Thank you
for reading our March 2009 newsletter!
Volume Three, Third Issue
WriteReading.com
is dedicated to Words that make the future brighter!
More top 50 words from the Book of Mormon!
Over the past few months
these newsletters have focused on the top 50 words from the Book of Mormon.
This month we will introduce you to the third set of top 10 words. Introducing
words to your child is one of the steps to helping them become a successful
reader and lifelong learner. Hopefully, you and your child are enjoying a daily
routine involving reading together, writing individual numbers and letters,
practicing their names and sounds, and incorporating some beginning word
memorization. As your child masters each of these items, future newsletters
will discuss helping your child read verses from the Book of Mormon, and then,
eventually, reading it silently. These important exercises are not just for
children on a homeschool curriculum. These activities are three-fold: they can
become part of a family’s scripture reading program, help develop a child’s
individual scripture reading habits, and fulfill part of a school curriculum’s
at-home daily reading assignment.
Materials needed:
Using a $3 hardcover
missionary edition of the Book of Mormon, your child will look within its text
for five incidents of a specific word, and circle them using colored pencils.
You will also need 20 blank 3”x5” index cards to make new flashcards for this
month’s top 10 words. With the cards horizontal, make two flashcards for each
new word, one card with the word beginning in a lowercase letter, and the other
card with it beginning with an uppercase letter. For best results, write the
words copying the font used in the Book of Mormon, especially the letters “a”
and “g.” This reading program is based on the top 50 words used in the Book of
Mormon (see previous newsletters archived at the website above on the “Press”
page). This is the order to teach this third set of ten words, which are also
listed in the back of the book referenced below: came, pass, were, God, had,
Lord, which, their, shall, did.
Point to and
repeat, write and recite, circle and recite:
As before, teach your
child these new words using the “point to and repeat,” “write and recite,” and
“circle and recite” activities (see March, April and May 2008, newsletters
respectively). Sit by your child and read your scriptures while your child uses
theirs. When your child first practices their word for the day, also review the
words learned on previous days. Mix up the cards so the same words on the
lowercase and uppercase cards are not together. When your child can quickly and
easily read a word on a card, retire it. Let your child measure their progress
by seeing the cards they have learned displayed in a special place on their
wall. You may want to let your child show off occasionally by reviewing these
cards!
If your child can easily
read a word on a card the first time it is introduced, give lots of praise! In
this case your child will not need to do the accompanying activities. Simply add
the two flashcards for that word to your review pile and introduce the next flashcard.
If your child has a hard time finding their word in the text of the scriptures,
you may need to help them look for it. Make sure the lower and uppercase
flashcards for the word are next to your child’s scriptures for reference.
Using your child’s book, have a contest to see which of you can find the word
first, looking on opposite pages. As needed, browse several pages until the
word is found. If you find it first, tell your child the verse number it is in.
This gives your child practice using numbers. Point out the verse number if
your child can’t find it, but then have your child point to the number while repeating
it back to you ten times. This will help them remember it better in the future.
Finally, have your child look for the word in that verse. Make sure your child
finds the word a total of five times, and circles each one while reciting it
back to you. If your child forgets a word while looking for it, have them point
to the flashcard while repeating the word back to you ten times. A few times
during the day ask your child if they can still remember the word. If not,
remind them, and have them repeat it back to you a few more times.
Follow-up:
If desired, space the above
daily activities throughout the day. You may want your child to choose one of
the above activities before giving them permission to do other things. When
your child can remember their word the next day without any prompting, it is
time to begin teaching the next word from the list above. In the beginning your
child will just memorize their words. This is especially helpful when learning
words that do not sound out. After your child learns the sounds that letters
make, they will begin to sound out new words. When they begin doing this, and a
word does not sound out, help them remember it by having them recite the word
twice in a row, both the way it sounded out, and the way it really is. For
example, if your child sounds out the word “came” incorrectly as “cah-me,” have
them repeat it to you ten times as “cah-me, came, cah-me, came, etc.” Also
remember to include “storybook time” each day with your child. Show your child
how much you enjoy reading to them! Let your child pick out a book, or, offer
two choices if your child typically has a hard time choosing. Rereading books is
fine, but if a book exceeds your child’s attention span, read it over several
installments. Set a timer if needed, and end the session while your child is
still enjoying it! Happy reading!!
This
unique program uses the Book of Mormon to help a child:
·
grow closer to the things of God
·
develop a scripture reading habit
·
learn how to read and write
Helping a child learn or practice reading and writing skills can be a daunting task. But it doesn’t have to be. Head Start with the Book of Mormon: Using the Scriptures to teach Children Reading and Writing Skills, by Vicki Lynn Rasmussen (42 brief pages + 70 pages of flashcards) will give parents and grandparents the skills needed to nurture great readers using a simple scriptural plan—based on the top 50 words in the Book of Mormon. From a toddler hearing a story read to them, to a child reading silently, the three included phases will benefit all learners. Watch as your child also develops the habit of regular scripture use!
Thank
you for purchasing this book! What better gift can you give a child than the
gift of literacy? As referenced on the back cover, the author’s entire
royalties will be donated to the LDS Perpetual Education Fund. This book can be
ordered at the website above, or through local LDS booksellers.
Please email any questions, comments, or success stories you
have to:
Thank you, and I hope to chat with you again soon!
Hugs & wishes, Vicki (o;`~
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