about castles and count the features of the pictured castle. Meaningful counting along with numeral representation forms the basis for the activity and the ideas in the Dear Colleague letter. This activity correlates with NCTM’s Number and Operations Standard. What is a Delta? - Children will read sentences about water flowing down a river. The text uses high-frequency sight vocabulary. Follow-up science, reading, and writing ideas are presented in the Dear Colleague letter. This activity correlates with Content Standard D, Earth and Space Science, and Content Standard F, Science in Personal and Social Perspectives, of the National Science Standards. Manners in China - Students will read a level-appropriate story about manners in China. A map of the country is provided for children to color. Suggestions for teaching vocabulary are included in the Dear Colleague letter and additional follow-up activities are presented. Pika Who? - Children will read a level-appropriate text about pikas, a high-altitude animal that is negatively affected by global climate change. The Dear Colleague letter gives suggestions as to how to develop content area reading skills, even with young readers. A picture is provided for coloring. This activity correlates with Content Standard C, Life Science, of the National Science Standards and the IRA/NCTE Standard, “Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).” Holiday Letters - Children will read a level-appropriate passage that explains how Mrs. Sarah Hale wrote letters to encourage the recognition of Thanksgiving as a holiday in the United States. Children are encouraged to think of a holiday they would like to see celebrated. They are asked to write a letter explaining their reasons of enacting such a holiday. This activity correlates with National Social Studies Strand: Culture and Civic Ideals and Practices. Read and Write BIG Words! - Children will read level-appropriate sentences containing high-frequency words with prefixes. They will determine the meaning of each prefix based on the context. Several follow-up suggestions are given in the Dear Colleague letter. The activity correlates with the IRA/NCTE Standard, “Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).” Polar Bears and Penguins - Children will read a level-appropriate text about polar bears and penguins. The fact these two polar animals are affected by global climate change and live on different poles is highlighted. The Dear Colleague letter gives suggestions as to how to use context clues. Follow-up activities are suggested. This activity correlates with Content Standard C, Life Science and Content Standard D, Earth and Space Science of the National Science Standards. Many Names - Children will sort number cards that illustrate the concept of different ways to name numbers. Follow-up activities are suggested in the Dear Colleague letter. A template for further number sorting is provided. This activity correlates with the Number and Operations Strand and the Communication Strand of NCTM’s standards. Smile – Now They Are Sentences! - Children will read phrases about teeth. They will turn these phrases into complete sentences. Suggestions for various follow-up writing activities are provided in the Dear Colleague letter. This activity correlates with the IRA/NCTE Standard, “Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.” Smile and Save! - Children will read a level-appropriate nonfiction text about problems some experience in finding clean water. They are encouraged to make a list about ways they can help conserve this precious resource. Follow-up activities, including a poem with math connections are presented in the Dear Colleague letter. This activity correlates with the National Social Studies Standards: People, Places and Environment and Production, Distribution, and Consumption. Show Me the Number! - Children will read a level-appropriate passage containing high-frequency and decodable words about an insect. They will use the information in the text for a math-related follow-up activity. Several suggestions are included in the Dear Colleague letter. This activity correlates with the Number and Operations Strand and the Problem Solving Strand of NCTM’s standards. A Smart Kid! - Children will read a level-appropriate text about a child inventor. The non-fiction text contains high-frequency and decodable vocabulary. As a follow-up, children are asked to design their own invention. The Dear Colleague letter contains ideas about parent volunteers. The activity correlates with the National Social Studies Standards: Civic Ideals and Practices. Ostrich Tails - Students will read a level-appropriate text with high-frequency and decodable vocabulary about ostrich tails. There is an illustration of an ostrich to color, and children are encouraged to draw a follow-up picture. Other ideas are provided in the Dear Colleague letter, including other fun facts about animal tails. This activity correlates with Content Standard C, Life Science, of the National Science Standards. Panda Olympics - Children will read a level-appropriate text about one of the symbols of the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, the panda. They are asked to consider what animal might best represent their abilities and ideas. Follow-up activities are suggested in the Dear Colleague letter. Wetlands Menu Math - Students will use the information from an imaginary “Wetlands Menu” to answer questions about the food, which animals that inhabit wetlands may “order.” Simple addition is required to solve the problems. The activity correlates with the Number and Operations Strand and the Data Analysis and Probability Strand of NCTM’s National Standards. Summer Scrambler with Maggie - Children will visit Maggie’s website at