Starfall

Often I am asked to give parents ideas of how to enrich their child's learning experiences at home. One of the ways to motivate young children is using the computer to engage them in learning experiences.

When using the computer, more than one of your child's senses is engaged and this can heighten learning. For example, looking at a picture (sight), hearing words spoken and manipulating items (touch) on a screen arouses three of your child's senses. The more senses that are activated in learning, the deeper the learning can be.

A website I like is Starfall.com.

There are various levels ranging from ABCs to reading simple books.

In the ABC section, children use a simple mouse click to allow them to explore how letters look, how they sound and some sample words that begin with the letter. Here are are a few samples of what you can see and do. Clicking on the letter 'A' leads you to see some sample words that starts with 'a':

You can also try a Sorting activity:

You can also download and print activity sheets. These also have ideas on how to extend the learning experiences:

Also, there are short books for children to create and read:

This website provides many opportunities for you child to become engaged in literacy activities. It can be beneficial to work with your child and support them if they need help. Having them take the lead is very empowering for them too.

Computers can be accessed at home but if you do not have a computer, you can visit the Toronto Public Library and sign up to use a computer there free of charge (more on the library coming soon). All you need is a valid library card.

Happy Exploring!
See you again soon,

Ms. Gladman

A New Year

The new school year is well underway. Our first grade children are learning the new routines in their classrooms as they ready their bodies and minds for a great year of learning. They will accomplish many exciting things this year as they move along the path of learning to speak, read and write in English. Wherever they are on their literacy path today is very different from where they will be once June rolls around.

My job this year is to support the grade one students who are learning English in addition to the other languages they may speak at home. I will visit classrooms and help the children there, and also work with small groups of children in a quiet place, giving them some tools to help them achieve specific learning goals.

You may hear my name, "Ms. Gladman," at home, and if you do, this is who I am:

This is my first classroom blog, so please forgive any technical difficulties I may have! The plan is to keep you up-to date on what is happening with your first grade ELL (English Language Learners) at school. I hope that you will find this helps you connect with what your children do all day!

Very warm wishes to all,
Ms. Gladman