literacy Archives - GoodFitFam

We are always looking for chapter books that appeal to our 6-year-old twin boys for shared book reading.

Whether it’s on the couch, in the hammock or a bedtime story. We can’t get enough of a good series that keeps us looking forward to what’s going to happen next.

We’re super excited for the upcoming 4th book of Upside Down Magic, Dragon Overnight by Sarah Mlynowski,‎ Lauren Myracle, and‎ Emily Jenkins

The fourth book came out January 30th. If you haven’t read the first 3, we highly recommend it. The Upside Down Magic series is about a group of misfits that learns to foster, embrace, and celebrate their differences.

Nory can’t control her wonky magic and turns herself into a dritten (yes a dragon/kitten hybrid) instead of a perfectly formed cat.

After many misadventures, she learns being out of the ordinary is extraordinary. It’s a great read to support kids who are just starting school and provides teachable moments for embracing differences in learning styles and abilities.

Looking to amplify learning from shared book reading? Here is a research-based strategy to explicitly teach vocabulary, it’s called Text Talk. I use this with my kids, preschoolers, and Kindergarteners. It’s easy and fun, the kids eat it up!

Find a Tier 2 word to teach your children.

Once you find a Tier 2 word:

Contextualize the word.
Provide a simple definition of the word.
Have the child(ren) repeat the word.
Take turns using the word in different context with your child(ren).

This is just one of the many fun teaching activities you can use with children to increase their success and enjoyment with literacy. You can learn more by registering to take the Building Blocks of Literacy workshop at http://www.buildingblocksforliteracy.org/