www.missmaggie.org. They explore the various components of this website as part of this electronic scavenger hunt. An intended outcome of this activity is that students will become familiar with the vast educational resources of this site, ranging from learning games to biological information to interactive multi-subject area devices. All Around the World - Children will read a nonfiction text about the world’s deltas. Repetitive sentence structure is used to build sight vocabulary as are level-appropriate words. Several ideas for follow-up are presented in the Dear Colleague letter, including developing a child’s sense of self in the world. This activity correlates with the National Social Studies Strand, People Places, and Environment. Working Hard…To Win! - Children will read a short non-fiction paragraphabout an Olympic gold medalist. In addition to reading the text and coloring the accompanying picture, an idea is presented for a language arts/art extension. The Dear Colleague letter contains thoughts on posing questions for maximum thought and minimal classroom disruption. The activity correlates with the National Social Studies Standards: Culture and People, Places and Environment. Election Math - Students will read a level-appropriate passage about theU.S. presidential electoral process. They will read a chart and answer questions based on this chart. Ideas for pre-teaching as well as follow-up and extension ideas are provided in the Dear Colleague letter. A companion activity is also available on the primary and intermediate levels. The activity correlates with NCTM’s Algebra and Data Analysis and Probability Standards. Make a Difference - Students will read a level-appropriate passage about Reth Chan Rattana, a woman who runs an educational foundation in Cambodia. They are encouraged to think and write about ways they will make a difference. This activity correlates with the IRA/NCTE Standard, “Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics) Camels - Children will read an article about camels that focuses on this animal’s unique adaptations to life in the desert. Children are asked to write a conclusion based on the facts in the text. A camel is provided for students to color. Suggestions for introducing the article, including using comprehension strategies such as making predictions are provided. Additionally, the Dear Colleague letter discusses a methodology to keep children on task as they write. This activity correlates with Content Standard C, Life Science, of the National Science Standards. Birds of Prey – Falcons! - Children read sentences about falcons. They use a word bank to fill in appropriate words. All text uses Dolch or level-appropriate words for emerging readers and writers. The sentences are presented in a four-square format so that children may cut out the boxes and arrange in a paragraph. Ideas about sentence sense and reasons why children may have difficulty developing this key concept are discussed in the Dear Colleague letter. This activity correlates with IRA/NCTE Standard, “Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics). Happy New Year! - Children will read short sentences describing various holiday food traditions around the world. As part of the activity, emerging readers are asked to complete a sentence about their own traditions. The Dear Colleague letter contains various suggestions for extending the discussion about traditions/holidays and an idea for a traditions class project. The activity correlates with the National Social Studies Strands: Culture and Civic Ideals and Practices. BIG Lakes! - Children will read a level-appropriate introductory text about three of the great lakes of the world. A chart showing these lakes is provided along with three questions about reading and interpreting this graph. The Dear Colleague letter offers suggestions regarding math vocabulary and geography follow-up activities. Ideas for a parent newsletter are also included. This activity correlates with the Data Analysis and Probability Strand of NCTM’s National Standards. Wetlands Can Help Us! - Students will read a level-appropriate article about urban wetlands. Appropriate vocabulary and decodable words are presented as is a repeated sentence structure. A multiple-choice follow-up activity is included. Ideas for introducing the activity and presenting “bubble” tests are included in the Dear Colleague letter as are ideas regarding classroom management. This activity correlates with Standard 4: Places and Regions of the National Geographic Standards. China - Children will read a level-appropriate short text about China and the Olympics. They imagine themselves watching an Olympic event and write about that experience. Other ideas for integrated lessons are provided in the Dear Colleague letter. This activity correlates with the IRA/NCTE Standard, “Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes." Go Elephants Go! - Students will read a level-appropriate text about the migratory elephants of Mali. Two follow-up questions are asked. The Dear Colleague letter contains suggestions as to how to hold a more effective discussion in the early elementary classroom. The activity correlates with the National Social Studies Standards: Culture and People, Places and Environment. Pen Pals: Project Knapsack - Children will read about Project Knapsack, a program which seeks to connect the world’s children through giving and a pen pal exchange. Follow-up activities include writing a letter along with ideas to integrate the arts into such an exchange. A Picture Poem! - Level-appropriate directions are given for writing a concrete poem. Children are encouraged to write a list of descriptive words for an object and then are asked to place these words on an example drawing. The Dear