Dear Parents,

One of the main goals of the kindergarten year is for children to gain a firm foundation in beginning reading and writing skills.  Reading and writing are interconnected.  We read what others have written and we want others to read what we have written.  The kindergarten curriculum is rich in activities that encourage the children to develop these emergent reading and writing skills.  Throughout the year there will be many opportunities for the children to write stories and draw pictures about classroom events including field trips, special days and topics that we study.  We will also extend children’s literature from our units of study to include writing class and individual stories based on the structure and patterns found in these stories. 

Throughout the year I will be guiding you child through the important stages of early invented spelling and pretend reading.  As your child learns to use written communication skills, the scribbles and shapes used may seem meaningless to you.  These early writing stages are very important.  When your child is ready to leave the scribblers and shapes behind, you will begin to notice real letters, and finally real words.  These words will not be spelled in the conventional manner, but to your kindergarten child they are wonderful words.  Don’t worry.  Correct spelling comes with experience.

When your child comes to you with examples of writing, please encourage and praise the effort, and talk about the work.  Have your child read the work to you.  Encourage reading from left to right and looking at each word as it is read.  These readings may be close approximations, or memorizations and are an important stage in the bridge to real reading. 

This early reading and writing stage is such an exciting time for all of us.  Please join me in enjoying your child’s beginning development as a successful reader and writer.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Sanfilippo