Colleague letter contains ideas for children to write their own concrete poems. This activity is available on the intermediate, primary, and emergent levels. It correlates with the IRA/NCTE Standard, “Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes." Brown Bear – How Big Are You? - Students read about brown bears, and then use their knowledge to solve two math problems using the word twice. The Dear Colleague letter gives examples of how to creatively teach and support sight vocabulary. This activity correlates with the Number and Operations Strand and the Problem Solving Strand of NCTM’s standards. Antarctica: It Wins! - Children will read a level-appropriate passage about Antarctica. Follow-up activities are suggested in the Dear Colleague letter as are ideas for increasing sight vocabulary. This activity correlates with the National Social Studies Standards: Culture and People, Places and Environment. Maggie’s Puzzle - Children will visit Maggie’s website at www.missmaggie.org. They explore the various components of this website as part of this electronic scavenger hunt. An intended outcome of this activity is that students will become familiar with the vast educational resources of this site, ranging from learning games to biological information to interactive multi-subject area devices. Several ideas for thinking green are provided in the Dear Colleague section of this activity. What Do Lungs Do/ What Do Trees Do? - Science-related content helps children understand the importance of lungs and the relationship between lungs and trees. Several ideas for presentation are given in the Dear Colleague letter including ways to correlate this activity with other science content along with thoughts for presenting new vocabulary. This activity correlates with Content Standard C, Life Science of the National Science Standards. One Boy Helps - Children will read nonfiction text about a young boy who made a difference in his community. Writing about possible ways to take action in near-by places is suggested as a follow-up activity. This activity is available on the emergent, primary, and intermediate levels and correlates with Content Standard F, Science in Personal and Social Perspectives, of the National Science Standards. Baby Pandas - Students will read a chart that explains panda growth and development facts. The chart is written using level-appropriate, high frequency vocabulary. A follow-up activity allows children to demonstrate their comprehension of the chart. Other activities are suggested in the Dear Colleague letter including a project to further develop fine motor skills. This activity correlates with Content Standard C, Life Science, of the National Science Standards. The Pine Mountain Beetle Puzzle - Children will read words about the pine mountain beetle. These words are presented on cards which children unscramble to form complete sentences. They write the new sentences. The Dear Colleague letter offers suggestions on differentiating for a variety of needs: concept of word, increasing sight vocabulary, and improving knowledge of language conventions. This activity correlates with the IRA/NCTE Standards, “Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts” and “Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).” Funny Ideas May Be Good Ideas - Students will read an article about ExxonMobil’s initiative to use algae as a biofuel. They are encouraged to consider how this unusual fuel would be distributed. The Dear Colleague letter addresses development of sight vocabulary and presents an idea for using poetry to integrate with science. This activity is available on the emergent, primary, and intermediate levels and correlates with Content Standard C, Life Science, and Content Standard F, Science in Personal and Social Perspectives of the National Science Standards. Cutting Down! - Children will read a level-appropriate article about over-use of packaging material. They are asked to follow-up by making a list of items they believe are over packaged. Several ideas for math extension and further teaching are offered in the Dear Colleague letter such as measuring and estimating material needed to wrap gifts. Ideas for social studies follow0up are also included. This activity correlates with the Measurement Standard, Understand Measurable Attributes of Objects and the Units, Systems, and Processes of Measurement” of the National Mathematics Standards.
A Hospital Ship Helps Haiti - Children will read a nonfiction text about the U.S.N.S. the Comfort whose medical staff is providing care to the earthquake victims of Haiti. Two multiple choice questions encourage children to consider the content of the article. Vocabulary is discussed in the Dear Colleague letter. This activity correlates with the IRA/NCTE Standard, “Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics) Spend Time on the Earth - Emerging readers will read how Kuma is celebrating Earth Day by making a school garden. Two story problems follow-up the level-appropriate text. This activity is available on the primary and intermediate levels and correlates with the Number and Operations Strand and the Problem Solving Strand of NCTM’s standards. Making Dreams Come True - Children will read a level-appropriate passage about a woman who achieved her goal of becoming a pilot. “During” the reading of the content-area text, the students circle sentences and phrases that answer pre-reading questions. Several ideas for furthering comprehension, on all three levels, are offered in the Dear Colleague letter. This activity is available on the emergent, primary, and intermediate levels and correlates with the National Social Studies Standards: Culture and Individuals, Groups, and Institutions.
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